6.4Part 3: the discussion
- 1 reading text
The questions become general and abstract. You are no longer talking about yourself, you are talking about people, society, and the future. This is where most students drop half a band, because they keep answering personally.
Q: Why do some people find it hard to learn new skills as adults?
Weak answer: For me it is hard because I am busy with work.
Strong answer: I think there are two main reasons. The obvious one is time: adults have jobs and families, so they cannot give a new skill the hours a child can. But I suspect the bigger reason is psychological. Children are used to being bad at things, whereas adults are not, and being visibly bad at something in front of other people is uncomfortable. That discomfort makes people quit early, before they get to the point where it becomes rewarding.
Useful structures for Part 3
| Function | Phrases |
|---|---|
| Generalising | On the whole, In most cases, Generally speaking, As a rule |
| Hedging | It tends to be the case that, I would imagine that, It is probably true that |
| Comparing past and present | It used to be that, Whereas in the past, These days, Compared with a generation ago |
| Speculating about the future | I expect we will see, It is likely that, In the long run |
| Giving both sides | There is an argument on both sides, It depends largely on |