Describe a practical skill you learned

Speaking Part 1
1. Can you compare the skills that are important nowadays with the skills that were
important 20 or 30 years ago?
Skills have always been valued, be it 30 years ago or it is in the present times. But if we
compare, in the earlier times, people were a believer of hard work and nowadays they are a
believer of smartwork.
2. What skills are valued most in your country?
There’s no hard and fast rule to value any particular skill in my country. Every skill is warmly
welcomed and appreciated. Thus, you can choose any skill and excel in that field.
3. What kind of skills might be important in the future?
People should learn to swim and to ride a cycle. These two are the most important skills one
should acquire in their lifetime. It can help a person in emergencies.
4. What qualities does a good trainer need to have?
A good trainer should be knowledgeable and down to earth. They should possess good
communication skills to communicate with their students. And one should not be proud that all
they do is boast about their own skills.
Speaking Part 2
Here is an audio of the sample answers given below. Please listen to it for more clarity on the
Speaking Test.

Describe a practical skill you learned

You should say

 what this skill is

 how you learned it
 when you use this skill

and explain how this skill is useful to you.

Sample Answer 1
Here is the sample answer for “describe a practical skill you learned” topic:
Well one skill that I have is playing the guitar.
I learned it when I was young. I learned how to play because I had many friends that played the
guitar and when they played and sang, I knew I just had to learn. At first it was a little difficult
because to be quite frank, I really didn’t see myself as someone who was musically inclined. I
had to tell myself that I could do it and little by little, a note here and a chord there, I managed
to pick it up. Even now I have a long way to go with playing but I have found it enjoyable not
just for myself, for others have said they enjoy it as well. I have had a few guitars and although
there are different styles and qualities, to me it seems that as long as they have strings on them
and you can tune them they are fine.
 I use the guitar to cheer myself up when I am feeling a little down and also use it to teach songs
to others. I have never made money teaching guitar but I have made a little money playing and
singing. I don’t know if I would want to pursue this skill as a career but as long as I still enjoy
it, I am going to do it.
Sample Answer 2
According to me, practical skill is extremely important and effective for human beings. You
can easily find a variety of practical skills that can be honed, such as painting, dancing,
communication skills, and more. However, here I would like to talk about make-up skills that I
learned after completing school.
Almost two years ago, after finishing school, I was free and comprehending what to do next.
One of my friends suggested this course and the institute where she had enrolled. It instantly
piqued my interest as I love grooming up. Moreover, considering the demand for professional
make-up artists, it also seemed like a field with adequate exposure and growth potential.
After researching a bit and convincing my parents, I got enrolled in the same institute where my
friend had enrolled. The best thing was that the institute was within walking distance from my
home. Plus, it also offered an international certificate.
Throughout the period, I learned various skills, such as bridal make-up, party make-up, HD
make-up, nail art, etc. Apart from practising what I learned at the institute, I consistently
sharpened my skills by learning new and latest techniques from the internet.
Just last week, there was a wedding at my friend’s house. Her family had contacted me for
bridal make-up and party make-up for close relatives. For the bride, I did Airbrush and HD
make-up; however, for other women, I did basic party make-up. Everybody was extremely
happy with my work and didn’t stop appreciating me. The groom’s side seemed to be
impressed with the bride’s make-up. I was at cloud nine with the kind of appreciation I had
received.
Right now, I am a full-time professional make-up artist. I am absolutely contented with my
skills and would like to take it forward as well.
Vocabulary for Cue card
Here are the vocabularies for “describe a practical skill you learned” with examples:

 Frank: open, sincere, or undisguised.

Eg: She is frank with her cousin
 musically inclined: Liking towards music
Eg: Jay is musically inclined
 Chord: a group of notes
Eg: “Follow the Chord”
 Note: analogous to a single pixel’s color
Eg: “Follow the notes carefully, if you want to sing well”.
 Pursue: to follow in order to overtake
Eg: She Is pursuing Arts.

