Have you ever patiently guided your mom through a new smartphone feature, or enthusiastically explained a difficult math problem to your best friend? These aren’t just everyday bonding moments; they’re also incredibly interesting topics that can definitely come up in the IELTS Speaking test.

The topic “Teaching a Friend or Relative” delves deep into patience, the ability to convey knowledge, and how you handle situations when the other person struggles. Join Ms. Lương Thảo Nhi (IELTS 8.0 Instructor at ECE Foreign Language Center) as she reveals a complete set of “score-boosting” tips for this topic below!

Vocabulary & Useful Structures for the Topic “Teaching Someone”

Instead of using overly basic words like ‘explain’ or ‘teach,’ elevate your speaking with natural collocations categorized by group below:

Vocabulary for Guiding & Conveying Information

Collocations	Meaning & Example
To break something down (into bite-sized pieces)	To break down a complex problem into easily understandable parts. VD: I had to break down the complex rules of the game into bite-sized pieces.
To walk someone through step-by-step	To guide someone meticulously, step-by-step. VD: I walked her through the app’s features step-by-step.
To impart knowledge	To convey knowledge (formal context). VD: It was a great opportunity to impart some useful skills to my brother.
Hands-on practice	Direct practical experience (instead of just theory). VD: Instead of just talking, I let him have hands-on practice.

Vocabulary for Patience & Challenges

Collocations	Meaning
To test one’s patience	To challenge someone’s patience.
To have a steep learning curve	To have a challenging learning process, especially at the initial stages.
To hit a roadblock / a stumbling block	To encounter difficulties, obstacles, or dead ends in the learning process.
To wrap one’s head around something	To understand a complex issue.

High-Scoring Sentence Structures (Advanced Grammar)

It takes a lot of + Noun: Requires a lot of (patience, time, etc.)

Structure: It took a lot of patience on my part to keep explaining the same thing over and over again.

Not until… did I realize…: Only when… did I realize…

Structure: Not until I tried teaching him did I realize how challenging teaching actually is.

IELTS Speaking Part 1 Sample Answers – Helping & Sharing Skills

In Part 1, questions typically revolve around daily life. Apply the structure “Direct Answer + Brief Reason/Example” to make your answers more fluent.

Question 1: Do you like helping others?

Sample: Definitely yes. I find a great sense of fulfillment whenever I can lend a hand to someone in need. Whether it’s helping my mom figure out a new smartphone feature or assisting a classmate with an assignment, making someone else’s day a bit easier always brings a smile to my face.

Question 2: Have you ever taught anyone anything?

Sample: Oh, absolutely. Just last month, I showed the ropes to a junior colleague at my part-time job, guiding her through the daily administrative tasks. Also, I occasionally teach my grandmother how to use social media apps so she can stay connected with the family. It can be a bit of trial and error, but it’s very rewarding.

Question 3: What skills do you think are the most important to teach children?

Sample: Well, apart from academic subjects, I believe soft skills like empathy, problem-solving, and basic financial literacy are crucial. Children should learn how to manage their emotions and bounce back from setbacks from an early age, as these qualities will profoundly shape their adulthood.

Question 4: Do you prefer learning alone or learning with others?

Sample: It really depends on the subject, but generally, I lean towards collaborative learning. When you study with peers, you can bounce ideas off each other and clear up misconceptions instantly. It’s much more engaging than staring at a textbook by yourself.

IELTS Speaking Part 2 Sample Answer

Prompt: Describe a time when you taught a friend or relative something.

You should say:

• Who you taught and what you taught them

• Why you decided to teach them this skill

• How you taught it to them

• And how you felt

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