Welcome back to this video. We're going to be looking at the speaking test part one.
I'm Maddie, and I'm joined by Julia, and we hope you learn a lot from these videos.
So keep watching. Today's topic is "smiling".
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Are you a person who smiles a lot? Smiling is a topic that you might get in part one of the IELTS speaking test.
So keep watching to find out more ways that you might answer this question.
So, Julia, we're talking about the topic of smiling. Do you smile a lot?
I would like to think that I smile a lot. Hmm, I definitely know that it's something I try to do as much as I can.
Because when you smile, it makes you a lot more and seem a lot friendlier.
A lot more inviting, a lot more welcoming, hmm, so yeah, I would definitely like to say that I smile a lot.
But sometimes, I do catch myself when I'm not smiling, I'm like, okay, quick, gotta put a smile on.
Hmm, because it just generally makes you seem like a much friendlier person, it makes people feel good.
Hmm, and you know, when you give that positive energy out to the world, often, you know, people really notice, even subconsciously.
So I think it's really important to smile a lot. So I try to but perhaps sometimes not as much as I would like.
Great well, that was a very thorough answer. Now I'm just going to pick up on a few things that you said.
You said, "I'd like to think". I would like to think I'm a smiley person.
What does "I would like to" mean? So I would like to think, basically means that
it's something in an Ideal world. I would say yes, I smile a lot. Hmm, so I would like to think is; I would hope so.
Yeah, but perhaps it's not necessarily as true in reality as in my hopes.
Great, and then you also said smiling might make you "a welcoming person". So what's another word for "welcoming".
So another word for welcoming could be "approachable", could be "inviting", someone who you
would feel comfortable walking up to and having a chat great, and then another one you said is
"I do catch myself". I think you said sometimes I do catch myself without a smile.
What does catching yourself mean? Catching yourself means that you sort of realize that you're doing something.
So you might be so for example, if I was sitting here with a frown, I'd be like oh! what am I doing.
I look so unfriendly right now I need to put a smile on so it's when you realize that you're doing something.
Yeah, you remember you notice. Great, so some other vocabulary you might use when answering this question is the word "grin". Maybe you grin.
What does grin mean? I would say grin is basically just a very exaggerated smile.
It's a really big super friendly smile yeah, Yeah.
And it's a little bit cheeky to me. A bit of a cheekiness to it. Now "frown".
I think you might have used the word frown. Like you catch yourself in a frown. What does a frown mean?
A frown is basically essentially the opposite of a smile. So a frown is when you are looking unhappy, sad, angry.
Hmm yeah, pretty much the opposite of a smile, yeah. Yeah right. Right, next question; what makes you smile?
Hmm, personally I think the thing that makes me smile probably the most is when I'm with my friends.
Hmm, because we get along really well, lots of jokes, particularly inside jokes with friends.
Hmm, yeah, just really like sharing memories telling stories about things that have happened in the past.
Thinking about things we can do together in the future, it's always really positive.
Things to talk about, and yeah, it definitely makes me smile a lot. Right, and you said the word "inside jokes".
You said; what makes you smile is sometimes sharing inside jokes with your friends.
What does inside jokes mean? So an inside joke is essentially a joke that is shared between you and one other person or a few other people.
Not very many people would understand it but you have a common understanding.
Because maybe something's happened in the past, and you know about it, but other people don't.
So they might not find it funny, but you guys do. Great. Well, I guess if I was going to be asked this question;
What makes me smile? Hmm, I think what makes me smile is in my profession.
I'm a playwright and at the end of a reading after everyone's read the play,
and there's a bit of applause that we, we finished, we got to the end. That makes me smile, I think, watching people come together.
Watching people share that makes me really happy. Yeah, so it's really nice.
We'll move on to the next question. Do you have a smile at the wrong time?
The wrong time. This one's interesting because I am definitely guilty of this.
So I think everyone's guilty of this at times "laughing at other people's expense".
So I've definitely caught myself in a few situations where I should not be smiling or laughing.
Hmm, for example, I remember once when I was at school, there was a concert,
and someone was playing an instrument not very well and I couldn't help myself,
and I was definitely smiling a little bit too much, and I was trying to suppress a laughter.
Hmm, because it was just not, not an appropriate time to be like yeah. I think we've all been there.
But these are some great phrases you said; I'm guilty of this. What might that mean?
If you're guilty of something it means so usually this has connotations with something bad something you shouldn't do. Hmm.
So if you're guilty it essentially means you've done something bad.
You've done something wrong yeah. Right, that was an awesome prize.
And I hope that our viewers will be able to listen to that. You also said; I couldn't help myself.
What does that mean? it's sort of along the same lines as I'm guilty of that.
Yeah, I couldn't help myself. It's sort of like I couldn't resist, or I couldn't stop myself.
Hmm, or not necessarily that I really wanted to do something, but I found myself compelled to do something.
Okay. Great explanation. Now do you sometimes smile at strangers.
Hmm yeah, I'd love to think that I do hmm, I try to definitely.
Hmm, because I know that in the past, when strangers have smiled at me. I always find it really nice.
Hmm so it's definitely something that I try to do. Hmm yeah, yeah and what are some situations that you
might find yourself in where you are smiling at strangers.
Maybe it's when they open a door for you do you ever find yourself smiling at strangers.
Definitely, definitely whenever you have little moments like that opening the door or like making a way for you on a path or something.
Those are definitely little moments that you, you know, say thank you, share a smile.
Just have that nice positive energy between strangers it's really nice. Great, well I hope you learned some new ideas for this topic I certainly did.
Julia, did you learn some things? Absolutely. Well, see you again soon.
And please write in the comments what you have to say maybe some of your ideas. We'll see you next time.
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