IELTS Speaking Part 3 Helping others in the community
Discussion Topics
Do you like helping others?
Yes, I do. I think it is very important to help others, especially those in need. There are many ways to help others, and I enjoy doing whatever I can to make a difference in someone else's life. One of the things I enjoy most is volunteering my time at a local homeless shelter. I have been doing this for a few years.
What are some of the ways people can help others in the community? Which is most important?
One example might be when an adult or several adults form or take charge of a community group for young people. Maybe a sports team, club, or other youth-orientated organization.
Neighbors can also help other people in their community by taking care of elderly people or maybe volunteering at centers that help elderly people or other members of the community.
Some people help out at food banks, charity shops, and other places that provide services for other people in the community in need. Then there are community groups that protect the rights or interests of local communities where people discuss issues that might affect their community and what could be done to encourage or discourage certain developments.
I think they are all important because they affect many people in different ways. In general, groups all have the same purpose - to make the community a better place to live. And that is always a good thing.
Why do you think some people like to help other people?
Maybe because it makes them feel good being able to help someone else. It might be because they were once helped by somebody in their past and they would like to return the favor.
People help other people for many different reasons, it’s almost impossible to generalize, but I think that if a person can see that another person needs help it is almost an instinct to offer help if the person can.
It’s one of the foundations of many societies; those that can help – help those that can’t.
What sort of things can neighbours do to help each other?
Personally, I think nNeighbours really make or break a community, don't they? I've seen it firsthand and it's something I deeply appreciate.
Like, when the pandemic first hit and we were all stuck at home, I noticed some of the older folks in my neighbourhood were having a tough time with the isolation and getting their groceries and stuff. So, my family and I thought, "Why not help out?" and we started this little neighbourhood help group.
We got some volunteers together and started doing grocery runs for those who couldn't. It was awesome to see how this small act brought everyone closer, making sure those who were vulnerable got what they needed and making us all feel more connected.
We didn't stop there, though. We set up this virtual neighbourhood forum, kind of like a digital town square, where people could share info, help each other out, or even just hang out online. It really kept that sense of community going strong.
All of this just goes to show - being a good neighbour isn't just about helping out; it's about creating a place where everyone feels like they belong, they're connected, and they're cared for.
Some people say that people help others in the community more now than they did in the past. Do you agree or disagree? Why?
I don’t know if that is true or not. It might be the case that there is more help available nowadays for many more people who need help. But it is not always provided by individuals in the community.
Sometimes it is provided by government agencies or organizations or even charity organizations.
So I guess there might be more help but it’s not simply people in the community helping other people in the community – it’s a more structured help system than in the past.
In many places, the sense of community is less than it was due to the mobility of the workforce and people in general.
Often, once children have grown up and found work, they don’t live in the same place as their parents and indeed their parents may even choose to move elsewhere when they retire, for example.
Social mobility has increased and has affected the fabric of communities.
Have you helped someone in the community? (How, what did you do?)
Yes I have, it was last summer, I got the idea to set up a community clean-up at the local park. This place, right, it's usually full of life – families hanging out, people really getting into nature.
But, it was looking pretty sad with all the litter around. I thought, "Hey, we can definitely fix this!" So, I got in touch with the local council and put the word out on social media for volunteers.
We split up the work and got cracking. It was more than just picking up trash – it felt like we were all coming together to say we care about our planet.
By noon, you could really see the difference. The park was back to being that beautiful spot everyone loved. It felt awesome to see what we achieved together, not just for the park, but also bringing everyone closer. It's true what they say – many hands do make light work.
Can you describe a charity which is important to you?
There is a charity I support that is very important to me. It is called Heifer International, and it helps to provide families in need with livestock and training, so they become self-sufficient.
I love that this charity not only helps people in need but also helps improve the environment and promotes sustainable agriculture.
Why do you think it is important?
Because it's a charity that helps people live a life without struggle and become self-sufficient. Also, it helps the environment and that's important.
Do you have a personal connection to this charity?
Yes, I've visited one of the villages that Heifer International has helped, and it was inspiring to see how the charity is making a difference in these people's lives.
Community Services
What types of services, such as libraries or health centers, are available to the people who live in your area? Do you think there are enough of them?
Where I live in particular is quite a small place. But we have most of the services you’d expect.
There’s a medical center, library, several parks, an excellent fitness, and health center with a large swimming pool and many facilities for people with physical disabilities or problems who require physiotherapy.
