PART 1: Air Travel
Examiner: Good morning/afternoon. Can you tell me your full name, please?
Candidate: Good morning. My name is Wara.
Examiner: Thank you. And where are you from?
Candidate: I’m from Indonesia.
Examiner: Thank you. Now, in this first part, I’d like to ask you some questions about yourself. Let’s talk about air travel. Have you travelled a lot by plane?
Candidate: Not extensively, no. I’ve flown occasionally for work-related purposes – for instance, when I attended IELTS training in Bali, or when I had teaching training in Maluku. So it’s more sporadic travel based on professional requirements rather than frequent flying. Most of my travel tends to be more local or overland.
Examiner: Why do you think some people enjoy travelling by plane?
Candidate: I think there are several reasons people find flying appealing. The most obvious is speed and efficiency – air travel can cover vast distances in relatively short time compared to other modes of transport, which is particularly valuable for people with limited holiday time or those travelling internationally. Some people also enjoy the experience itself – the sense of adventure, seeing clouds and landscapes from above, and perhaps even the novelty of being in an aircraft. For business travelers, it’s often about productivity; they can work during flights or arrive at their destination quickly without wasting days on the road. There’s also a certain status or excitement associated with air travel for some people, particularly those who don’t fly frequently.
Examiner: Would you like to live near an airport?
Candidate: Absolutely not. I don’t use air travel frequently enough to benefit from proximity to an airport, so there would be no practical advantage for me. What’s worse, living near an airport would mean constant noise pollution from aircraft taking off and landing at all hours, which would be extremely disruptive to daily life and sleep. The disturbance simply wouldn’t be worth any minor convenience. I much prefer quieter residential areas away from that kind of industrial activity.
Examiner: In the future, do you think that you will travel by plane more often?
Candidate: No, I don’t think so. With modern technology like Zoom and WhatsApp, most communication and even professional meetings can be conducted remotely without the need for physical travel. I can attend conferences, conduct training sessions, and maintain professional relationships virtually, which makes air travel increasingly unnecessary. In my view, the necessity of flying has diminished significantly in recent years, and I don’t see that trend reversing for someone in my profession. The convenience and cost savings of virtual communication outweigh the benefits of face-to-face meetings in most cases.
PART 2: Monologue
Examiner: Now, I’m going to give you a topic and I’d like you to talk about it for one to two minutes. Before you talk, you’ll have one minute to think about what you’re going to say, and you can make some notes if you wish. Do you understand?
Candidate: Yes, I understand.
Examiner: Here’s your topic. I’d like you to describe a person from your country who has won a prize, award or medal.
[One minute preparation time]
Examiner: All right? Remember, you have one to two minutes for this. Don’t worry if I stop you. I’ll tell you when the time is up. Can you start speaking now, please?
Candidate: Yes, certainly. I’d like to talk about Susi Susanti, who is one of Indonesia’s most celebrated athletes and a national hero in the world of badminton.
Susi Susanti won the Olympic gold medal in women’s singles badminton at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics. This was an extraordinarily significant achievement because it was Indonesia’s very first Olympic gold medal in history. Her victory, along with Alan Budikusuma’s gold in men’s singles on the same day, marked a watershed moment for Indonesian sports.
What she did to win this medal represents years of dedication and exceptional skill. Susi had been training intensively from a young age, developing into one of the world’s top badminton players throughout the late 1980s and early 1990s. At the Barcelona Olympics, she competed against the best players globally, displaying remarkable technique, mental strength, and tactical intelligence. The final match was particularly tense and closely contested, but she managed to maintain her composure and secure the victory. Her achievement wasn’t just about that single tournament – it represented the culmination of years of sacrifice, rigorous training regimens, and unwavering commitment to excellence in her sport.
As for whether she deserved this recognition, I absolutely believe she did. The gold medal was entirely merited based on her performance and the level of competition she overcame. Beyond the sporting achievement itself, Susi’s victory had profound cultural and national significance for Indonesia. It brought immense pride to the country, inspired an entire generation of athletes, and elevated badminton’s status in Indonesia to near-religious levels of devotion. Her achievement demonstrated that Indonesian athletes could compete and triumph at the highest international level. Even decades later, Susi Susanti remains an iconic figure in Indonesian sports history, and her legacy continues to influence young athletes. The recognition she received was completely justified by both her athletic excellence and the positive impact her success had on Indonesian sporting culture and national morale.
Examiner: Is badminton still popular in Indonesia today?
Candidate: Yes, extremely popular. Badminton remains one of the most beloved sports in Indonesia, partly due to icons like Susi Susanti who established that tradition of excellence.
