As an IELTS Speaking Examiner, I’ve seen countless candidates struggle with this topic. “Describe a time when your family asked you for help” is a common theme in IELTS Speaking tests, particularly in Part 2. It’s essential to approach this question with confidence and well-structured responses to achieve a high band score. Let’s dive into how you can excel in this task.
Understanding the Task
Before we delve into sample answers, it’s crucial to understand what the examiner is looking for. This topic tests your ability to:
- Recall a specific event
- Describe the situation clearly
- Express your thoughts and feelings
- Use appropriate vocabulary and grammar
- Speak fluently and coherently
Part 1: Introduction and Interview
In Part 1, you might encounter questions related to family and helping others. Here are some potential questions:
- Do you often help your family members?
- What kind of help do you usually offer to your family?
- Do you think it’s important to help family members?
Let’s look at a sample answer for the first question:
Examiner: Do you often help your family members?
Sample Answer (Band 7-8):
“Yes, I’d say I frequently offer assistance to my family. As the eldest child, I feel a sense of responsibility to help out whenever I can. This could range from minor tasks like helping my younger siblings with their homework to more significant support like assisting my parents with technology-related issues. I believe that mutual support is a crucial aspect of family life, so I always try to be there when they need me.”
Key phrases: frequently, feel a sense of responsibility, minor tasks, more significant support, mutual support
Part 2: Long Turn (Cue Card)
Now, let’s focus on the main topic. Here’s a potential cue card you might encounter:
Describe a time when your family asked you for help
You should say:
- What kind of help they needed
- When this happened
- How you helped them
- And explain how you felt about helping them
Sample Answer (Band 7-8):
“I’d like to talk about a time when my family, specifically my grandmother, asked for my help with technology. This incident occurred about six months ago when she received a new smartphone as a gift from my parents.
The primary assistance she needed was learning how to use various features of the smartphone, particularly setting up and using social media apps to stay connected with our family members who live abroad. She was quite overwhelmed by the device’s complexity and felt out of her depth.
To help her, I dedicated several afternoons to sitting with her and patiently guiding her through the basics. We started with simple tasks like making calls and sending text messages, then progressed to more complex operations like installing apps, using the camera, and navigating social media platforms. I created step-by-step guides for her to refer to when I wasn’t around and made sure to use simple, non-technical language that she could easily understand.
Assisting my grandmother in this way made me feel incredibly fulfilled and appreciated. It was rewarding to see her confidence grow as she mastered new skills, and it strengthened our bond. I felt a sense of pride in being able to bridge the generational gap through technology and help her stay connected with our family. This experience also made me realize the importance of patience and clear communication when teaching new concepts, especially to older generations.”
Key phrases: incident occurred, primary assistance, setting up, quite overwhelmed, out of her depth, dedicated, patiently guiding, progressed, created step-by-step guides, assisting my grandmother, fulfilled and appreciated, rewarding, strengthened our bond, pride, bridge the generational gap, importance of patience and clear communication
Sample Answer (Band 8-9):
“I’d like to recount an instance when my family, particularly my grandmother, sought my assistance with technology. This occurrence transpired approximately six months ago when she received a new smartphone as a gift from my parents.
The primary aid she required was familiarizing herself with the various features of the smartphone, especially configuring and utilizing social media applications to maintain connections with our family members residing abroad. She was utterly bewildered by the device’s intricacy and felt completely out of her element.
To address her needs, I allocated several afternoons to sit with her and methodically guide her through the fundamentals. We commenced with rudimentary tasks such as making calls and sending text messages, then gradually advanced to more intricate operations like installing applications, utilizing the camera, and navigating social media platforms. I meticulously crafted step-by-step guides for her reference when I wasn’t available and ensured I used simple, jargon-free language that she could easily comprehend.
Rendering assistance to my grandmother in this manner left me feeling incredibly gratified and valued. It was immensely satisfying to witness her confidence flourish as she mastered new skills, and it significantly strengthened our intergenerational bond. I experienced a profound sense of accomplishment in being able to bridge the technological divide between generations and facilitate her continued connection with our family. This experience also illuminated the critical importance of patience and lucid communication when imparting new concepts, especially to older generations.”
