Speaking
Part 2
Talk
about an interesting conversation you had/Describe an interesting speech or
talk you heard recently.
You
should say:
Who the speaker was
When you heard him/her or talked with him/her
What the speech/conversation was about
Why it was interesting to you
Sample Answer
This
is my favorite topic. So when I was a student, I wasn’t very interested in any
speech or talks. However, since I started my job as a teacher, I have enjoyed
these talks a lot. I did hear a talk from a lecturer who
comes from ABC University. He is a TESOL teacher, so the way he spoke really impressed me.
Sitting in a big hall and listening to a talk isn’t actually boring. The
lecture presented different methodologies in
teaching high school students English. Then, the talk visualized a variety of
games to motivate students’
interests, such as snakes, battleships or puzzles. I have to admit that they are
very creative and funny.
Moreover, I did learn a lot from this talk, especially the games since I’ve
never thought that games are really effective in
class but they proved me wrong.
The students like them a lot, which makes me believe in those new teaching
methods. I think I will listen to these talks more when I have time.
Vocabulary
for Cue Card
Lecturer: someone who teaches at a
college or university
Eg: My grandmother was a physics lecturer
in the University.
Impress: to cause someone to admire or
respect you because of something that you have done or said
Eg: His fluency in French impressed me
highly.
Admit: to agree that something is
true, especially unwillingly
Eg: It was really hard for Rose to admit
that her dog had died.
Present : to give, provide or make known
Eg: My teacher presented me a watch.
Methodology: a system of ways of doing,
teaching or studying something
Eg: The faculty members adopt the
methodology of case studies, projects, and assignments.
Motivate: to
make someone want to do something well
Eg: Rose was motivated by her parents to
continue her passion.
Creative: producing or using original and
unusual ideas
Eg: From a very young age, John was a
diligent and a creative student.
Effective: successful or achieving the results
that you want
Eg: The introduction of new schemes was
effective
Prove: to show that something is true
Eg: The teacher
told her to prove her innocence.
Speaking
Part 3
1Why do people feel nervous when they
are giving a speech to others?
Public
speaking has always been one of the utmost challenges
for anyone, especially those lacking practices. Like any interpersonal skills,
being able to deliver a thorough, yet captivating speech
to a group of strangers requires certain factors. Reasons why most people fail,
for me, fall into two main categories: the fear of audience’s reaction and the
topic itself. People are judgmental creatures
and can cast aspersions on almost
everything; therefore, presenters may suffer from the pressure of perfecting
every detail. In addition, if someone is going to talk about topic that is
unfamiliar to him or too sophisticated for
listeners, it is possibly not as well-received as
the one he knows more about.
2How can people improve their public
speaking skills?
Thanks
to the Internet, information is now disseminated worldwide
and easily accessible that you
can get help from anyone about anything, including public speaking. There are
several means to acquire and harness such skill
as long as people are willing to such as enrolling in an online course or
participating in forum where people with the same goal gather and share their
experience. This is quite effective, flexible and most importantly, free of
charge. If you want something more official and academic, talk to some experts
in public speaking at some conferences or workshops. They will provide you more
insights and tips to begin. Last but not least, practice
makes perfect.
3Can you suggest any methods that
would help reduce nervousness?
Each
of us will surely experience at least once in our lifetime the feeling of
anxiety. It can be before our job interview or big presentation, when meeting
your family-in-law for the first time and so on. Nervousness could
be a good sign since it shows that we care. However, to better perform at such life-changing events,
you should control your feelings. Firstly, take a deep breath. You can’t be at
your best without breathing easily. Second, don’t try convince yourself that
you’re not anxious. Accept it just like any other feelings then you don’t have
to keep reminding yourself to ignore it. Lastly, use positive self-talk.
Encourage yourself and remember that you are in this place for a reason.
4Is it good for people to visit
schools and give a talk to children about different things?
