allthingsfinnish:

Samuli Heimonen
oil

Heinola, Finland

allthingsfinnish:

Piparkakkutalo ja Olkipukki

photo by Tuija flickr

allthingseurope:

Scanno, Abruzzo, Italy

(by paraluci)

6. Improve your memory – write your life history

Parts 1 and 2 of the speaking test are personal questions about who you are (part 1) and what you have done (part 2). One reason why some candidates have problems is not the language, but that they can’t think of things to say. The solution is simple – refresh your memory about important events in your life before the test.

The idea is not so much to practise exam questions (it’s hard to predict those), but to practise speaking about your memories of people, events, places and things. Do that and the exam should be simpler as you have memories you can use. Write down some personal memories and then try speaking about them. Some ideas here are:

• think of important/interesting people in your life: Ask yourself: When did you meet them? How long have you known them? Why are they important/interesting? Can you remember something you did together? What about a conversation you had with them?
• think of important events in your life: Ask yourself: What it was? Where did it happen? Who were you with at the time? What else was happening in your life then? What one thing stands out in your memory about it? How well do you remember it?
• think of places you have been to:  Ask yourself: Where it was? How did you get there? In what detail can you describe the place? Can you describe the general area it is in? Would you want to go back there?
• think of your possessions: Ask yourself: How long have you owned it? Where did you get it? Is it special or something normal? How often do you use it? Do you associate with someone else?
• dcielts

Charles Bukowski “Factotum”

•  We’re going to make it. You are the wisdom of centuries and I am me. We are meant for each other.
• ..almost everybody could be a writer. But most men, fortunately, aren’t writers, or even cab drivers, and some men - many men - unfortunately aren’t anything.
• They attempted to be sexy and gay and witty and although they hoped they were good at it, they weren’t. They were bad at it. Their trying so hard only made it worse.

“it makes the world of delirium pass onto the plane of reality”