Speaking Test Part 3:

1. Are we all addicted to our phones? Is this addiction a real problem?

To be honest, I think many of us are addicted to our phones. I can say from personal experience that I feel a little addicted to mine. I find it difficult to go without checking my notifications for more than a few hours. But, I’d say that a lot of people are much worse than me. If I meet up with a friend for lunch or dinner, I try to never check my phone, but often friends can’t help flicking through social media. I find that a bit rude, but I understand that many people are used to looking at their phones constantly and can’t break the habit, even during a meal.

2. How have mobile phones improved our lives?

Mobile phones, and more specifically smartphones, have revolutionised the way we communicate and make use of the internet. Nowadays you can access the internet to look up information no matter where you are. Whether you’re at home or on the move, you have applications with a myriad of functions in the palm of your hand. Smartphones have brought together a lot of different features into one convenient device. You don’t need a separate sat nav, phone, camera, and phonebook - you have everything in one small device.

3. How has modern communication technology changed the way we communicate?

That’s an interesting question because I think there’s two sides. On the one hand, our ability to communicate quickly, easily and cheaply has improved massively. It’s now basically free to communicate, even make video calls to people around the world. In the past, communicating with someone abroad was difficult. You had to use a landline, deal with bad lines, and it was expensive. Today it’s so easy to make a video call, even with someone on the other side of the world. But on the other hand, because it’s so easy, and there is so much communication all the time, many people do not spend so much time having deep conversations with loved ones and friends. A lot of communication nowadays is just sending memes on messaging applications and making quick comments on social media, so it’s quite superficial.

4. Should young children be given smartphones?

I think it depends on how young and responsible they are. In most cases, I don’t think that young children really need access to a smartphone. Of course, it’s good for a child to be able to easily get in touch with his or her parents, but there are risks associated with having a smartphone. The kids may find things on the internet that are not appropriate for their age, and as young kids are not very good at looking after their possessions, the device could easily be lost or damaged.

5. Should smartphones be allowed in the classroom?

For older kids, I think there’s a strong argument that allowing smartphones in the classroom is a good thing. They can be used as a dictionary, calculator, internet browser and much more. In some countries, where children do not have such easy access to tablets or laptops they could even be a substitute for them, and allow teachers to make use of internet resources during classes. But, on the other hand, phones can be really distracting and disruptive in classes, so there need to be strict rules about their use in the classroom.

6. What advances in communication technology do you think will happen in the future?

I think the main thing that will improve in the next 10 to 20 years is access to high speed mobile networks. You won’t need to worry about bad reception or slow connections to the internet anywhere in the world, even in remote locations. I think we’ll also see phones continue to improve and become faster. We may see more wearable communication technology, such as glasses, watches or even clothes that have similar functions to smartphones. In fact, perhaps in the future, almost every object will have access to the internet so you’ll be able to send messages or check your social media on your fridge or dining room table.