Hello, lovely.
I'm Maria.
And my name is Rory.
We are the hosts of the IELTS Speaking for Success podcast, the podcast that aims to help you improve your speaking skills, as well as your listening skills along the way.
We started this podcast to show you how our super Rory native speaker would answer some of the most common IELTS speaking questions.
I ask for these questions and he gives answers using super vocabulary and grammar for a high score.
Maria, where are you today?
You're always travelling around.
Yeah, now I'm in Pyatigorsk in the Northern Caucasus.
Oh my God, I couldn't even find that on the map.
Whoa, we're going to be talking about maps today.
It's another coincidence.
It's another coincidence.
Yes, on this podcast.
Every episode is a coincidence for a reason.
We don't plan it.
No, no, no.
It's not contrived at all.
No.
In Speaking Part 1, they can ask you questions about maps.
Rory, what kind of maps are available in the world?
Um, I probably used to know more kinds than I do now.
We used to study them all the time in geography class.
But the ones that I remember the most are like geographical maps which show the like where different geographical features are.
Political maps show the boundaries of different political bodies.
It can be countries, and it usually is, but there are also states and things like this.
Then physical maps, I think, are similar to geographical maps.
They show how high mountains are, for example.
And then you have Ordnance Survey maps which are used to show I think they are, I think they're used to show where different key sites are within a town.
So, like, where the church is, for example.
And then, of course, you have, like, the world map, which everybody sees every day, probably.
Oh, wow.
You do know a lot about maps.
Well, no, I think I only said five kinds there.
There are definitely more than five kinds of map, for sure.
Do you often use maps?
Yes, on my phone when I need to find my way somewhere.
It's less about the map than the directions provided though, but the map helps give a physical what's the word?
Point of reference.
That's it.
Have you ever used a map to find a location?
Well, all the time.
I've just moved, so since I'm new to where I live, it's not very easy to find my way around unaided just yet, so I need to use maps all the time.
Do you prefer paper maps or electronic maps?
Well, right now I prefer electronic ones because they're, well, I suppose they're portable and they're reliable.
And they're usually more exact.
At least I find it that way.
So you don't carry paper maps on you?
No, I was given one before I moved to Moscow, but I don't think I ever really used it.
And I feel bad because it's a good map to have, but I just never had the chance.
Why do some people prefer electronic maps?
I think it depends.
Did you ever use a map when you were a child?
Maybe once or twice for orienteering.
That's when you use a map to find your way around a course.
But I wasn't very good at it, if I remember correctly.
I'm much better at navigating by sight and memory.
I don't really do place names and maps very well.
Did your school ever teach you how to use maps when you were younger?
Well, we learned about it in geography, but nothing very thorough.
I think the closest I came to learning about how to use a map was maybe from watching my parents navigate, or in the Boy Scouts.
When we were younger, we would do orienteering.
Do you ever ask anyone for directions?
Usually I know where I'm going and, like I say, I'll have my phone with me.
But if my phone is acting up, then I'll definitely be asking people for help, because otherwise well, especially in Russia, I would be completely lost.
Would you ever use a map on holiday?
Think i'd do.
Almost every time i go on holiday actually, and i probably will continue to do so for as long as um, i don't really have a head for um well remembering the ways around new places.
So Would you survive without a map, Rory?
If it's a place I've been before, maybe, but it would be very helpful to have just in case.
Thank you very much for your answers.
No problem.
Oh, Rory, what a topic, maps.
Wow.
So paper maps, electronic maps.
So first of all... But we managed to find our way through the topic.
Oh, yay!
We didn't even have a map.
It's another map joke.
It's a map joke.
We are cracking map jokes.
You've done actually very good answering this, what kinds of maps.
So you mentioned geographical, political, physical maps.
And then you said something about ordinance.
Ordinance?
Ordinance?
What?
Yeah, an ordnance survey map.
I think maybe it's just in the UK that we have this.
I'm pretty sure it's used to find or to create maps of specific places and show you where they are and how high or how low they are.
I'm pretty sure that's what it is.
If anyone is an expert on maps and wants to correct me, then they can.
Yeah, that was a very nerdy answer.
I would say just world maps, road maps, paper maps, digital maps, or e-maps.
Can you say e-map?
I suppose you can, to describe the map that you look at on your phone.
Or Google Earth, we can mention Google Earth, or GPS Navigator, yeah?
If they pay us to advertise for them, then yes, we can talk about Google Maps.
Yes, Google, please pay us!
Yes, they will.
Yeah, they've heard us.
We can also say, like, maps for motorways, right?
Maps for something.
Yeah.
And we can talk about map app.
Map applications.
Have you got any map apps?
Well, I have Google Maps like we were just talking about.
But you can also use map as a verb, like to map the local area.
It's like to create a map of the local area.
Could you give us an example?
Yeah, for... It took hundreds of years to map the Earth, like to create the map of the Earth.
Whoa.
I've got Maps.me on my phone and I find it very useful.
This is a map application.
Nice.
We can say, yeah, I have a map on my phone, so I prefer using digital maps to find my way around.
Right, Rory?
Yes.
Find my way around.
Yeah.
You mentioned good words.
Orienteering.
Orienteering, yes.
So what do you do when you do orienteering?
Well, I think generally orienteering means to learn how to navigate around an area.
When we did orienteering when we were younger, it meant it was like a course that you did to be able to use a map properly.
