Speaking Test Part 3:

1. Do you think people are more or less polite than in the past?

I would say that people are less polite these days than in the past. It seems to me that there’s more antisocial behaviour, and people are much more likely to make a scene in public than in the past. So for example, people will listen to loud music on public transport, and disturb all the other passengers. Sometimes I wish that people were a bit more thoughtful and had a bit more empathy.

2. Should parents or schools teach children good manners?

In my opinion parents have the biggest influence on kids and should take most responsibility for providing a good role model for their children to follow. While teachers need to set a good example too, it’s difficult for them to really influence the children’s behaviour if they don’t have the support of parents. Really it’s up to the parents to set limits for their kids and punish them if they behave in a rude or unacceptable way.

3. How can parents encourage their kids to have better manners?

I think the most important thing that parents can do is to be role models for their kids. Children absorb everything around them and pay particular attention to how their parents behave. If they see their parents and other relatives act in a polite, courteous way, they are very likely to adopt the same behaviours. Likewise, if the parents are generally bad-mannered, their kids will probably copy them and act in the same way.

4. Can good manners help you to be more successful?

Yes, absolutely,  I think it’s very important in the business world to have good manners. Colleagues and customers expect you to be polite and friendly, and not to lose your temper easily. To be successful you should know how to talk to people in the right way, and how to avoid offending or upsetting people. Often people who are successful make a good impression on people they meet and this requires being polite and friendly.

5. Do you think mobile phones should be banned in public places?

I think this question is a bit old-fashioned because it would be impossible to totally ban mobile phones in public places these days. However, I think there are some special situations where people should be strongly encouraged not to use their phones, for example, in libraries or cinemas. In these places noise will disturb the people who are trying to concentrate on reading or watching the movie, so to be considerate to others, phones shouldn’t be used. In these kinds of places, people should be asked to leave if they talk on their phones or make other noise.

6. How important are role models in teaching good manners?

I believe that role models are absolutely essential to teaching good manners. As I mentioned before, children are really influenced by how adults around them behave. If their role models behave in an impolite way, then kids are certain to pick up these bad habits. I think kids can be influenced not just by parents but by other adults too. So sports stars and celebrities are also role models to kids and can show them how to behave well, or unfortunately in some cases, to be rude and obnoxious.