Speaking Part 3
1. Compare the importance of practical skills and academic skills.
Well actually both are much needed in society. It seems to me that practical skills such as
knowing how to cook a meal or clean a house or take care of children are slipping, whereas
academic skills such as teaching a class or doing research seem to be on the rise. This is not bad
in itself because there need to be people who are thinking about how things work and how to
improve them, but the skills needed for everyday life shouldn’t be looked on as any less
important than others.
2. How can people learn practical skills?
A lot of these skills can be learned at home with their mother and father and family. Skills such
as sewing, budgeting or maintenance can be learned from an aunt or uncle, grandfather or
grandmother. If more difficult trades want to be learned, such as plumber or electrician or
mason, there are vocational schools that could teach those. The main thing to learning a skill is
the motivation that is involved.
3. What practical skills do children learn at school in China?
I’m afraid that there are not many. Academics are stressed so highly in schools that they seem
to overshadow practical skills. I suppose students probably learn to listen to their teacher and
how to behave and sit for long periods at a time and apply themselves. They also have to learn
how to interact amongst themselves in a satisfactory way. They have to learn how to get up on
time and be at their school, which teaches them responsibility. I guess it would help to define
what practical skills we are talking about.
4. Do you think children should learn some practical skills at school?
I think that children should learn practical skills at school. This would help to prepare them for
life outside of school. A lot of times not much thought is put into how to manage money or take
care of an apartment but I think these skills would be helpful. Life in the working world can be
a lot different than the sheltered life of schooling, so having some practical skills such as those
learned from a part-time job would be beneficial to a student.
5. How useful will these skills be to the children alter they leave school?
Well as I was saying in the previous question, these skills would be very helpful to children
after they leave school. When a teenager goes from high school to college he has to start
managing things on his own without the security of mom and dad. Even more so when a young
adult graduates from college or university, he would also be very grateful to have some
practical knowledge on how to survive in the working world.
6. Do you think it’s useful for adults to attend classes to further their education?
Sure, why not, if it is something that they find useful in their lives and something that they
enjoy. Learning is lifelong and I don’t know if it has to stop in old age. Now I know that a lot of
times these adults are looked upon as teachers, but if they feel so inclined why not attend a class
to further their education. If they are not able to keep up with the young students then this
would be a detriment, but if there are no disruptions why not?
7. What kinds of courses exist in China for adults?
There are wonderful exercise classes that are available for adults. I don’t know if you have seen
large groups of older women out on the streets performing with various percussion instruments,
but these are classes that help them to work together and perform for audiences. There are
 dancing classes available. There are even English classes available for senior citizens. There are
Tai Chi classes also available to seniors here. As time goes on and the country develops there
will be more classes that will be available for seniors.
8. What are some reasons why adults might attend classes?
Well I guess one of the main ones is that they are working and they need to keep up with the
latest technology that will help them to stay abreast of the latest in their fields. Sometimes they
might even be thinking of switching careers so they take classes to get the training to do so.
Other times they might just want to learn some things in their spare time that will enhance their
life on a recreational level. Other times their bosses might want them to learn some special skill
for the good of the company.
9Who do you think should pay for adult education—the government, the student or the
company ,if it is a work-related course?
Again it depends on the course and why they are taking it. If it is for personal gain or
gratification then of course students should be responsible to pay for it. If the government is
offering a course and adults are interested in it then it is already paid for. If it is going to move
the company ahead and bring financial results then of course the company should pay for it.
Now if the company can’t pay for it and it interests the individual then it is up to him to get the
money together to attend the class.
Vocabulary for Speaking Part 3

 Academic: institutional
Eg: Focus on your academics
 Plumber: a person who fits and repairs the pipes, fittings, and other apparatus of water supply,
sanitation, or heating systems.
Eg: He is a plumber
 Mason: A mason is a person who is skilled at making things or building things with stone.
Eg: Her dad is a mason

What are some skills that parents should teach their children to be successful in life?

There are many important abilities that parents ought to pass on to their offspring so that they can
achieve success in their lives, such as good communication skills, financial management and hard
work. Having such skills leads to high-paying jobs and happy relationships. I can still hear my
father’s voice telling me to keep pushing forward and to listen to others before giving ideas.

What skills should schools teach to students to guarantee their success in life?

I believe that educational institutions are responsible for teaching much of the book knowledge that
is needed for growth and success, these include academic topics like math, history ,and sciences,
which not only set the foundation for a child’s future job but also enable him or her to discover their
passion in life. I discovered that I love teaching while doing a class presentation in high school.

How have the skills required for daily life changed since a generation ago?

The skills for a day-to-day living have changed a fair bit since my parents’ time.
During my parents’ time generalized skills were acceptable for many jobs; however, these days,
specialized skills are in high demand for most work, as well, nowadays, people have to be
proficient in the use of technologies, such as computers and mobiles, as well people have had to
adapt to the overwhelming information that is hitting them each day, and this requires people to
constantly filter for the truth. I know that I’m often closing apps on my phone so that I do not get
distracted.

What new skills do you think may be important in the future?

There are a few different skills that may become handy for the next generations depending on
what direction the plant and society goes. If humans continue to thrive and develop technologically
then certainly computer skills, programming and financial management, like trading
cryptocurrencies, are going to be valuable assets. However, if it all goes south, then survival skills
like gathering food and purifying water may become necessary for survival.

To be handy = to be useful

Things go south = to turn for the worse = to become bad