IELTS Speaking Practice Part 3: Visitors and Hospitality
Do you like visitors coming to your home?
Personally, I like visitors but not all the time. Friends and family can come over to visit, which is always nice - I stay in my own house and enjoy having my space. But unexpected visitors are another thing completely! I don’t like being unprepared for a visit, so things become a bit more stressful. I like things to be well prepared and organized if I’m going to be receiving company - so a spontaneous visit irks me a tad. The company is lovely, but I like to plan everything well so that when people come over we have more time together.
Do you often invite friends to visit your home?
Yes, I supoose I do. I guess that at least once a week I'll ask a friend if they want to come and eat with us or maybe do something else. Sometimes I invite several friends and we have a 'movie night' together.
How often do visitors come to your home? / How often do you have friends visiting you at home?
It’s probably around once a week for my friends, but my parents have their friends visiting nearly all the time, or so it seems. Every couple of days there's someone visiting us.
Do you ever allow your home to be used by other people? (e.g., someone who has no place to stay)
Well, it’s my parents’ home, but I do remember an occasion last year when an uncle of mine stayed for about 3 months with us. My uncle and his family live in another city quite far from where we live, but he had just managed to get a new job in the city where we live. It was a good opportunity for him so he decided to take it and move here. My mother and father offered him a room in our home so that he didn’t have to rent an apartment or stay in a hotel. That was last year; now my uncle and his family have their own house here and visit us quite often.
How would you react if a guest rejected (or, ignored / or, did not return) your hospitality?
I suppose I would be a little disappointed if I really wanted to help the person. And if, for example, my uncle didn’t want me to stay at his home for a while, after he stayed with us, then I would be very hurt, and my parents too. I think hospitality is a two-way street. My parents wouldn’t offer the opportunity to stay in their home to just anyone though, it would only be for family or very close friends. It’s less likely to cause problems if it’s between people who know each other well.
How do you think a visitor to someone's home should behave?
Visitors should try not to offend or inconvenience their host. It’s important to remember that if you’re a visitor in someone’s home they probably have different ways of doing things than you do at home so it’s a good idea to ask about anything you’re unsure about so you don’t cause any problems.
If a guest is staying at your house, do you think they should adapt to your family (or the people who live permanently there)?
Yes, it seems the natural thing to do. It’s nice if they can observe the habits of the family they’re staying with and try to blend in with them. It’s always considerate to avoid doing anything that would cause friction such as smoking inside the house if the family doesn’t do it or watching TV very late at night if the family usually goes to bed early. That sort of thing can cause big problems very quickly. You should respect the differences and try to cause as little inconvenience as possible to them.