Part 3 of the speaking test – Ana

Examiner:
Now we've been talking about your experience of education, um, I'd like to discuss with you one or two more questions, general questions related to this. Let's consider first of all, current education. What things would you liked to have learnt at school?
 
Ana:
Well. I think I am lucky because I learnt a lot of things at school but, I don't know, I think some topics are ... you don't really learn at school, like for example, ... a lot of things about science and ... I don't know, a little practical things about life.
 
Examiner:
What type of practical things would you have liked to have learnt that you didn't learn at school?
 
Ana:
I don't know. For example, my knowledge of a computer. I think that now they are doing a little bit more, but when I was at school they didn't really teach us how to manage yourself with computers and it's something you really miss.
 
Examiner:
How do you think that education in your country has changed since your parents studied?
 
Ana:
Well, um. First of all, now I think all of these cuts in our study budget ..... an I think this is ... this is really, really ... um, I don't know, ... um, making education a lot worse than it was, because, we don't get chances that people ten years ago had, so I think that this is a really bad thing that is happening to our education.
 
Examiner:
Apart from the cuts, in what other ways has the kind of subjects that you learnt at school changed in the last 20 years or so?
 
Ana:
Well, as I said, I think that they are putting more emphasis on this new technologies thing now, and it's really a good point that they are doing it, I think.
 
Examiner:
Do you think education fits the current needs of society?
 
Ana:
I think it doesn't.
 
Examiner:
In what ways?
 
Ana:
Because there are a lot of kids here that doesn't [don't] finish school, and this shows that something is really wrong with our education. I think people who are responsible for it should ... I don't know, they should look out for the children and they should make everybody finish school and get equal opportunities for everybody.
 
Examiner:
Apart from making everyone else finish school, what other ways could schools prepare people for the world of work?
 
Ana:
Um, I think that something that's really good is practice, and this is something perhaps more of a university ... I don't know what, but I think practical things are really good, because if you get to work with someone ... with real people that do real work, it's a little more interesting than just studying your books and ....
 
Examiner:
What would you say are the advantages and disadvantages of formal examinations?
 
Ana:
Well, there are advantages, like you get recognition if you pass an exam, and you can show it to everybody. And it gives you, like ... um, good opportunities. But I also think it has its drawbacks because there are people who are not really familiarised with these kind of exams and maybe you are not really good at it and ... but you have other qualities that a formal exam cannot show, so ....
 
Examiner:
What would you say are the advantages and disadvantages of online learning, or distance learning?
 
Ana:
Well, I've tried it, as a matter of fact. I tried to study French online and it was really good, because you could do it at your own ... schedule and whenever you like, and, you know, if you are really busy you can do it another day. And if you are disciplined, you can learn a lot. But on the other hand, I don't know, you do not have an obligation and no-one is waiting [for] you to do it, so sometimes it's really easy to, you know, delay, and sometimes you don't learn as much as you would do if you go to class.