Oral exams (monologues)

Developing ideas
 VOCAB:
● technological devices
● old-fashioned
● twitch (an alternative streaming service to youtube which is
increasing in popularity)
● influencers/instagrammers

IDEAS:
● introduction- the power of influencers/ youtubers, bombardment from influencers and
youtubers to follow new trends/buy products from companies that pay them
● some trends seem pointless- the following of trends is down to preference
● trends are not set in stone- they reflect the natural changes in society
● society is more accepting of lingerie, there are less taboo, more freedom of expression
regarding fashion etc
● cyclical system of fashion- trends tend to repeat themselves e.g. vintage and these
repetitions are often directly influenced by famous individuals
● nowadays movies, tv series, games, literature etc there is a lack of innovative creativity
so trends tend to repeat themselves (e.g. in remakes of movies etc)
VOCAB:
● keep up with
IDEAS:
● go viral
● popular apps- TIKTOK
● copycat mentality
● everything is one click away e.g. online
● influencer/role-model
shopping vs magazines
● look up to
● encouragement of individuality
● snowball effect
● fast fashion- quantity vs quality
● catch on
● consumption impact on environment
● fad (short-lived trend)
● slave to fashion

GRAMMAR:
● connectors: first of all, I would like to mention…, From my perspective/point of view,
as far as I am concerned
● “fashion trends have changed a lot since I was child” (present perfect simple)
● “not only do influencers set new trends but they also encourage negative behaviour
such as the consumption of fast fashion”
 VOCAB:
● doxing- using people’s private life against them to slander them & take away
their success
● white collar crime
● blackmailing
● scamming

IDEAS:
● intro: witnessing an increase in crimes in modern-day society
● controversial issue- feel safer but feel that you lose your sense of privacy
● there is a rise in economic crimes, non-violent crimes aka ‘invisible crimes’ such as scams, fraud, identity
theft
● increasing police patrols/presence/night watch for female safety
● legalising of self-defence/safety weapons to be carried by vulnerable groups e.g. women
● to reduce crime levels need to reduce REASONS why crimes are committed e.g. poverty, homelessness,
unemployment etc.
● forced free education- as a form of punishment? rehabilitation vs prison which has high re-offending rates
(rewards for those who comply)
● safety apps showing crime rates in the areas where the users are
 VOCAB: IDEAS:
● CCTV ● crime rates have risen
● crime rates ● better policing of crime rather than
● deterrent more crime
● repeat offenders ● neighbourhood watch / citizens arrest
● privacy ● lack of police funding
● surveillance ● invasion of privacy

GRAMMAR:
● “It seems that security levels have been improved in recent years, in order to fight higher/rising crime rates”
● question tag e.g. “the crime rate has increased, hasn’t it?”
● conditional e.g. “if were the mayor, I would change the laws regarding the punishments of offenders”
● speculation e.g. “it must have been the pandemic which increased instances/cases of online scamming”
 VOCAB:
● sustainability
● a select group (meaning that veganism/vegetarianism is not a lifestyle that is accessible for
all)
● self-sustaining lifestyle (home grown/reared foods or animals)
● industrial agriculture
● intensive animal farming

IDEAS:
● veganism/vegetarianism are personal preferences but also financial/ trends that people tend to
follow
● if the item is indispensable such as medicine then could possibly justify animal testing but not for
cosmetic reasons such as makeup
● there are economic benefits to animal consumption/the production of consumer items (that are
tested on animals) therefore politicians may not go against it for economic reasons
● green parties are not always clear with their aims/goals, which makes it difficult for them to be
successful on the political stage
● a change in diet, but one that is varied, free of processed foods etc.
VOCAB: GRAMMAR:
● financial freedom ● comparative - “the more meat products we consume, the bigger the
● moral dilemma environmental impact”
● animal rights activists ● “I’d rather not buy products that have been tested on animals”
● vegan lifestyle ●
● unethical
● cruelty-free

IDEAS:
● accessible lifestyle
● people are against mass production of meat products- over feeding
animals
● non essential beauty products vs medical testing
● green parties have not made a lasting impact in society - this could
change in the future
● people are in denial regarding animal cruelty etc.
 VOCAB:
● hands-on approach
● IDEAS:
● ● university degrees are not always the best
● option- if you have a degree in something
● that has nothing to do with the job you’re
applying for and someone else has the
training they should get the job
● vocational training is undermind/
downplayed
● university education is considered to be
better than vocational training- the idea that
you will be more successful with a degree
GRAMMAR: ●
● ●
●
●
●
●
VOCAB: GRAMMAR:
● internship ●
● lifelong learning ●
● skills/attributes/competencies ●
● lab ●
● ●

