IELTS Speaking Part 1, 2, 3: the topic of studying & education

The test of the IELTS Speaking Part 1 about Study & Education always opens with questions like “What is your job?”, “What is your major?” and other questions related to study and work. So, how do we get the maximum score in this part? How do we talk about our studies in English? Let’s find out with IDP IELTS!

Frequent questions about Study & Education in IELTS Speaking Part 1

Question 1: Do you study or work?

Answer: I’m currently a junior at National Economics University – one of the top schools in Vietnam. Now I still can’t believe I was able to gain admission to the university because it’s so competitive.

Question 2: What do you like about your study?

Answer: For the most part, I would say it’s the environment. We speak English 100% in the class and it helps us develop our English skills substantially. Besides, almost all the classrooms are equipped with top-notch facilities like air-conditioners or overhead projectors. My teachers and friends are excellent as well. All in all, it’s a great place to study.

Question 3: What is the most challenging part of your subject?

Answer: You have to remember lots of legislation and cases and not only remember their names but also how they affect each part of the law and how they interact. Physically, it can also be exhausting because we must read very dense texts for a few hours every day.

Read more: How to excel in IELTS Speaking Part 1

Frequent questions about Study & Education in IELTS Speaking Part 2

Topics in Cue Card: Describe a subject you enjoyed studying at school.

Answer: The subject I’d like to describe is World History. It was a subject taught in high school. About one hour is allotted every day to learn about significant historical events. It was a boring subject for some of my classmates, but I enjoyed it a lot.

I remember that our teacher distributed a syllabus at our first meeting, which served as a guide on the topics discussed each week. We were assigned to read several books and other reading materials. We talked about famous people, from warriors to philosophers to artists. We discussed the wars that happened in the past. We also talked about religion, traditions and customs of the people during the ancient time.

As a subject, it required us to memorise a lot, which was a disadvantage for my classmates and me at that time because it consumed much of our time. Nevertheless, history really intrigues me. I am always curious about how humans lived in the past. I have always been interested in how history turned us into the present generation. It fascinates me.

Frequent questions about Study & Education in IELTS Speaking Part 3

Question: How has teaching changed in your country in the last few decades?

Answer: It is clear that the teaching methods in Vietnam have changed significantly. In the past, teachers used to be the essential source of knowledge, the leader and educator of their students. Nowadays, although they are still considered to be a kind of leader in the classroom, they are more of facilitators in learning. Another difference is represented by the technical support they need to be able to use effectively, such as computers, projectors, adaptive software, etc. Instead of teaching with chalk, they become IT managers of the classroom.

Question: What is the difference between how children learn and adults learn?

Answer: I think that flexibility makes the difference in the learning ways of children and grown-ups. Mature people tend to be fixed in their ways of thinking and living. Therefore, they need a longer time to imbibe new knowledge and concepts than children. On the other hand, kids are more adaptable and able to change quickly when taking in information. In addition, children use all five senses to adapt to new things and learn all the time in their daily lives. By contrast, adults learn primarily through sight and hearing, separate study from living. This means they think knowledge comes mainly from classes and everyday life.

Read more: Comprehensive collection of IELTS vocabulary for Study & Work topics

Positively-oriented Study & Education topic structures 

• Have a passion for

• To pull one’s socks up

• I really enjoy my study program because…

• Chase to try to obtain or achieve something

• Chance to improve your speaking skills

• gives you the opportunity to experience a different way of living

• It helps me to develop my imagination and creativity

Read more: How to use collocations in IELTS

Negatively-oriented Study & Education topic structures 

• There is little chance for

• Burn the midnight oil = Work very late into the night

• lose touch with

• to miss out something

• Not stand a chance of doing something

• There is little chance for:

• To go blank

• I had to reserve study results for … year due to personal reasons

Study & Education-related topic questions and answers will be easy to conquer if you have a good grasp of vocabulary and refer to the sample answers for thorough preparation. Hopefully, you will always feel confident in achieving the highest scores on the test. 

Read more: 

• Guidelines for structuring ideas and instructions for answering the IELTS Speaking topic “Hometown”

• Master the IELTS Speaking topic “Hobbies” with three key tips 

If you are still struggling to understand the IELTS Speaking test structure and how to achieve the perfect score on the topic of Study & Education, don’t forget that you can always count on the support of IDP’s IELTS experts. 

When you choose to study with IDP, you will have full access to a range of IELTS resources to help you familiarise yourself with the test structure and achieve your desired score. The materials provided include IELTS Masterclass webinars, free IELTS practice tests, and IELTS test tips from international IELTS experts! 

Don’t forget to register for your IELTS tests with IDP!

Read more: IELTS Speaking on the topic of “History”