As
far as I’m concerned, it would be a valuable experience
for children to hear real-life stories and personal insights from their predecessors who
have been through ups and downs for
useful lessons and advice. Nowadays, many schools have already invited some
guests that could be their alumni or influential local
figures to talk to students. A child’s life is like a piece of paper on which
every person leaves a mark. Therefore, the sooner we sow a good seed and
inspire them, the better they will grow.
5What type of person is best suited to
give a talk to a group of students?
Well,
I see no special talents are needed to be able to deliver a highly motivating and inspiring speech to
students as long as their experiences and messages are relevant and
meaningful. Hence, people who could grab
students’ attention and make them question their goals and
purposes are those leading an eventful life. And by this, I mean someone who
has related experiences and been through ups and downs during his career to
reach success. This is because I believe that if one has never tasted failures
and disappointments, he can’t realize his inner strength to overcome setbacks and truly
appreciate his success, which is what students should think about when they’re
still in school.
6Is it hard to strike up a
conversation with a stranger?
I
don’t know about other people, but it is for me. Unless there’s a specific
question I want to ask someone, I would hesitate for ages before going up and
talking to them. I really should get over this fear of mine.
Vocabulary
for Speaking Part 3
Utmost (a): greatest; most extreme
Eg: Global warming is a topic of utmost
concern.
Captivating (a): taking all your attention; very
attractive and interesting
Eg: The diamond jewellery looked
captivating.
Judgmental (a): judging people and criticizing
them too quickly
Eg: Rose is a judgemental woman.
Cast
aspersions on: to
criticize someone or someone’s character
Eg: His opponents cast aspersions on his
generosity.
Sophisticated (a): complicated
Eg: The HR manager of the company was
suave and sophisticated.
Well-received (a): getting a good reaction from
people
Eg: The Minister was well-received by the
villagers.
Disseminate
(v): to spread
information, knowledge, etc. so that it reaches many people
Eg: The results of the experiments were
disseminated through newspapers
Accessible (a): that can be reached, entered,
used, seen, etc.
Eg: The institute is easily accessible by
this road.
Acquire
(v): to gain something
by your own efforts, ability or behaviour
Eg: Children go to school to not only
acquire knowledge, but also to learn good habits.
Harness (v): to control and use the force or
strength of something to produce power or to achieve something
Eg: We must harness the skill and
creativity of our team.
Practice
makes perfect: a way
of encouraging people by telling them that if you do an activity regularly and
try to improve your skill, you will become very good at it
Eg: After years of practising, John can
now play the piano perfectly.
Nervousness (n): the feeling of being anxious
about something or afraid of something
Eg: Rose smiled to cover her nervousness.
Life-changing (a): having an effect that is strong
enough to change someone’s life
Eg: It was a life-changing incident which
I’ll never be able to forget.
Valuable
(a): very useful or
important
Eg: These valuable earrings are gifted by
my uncle.
Predecessor (n): a person who did a job before
somebody else
Eg: The new doctor is much younger than
his predecessor.
Ups
and downs: the mixture
of good and bad things in life or in a particular situation or relationship
Eg: Everyone goes through ups and downs
in their life.
Alumni
(n): the former male
and female students of a school, college or university
Eg: Our institute has a very good alumni
network.
Influential
(a): having a lot of
influence on somebody/something
Eg: As a public speaker, John was very
influential.
Motivate (v): to be the reason why somebody
does something or behaves in a particular way
Eg: My mother motivated me to pursue my
dreams.
Inspiring (a): exciting and encouraging you to
do or feel something
Eg: The story of Kalpana Chawla is very
inspiring.
Relevant (a): having ideas that are valuable
and useful to people in their lives and work
Eg: Although Meera is well-qualified, she
did not have relevant work experience.
Setback (n): a difficulty or problem that
delays or prevents something, or makes a situation worse
Eg: There has been a temporary setback in
our plans.
Grab
someone’s attention: to
draw or attract someone’s attention
Eg: The pastel colored gown in the
boutique grabbed my attention.
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