May to August 2019 IELTS Speaking Topic #5 Describe a person who speak foreign language well

Describe a person who speak foreign language well
You should say:
Who the person is
How you know the person
What the language is
Why the person speak well
And explain how you felt about the person

My friend Lucy is good at Spanish. Once we watched a football match of of the Spanish league together, I found that she could understand what the commentator said and even retold it. Hence I asked her about her Spanish learning. Then she told me her story.

When Lucy was about 5 or 6 years old, her father had to work in Spain because of a job transfer. Thus she had no choice but go to live in Spain with her father. Like many other newly arrived children, Lucy experienced great difficulties in understanding Spanish. Yet luckily she was a child at that time so that she felt curious about everything and could learn new things quickly. Lucy took a language course for several months and practiced speaking with Spanish people. By the time she attended primary school, she had already caught up with many local peers. Living in Spanish-speaking country for several years, her Spanish is even as perfect as native speakers.

Lucy’s experience inspires me. There is no better opportunity to improve second-language skills than living in the country which it is spoken. While a person can study a foreign language at home, the effect can never be compared with constant use of the language in academic and everyday life.

Part3

Which one is easier? Speaking or writing?

I suppose speaking is easier because you need to communicate with others through spoken language more frequently than written language. And when we speak, sometimes we can ignore some small grammatical mistakes. By contrast, we must focus on the wording, phrasing, grammar, formal style and so forth.

Is speaking a foreign language important?

Yes, I think it is important to speak a foreign language in the current world. The connectivity between countries is enhancing and having command of a foreign language means more opportunities and may improve one’s competitiveness. Furthermore, learning a foreign language offers a chance to know different country culture and history, and to make more foreign friends.

Do many people in China study a second foreign language?

Yes. English is a very important subject for students in China. All the Chinese students start to study English in primary school.

Why do you think some people are better than others at learning a foreign language?

Some people may be more talented to study foreign languages than others if they grow up in a multi-language background. For example, if a baby learns to speak more than one kind of language when growing up, he or she might be more capable of learning some other new languages.

Do you think children can learn a foreign language faster than adults?

Yes, I think so. Scientific research shows that children study way faster than adults in every respect.

If you were an English teacher, how would you try to make your lessons (more) interesting?

Instead of merely teaching students boring grammars, I will use some English songs or videos as teaching materials to attract students’ interest.

How does studying a foreign language help people to understand the culture of the people who speak that language?

As an old saying goes, if you wish to truly understand a country, it’s people and it’s culture, learn it’s language first. There are always a lot of meanings that cannot be translated correctly into another language. So, in order to truly understand a culture, you must command their language.

What would be the advantages and disadvantages of having a global language?

The advantage of having a global language is that you don’t need to learn other languages but you can communicate with most of the world in your own language. The disadvantage can be that you may not have a chance to feel other languages’ beauty, which can be really pitiful.