IDEAS:
● vocational training provides practical experience which is more appealing to employers as
the person knows how to put their learning into practice
● vocational training programmes collaborate with companies to have students intern at their
company, students develop with the system as it changes
● In spain, university degrees open up different career paths such as being a civil servant,
which you cannot do without a degree
● there is a limit to which jobs are available to you when you do not have a university degree,
especially at higher levels in companies
● universities can provide valuable life experience that perhaps vocational training may not
● it may be easier to get a job abroad with a degree , however, if you got your degree in a
country which is not considered ‘good’ your degree might not be recognised in the new
country you move to
 VOCAB:
● BLM- Black lives matter
● Racism
IDEAS:
● Racial profiling
● places it can be seen: America,
● to hold accountable
Colombia, Israel/Palestine
● racial bias
● The use of force should only be
● unnecessary force
used in extreme cases and should
● totalitarian state
be the last resort for police
● human rights
● Including in police training how
● to get away with
to deal emotionally with people
● to get out of hand
rather than just physically - so
that physical interaction is not
their first instinct
GRAMMAR: ● Before situations get out of hand,
● “Despite the fact that protests are often peaceful, police officers should be prevent things
brutality in response to protesters is very common” from escalating
● “Not only should police receive physical training but
also emotional training”
● “Under no circumstances should police cause the death
of a citizen”
 IDEAS:
VOCAB:
● racially motivated attacks from police officers
● public outrage
on citizens e.g.shooting which happens a lot in
● freedom of speech
america
●
● George Floyd & Derek Chavin incident
●
● Black lives matter along with other
●
movements have popped up in response to
these incidents
● in spain, journalists were physically handled
by police and prevented from asking questions
to the politicians with whom they were in a
meeting
●
VOCAB: IDEAS:
● vitro fertilization ● I dare say that the main reasons behind many women in their 20s and 30s
● conceive a child postponing childbearing are completing studies and starting careers.
● frozen embryos ● It’s been suggested that women maximize their lifetime earnings by delaying
● get pregnant motherhood.
● reproductive medicine● Let’s bear in mind that may women wait a long time to find the right person
● fertility help to have a baby with.
● childbearing ● it’s true that doctors can offer older prospective moms more help today than
in the past. But biology still imposes its limits.
● Using donor eggs increase success rate to those of younger women. But it
means giving up a genetic link to the child and paying more for the
procedure.
● It’s sticking however how many people get pregnant in the old-fashioned
way.
● In a better world, women would have the social supports to make decisions
about career and family building in the same way that men do, so that the
choice of when to have a children would become “a true choice”.

