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Growing up: Speaking Practice

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growing upWelcome to our free lesson ‘growing up’ to give you practise for the IGCSE ESL exam. This is just one of the many lessons available to reinforce your learning so you feel confident when the IGCSE ESL exam day arrives. Our lessons are centred around common themes featured in the reading, writing, speaking and listening parts of the exam.

Growing up: Speaking Practice

speaking practiceIn this lesson, we will practice our speaking skills to talk about growing up. Watch our video that will guide you through the lesson. You will be asked to pause the video to complete the activities in the tabs below.

Exercise 1Exercise 2Exercise 3Word List

You are going to watch a video about what kids think about growing up. Answer the questions when prompted. 

Click here to view transcript

Russell: Now it’s time for playground politics this week I spoke to the kids about being an adult.

Boy: Before we start you just have to promise me that this sector of the show will be appropriate for kids because I know that that most of your shows are that thing they are that thing.

Russell: Yeah, this is gonna be appropriate for kids occasionally you might get a bit like that but normally it’s the kids.

Russell: Are you looking forward to being an adult?

Boy: Well just to let you know not really.

Russell: What you’ll be doing in ten years time?

Boy: I’ll buy a car.

Russell: Nice.

Boy: And I and I have some fun driving around meeting

my friends.

Russell: Yes, I can see you now a hot day you having the roof down.

[Music]
Russell: What are you most looking forward to doing as an adult?

Girl: Just like running a business.

Russell: Nice. How are you?

Boy: Like yeah you know what I mean the naughty words. The night a guy was so I rushed in front when his bike with a gun and guy said this swear word. He said C U know what I mean so he said the C word.

Russell: Wow, that’s big.

Boy: So how did you start out actually?

Russell: Um I used to do gigs when I was 18.

Boy: Gigs, what does that mean?
Russell: So I would turn up and I would try out jokes for free in a pub
Boy: How about you just charge the bartender?
Russell: That isn’t the way it works you have to kind of work for free before somebody says yep you’re good enough here’s 50 pounds.
Boy: Wait that doesn’t make any sense.

Russell: Who do you admire?

Boy: Like what famous person would you want to be when you were?

Russell: Yeah.

Boy: Tom Hanks.

Russell: Wow you wanna be Tom Hanks.

Boy: Yeah.

Russell: But have you ever seen him in castaway? Basically Tom Hanks lives in an island on his own but it becomes best friend with a volleyball.


Boy: I take back Tom Hanks then.

Russell: Sorry sorry Tom


Boy: I’d like to be a computer game designer.

Russell: Oh nice.

Boy: I just not really good at a programming yet.

Russell: How old are you?

Boy: I’m 9.

Russell: Yeah you right it’s a bit late.

Boy: I think a teacher is the best job because Mr. Fernandez is the best teacher.

Russell: Oh really what makes Fernandez such a good teacher?

Boy: He’s funny.

Russell: Huh

Girl: He’s nice.

Boy: Caring.

Girl: And he’s Spanish

Growing up is an important stage in everyone’s life. Listen to Emma talking about whether she feels grown-up  as well whether it is better to grow up in a town or in the countryside.

Here are the prompts from the speaking test that Emma is using:

  • whether you feel grown-up, and why
  • whether it is better to grow up in a town or in the countryside.

Click here to view transcript

Brian: Emma, do you feel grown up?

Emma: Well, this year, I feel more grown-up compared to when I was in year ten.

Brian: Why?

Emma: In Year ten, I didn’t have any real responsibilities. My mum used to take me to school every day, but since studying in year eleven, I have to find my own way to school. I usually take a bus, but sometimes, I cycle to school. That’s when the weather is nice.

Emma: Of course, at school, I have to study hard to pass my exams, so I can go to a sixth form college and this means I have to balance my time studying and my social life. My mum lets me stay up later at weekends, and I can hang out with friends until ten o’clock at night. Another thing, I have a bank account now, so I’m learning to save money for when I go to university, so I feel like an adult. In the summer, after my exams, I might get a job, as a lifeguard down the beach, so I can give my mum some money to help her out with the weekly shopping.

Brian: Wow, so Emma, do you think it is better to grow up in a town, or countryside?

Emma: I live in a big town called Brighton which is on the south coast of England and it is a great place to live, as it is very busy in the summer with lots of things to do. Even in the winter, there are things to do. The best thing is the ice skating rink at Christmas time and of course, there are loads of shops here. I wouldn’t like to grow up in the countryside, as it would be too quiet for me, and it would be hard to find a decent school to go to, so living in a town like Brighton is the best place to grow up.

Choose one of the prompts below and discuss it with your friend.

  • whether you feel grown-up, and why
  • whether it is better to grow up in a town or in the countryside
  • the advantages and disadvantages of being an adult

Here are the keywords and phrases covered in this lesson:

  • compared to
  • balance my time
  • being an adult
  • decent school
  • growing up
  • hang out with
  • looking forward to -ing
  • real responsibilities
  • stay up
We add activities and exercises regularly on various themes, so why not bookmark our site, so you can come back to practice anywhere or at any time of the day.

Explore the way we use technology and science in the modern world

Here you will find exercise to practice for the reading and writing section of IGCSE ESL examination for either the core or extended papers.

Exercise 1 - Read a text and answer a series of questions.

Exercise 2 - Read a text and answer a series of questions testing more detailed comprehension.

Exercise 1 (Questions 1 -4) - Short answer exercises

Exercise 2 - (Question 5) Gap-filled exercises

Exercise 3 - Matching

Exercise 4 - Multiple Choice

The more words you encounter and understand, the broader your day-to-day vocabulary will become. So, our IGCSE ESL Word searches are an excellent way to help to reinforce spellings. Word puzzles require not just a good vocabulary and a knack for spelling, but the ability to think logically and strategically. In the case of puzzles like our IGCSE Crosswords, it’s crucial to spell linked words correctly to be able to complete the task.
Learning English requires not just a good vocabulary, but a strong foundation of all skills to communicate well. Here we provide activities for the IGCSE ESL for all the skills required to be successful in this examination.
Levels Links:
Learn English with our free material for different levels of English. We add exercises on grammar and vocabulary as well as whole text activities on a regular basis. In addition, we provide test practise activities for students who are preparing for the Cambridge Assessment English Main Suite as well as the English Language B for the IB Diploma. The material will also support students studying for the Cambridge Advanced courses.

We provide free resources across the full range of levels to provide the tools to communicate in English well.

Elementary | Pre-Intermediate | Intermediate | Upper-Intermediate | Advanced

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