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Part 1: Introduction and Interview
Examiner: Good morning. My name is Lily Smith. Can you tell me your full name, please?
Candidate: Hi, good morning. My name’s Daniel Tan.
Examiner: Thank you. In this first part, I’d like to ask you some questions about yourself. Let’s start with the topic of work or study.
Topic 1: Work/Study
Examiner: Do you work or are you a student?
Candidate: I’m a university student at the moment, studying business management. I’m in my second year, so I’m kind of getting used to university life now. It’s not always that exciting, to be honest, especially when I have a lot of assignments due at the same time, but overall, I quite enjoy it.
Examiner: Why did you choose to study that subject?
Candidate: Honestly, I wasn’t completely sure what I wanted to do when I applied for university. I knew I wanted something fairly broad, so business seemed like a sensible choice. But now that I’ve studied it for a while, I’ve become quite interested in marketing, especially how companies use social media to influence what people buy. It’s actually more interesting than I expected.
Examiner: What do you find most difficult about being a student?
Candidate: Probably managing my time. I tend to put things off, especially assignments that I find boring, and then suddenly the deadline is only a day away. It’s a pretty bad habit, I know. I usually manage to get everything done in the end, but I definitely make things more stressful for myself than they need to be.
Topic 2: Morning routine
Examiner: Let’s move on to another topic. What do you usually do in the morning?
Candidate: Well, I usually check my phone first, which probably isn’t the best habit. I’ll tell myself I’m just going to check a few messages, and then somehow twenty minutes have passed. After that, I get ready, grab something to eat if I have time, and head to class. My mornings are usually a bit rushed.
Examiner: Are you a morning person?
Candidate: Not at all, actually. If I could choose, I’d probably sleep until ten every day. I’m just not very functional early in the morning, especially if I stayed up late the night before. I can get up early when I have to, of course, but it takes me a while to feel fully awake.
Examiner: Would you like to change anything about your morning routine?
Candidate: Yeah, definitely. I’d like to stop using my phone as soon as I wake up, because that’s probably what makes me run late most days. I’ve tried putting it away at night, but I always end up reaching for it again. I think if I could get into the habit of waking up a bit earlier and having breakfast properly, my mornings would be a lot less chaotic.
Topic 3: Social media
Examiner: Now I’d like to ask you about social media. How much time do you spend on social media?
Candidate: Honestly, probably too much. On a normal day, I could easily spend three or four hours on it, sometimes even longer if I don’t have much to do. I mostly use TikTok and Instagram. The funny thing is, I’ll open my phone just to reply to one message, and then I’ll end up scrolling through videos for ages without even realising how much time has passed.
Examiner: What do you usually look at on social media?
Candidate: A bit of everything, really. I watch a lot of funny videos, food reviews, travel content, and random stuff that the algorithm seems to think I’ll enjoy. I also follow some accounts that share study tips, although I probably spend more time watching entertaining videos than actually learning anything. Sometimes I save useful posts and then never look at them again.
Examiner: Do you think you spend too much time on social media?
Candidate: Yeah, I think so, especially when it starts affecting my sleep or my studies. There have been times when I’ve spent an entire evening scrolling and then realised I haven’t done the work I was supposed to do. But I wouldn’t say social media is entirely bad, because it’s also how I keep up with my friends and find out what’s happening. I just need to be a bit more disciplined about when I use it.
Topic 4: Shoes
Examiner: Let’s talk about shoes. What kind of shoes do you usually wear?
Candidate: Mostly trainers, to be honest. I’m usually walking around campus or taking public transport, so comfort matters more to me than anything else. I do have a couple of nicer pairs for special occasions, but on most days, I’ll just wear whichever trainers are easiest to put on.
Examiner: Do you enjoy buying shoes?
Candidate: Yeah, I do, although I’m not someone who buys a new pair every month or anything. I sometimes see a pair online that looks really good and feel tempted to buy it, especially if it’s on sale. But I try to think about whether I’ll actually wear it, because there’s no point spending money on shoes that are just going to sit in my cupboard.
Examiner: Have you ever bought shoes that were uncomfortable?
Candidate: Definitely. I once bought a pair that looked really nice, but I didn’t try them on properly before buying them. They seemed fine at first, but after walking around in them for a few hours, my feet were killing me. I still wear them occasionally, but only if I know I won’t have to walk much. It’s a good reminder that just because something looks good doesn’t mean it’s worth buying.
Part 2: Individual long turn
Examiner: Now I’m going to give you a topic, and I’d like you to talk about it for one to two minutes. Before you speak, you’ll have one minute to think about what you’re going to say. You can make some notes if you wish. Do you understand?