Key phrases: sought my assistance, occurrence transpired, received, primary aid, familiarizing herself, configuring, utterly bewildered, completely out of her element, address her needs, allocated, methodically guide, commenced, gradually advanced, meticulously crafted, rendering assistance, gratified and valued, immensely satisfying, mastered new skills, significantly strengthened our intergenerational bond, accomplishment, bridge the technological divide, illuminated, critical importance of patience and lucid communication
Follow-up Questions
- How did this experience change your relationship with your grandmother?
- Do you think it’s important for younger generations to help older family members with technology?
Sample Answer (Band 8-9) for Question 1:
“This experience fundamentally transformed my relationship with my grandmother. It fostered a deeper mutual understanding and respect between us. I gained a newfound appreciation for her willingness to learn and adapt, while she saw me in a new light as a patient teacher and supportive grandchild. Our shared experience created a unique bond, transcending the typical generational divide. It opened up new avenues for communication and shared interests, as we now often discuss her latest technological discoveries or challenges. This collaborative learning process has made our relationship more dynamic and engaging, enriching our interactions beyond traditional family roles.”
Key phrases: fundamentally transformed, fostered a deeper mutual understanding, respect, shared experience, transcending the typical generational divide, collaborative learning process, dynamic and engaging
Part 3: Two-way Discussion
In Part 3, the examiner might ask more abstract questions related to the topic. Here are some potential questions and sample answers:
Examiner: How has technology changed the way families interact?
Sample Answer (Band 8-9):
“Technology has profoundly revolutionized family interactions in both positive and negative ways. On the positive side, it has bridged geographical gaps, allowing families to stay connected regardless of distance through video calls, instant messaging, and social media. This has been particularly beneficial for maintaining relationships with relatives living abroad or in different cities.
However, there’s also a potential downside. The constant connectivity can sometimes lead to a lack of quality face-to-face interactions when family members are physically together. There’s a risk of becoming overly reliant on digital communication, which might diminish the depth of personal connections.
Moreover, technology has altered the dynamics of family time. While it can provide shared experiences through activities like online gaming or watching streaming services together, it can also lead to individual isolation if not managed properly.
In essence, while technology has expanded the possibilities for family interaction, it also requires conscious effort to ensure that these digital connections enhance rather than replace meaningful personal interactions.”
Key phrases: profoundly revolutionized, bridged geographical gaps, beneficial for maintaining relationships, potential downside, constant connectivity, lack of quality face-to-face interactions, overly reliant on digital communication, diminish the depth of personal connections, altered the dynamics of family time, individual isolation, expanded the possibilities for family interaction, conscious effort, enhance rather than replace
Vocabulary and Phrases to Boost Your Score
To achieve a high band score, it’s crucial to use a range of vocabulary and complex sentence structures. Here are some key phrases and their usage:
-
To bridge the gap (phrasal verb)
Meaning: To connect or make a connection between two things
Example: “Technology can help bridge the gap between generations in a family.” -
To be out of one’s depth (idiom)
Meaning: To be in a situation that is too difficult to handle
Example: “My grandmother felt out of her depth when trying to use the new smartphone.” -
To foster (verb)
Pronunciation: /ˈfɒstə(r)/
Meaning: To encourage the development of something
Example: “Teaching my grandmother about technology fostered a closer relationship between us.” -
Intergenerational (adjective)
Pronunciation: /ˌɪntəˌdʒenəˈreɪʃənl/
Meaning: Relating to or affecting several generations
Example: “Helping family members with technology can strengthen intergenerational bonds.” -
To illuminate (verb)
Pronunciation: /ɪˈluːmɪneɪt/
Meaning: To clarify or explain
Example: “The experience illuminated the importance of patience when teaching new skills.”
Examiner’s Advice
To excel in the IELTS Speaking test, particularly when discussing family and help, remember these key points:
- Be specific: Use real-life examples and details to make your answers more engaging and authentic.
- Show range: Demonstrate a variety of vocabulary and grammatical structures appropriate to the topic.
- Stay relevant: Always address the question directly and stay on topic.
- Be fluent: Practice speaking on this topic to improve your fluency and reduce hesitations.
- Reflect: Include your thoughts and feelings about the experience to add depth to your answer.
Remember, practice is key to improving your speaking skills. Try recording yourself answering these questions and listen back to identify areas for improvement.
For more IELTS Speaking practice, you might find it helpful to explore other topics such as describing a cultural tradition you enjoy or talking about a time when you helped someone achieve a personal goal. These topics can help you expand your vocabulary and improve your ability to discuss various aspects of personal experiences and relationships.