MY SPEAKING IELTS TEST

 

IELTS is a scary Test ....But it is the best test we can ever take for English Language Testing

I had my Test few weeks ago. Having supervised tests and examinations on students for decades never seem to have taught me how to face my own test. The fear brews itself spontaneously. 

The Reading Test is like a running away from a chasing cheetah. Answering 40 critical questions to three essays in one hour really left me wondering if I should not consider myself an imbecile. 

Friends, you will need a lot of self training and if possible some tutorial classes. The Writing Test surely needs a lot of practice as per their technical format. However, it would do better if you are a well read person, a person who reads essays or rich literature. 

Listening Test was another hurdle. For me, with a memory as short as 2 seconds, I can barely remembers what was said a minute ago. And listening to foreigner speaking is one hurdle for which we need listening practice. Watch a lot of English family movies or listen to BBC. It was much easier at Speaking Test Interview. Here I can tell lies and bluff and yet keep talking in the most natural and correct manner.

Here is a sample of question I was asked and answers I gave. An Indian woman with an english accent quized me through the session. I was often cut in my conversation. Perhaps I talked too much. But I did speak some lies and some truths.

1. Can you introduce yourself?

I am Namgyal Tshering. I am from Eastern Bhutan. I work as a Vice Principal in one of the Secondary Schools in Southern Bhutan. People call me Naljorpa as in Wechat name, or as Kardro as in Facebook name. Officially they call me Namgay Sir.

2. Do you study or work?

Ofcourse I work. I work as VP in Phuentsholing Secondary school. Although a VP, I have mandate to teach minimum of twelve periods in a week. 

3. Do you walk or drive to work?

I do both according to weather conditions. If it’s cloudy and cool I love to walk to school. My school is just 5 minutes walk away from my residential place. However, I drive to school more often than I walk. This is because weather is Phuentsholing is unpredictable. If it’s sunny I prefer driving to school. When I return after work I do not have to walk in the sun or in the rain. I prefer driving though.

4. Did you see any interesting things on your walk to school?

Interesting? One day as I was walking down to school, I saw a Komodo dragon, a huge lizard. That was a big surprise for me. I never thought it existed in Bhutan. I have seen it on television only and assumed that it’s found only in Africa. It was a great experience to see the lizard that size on the road.

5. Tell me where did you go during your last weekend and why did you go?

On a weekend I often go out to some beautiful place. Last Sunday I took my wife and children to a nearby temple. We call it Pelden Chholing. It’s a place on a plateau overlooking the Toorsa River. It is breezy and cool. The place has natural trees and grass, and the sound of the jingling bell arouse peace and happiness. Even the sight of red robed monks inspires sense of spirituality and calmness. We often go there on a weekend. I suggest you visit this great place.

6. Are there such beautiful places in Bhutan? Are there places you would like to visit or you have visited?

Bhutan is rich with so many such beautiful places. Almost all parts of Bhutan has beautiful places to visit, for instance like the Giant Buddha Park at Kuenselphodrang, picnic spots along the riverside, The Taksang Monastry etc. In Phuentsholing as well we have temple at town center, Riverside picnic spots, the temple place away from town too.

7. You live in a town, what are the major challenges you think is a pressing one in a city or around the world?

We may have all the luxurious things in town at an arm’s reach, but towns have their own problems. I think water problem is one issue towns are grappling is, as is evident from the case in Thimphu town. The more serious problem is with garbage and pollution. With people becoming more materialistic, our world is becoming more polluted by land or by air.

8. What do you think is the cause of these issues? How can we tackle it?

We can attribute these problems of pollution and garbage to human activity. People have become competitive and more materialistic today. For instance every member of the family needs a car. Dad has a car, mother has a car, son has a bike and daughter has a car. Our consumption and accumulation of wants surpasses our basic needs. More car means more air pollutions, more wants means more garbage too. Climate change is caused by us. However, the primary cause of this entire problem is human mind. The infinite human greed, the human selfishness. Therefore Mind is where the problems begin from.

9. Climate change is a global problem. How can you as individual solve this? What should we do about it? What measure should we take?

Climate change is not only a global problem, it’s a problem an individual contributes to and problem individual has to correct. First of all this problem can be better addressed to if all the leaders of the nations came together to sort out ways to change climate change. But as individual we have a responsibility too. We must play our part by watching at our greed, at our materialistic nature. As Bhutanese we can do much better. We are already pronounced carbon negative, and we must try to participate in doing everything in our own small ways to correcting the Climate change issues. One of the measures we can take is in educating our children on the impact of climate change, and making each child realize that global problem is an individual problem.

( When I concluded I told her: Ma'am. Thank you for the questions. Enjoy the rest of your days in Bhutan. Bhutan has many enchanting places for you to see>..)