In general, there seem to be enough public facilities for the local population because I never hear anyone complain that we don’t have something really necessary.
If people need to use other facilities then they are available a short distance away in the next town which is bigger than where I live.
Which groups of people generally need the most support in a community? Why?
That would probably be the elderly and those people who have difficulty living independently or need special care services for whatever reason.
They need more support than other people because they may have physical or medical conditions that make life more challenging for them or they may simply be less able to look after themselves.
Then children and young people… they must have facilities and support for them to make sure they get good opportunities to develop skills and abilities other than those at school and have safe places to play and participate in sports activities and things like that.
Who do you think should pay for the services that are available to the people in a community? Should it be the government or individual people?
In my opinion, it’s the same thing. I mean, individual people pay their taxes so that the government can provide many of these services such as hospitals, health centers, libraries, schools, and so on.
They develop these services with money from taxpayers… generally… that’s where the funding comes from.
It seems sensible that essential services are provided by the government, or under government supervision, and maybe additional services that are not deemed essential might be supplied and funded directly by the community if there is enough demand for the particular service.
Then of course there are public services that are partially subsidized by the government and people pay a reduced cost to use them. There is a fitness center near where I live which operates like that.
IELTS questions about the community
How would you answer the above IELTS speaking questions about helping in the the community?
- What help does your own community need?
- What kinds of things can people do to help improve their communities?
- What is your opinion about how attached people are to their communities nowadays - are they more or less attached to the community where they grew up than people in the past?
IELTS Speaking Part 3 Helping Others
Some example questions on the topic of helping others include:
- What are some of the ways you like to help others?
- Do you think it is important to help others?
- What are some of the most rewarding things about helping others?
- Is there a particular instance in which you helped someone and it made a big difference in their life?
Helping others IELTS speaking ideas
Most common ways people help out in their community:
- Donating money to charities or other organizations
- Volunteering one's time at local homeless shelters, soup kitchens, or other community service projects
- Participating in fundraising drives or walks/runs for charity
- Helping a neighbor carry groceries or shovel snow
- Teaching basic life skills such as cooking or budgeting to young people.
Community IELTS speaking
How do people usually help each other?
Many people usually help each other by donating money or their time.
For example, many people donate money to charities or volunteer their time at local homeless shelters or community service projects.
Another way people often help each other is by participating in fundraising drives or events for charity.
Additionally, some people help their neighbors carry groceries or shovel snow.
Do people nowadays help others more than in the past?
It depends where you live. In some places, people help each other more than in the past while, in others, people help each other less.
Overall, there seems to be a trend of decreasing community spirit and increasing self-centeredness.
However, this may just be because we have more ways to communicate with each other than ever before, so it appears that people are helping less.
Helping Others IELTS Speaking Part 3
What are some of the most effective ways of helping others?
There are many effective ways of helping others, but some of the most common and impactful ways include donating money, volunteering your time, or supporting charities.
Doing these things has a significant positive impact on the people and communities that receive help.
Discussion questions about helping others
Questions on helping others
What is the most common question about helping others?
The most common question about helping others is usually about how to do it.
Many people want to help but don't know how, so they ask questions like "What are the best charities to donate to?" or "How can I volunteer my time effectively?"
What are some of the benefits of helping others?
There are several benefits:
- Helping someone makes us feel good.
- It can improve our mental and physical health.
- You can feel more connected with the community.
- We can learn new skills.
- helping other people can make us more resilient in the face of stress or adversity.
Do you like to help others?
Yes, I try to do my part to help when I can. I think it's important to help others whenever we can because it makes the world a better place and it feels good.
Plus, it's always nice to be around people who are helpful and generous!
Help IELTS speaking topic
The topic of help covers many situations. For example, it could be:
- Helping others in our community
- Helping a friend or family member
- Helping people who are in need
There are many reasons why we might choose to help others. Some of the reasons include the following:
- Helping people makes us feel good. It can improve our mental and physical health.
- Helping other people builds a sense of community.
- Helping at work can improve our productivity.
- Helping others can be a way to learn new skills or knowledge.
- It can be satisfying to see the positive impact we have on someone else's life.
- Helping others can make the world a better place.
- We may feel morally obligated to help others.
Speaking topic community service
This is a frequent topic in the IELTS exam, so it's important to prepare for it.
There are a few key things to remember when talking about community service:
- Keep your introduction brief and concise.
- Talk about why you think community service is important.
- Explain the benefits of community service.
- Describe how community service helps others - the positive outcomes.