IELTS Tăng band Speaking · Đầu vào · Speaking: Daily Routine & A Useful Skill

1. What time do you usually get up on weekdays?

On weekdays I'm normally up at around half past six, because my office is quite far from home and I like to beat the rush-hour traffic. At weekends, though, I allow myself to sleep in until eight or so.

2. What is the busiest part of your day?

Definitely the late afternoon. That's when I have to wrap up my tasks at work, reply to a pile of emails and then pick up my younger brother from his English class, so it can get pretty hectic.

3. Has your daily routine changed much since you were a child?

Yes, quite a lot. When I was a kid, my parents planned everything for me, so my days were simple: school, homework and playing outside with my neighbours. Now I have to manage my own time, which is more stressful, but it also gives me a lot more freedom.

4. Do you prefer doing the same things every day or having more variety?

I'd say a mix of both. A fixed routine helps me stay productive, but if every day is exactly the same, I start to feel a bit bored. So I try to do something different at weekends, like checking out a new café or going for a long walk.

5. Is there anything in your routine that you would like to change?

I'd really like to stop checking my phone right before bed. I often end up scrolling for an hour, which means I don't get enough sleep. I've started leaving it in the living room at night, but honestly, it's harder than I expected.

I'd like to talk about cooking, which is a skill I picked up from my grandmother when I was about fifteen.

My grandmother lives with my family, and she has always been the one who prepares the big meals for special occasions, like Lunar New Year. One summer, my parents were working long hours, so she suggested that I help her in the kitchen instead of spending the whole day on my phone. To be honest, I wasn't very keen at first, but I agreed.

The way she taught me was very practical. She never used recipes or measured anything carefully. Instead, she asked me to watch her first, and then I had to copy her step by step. For example, she showed me how to tell when the oil is hot enough just by looking at it, and how to balance salty and sweet flavours by tasting as I go. I made plenty of mistakes, like burning the rice a few times, but she was always patient with me.

Looking back, this skill has been really useful. When I moved to another city for university, I could cook healthy meals for myself instead of eating fast food every day, which saved me a lot of money. More importantly, whenever I cook her dishes now, it reminds me of the time we spent together, so it means a lot to me.

1. What kinds of skills do young people usually learn from their grandparents?

I think it's mostly practical, everyday skills. In many families, grandparents look after the children while the parents are at work, so kids naturally learn things like cooking, gardening or sewing from them. Apart from that, grandparents often pass on traditional values, for example how to behave politely with older relatives, which is something you can't really learn from a textbook.

2. Do you think older people make good teachers? Why or why not?

In many ways, yes. They usually have a lot of life experience and more patience than younger people, because they're not in a hurry. However, they can sometimes be a bit set in their ways. For instance, my grandfather insists on doing things the old way, even when there's a faster method, so learning from him can be frustrating at times.

3. Is it better to learn a practical skill from a person or from online videos?

It depends on the skill, but generally I'd say learning from a real person is more effective. A teacher can watch you and correct your mistakes immediately, whereas a video can't tell you what you're doing wrong. That said, online videos are free and you can watch them as many times as you like, so they're a great way to get started before you find a proper teacher.

4. Which skills do you think will be most important for young people in the future?

I'd say communication skills and the ability to keep learning. Technology is changing so fast that many jobs will probably look very different in ten years, so people who can adapt and pick up new skills quickly will have an advantage. Also, as more work is done in teams, being able to explain your ideas clearly will matter even more.