Describe a teacher who had a strong influence on you
You should say:
- who the teacher was
- what subject they taught
- what was special about the way they taught
- and explain why they influenced you so much
Part 3 discussion questions
After your talk, the examiner asks more abstract questions on education and teaching. Practise giving a direct answer, a reason and an example.
- 1What qualities make someone a good teacher?
- 2Is teaching a more difficult job now than it was in the past?
- 3Do you think online lessons can replace classroom teachers?
- 4Should teachers focus more on exams or on practical skills?
- 5How might the role of teachers change over the next few decades?
How to plan your answer in one minute
- Note one or two words for each bullet point; you can glance at them while you speak.
- Open with the main idea, then take the bullets in order so the examiner can follow you.
- Keep the last bullet (the "explain" part) for detail: this is where you show range.
- Keep talking until the examiner stops you; two full minutes shows fluency.
Notes for your minute of preparation
- Who: Mr Fernandes, Class 9.
- Subject: physics.
- What was special: a question before every formula (bed of nails, balloon and drawing pins); everyday objects; never laughed at a wrong answer.
- Why he influenced me: science is about curiosity, not memory; chose science in Class 11; still start with a simple question.
Model talk
222 words · about 2 minutes spoken
The teacher I’d like to describe is Mr Fernandes, who taught me physics in Class 9. Before his class, I thought physics was just a list of formulas to memorise, and I wasn’t particularly interested. He changed that almost from the first week.
What was special about him was that he always started with a question rather than a formula. In our first lesson on pressure, for example, he walked in with a balloon and a box of drawing pins and asked us why lying on a bed of nails doesn’t hurt but standing on one nail does. We argued about it for ten minutes before he wrote anything on the board, and by then we actually wanted to know the answer. He used everyday things all the time: a bicycle to explain gears, a pressure cooker for boiling points, and so on.
He was also very approachable. If you gave a wrong answer, he’d say, “Interesting, why do you think that?”, so nobody was afraid to speak in his class.
The reason he influenced me so much is that he made me realise science is about curiosity, not memory. Because of him, I chose science in Class 11, and even now, when I study something difficult, I try to start by asking myself a simple question, just as he taught us.
Written by Acedmi to show what a high-band talk sounds like. It is not an official IELTS sample, and your own ideas can be different.
Useful vocabulary
- memorise
- Learn something by heart.
- “I thought physics was just formulas to memorise.”
- approachable
- Friendly and easy to talk to.
- “He was very approachable, so we asked a lot of questions.”
- hands-on
- Learning by doing, not only listening.
- “His lessons were very hands-on.”
- curiosity
- The wish to know or learn something.
- “He taught us that science is about curiosity.”
- inspiring
- Making you want to do or learn something.
- “He was the most inspiring teacher I had.”
- encourage
- Give someone confidence to do something.
- “He encouraged us to explain our ideas.”
- have an influence on
- Change how someone thinks or acts.
- “He had a strong influence on my choice of subjects.”
- and so on
- A natural way to end a list in speech.
- “A bicycle, a pressure cooker, and so on.”
Common mistakes
- Spending a long time on what the teacher looked like. The card asks about the way they taught and their influence, so spend your time there.
- Using only "good" and "nice". Show range: patient, approachable, inspiring, enthusiastic.
- Mixing tenses. Use the past for what happened in class, and the present for how it still affects you.