Luyện theo cấu trúc Cambridge IELTS 9 · Speaking Part 1–3: Workplaces and Offices

1. I work as a junior accountant for a logistics company. I've been there for about two years, since I graduated, and I'm also studying part-time for a professional qualification.

2. Mostly in our office, which is on the eighth floor of a building in the city centre. It's an open-plan space with about forty people. On Fridays, though, I'm allowed to work from home, which I really appreciate.

3. It depends on the task. For anything that needs concentration, like checking figures, I definitely prefer to be on my own. But when we're solving a problem, I find it much quicker to sit down with colleagues and talk it through.

4. I'd love a few more quiet rooms. At the moment, if you need to make a phone call or focus on something difficult, there's nowhere to go, so people end up taking calls in the corridor or the kitchen.

5. Not really, to be honest. I've tried taking my laptop to a park, but the screen is hard to read in sunlight and there's always a lot of noise. I prefer to keep the park for relaxing.

The place I'm going to talk about is the reading room on the top floor of our city's public library. It's in a fairly old building in the centre, but the top floor was renovated a few years ago, so it feels quite modern.

It's a long, rectangular room with very high ceilings and a row of large windows along one side, so there's plenty of natural light during the day. There are about fifty wooden desks, each with its own small lamp and a power socket, and the walls are lined with reference books. The most noticeable thing, though, is how quiet it is. There's a strict rule against phone calls and conversation, and even the staff whisper.

I go there about twice a week, usually on Saturday mornings and one weekday evening, mainly to study for my accounting exams. I tend to arrive as soon as it opens, partly because the best seats by the windows go quickly.

As for why it helps me concentrate, I think there are a few reasons. Obviously, the silence is a big factor, because at home there's always something going on, whether it's the television or my neighbours. But I also think it's psychological. When everyone around you is working hard, you feel a kind of quiet pressure to do the same, and it's much harder to waste time on your phone. And because I only go there to study, my brain seems to switch into work mode as soon as I sit down. I often get more done in three hours there than in a whole day at home.

1. The biggest change is probably technology. Twenty years ago, many offices were full of paper files and desktop computers, and everyone had a fixed desk. Now most work is done on laptops and shared online, so offices have become more flexible. Many companies have also moved from small private rooms to large open spaces, especially in new buildings.

2. The main advantage is communication. It's easy to ask a quick question, and managers are more approachable when they sit with their team. They're also cheaper, because you can fit more people into the same space. The downside is noise and distraction. Studies suggest that people in open-plan offices are interrupted constantly, which makes focused work quite difficult.

3. I doubt that most will work from home all the time, but I think hybrid arrangements will become standard. Many people have discovered that they're more productive at home for some tasks, yet they still miss the social side of work and the chance to learn from colleagues, especially early in their careers. So a mix of both seems the most likely outcome.

4. To a certain extent, yes. Employers benefit directly when staff are healthy and motivated, so it's in their interest to provide reasonable hours, a safe environment and some support for mental health. However, I don't think employers should interfere too much in people's private lives; there's a line between support and control.

5. More important than people often realise. Things like natural light, fresh air and a comfortable temperature have a real effect on energy and mood. A badly designed building, where it's always stuffy or noisy, can make even an interesting job feel exhausting, so I think it's worth investing in good design.