IELTS Speaking, часть 2 и 3: Describe a friend from your childhood

I don't keep in touch with all my childhood friends. A few moved away or we just grew apart because of school and work. I still talk to one or two sometimes on social media or at reunions, but not every week.

I still keep in touch with a couple of childhood friends, though not as often as we used to. Life gets busy with jobs and families, but we make an effort — a message every now and then, and a reunion every few years. Those contacts feel easy because of our shared history, so when we do speak it's like no time has passed.

Yes, albeit selectively. I've stayed connected with a small number who share similar values or life stages; others naturally drifted apart. Maintaining those ties takes deliberate effort — a birthday message, occasional catch-ups or a yearly meet-up — but I value the continuity they provide. For me, quality matters more than quantity when it comes to old friends.

Childhood friendships are very important. They help kids learn to share and play together. Friends make children happy and confident.

They're crucial. Friendships in childhood teach social skills — sharing, resolving fights, and cooperating — which children carry forward. They also build confidence: for example, doing a school project with a friend can make a child feel braver about speaking up in class.

Very important indeed. Early friendships provide a safe context to experiment with social roles, manage emotions and develop empathy. Through play and small conflicts, children learn negotiation and perspective-taking, which become templates for adult relationships. In short, these bonds are foundational for emotional and social development.

I think social media is useful because it's quick and easy to contact people. But sometimes messages can be confusing and it's not the same as meeting face-to-face.

I see social media as a useful tool — it's great for keeping in touch, arranging meet-ups and sharing news. But it can be superficial; people curate their lives and that may give a distorted view. Still, for maintaining long-distance friendships it's indispensable.

Social media is ambivalent: it affords great convenience and scale, letting people sustain weak and strong ties across distance, but it also encourages curated selves and bite-sized interactions. The result is a trade-off — broader networks but sometimes shallower exchanges. Used thoughtfully, though, it can complement deeper, face-to-face relationships rather than replace them.

No, I don't think social media will replace face-to-face talking. People still need real contact to understand feelings and to build trust.

I don't think it will completely replace face-to-face contact. Certain things — emotional depth, body language and spontaneity — are hard to replicate online. However, many routine interactions may move online, especially with busy schedules and international relationships.

Unlikely. While online platforms will keep evolving and can mimic aspects of conversation, they struggle to reproduce embodied presence — the subtleties of tone, touch and shared context that underpin deep rapport. I expect a hybrid future: convenient online exchanges for everyday matters, and face-to-face encounters reserved for complex or emotionally significant interactions.

Younger friends are more active and fun, while older friends are calmer and give better advice. Both are good in different ways.

Younger friends often bring energy, new trends and a different perspective, while older friends can offer experience and steadiness. For example, older friends may be better at giving career advice, whereas younger friends might introduce you to new music or hobbies.

Age differences bring complementary benefits. Younger friends can refresh your outlook and expose you to novel cultural currents, whereas older friends tend to provide context, mentorship and a broader life perspective. The best mix depends on your needs at a given life stage — social stimulation versus practical guidance.

Yes, technology has changed friendships. It's easier to keep in touch but sometimes people talk less in person. There are more online friends now.

Definitely. Technology has made it much easier to maintain contacts across distance and to reconnect with old friends. At the same time, it has altered rituals — messages and likes partly replace phone calls or visits — which can make relationships feel less intimate if that's all you rely on.

Technology has transformed how friendships are maintained and practised. It lowers the cost of contact, allowing relationships to persist across geography, but it also reorganises attention — interactions can become fragmented and performative. New norms around availability, privacy and digital co-presence shape expectations, so sustaining depth now often requires intentional offline time and clear boundaries.