Candidate: Yes.
Examiner: Here’s your cue card.
Describe a time when you were far away from home.
You should say:
- where you were
- why you were there
- how long you stayed there
and explain how you felt about being far away from home.
Examiner: All right, Daniel. Please begin speaking now.
Candidate:
I’d like to talk about the first time I went to boarding school, when I was around thirteen. It was quite a big change for me because I’d lived with my family my whole life, so suddenly having to stay somewhere else felt a little overwhelming.
The school was in another city, a few hours away from my hometown. My parents decided to send me there because it had a good academic reputation and offered more opportunities than the schools near where we lived. I stayed there during the school term, which usually lasted several months, and went home during the holidays.
At first, I was actually quite excited. I thought living with my classmates would be fun, and I liked the idea of having more freedom. But once my parents had left and I was alone in the dormitory that evening, I started to feel a bit homesick. I missed my mum’s cooking, being able to talk to my parents whenever I wanted, and even the little things, like sleeping in my own bed.
The first few weeks were probably the hardest. I remember calling my parents quite often at night, especially when I’d had a bad day or was feeling stressed about schoolwork. It wasn’t that anything terrible had happened; I just wasn’t used to being away from the people I was closest to.
Fortunately, I gradually settled in. I made a few good friends, got used to the school routine, and became more comfortable doing things on my own. I still missed home from time to time, but it wasn’t as difficult as it had been at the beginning.
Looking back, I’d say the experience helped me grow up quite a bit. It taught me to be more independent and deal with problems without immediately relying on my parents. I wouldn’t say I enjoyed every minute of it, but overall, I’m glad I had the experience because it made me more confident and helped me appreciate my family even more.
Examiner: Thank you. Would you recommend boarding school to other students?
Candidate: It depends on the person, really. I think it can be a good experience because you learn to be independent and get to know people from different backgrounds. But it’s not for everyone. Some people find being away from their family quite difficult, and I don’t think there’s anything wrong with that. Personally, I think the experience has benefited me, even though it took some time to adjust.
Part 3: Two-way discussion
Topic: Living away from home and independence
Examiner:
We’ve been talking about a time when you were far away from home. Now, I’d like to move on to some more general questions related to this topic. At what age do you think young people should start living away from their parents?
Candidate: I don’t think there’s one ideal age for everyone. It depends on their maturity, financial situation, and whether they have a good reason to move out. Some people are ready to live independently at eighteen, while others might need more time, and that’s perfectly normal. I think what’s more important is whether they can manage everyday responsibilities rather than how old they are.
Examiner: What are the main advantages of living away from home?
Candidate: I think the biggest advantage is that you learn to look after yourself. When you live with your parents, there are often people around to remind you of things or help you when something goes wrong. Once you’re on your own, you have to manage your time, keep your living space clean, and solve problems yourself. It can be frustrating at first, but I think those experiences help people become more responsible.
Examiner: Why do some young people find it difficult to live away from their families?
Candidate: I think homesickness is a big reason, especially for people who’ve always lived with their families. They’re suddenly in an unfamiliar environment, surrounded by people they don’t know very well, and they might not have anyone they feel comfortable talking to yet. Practical things can also be difficult, like managing money or balancing studies with daily responsibilities. I think it usually gets easier once they establish a routine and make a few close friends.
Examiner: Do you think parents should encourage their children to become independent from an early age?
Candidate: Yes, but I think it needs to happen gradually. Parents shouldn’t expect young children to handle everything themselves, but they can start by giving them small responsibilities, like organising their school bags or managing a little pocket money. As they get older, they can be trusted with more important decisions. I think the goal is to help them become capable of looking after themselves, rather than suddenly expecting them to be independent when they turn eighteen.
Examiner: Has technology made it easier for people to live far away from their families?
Candidate: Definitely. These days, you can video-call your family, send messages, or share photos almost instantly, so being physically apart doesn’t necessarily mean losing touch. When I first went to boarding school, being able to call my parents made the transition much easier. However, I think there’s a downside as well. If someone spends all their free time on their phone talking to people back home, they might find it harder to build relationships with the people around them.
Examiner: Do you think people appreciate their homes more after spending time away from them?
Candidate: I think so, because you often don’t notice how much something matters until you no longer have it. When you’re living at home, things like having meals prepared for you or chatting with your family in the evening can seem completely ordinary. But once you’re away, you start to miss those little routines. I think spending time away can make people more grateful for what they have, although it probably depends on their relationship with their family in the first place.
Examiner: Thank you, Daniel. That’s the end of the speaking test.
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