Với chủ đề child và childhood trong phần thi Ielts Speaking Part 1, các bạn sẽ thường gặp các câu hỏi liên quan như trông bạn như thế nào khi bạn còn nhỏ, kỉ niệm nào đáng nhớ nhất khi bạn còn nhỏ, những hoạt động bạn hay tham gia khi bạn còn nhỏ, bạn lớn lên ở quê hay ở thành phố, trẻ em ở quê thì thường chơi những trò chơi gì?

Dưới đây là bộ từ vựng cùng một số câu hỏi và câu trả lời cho phần thi Ielts Speaking topic Childhood mà bạn có thể tham khảo và ứng dụng trong quá trình ôn luyện của mình.

1. Từ vựng về Childhood

- UPBRINGING – nuôi dưỡng – Cách nuôi dạy trẻ

- BRING UP/BROUGHT UP - nuôi nấng / nuôi nấng - quá trình nuôi dạy một đứa trẻ

- HAVE GOOD MANNERS - có cách cư xử tốt - lịch sự và cư xử đúng mực

- LASTING IMPRESSION - điều gì đó ảnh hưởng sâu sắc đến bạn

- TAKES ME BACK - làm cho tôi nhớ lại một cái gì đó từ quá khứ

- BE BORN AND RAISED/BRED IN OXFORD; INTO A WEALTHY/MIDDLE-CLASS FAMILY: sinh ra và lớn lên ở Oxford; trong một gia đình giàu có/trung lưu

- HAVE A HAPPY/AN UNHAPPY/A TOUGH CHILDHOOD: Có một tuổi thơ hạnh phúc/bất hạnh/khó nhọc

- GROW UP IN A MUSICAL FAMILY/AN ORPHANAGE; ON A FARM: lớn lên trong một gia đình âm nhạc/ở cô nhi viện; ở một trang trại

- BE/GROW UP AN ONLY CHILD WITH NO BROTHERS OR SISTERS): Là con một (không có anh/chị em)

- REACH/HIT/ENTER/GO THROUGH ADOLESCENCE/PUBERTY: Đến tuổi thiếu niên/dậy thì

- BE IN YOUR TEENS/EARLY TWENTIES/MID-TWENTIES/LATE TWENTIES: Ở tuổi thiếu niên/khoảng 20/ khoảng 25/ gần 30

- UNDERGO/EXPERIENCE PHYSICAL/PSYCHOLOGICAL CHANGES: Trải qua những thay đổi cơ thể/tâm lí

- GIVE IN TO/SUCCUMB TO/RESIST PEER PRESSURE: Chịu/ảnh hưởng bởi những áp lực từ bạn bè cùng trang lứa

- ASSERT YOUR INDEPENDENCE/INDIVIDUALITY : Khẳng định sự độc lập/cái tôi cá nhân

2. Các câu hỏi thường gặp về Childhood

In what kind of environment do you like your child to grow up in?

I’d like my son to grow up in a pleasant environment, but I have to be very careful not to spoil him. As you know, excessive love or permissiveness may mislead the child.

What sort of culture do you hope your child will grow up?

I hope my child will still know about Vietnam’s ancient culture and traditions, but also have a chance to combine them with aspects of modern society. I don’t want him to just accept everything that is “Western” and throw away everything that is “Vietnamese”. I want my child to be proud of his Vietnamese heritage, but also to be able to combine the best from the West and the East.

As a parent, do you plan to do anything different for your child than your parents did for you?

Yes, of course. I will communicate more openly with my child and give him more compliments and praise. When I was young, my parents had to work very hard to make both ends meet. They would not have spare more time for their children, never asking me how I was feeling and things like that. They rarely complimented me for anything though I know they loved me very much. But there was lack of communication and I often felt neglected. Now, I’d like to bring up my child differently from the way I was brought up. I want him to develop imagination, creativity, perseverance, and independence.

How is your life different from the lives of your parents when they were at your age?

Oh, there’s so much difference. I have had many more opportunities and a much more comfortable life than they had. In my parents’ time, there was not much entertainment or opportunities for work or education. The living standard was not very high. I remember my mother telling me stories about having one egg to eat for her birthday, a luxury at that time. I can’t really imagine a life like that, so I’m grateful that I have a better life than my parents had.

What about your own childhood? Where did you grow up? / Where did you spend your childhood?/Where were you brought up?

- I was born in this city, but we moved to … when I was … years old, because … So, I grew up in … Now, I consider … as my home town.

- I was born in …, but I spent my childhood in another city, for I lived with my grandparents.

- I lived in … since I was born, and I never moved to other places. So, I spent my childhood in my home town.

- I spent my childhood in my birthplace, but I went to another city to study/work.

- I was born in Thanh Hoa province. When I was 6 years old, my parents moved to Hai Phong City with their factory. So, I was brought up there until I felt for Ha Noi to study at the age of 19.

Do you regard it as a happy period of your life?

Well, I say yes. At that time, we did have our moments, the exciting games, my peers, outdoor activities, everything. I was so carefree and happy though I have to admit that we didn’t have the kind of material things like toys, candies and the like.

Is there anything you regrets about your childhood, or your young days?

- Yes. I didn’t have the chance to learn to play some musical instruments. I wish I had learned how to play the violin. I wish I could have continued my training in basketball. I was a very good basketball player in the middle school.

- Not at all. I like the thing as it is. I wouldn’t want to change a thing.

Do you think life is very different for young people nowadays?

Yes. Nowadays, the young have a lot more opputinities for education and entertainment, compared with that I had before. But to be honest, I like my simple but more interesting life. Children of today are always burdened with a lot of homework and extracurricular hobby training, and they are so lonely, contacting friends only through email and telephone. In my time, we had a lot of face-to-face communication, and we played together a lot more. We were better off spiritually but not materially.

Well, they are a lot happier today with their new computerized toys, games, and candies. Above all, they have dreams, dreams of going abroad to study, of becoming a millionaire.

Hẹn gặp lại các bạn ở những bài học tiếp theo!