VOCAB:
● reusable/recyclable
● ethically sourced products
● eco-friendly
● aware/conscious/informed
● boycott
● raise awareness/consciousness
IDEAS:
● fast fashion
● buying locally vs buying products with a large carbon
footprint
● reduced packaging in supermarkets- buying ‘loose’
products
● reusable bags/ ‘bag for life’
● most people are not conscientious consumers, as we don’t
give much consideration to where our products come from
but maybe we should
● being a conscientious consumer depends on one’s spending
capacity, it is easier to do when you have a better income
● we as consumers DO have the power to influence
companies and producers to change the way products are
made, packaged etc because without our purchases,
companies would not be able to run their business
● the goal of a company is to sell a product, ‘the customer is
always right’
● however, there must be widespread support from
customers in order to make a difference not just a few
VOCAB: IDEAS:
● Digital age ● Digital nomads should be skilled in IT
● attachment ● They must also have a desire to travel/try new things which are
● societal norms out of their comfort zone
● alternative lifestyle ● this is the kind of career that would be more suitable for younger
● eagerness for new experiences people- if you wish to have a family for example, it does not seem
● wanderlust appropriate to bring your children everywhere you go
● sense of adventure ● in order to be a digital nomad you would need a high income and
spending capacity as costs of living and travelling frequently can
be high and vary from country to country
● people who pursue this type of employment would have to be less
attached to family and friends as they would be travelling and
gone a lot of the time
● working in an office vs being a digital nomad may provide more
stability and job security- there are not so many changes
● pursuing this kind of job would depend on where you are in your
life journey
● this lifestyle completely changes the idea of ‘home’- for digital
nomads it is not one set place but rather wherever they are at a
given moment in time
 IDEAS:
VOCAB: ● new technologies and social media allows influencers to
● insta-famous have a widespread influence over large audiences
● trendsetter ● young people are driven by their use of social media to
● followers follow trends and influencers
● brainwashed ● the large following that influencers have can create a false
● spread ideas narrative that all the things they advertise and the
● toxic ideals information they give out can be trusted
● lay person (someone who is not an ● there is a thin line between freedom of speech and allowing
expert on something) these influencers to negatively impact the public with their
power e.g. anti-vaccination movements, body image etc.
● it’s quite difficult to implement laws that regulate
influencers because it can be a breach of freedom of
expression/opinion etc.
● influencers do not have such an impact on older generations
perhaps because they were not born in the era of technology
and therefore do not spend as much time using social media
and other forms of technology
● influencers are usually not experts on the products or topics
that advertise but their audiences tend to follow them as if
they were
 IDEAS:
VOCAB: ● most of the time people do not flee their countries because they want to
● international crisis but rather because they have to since their quality of life is so low: they
● quality of life starve, there is war etc.
● standard of living ● sometimes the opportunities in their country are few and far between so
● below the poverty line they go to other countries to try and make a better life for themselves and
● conflict their family, seeking a better future
● to flee/escape ● governments are not doing enough to tackle the international refugee
● exploitation crisis. They try to solve the problem using bureaucratic measures but the
● compensation root of the problem is not being tackled i.e the poor quality of life
● in every part of the world the distinction between third world and first
world countries can be seen, where individuals from the poorest
countries seeking to go to first world countries for a better life
● due to the difficulties in successfully entering another country as a
refugee, many children are sent on their own and there are many deaths
as a result of these journeys
● host countries could help the countries of origin before the situation gets
worse by making the quality of life better so the citizens do not have to
leave e.g. the money they spend on helping refugees when they take them
in, they can use on bettering the countries of origin
● the idea of ‘the american dream’ can be applied to any host country-
refugees see the host country as a paradise of sorts with a much better life
but once they arrive they realise that is not actually the case
 IDEAS:
● the participants of the dating shows often just want their 5 minutes of
VOCAB:
fame- they don’t necessarily want to find love on these shows
● catfishing
● people nowadays don’t seem to value privacy as much, they appear
● ideal match
perfectly happy to display their love lives on television for anyone to see
● the dating scene
● those who enjoy watching the shows perhaps have an idealistic idea of
● deception
love- they are hopeless romantics who enjoy the storylines set up by
● ‘plenty of fish in the sea’
producers on these ‘reality’ tv shows
●
● people at the end of the day after dealing with the stresses of life may just
want to watch something that numbs their brain, they don’t need to think
too much about it
● younger generations tend to date more casually, particularly through the
use of social media which is a quick way to meet new people
● older generations tend to prefer a more traditional method of dating such
as meeting up in person and going on dates to a restaurant, bar etc
● the downsides of online dating include the dangers of meeting strangers
online, also the fact that the person could easily be lying to you about
numerous things such as appearance
● online dating apps are is often based off first impressions with physical
appearance - removing the part about getting to know someone’s
personality
● online dating saves time and also broadens the opportunities for meeting
a wider range of people
VOCAB: IDEAS:
● churgoing ● Concerning spain , on the one hand we celebrate religious ceremonies as
● cult or instance: wedings, funerals, etc. But on the other hand we’re not
