Luyện theo cấu trúc Cambridge IELTS 7 · Speaking Part 1–3: Singing and Amateur Choirs

1. I do, although I'm not particularly good at it. I mostly sing when I'm alone, in the shower or in the car, because it helps me relax. In front of other people I'm a lot more self-conscious.

2. We had music lessons once a week in primary school, and we mainly learnt to sing traditional songs together. I also tried the recorder for a while, but I gave up fairly quickly. Looking back, I wish I'd taken it more seriously.

3. Mostly at celebrations. Karaoke is hugely popular here, so at birthday parties or company events people almost always end up singing together. There's also a lot of group singing at weddings and during the Lunar New Year.

4. Live music, definitely, if I can afford it. Even a small concert in a café has an atmosphere that you just can't get from headphones. That said, recorded music is far more convenient, so day to day that's what I listen to.

5. Possibly. A friend of mine sings in a community choir and says it's the most relaxing part of her week, so I'm tempted. My only worry is whether I could commit to rehearsing every week.

I'd like to describe a choir performance I took part in during my second year at university. It was a concert to raise money for a children's hospital, and our faculty decided to put together a choir of about thirty students, most of whom, like me, had never sung on stage before.

The concert took place in the main hall of the university just before the Christmas holidays. We had around six weeks to prepare, so we rehearsed twice a week in the evenings with a music teacher who volunteered her time. In the beginning it was honestly a bit chaotic; half of us couldn't read music and we kept coming in at the wrong moment. But she was incredibly patient, and she split us into small groups so that the quieter people had a chance to practise without feeling embarrassed.

On the night itself, the hall was packed with students, lecturers and families. We sang four songs, including a traditional folk song that one of the students had arranged for several voices.

As for how I felt, I was terrified just before we went on, and my hands were shaking. But once we started, I realised that being part of a group takes away a lot of the pressure, because you're not the centre of attention. By the final song, I was genuinely enjoying it. What I remember most, though, is the feeling afterwards: we'd raised quite a lot of money, and a group of people who'd barely known each other had become good friends. It made me understand why so many people keep singing in amateur choirs for years.

1. I think the social side matters at least as much as the music. Adults often find it hard to make new friends once they've left school, and a choir gives them a regular, structured way to meet people with a shared interest. There's also some evidence that singing in a group reduces stress, so for many people it's a way of switching off after work.

2. I'd say it should be compulsory at primary level, but perhaps optional later on. Young children benefit enormously from singing and rhythm games, not just musically but in terms of concentration and cooperation. For teenagers, though, forcing them to study music when they'd rather focus on other subjects could be counterproductive.

3. The biggest difference is the shared experience. In a concert hall, you react together with hundreds of strangers, and the performers respond to the audience, so no two performances are exactly the same. Online, you get a better view and you can watch whenever you like, but it feels more like consuming a product than taking part in an event.

4. To some extent, yes. Local arts groups tend to bring people from different backgrounds together, and that has benefits for the whole community, not just the members. Having said that, I don't think funding should be unconditional; groups should be able to show that they're open to everyone and not just a small circle of enthusiasts.

5. We're already seeing choirs where people record their parts separately at home and the voices are combined later. I suspect that will become more common, especially for people in remote areas. But I doubt it will replace singing in the same room, because the whole point for many people is the sense of being physically together.