Yet another Niner is coming from A+ Academy.

Fingers crossed Izzat will be my first ever student to score an overall 9.0.

Congratulations on your writing 8.5! Well-deserved!

#ReportByMe

The bar chart compares how much time was spent using different social media platforms in a particular country from 2016 to 2020.

Evidently, the popularity of Facebook trended downwards over the timeframe, as opposed to Twitter and Instagram, which experienced overall growth. The general trend for Snapchat is one of stability, with its figure returning to the initial point after a 3-year interval of positive change. Notably, Facebook dropped from the most to the least commonly used app by the end of the period.

The use of Twitter and Instagram followed an upward trajectory from 2016 to 2020, albeit to varying degrees. The former rose steadily from just over 20 minutes in the initial year to around 40 minutes in the final one, while the latter’s growth was rather unstable, first increasing sharply to over 40 minutes, followed by a gradual drop to approximately 15 minutes by 2019, and then a notable rise to 35 minutes in 2020.

The time spent on Facebook, which was the highest at just under 25 minutes in 2016, fell gradually to below 5 minutes by 2020. In contrast, Snapchat — the least used app in 2016 — increased in popularity until 2019 (just over 40 minutes), before experiencing a marked decline of about 25 minutes in 2020.

⚡️ @aplusacademyielts ⚡️

#SpeakingByMe

Describe your grandmother’s job

🗣So now I’d like to talk about the job of my grandmother. She used to be a teacher and left behind a profound legacy. Even after she passed away, our community and neighborhood still remember her golden deeds. She contributed a lot to the prosperity of our area by nurturing young minds and teaching them valuable skills. Many people in my neighborhood today were once her students.

In fact, I also decided to follow in her footsteps because she was my role model, the one who pointed me in the right direction. Now that I work as a teacher myself, whenever I feel torn between work and family, I always think of her.

Back in her day, it was obviously much harder to handle the workload, especially without the help of technology or AI. Assigning and checking homework was far more time-consuming, yet I don’t remember hearing a single complaint from her. She was a truly dedicated and accomplished teacher who worked tirelessly to make a difference in people’s lives.

She genuinely cared about her profession, and I believe teaching was her true calling.

⚡️ @aplusacademyielts ⚡️

#EssayByExperts

Many today feel that attention spans are becoming shorter due to the prevalence of social media.

To what extent do you agree or disagree?
 
Some today have argued that individuals now possess generally shorter attention spans largely as a result of the growth of various social media platforms. In my opinion, though this claim might be slightly overstated, it is true on the whole.
 
Those who argue that shorter attention spans are not due to social media point out the influence of other new forms of media and technology. The length of a person’s attention span was never a topic of consideration for debate before the onset of the digital age and the development of television, radio and the internet. The stimulation from these technologies represents unprecedented challenges for humans who have not evolved to live in a digital world. Although modern kinds of media lead to over-stimulation and an addictive craving for more, constant stimulation, social media is merely one distraction among many.
 
However, social media is the greatest single cause of declining attention spans due to their unique design features. Social media companies have specifically crafted their applications to provide momentary bursts of pleasure. For instance, an application like TikTok is specifically designed to provide a stream of addictive videos under 10 seconds in length. As their algorithm perfects a curated feed for any given user, individuals easily become hooked on short entertainment and their attention spans concomitantly suffer. This is in marked contrast to the focus required to watch a film or listen to a radio broadcast.
 
In conclusion, I agree social media has caused the average person to struggle with concentration for extended periods due to the manner in which these websites have been constructed. Governments should therefore regulate them in order to mitigate the harms they cause for society as a whole.

⚡️ @aplusacademyielts ⚡️
 

I’ve just read the essay and decided to share it with you not only because I found the work impressive, but also because the topic is highly relevant to today’s youth.

Stop scrolling through social media for your own sake, and start doing something meaningful, something your future self will thank you for.

Would you like me to share more video answers to the recent speaking questions?

#SpeakingByMe

Part2: Describe a positive change you made to your daily routine

🗣The change I introduced to my daily routine has been truly transformative and beneficial for my health. Before making this adjustment, my days felt repetitive, and the stress kept building up. I desperately needed a way to unwind and let off steam, and that’s when I decided to prioritize some “me time” in the evenings.

This personal time has primarily been dedicated to running. I realized that I had let myself get out of shape and felt the need to take action. To kickstart this journey, I invested in a treadmill, which has been a game-changer.

Despite often feeling overwhelmed and snowed under with tasks after work, I’ve made it a point to bite the bullet and make time for this activity. Since incorporating running into my routine, I’ve observed significant positive changes in my health. Not only have I become much fitter, but I also feel energized and in great shape, fit as a fiddle, in fact. Although I don’t always go outdoors to run, having a treadmill at home ensures that I can stay consistent, even on busy or bad weather days.

⚡️ @aplusacademyielts ⚡️

#QuickTip

What is the difference between hard skills and soft skills?

Hard skills refer to the job-related knowledge and abilities that employees need to perform their job duties effectively.

e.g. computer skills, marketing skills, project management skills and so on

Soft skills, on the other hand, are the personal qualities that help employees really thrive in the workplace.

e.g. interpersonal skills, communication skills, critical thinking and so on

⚡️ @aplusacademyielts ⚡️

You often have to speak about skills in IELTS speaking, so make sure you know different types of them.