● monotheism/politheism practitioners on a daily basis, in other words we don’t usually follow the
● believer tenets.
● commandments ● what stricks me the most is how peoples have been since the dawn of
● fait time killing other peoples in the name of God.
● In this day and age not only are modern people more interested in
gaining a deeper knowledge and acceptance of themselves but also
they’re not willing to accept a dogma just for the sake of being part of a
doctrine.
● let’s bear in mind that cults are dangerous because they’re based on
blind faiths, so it’s necessary that we maintain a critical thinking.
● It’s a shame how religion has been used and still it’s to to control
peoples, so we’d better remain alert.
VOCAB: IDEAS:
● political parties ● It seems that politicians tend to forget the promises they did
● policies while running their campaigns when in power.
● run a campaign ● It’s my belief that not only should they work on behalf of
● right-wing citizen’s best interests but also they should be honest and tackle
● trigger changes corruption inside their political parties.
● ● As far as we’re concerned as citizens, what strikes me the most is
● how passive we are in general, needless to say that those
● countries with a longer democratic history are more likely to
react in defense of their rights.
● I dare say that two of the best leaders in the political scene
nowadays are Angela Merkel and Joe Biden., they give the
impression to me to be driven for their countries’ general
interest rather than theirs.
● It’s imperative that we take action against extreme parties or we
risk history to repeat itself.
●
●
VOCAB:
● foodie IDEAS:
● gastronomic values ● While it’s clear that watching is enjoyable for millions that’s not my case.
● challenge The trend started decades ago and it has been constantly increasing until it
● approach to cooking exploded last year during the lockdown, where everybody but me tried
● cultural adventure their hand at cooking.
● recipes for a new ● The popularity of this shows lies in the assessment of contestants dishes
generation performed by top chefs that speak their minds with no-holds-barred.
● popular cooking ● I dare say that had it not been for cooking contests many people wouldn’t
● have discover their love for cooking. Not only do they provide
● entertainment but also they fulfil an educational task.
●
●
●
VOCAB: IDEAS:
● action sports ● Let’s bear in mind that extreme sports are often used to overcome one’s own
● adventure sports boundaries., get rid of fear, improve ourselves and reach new goals.
● adrenaline rush ● It’s not surprising that practising extreme sports can get you hooked, since
● sports enthusiasts they make you feel full of energy, and they give you the impression of being
● strenuous activities powerful, almost invincible.
● one-off task Given the chance to practice an extreme sport I’d definitely go for climbing it
has always caught my attention although I’ve never dared.
● It goes without saying that extreme sports push your body’s limits so they can
help you to burn calories and lose weight.
● Extreme athletes claim that adrenaline rush provides a real sense of being
alive.
● When doing extreme sports you prevent future injuries, while using your
muscles in an unusual way that you would do on a daily basis. Not to
mention that it will be lot more fun and worth it than run on a treadmill.
●
 IDEAS:
VOCAB:
● There is a sense in the USA nowadays that the country is more divided than ever
● polarization
before.
● labelling
● Sectarianism is a highly moralized political identity that views the other as
● geopolitical
contemptible.
adversary
● There are three components: the “othering” this people are so different from us
● retweet
that they’re almost incomprehensible, the “aversion” this idea that they’re not just
● hatred
different they’re dislikable and the third part “moralization” they’re morally
● shame
bankrupt.
● fake news
● Needless to say that social media plays an essential role in this tumultuous
political landscape.
● Political division makes countries more vulnerable to meddling from foreign
actors, e.g Russian interference in Donald Trump’s election in 2016, creating
avatars called “Blacktivists” or “ Army of Jesus”
● There are not silver bullets. We all must take personal responsibility for this. It’s
about time to end up with hate speech and start to find a middle ground, debating
about nuances and complexities.
 IDEAS:
● I dare say that one of the most stricking stereotypes about Brits for an
VOCAB: Spaniard might be their need to apologise for absolutely any situation. It’s
● prejudice/discrimination easy to get caught in the “sorry” trap and you may drive yourself mad or
● mindset self-combust in a passive-aggressive fit.
● caricature ● I reckon one of the most disrespectful stereotypes regarding Americans is
● embodiment that they are stupid, uneducated people. Needless to say this has been proved
● antipathy not to be true.
● insensitive ● In Australia everyone is thought to be a surfer, since the country is
● perpetuates completely surrounded by water. But the idea that all Aussies are tan,
● intolerant blonde-haired surfer dudes it’s just not the case.
● openminded/narrowminded ● Concerning Irish people they are regarded as drunk. It goes without saying
● cliché that in Ireland the pub is part of the culture , it’s the social gathering spot.
● racism However not all Irish partake in alcohol consumption
● ● The ability to stereotype is often essential for efficient decision-making ,
which facilitates survival, e.g you don’t ask a very old person or to help you to
move a sofa or a toddler about directions and that’s because you stereotype.
● Let’s bear in mind that our evolutionary ancestor were often called to act fast
on partial information from a small sample on novel or risky situations.
Under those situations the ability to form a better-than-chance prediction is
an an advantage.
about their citizens wellb-Hospitality and kindness are probably two of the best qualities that I have
discovered about americans.

-One of the things that I love more about the Australians is their sense of adventure, I mean their
always eager to be be in touch with different cultures they’re really outgoing and easygoing.

-In regard to the Scottish what I love the most is how easily they welcome you into their homes, that’s
a tradition in their culture, something of which they’re really proud of.

-With regards to Canada I really admire how much this country worrieseing, providing them with
quality of life and long lifespan.