PART 3: Discussion
Examiner: We’ve been talking about prizes and awards, and I’d like to discuss with you one or two more general questions related to this. Let’s consider first of all rewards in education. What types of school prizes do children in your country receive?
Candidate: In Indonesian schools, children typically receive several types of recognition for their achievements. The most common are trophies for winning competitions, whether academic, sporting, or artistic. Certificates or what we call “piagam” are also widely used to acknowledge achievement in various areas – these might be for academic excellence, perfect attendance, good behavior, or success in specific subjects. Medals are given particularly for sporting events or major academic competitions. Some schools also provide more tangible rewards like books, scholarships, or even monetary prizes for top performers. The specific types of awards can vary between schools, with private or international schools sometimes offering more diverse recognition systems compared to public schools.
Examiner: What do you think are the advantages of rewarding schoolchildren for good work?
Candidate: The primary advantage is motivation – rewards provide students with concrete goals to work toward and recognition when they achieve them. This can be particularly effective for students who might otherwise lack the internal drive to excel. Rewards can help reinforce positive behaviors and academic effort, creating a culture where achievement is valued and celebrated. They also provide external validation that can boost students’ confidence and self-esteem, especially for those who might doubt their abilities. Additionally, in competitive environments, awards can push students to reach higher levels of performance than they might otherwise attempt. The public recognition that often accompanies these rewards can also create positive peer pressure and inspire other students to pursue similar achievements.
Examiner: Do you agree that it’s more important for children to receive rewards from their parents than from teachers?
Candidate: I don’t think the source of the reward matters as much as people suggest – what’s truly important is that the reward has tangible value, not just empty words or symbolic gestures. Whether it comes from parents or teachers is less relevant than whether it’s something substantial, like money or other concrete benefits, rather than merely verbal praise or symbolic recognition. Children can recognize when rewards are meaningful versus when they’re just token gestures, and substantive rewards are what genuinely motivate and validate their efforts, regardless of who provides them.
Examiner: Do you think that some sportspeople, for example top footballers, are paid too much money?
Candidate: Not necessarily. The sports industry operates differently from other sectors, with its own economic dynamics. Top footballers generate enormous revenue through ticket sales, broadcasting rights, merchandise, sponsorships, and global media attention. They’re effectively entertainers operating in an industry with massive financial circulation, and their compensation reflects the commercial value they create. Their careers are also relatively short, their peak performance years are limited, and they face significant physical risks. The money exists within the sports economy, and if the athletes who are the primary attraction aren’t receiving it, it would simply go to club owners, executives, or other parties. So while the absolute numbers may seem excessive compared to teachers or nurses, within the context of the industry’s financial ecosystem, their compensation is somewhat justified by the revenue they generate.
Examiner: Should everyone on a team get the same prize money when they win?
Candidate: No, I don’t think so. Different players make different levels of contribution to a team’s success, and compensation should reflect that. A goal scorer who directly determines the outcome of matches should be more highly valued and rewarded than players who make minimal impact. Differentiated rewards recognize individual excellence and contribution, which is fair and also provides incentives for players to maximize their performance. Equal distribution regardless of contribution ignores the reality that not all team members have equal influence on outcomes, and failing to acknowledge these differences can actually be demotivating for top performers.
Examiner: Do you agree with the view that, in sport, taking part is more important than winning?
Candidate: No, I completely disagree with that sentiment. Winning is the essence of success, both in sports and in life more broadly. Competition exists to determine winners, and merely participating without striving for victory is ultimately pointless. In life, as in sport, success means achieving objectives and outperforming others when necessary, not just showing up and participating passively. The “taking part is what matters” philosophy, in my view, is a consolation narrative for those who don’t succeed, but it doesn’t reflect reality. Whether in competitive sports or professional life, being content with just existing and participating without pursuing excellence or victory doesn’t serve any meaningful purpose. Competition demands striving for success, and merely surviving or participating without achievement doesn’t advance individuals or society. The drive to win pushes athletes and individuals to reach their full potential, whereas emphasizing participation over winning can foster complacency and mediocrity.
Examiner: That’s quite a strong position. Some people would argue that an emphasis only on winning can lead to cheating, unsportsmanlike behavior, or excessive pressure on young athletes. What would you say to that?
Candidate: Those are risks that need to be managed through proper rules and enforcement, but they don’t negate the fundamental importance of pursuing victory. Cheating is wrong and should be punished, but that’s about maintaining the integrity of competition, not about diminishing the value of winning itself. As for pressure, competition naturally involves pressure, and learning to handle that pressure is part of developing resilience and mental strength. Shielding people from competitive pressure doesn’t prepare them for the realities of professional life or the challenges they’ll inevitably face.
Examiner: Thank you very much. That is the end of the speaking test.
Candidate: Thank you.
