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How do you talk about Technology in IELTS Speaking? This maybe a topic that you find difficult, even in your own language!
Relax, here are lots of ideas, with the language and idioms you need to talk fluently about the topic of technology in the IELTS Speaking test. You will learn how to talk about different kinds of technology and how they impact our lives.
IELTS Speaking topics involving technology
Technology appears in many topics, especially when we talk about the impact of technology and how it has changed our lives. You may find questions about technology in any of these IELTS Speaking topics:
Click on the links to see recent live lessons I have given on these topics.
- Skills
- Education
- Children
- School subjects
- Workplace
- Business
- Generation Gap
- Modern Homes
- Buildings
- Cities
- Communication
- Phones
- Social Media
- Computers
- Video Games
IELTS vocabulary: Technology
Here is some essential language to talk about the IELTS Speaking topic of Technology
Technology (n.) Countable and Uncountable
Technology is powerful (uncountable)
A.I. is a powerful technology (countable)
Tech = art, skill, craft. – ology = subject of study
What is ‘technology’?
“Scientific knowledge used to solve problems”
We can use it to…
- create tools…..(a pen, an i-phone)
- improve processes (communication)
These tool / process / systems are also called technology!
Collocations
All of the following more or less mean ‘new’
- New technologies
- Latest technologies
- Emerging technologies
- Modern technologies
The following are also common collocations with ‘technology’
- Disruptive________
- Cutting edge _____
- State-of-the-art ________
- Upcoming ________
- Old-fashioned________
- Out of date_________
Verbs + technology
Introduce / adopt / develop / exploit / use new technologies
Word Family
Technology (n.)
Technical (adj.)
Technical skills / knowledge
It’s a bit technical (=difficult to understand)
Say it in layman’s terms (=simple English)
Debates and discussions about technology
Emerging Technologies
Here are some of the newest emerging technologies that you can talk about in the IELTS Speaking test. There is a brief explanation of each below.
- Artificial Intelligence (AI)
- Machine Learning
- 5G
- The Internet of Things (IOT)
- Augmented Reality (AR)
- Virtual Reality (VR)
- Blockchain
- Biometrics
- Robotics
- AI = the simulation of human intelligence in machines that are programmed to think like humans and mimic their actions.
- (VR) is a computer-generated environment with scenes and objects that appear to be real (e.g video games, pilot simulation
- IoT = refers to a system of internet-connected objects that are able to collect and transfer data over a wireless network without human intervention (e.g. energy management, water distribution, contactless payments, smart homes
- Biometrics identifies and authenticates individuals based on their physical or behavioural characteristics. (e.g. Fingerprint recognition, voice recognition, face recognition)
- Robotics – developing robots that substitute for (or replicate) human actions (e.g Roomba vacuum, car manufacturing
IELTS Speaking tip
If you don’t know much about a certain IELTS Speaking Topic like technology, don’t worry, you don’t need to be an expert. You just need to know enough about it to discuss it.
Here’s a nice tip, you can also use these phrases to still show off your English!
Technology is not really my thing, but I think…
I’m by no means an expert, but I would say…
I’m a bit of a technology buff, and the way I see it…
I’m far from an expert, but as I see it…
Technology: A good or a bad thing?
Here are some nice phrases you can use to talk fluently about this debate:
On the positive side……
- It allows us to _______
- It means we have been able to_______
- It’s enabled us to________
…communicate more effectively
…develop stronger economies
…improve our quality of life
At the same time, there have also been ________
- side effects
- unexpected outcomes
- unwanted by-products
- undesirable consequences
…such as pollution and the depletion of natural resources
Technology is great, but we might lose our privacy or get unsolicited (=unwanted) advertisements, but maybe that’s the price we pay!
The role of A.I. in our lives today
Here are some examples of where Artificial Intelligence appears in our lives today.
- Alexa, Siri
- Amazon
- Google Maps
- Face recognition
- Driverless cars
- Chat bots
- Facebook (algorithm)
Idioms to talk about technology
- The technology behind a pen is not rocket science = It’s simple
- My computer is running like clockwork (= working perfectly)
- The iPhone was ahead of its time (=too advanced to be fully understood at that time in the past)
- You’ve hit the nail on the head (= you are exactly right)
- I’ve no more ideas, I have run out of steam (= lost all energy and enthusiasm)
- My boss has a screw loose = (crazy)
- New technologies cost an arm and a leg (=expensive)
- to hit the panic button =take emergency measures
Useful Links about Technology
Find out about emerging technologies
https://connectedworld.com/ranking-influential-emerging-technologies-for-2020
More about The Internet of Things
Different types of robots
More IELTS Speaking Free Lessons
If you liked this lesson, leave a comment below!
There are more lessons you can follow in the links below too.
TECHNOLOGY in IELTS Speaking. How to talk about technology, the internet and artificial intelligence.
COMPUTERS in IELTS Speaking. Describe the uses and challenges of computers using powerful vocabulary and idioms.
VIRTUAL WORLD in IELTS Speaking. Vocabulary and ideas to talk about the virtual world as well as some listening tasks.
