IELTS Speaking Part-2 A interesting talk or lecture

Describe an interesting talk or lecture

You should say:

·        When you heard it

·        Where you heard it

·        What it was about

·        And explain why you think it was interesting

I’ve decided to talk about a speech that was given by the principal of my high school. On the first day of high school, roughly six years ago now, we had to go to the lecture theatre and it was quite nerve-wracking because I didn’t know any of my classmates, as I had moved to a different school from my friends at primary school. Normally, speeches on the first day are tedious and I don’t really listen closely to them, but from the moment the principal started speaking I was engrossed.

I cannot remember word for word what she said, but the message was about the exciting opportunity we had to re-invent ourselves at high school. In primary school, I was always quite a shy and timid person and didn’t have many friends. I really didn’t like being the centre of attention; well, I still don’t to be honest. Here, I was in a new school with no friends, but after listening to the speech, I felt inspired to make more effort to make new friends.

As soon as the speech finished, we were taken to a new classroom and told to find somewhere to sit. I walked in and saw a girl sitting by herself. Before this talk, I would have been afraid to go and talk to her, but feeling encouraged and more confident, I walked over and asked if anyone was sitting there and she said no so I sat down and introduced myself. We are now best friends and I have had so much fun with her and support from her over the last few years, which would not have happened if I hadn’t sat next to her. I am incredibly grateful to the principal for saying something that made me take action and do something I wouldn’t usually do. It was out of my comfort zone so I needed a push to do it.

There are not many times in life when we get the opportunity to re­invent ourselves so this speech was inspirational and empowering because it gave me the chance to stop being introverted and to grasp the opportunity to become a better version of myself.

Describe an interesting talk or lecture

You should say:

• When you heard it

• Where you heard it

• What it was about

• And explain why you think it was interesting

I’d like to describe a memorable speech given by the principal of my high school. This took place on the first day of high school, approximately six years ago. We were all gathered in the lecture theatre, and I was quite anxious since I had just moved from a different school and didn’t know anyone in my new class. Typically, speeches on the first day can be rather mundane, and I tend to zone out. However, this particular speech captured my attention right from the start.

Although I don’t recall the exact details, the essence of the speech was about the opportunity we had to reinvent ourselves in high school. In primary school, I had been quite shy and reserved, and I struggled to make friends. The thought of being in the spotlight made me uncomfortable, and I usually avoided it. But as I listened to the principal’s words, I felt a surge of motivation and realized that high school could be a fresh start.

After the speech, we were taken to a new classroom and told to choose a seat. I noticed a girl sitting alone, and normally, I would have hesitated to approach her. However, feeling inspired and emboldened by the speech, I mustered the courage to introduce myself. It turned out she was very friendly, and we quickly became best friends. Over the past few years, we’ve shared countless enjoyable experiences and supported each other through various challenges.

I am deeply grateful to the principal for delivering a speech that pushed me out of my comfort zone. It was a powerful reminder that we rarely get such opportunities to reinvent ourselves. The speech was both inspirational and empowering, encouraging me to overcome my introverted nature and seize the chance to become a better version of myself.

Vocabulary and Phrases

Phrase/Word	Meaning in English	Bangla	Russian	Hindi
Nerve-wracking	Causing anxiety or stress	উদ্বেগজনক	Напряжённый	तनावपूर्ण
Engrossed	Fully absorbed or interested in something	মগ্ন	Поглощённый	पूरी तरह से प्रभावित
Re-invent	To change or transform oneself or something in a significant way	পুনরায় উদ্ভাবন করা	Переосмыслять	पुनर्निर्माण करना
Timid	Shy or lacking self-confidence	লজ্জাশীল	Робкий	संकोचशील
Inspired	Motivated or stimulated to do something	অনুপ্রাণিত	Вдохновлённый	प्रेरित
Afraid	Feeling fear or apprehension	ভীত	Бояться	डरे हुए
Encouraged	Given support or confidence to do something	উৎসাহিত	Поддержанный	प्रोत्साहित
Grateful	Feeling thankful	কৃতজ্ঞ	Благодарный	आभारी
Comfort zone	A state of mental security where one feels safe and unchallenged	স্বাচ্ছন্দ্যের এলাকা	Зона комфорта	आरामदायक क्षेत्र
Introverted	Preferring to spend time alone rather than with others	অন্তর্মুখী	Интроверт	अंतर्मुखी
Empowering	Giving someone the power or confidence to do something	শক্তিশালীকরণ	Уполномочивающий	सशक्त बनाना
Grasp the opportunity	To seize or take advantage of a chance	সুযোগ গ্রহণ করা	Воспользоваться возможностью	अवसर को पकड़ना
A better version of myself	An improved or more developed version of who one is	নিজের উন্নত সংস্করণ	Лучшая версия себя	अपने बेहतर संस्करण
Take action	To start doing something to achieve a goal	পদক্ষেপ নেওয়া	Принять меры	कार्रवाई करना
Gasp	A sudden intake of breath, often due to surprise or shock	হাঁসফাস	Вздрагивание	हांफना
Overcome	To successfully deal with or control a difficult situation	অতিক্রম করা	Преодолеть	पार करना
Seize the chance	To take advantage of an opportunity	সুযোগ গ্রহণ করা	Ухватиться за шанс	मौके को पकड़ना
Arduous	Involving a lot of effort and difficulty	কষ্টসাধ্য	Трудный	कठिन
Reinvent oneself	To make significant changes in one’s life or character	নিজেকে পুনঃআবিষ্কার করা	Переосмыслить себя	खुद को नया रूप देना