Part 1
Example: Maps
Do you (ever) use a map?
Sure. I use maps sometimes. It's always good to have an idea of where you are or where you're going, either for safety reasons or for getting somewhere quickly. And GPS and Google Maps make it so easy.
When do you use a map?
Quite often. Maps are one of the best methods for navigating and finding your way around. They can also give you a sense of security about where you are and how to get back home if things go wrong.
When I travel for work, I always make sure somebody else knows where I'm going, in case something happens to me on the way.
I recommend having a map in your car just in case an emergency arises and there's no mobile signal or your GPS stops working.
How did you learn to use (or read) a map?
When I was a child. While on missions, maps were just about the only thing my father had with him. He was an army scout for most of his life and taught me how to read maps as a kid.
I got pretty good at it; he was a good teacher.
My ability to read maps came in handy a few times when friends and I were exploring unknown areas while doing some fieldwork for university.
Do you prefer to use electronic maps or those made of paper?
I prefer electronic maps because it's easier to see where you're going and I don't have to fold the map up all the time.
It's also easy to update and zoom in and out, but with paper maps, sometimes I run into issues where there is too much detail on one page to find what I want.
Do you prefer to use a map or ask people for directions?
I do both, but if I'm traveling to an unfamiliar destination, it's often better for me to ask people for help with directions.
There are two main reasons why this is my preference. For one thing, when you ask someone from the local area for help navigating around, you'll often get more out of your trip than if you just used an app or map on your phone.
Also, it could be that asking locals may lead them to show you off-beat attractions and offer dining suggestions not covered by other maps or apps. All in all, it could be worth the effort!
Speaking Part 2
Describe an old person that you admire
You should say:
- who this person is
- how you met them
- what characteristics you like most about them
and explain why you admire this person
I would have to say it’s my grandmother – because she devoted her life to serving others. She was a nurse in the state health service for most of her working life, but she also volunteered on various international projects around the world with the Red Cross.
She is a wonderful woman who has always put other people and their welfare first before thinking of herself. As I said, she worked for many years as a nurse in a variety of hospitals across the country until she settled down and married my grandfather and had children.
Later on she returned to nursing and spent many years looking after terminally ill patients – which is not an easy thing to do. When she retired from working for the state health service she used to volunteer at a local hospice, looking after the elderly patients there, and she worked there for around another 4 years before finally retiring a few months ago.
Obviously I know her because she’s part of my family, and the characteristics I love most about her are her devotion to other people, her selflessness, and her endless patience, even with the most obstinate patients and people.
She’s also an extremely determined and independent individual who always manages to see the positive side of any situation, no matter how bad other people might think it is – and her optimism is infectious. She truly is a saint and I’ve learned a lot from her over the years and I’m extremely proud of everything she’s achieved in her life.
One of the things I admire most about her was the fact that she continued working even though she didn’t need to. She was officially retired and could have simply sat at home and enjoyed her free time, but she chose to go out and help others rather than think about herself first.
It’s only now that she’s older and not quite so capable that she’s beginning to take things a bit easier. That kind of dedication is hard to find nowadays.
I hope I’ve inherited some of her spirit and values – I try to be like her in some ways, but in my own way, if you know what I mean. Times are different now, but a lot of her best qualities and characteristics are in fact timeless, maybe just a little less common nowadays.
Speaking Part 3 Answers
At what age do people in your country normally retire from work?
Traditionally it’s been age 60 for women and 65 for men, but the government is in the process of introducing changes in retirement legislation which will mean that people retire a few years later, I think it will be 62 and 67 respectively.
Do you think there should be a set age at which people must retire from work?
Personally, I believe it should be dependent on the person and the particular job they do. I don’t think that retirement should simply be compulsory because of your age.
People should have the choice to continue working if they are able to and their company is happy to accommodate their wishes. I mean, if they can still do the job and they are productive, they have a wealth of experience and knowledge which is a useful asset for any company, isn’t it?
However, if it’s the type of job which is very demanding and the person is really unable to perform their duties as well as a younger person might, then I guess there would be a good case for the person to retire and let a younger person take over the position.
After retirement, how do you think life for old people changes?
The biggest change is probably the lack of necessity to get up and go out to work each day – so immediately the person has to think about what they might do all day – work occupies a large part of the day and to suddenly find yourself with all that extra free time can be quite daunting.
I know my grandfather had some problems adjusting when he finally stopped working, but after a few months he had a new routine and had developed some new habits which gave some structure to his day.
Of course, another big change for most people is the level of social interaction is also much less because they don’t spend time with their old work colleagues all day – and that can make the person feel isolated unless they have a lot of friends who are retired. But again, there is also the opportunity when you are retired to socialize in different ways and with new people.
How does the government in your country treat retired people? What is your opinion about this?
Overall, I think they get a good deal. Everyone is entitled to a basic pension payment and there are a lot of benefits for those over retirement age.
Of course, you could always argue that more could be done for retired people to make life easier, and each person’s cases is different, but I believe that the government does a good job in general of taking care of retired people with the resources they have available.
What are some of the good things about being retired? Why do you think that?
The best thing has to be having all that free time to finally do what you want. I guess if you’re in good health and have managed to save enough for your retirement it’s a time to really enjoy doing things you might not have had the time to get around to during your working career.
I suppose traveling and maybe starting a new hobby or pastime are things that you could enjoy. I think I would enjoy not having to get up early every day and go to work. I quite like getting up early - but not every day – it would be nice to choose when … and that’s probably the biggest advantage of being retired, you really can decide yourself exactly what you do with your days – it’s all up to you – it’s your time.
Can young people replace older workers who retire from the workplace?
Generally speaking I believe they can, yes. Assuming they have the knowledge and sufficient experience to do the job there’s no reason why a young person couldn’t replace an older worker – and by the same measure - if an older person is capable and has all the relevant skills, knowledge and experience there’s no reason why a younger worker couldn’t be replaced by an older worker.
It’s quite normal for most companies to plan for when an older worker is about to retire and they may even spend some years grooming a younger worker to take over the position in questions after the older person finally retires. Retirement is no surprise normally, so it’s relatively easy for a business to plan for such events.
Some old people feel that they are not much use to society after they retire. Can you suggest any ways to help these old people feel that they are not useless?
Yes, that’s quite a common feeling, but they really don’t need to feel that way. After all they’ve spent their whole working life dedicated to working for the benefit of others, as well as themselves, and so they should be able to enjoy their retirement without actually worrying about if they are still being of use to society.
But some people just need to feel useful and involved in things – so for them it might be important to try and find new ways to contribute to society if that’s what’s important to them. For example, they could volunteer their services with an organization that they empathize with or a cause with which they identify. They could possibly even start their own small business if they’re the entrepreneurial type, or even just find a part-time job if that makes them feel useful.
The important thing is that just because they’ve retired doesn’t mean they have to feel useless – there are lots of things they could do – they just need to explore their options and consider what’s important to them.