Self-study for topics in task 2 writing and part 3 Speaking in IELTS

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  • 26/07/2018

Many students worry about their lack of ability to generate ideas for the difficult topics that may be presented in the essay writing section and the last part of the speaking test. One topic, for example, that is particularly scary is space travel/exploration/technology.

The good news is that you are not required to be an expert on a topic like this. Instead, the examiner wants you to answer the questions clearly and support your ideas with explanations and examples that help clarify your main ideas. BUT, MIKE, I DON’T HAVE ANY IDEAS ABOUT SPACE TRAVEL, SPACE TECHNOLOGY, ETC!! HOW CAN I SUPPORT IDEAS THAT I DON’T HAVE??? The fact is, you know a lot more than you think, you just need to learn how to dig this information out of the corners of your brain with the use of critical thinking skills.

A key part of self-study for IELTS should be ASKING QUESTIONS such as who, what, when, where, why, and how. Start by using a pencil and paper to write down what you already know about any of the topics that frighten you. Then ask simple follow-up questions to the simple questions you have already answered. Below is an example of this technique.

Should the government spend money to explore outer space and develop technology for use in this exploration?

Who spends the money? Rich nations such as the USA, China, Russia.

What do they do up there? Visit other planets. Put satellites in orbit. Examine/study other galaxies and space objects like asteroids and black holes.

Why? Visit planets such as Mars to maybe colonize them. Why colonize? Earth could become uninhabitable. Why uninhabitable? Overpopulation which causes global warming that is leading to unstable weather and lack of resources like water and food, pollution choking the people of the world, and maybe nuclear warfare.

Why satellites? Research/track weather events like tsunamis. Why important? It can save lives. Also important because it seems there are more of these weather events due to aforementioned climate change. Satellites are also critical for communication, especially the Internet. The Internet is obviously important for business, security, etc.

Who benefits from these things? Obviously the wealthy countries that invest this money benefit financially, maintain high skills in science and technology, and provide security for their countries. Do smaller countries that don’t invest very much money gain benefits? Yes, they access the Internet and get information about weather that can save lives by warning people to evacuate an area.

Quite a few ideas have been gathered just by asking basic questions and a few follow-up questions. Now, here is what a well-organized response might look like:

“Well, honestly, I don’t really know very much about this topic. But, I know that space exploration can provide many benefits to countries all over the world, whether or not they send people to outer space. This is because wealthy nations with advanced technology like the USA and China have put satellites into orbit that help billions of people communicate more easily through the Internet, which allows developing nations to get a boost in their economies. Of course, although the countries that invest in space research gain advantages with their military by being able to spy on other nations or launch missiles, poorer nations get data from the wealthy ones for extreme weather events such as tsunamis or volcanic eruptions. Information like this is necessary to save thousands of lives in coastal areas that can be devastated by deadly storms.

Another benefit is that the exploration of space might provide another planet for humans to move to in the future. This is going to be important because Earth is becoming overpopulated, leading to pollution and a lack of resources such as as basic as food and water. It may seem like something out of a science fiction film, but the need to explore options in case something happens to the earth is very real. I think it is a good idea to be prepared if our great-grandchildren need to escape a toxic planet in the hopes of keeping humanity alive.

All in all, I definitely think space exploration and research must be conducted. Obviously, some countries cannot spend large sums of money on space tech, but they can certainly offer support by sharing research data, resources, and the spirit of camaraderie in a shared effort to use the potential of outer space.”

Improvement in critical thinking skills will require a student to build the “mental muscle” required. What I mean is, they need to sit down and start with gathering whatever they know, even if it is obvious and basic stuff (like the Internet in the previous example). Eventually, students can gain great skills in creating ideas and connecting the ideas they DO have rather than getting paralyzed with fear about what they do not know.

Good luck with your IELTS preparation!

IELTS Trainer

Mr. Mike Duvall

There is no science in this day