But you have orienteering in a company and that shows you how to well where everything is and who everybody is.
And then you can navigate by site and memory.
Yes, especially if you're me.
So pretty much like find your way around, find where you are.
Yeah, just using the sites and not so much a paper map, for example.
Yeah, you can also say like, I prefer using a digital map to move around, right?
And Rory, would you say that you have a good sense of direction or a poor sense of direction?
Well, I think I have a good sense of direction, but almost everyone I know disagrees with me.
But that's their problem, not mine.
So, do you often get lost?
Not really, but I don't think I'd be the first person to turn to for directions.
I'm not very good at giving them.
We can also say, I have a knack for navigation.
Whoa.
I have a knack for navigation.
What does it mean?
It just means that you're very good at something.
You could have a knack for navigation or a knack for computing.
So if I can find my way around an unknown place well, you can say I have a knack for navigation.
Actually, some research says that men have a better sense of direction than women.
In 2015, they kind of discovered it.
Would you agree, Laurie, that you have a better sense of direction than me?
I think they're talking about groups more than individuals.
But that doesn't surprise me.
Men have, generally speaking, better spatial awareness than women do.
So that...
Makes sense in that sense.
Although I don't think it means anything, any one individual is better than anyone else.
You've mentioned something about your phone.
So if my phone is acting up, what is this, acting up on stage?
Have you ever used your phone to try and find something?
And you're looking at your phone and it tells you that you're exactly where you need to be.
But in fact, where you need to be is maybe 100 meters away or something.
Has that ever happened to you?
Yes, it's horrible.
So when that happens, it means my phone is acting up.
It means it's not behaving the way I want it to.
Uncontrollable behavior from your phone maybe not uncontrollable, but inaccurate behavior, yeah.
Or, for example, if your phone is dying or the battery is running low yeah, and you can end up staying without any maps.
Then you have to rely on other people.
Yeah, and we ask people for directions, right?
But you only ask people for directions if you don't know where you're going.
I think that's a good expression to have, like, to know where you're going.
It can be for talking about directions, or it can be for talking about life to know where you're going in life.
Yeah, I know where I'm going.
Yeah.
Yeah.
In life.
Me too.
Do you know where you're going?
Yeah.
Were you a Boy Scout?
Boy Scout?
Scout?
Scout?
Boy Scout.
I was until I was like, yeah, I wasn't until I was 13 maybe.
And then I stopped.
So did they teach you how to find your way around when you get lost and looking at the moon?
I don't know, looking at the stuff that grows on trees.
I think that was one of the more advanced courses.
I just did the basic stuff.
But it was fun.
I wish I hadn't left now, but I did.
So that's life.
Can you improve your wayfinding skills?
So if I have a poor sense of direction, can I actually improve it?
Can I develop this wayfinding skills?
You probably can, but you have Google Maps now, so what do you need that for?
Yeah, we stopped talking to people, asking them for directions.
We just use our phones, right?
Yeah.
When was the last time you had somebody ask you for directions?
Someone asked me where the metro station was a few days ago.
In Russian?
Yeah.
You look surprised.
And you responded in Russian?
Uh-huh.
Rory can give directions in Russian.
The metro station was right behind the building we were in front of.
So it's not very impressive when you think about that.
You just have to say like it's behind the building.
Cool.
Dear listener, that's all from us for today.
You can listen to Rory's answers again and notice all the gorgeous vocabulary he's used about maps.
And hopefully we've helped give you some direction on how to use maps and talk about them.
Bye!
Bye!
Rory, what kind of maps are available in the world?
I probably used to know more kinds than I do now.
We used to study them all the time in geography class.
But the ones that I remember the most are like geographical maps which show the like where different geographical features are.
Political maps show the boundaries of different political bodies.
It can be countries, and it usually is, but they're also states and things like this.
Then physical maps, I think, are similar to geographical maps.
They show how high mountains are, for example.
And then you have ordnance survey maps which are used to show I think they are, I think they're used to show where different key sites are within a town.
So, like, where the church is, for example.
And then, of course, you have, like, the world map, which everybody sees every day, probably.
Oh, wow.
You do know a lot about maps.
Well, no, I think I only said five kinds there.
There are definitely more than five kinds of map, for sure.
Do you often use maps?
Yes, on my phone when I need to find my way somewhere.
It's less about the map than the directions provided though, but the map helps give a physical.
What's the word?
Point of reference, that's it.
Have you ever used a map to find a location?
Well, all the time.
I've just moved, so since I'm new to where I live, it's not very easy to find my way around unaided just yet, so I need to use maps all the time.
Do you prefer paper maps or electronic maps?
Well, right now I prefer electronic ones because they're well, I suppose, they're portable and they're reliable and they're usually more exact.
At least I find it that way.
So you don't carry paper maps on you?
No, I was given one before I moved to Moscow, but I don't think I ever really used it.
And I feel bad because it's a good map to have, but I just never had the chance.
Why do some people prefer electronic maps?
I think it depends. probably for the reasons that I just mentioned.
And I think maybe people think they look a bit more modern as well.
Did you ever use a map when you were a child?
Maybe once or twice for orienteering.
That's when you use a map to find your way around a course.
But I wasn't very good at it, if I remember correctly.
I'm much better at navigating by sight and memory.
I don't really do place names and maps very well.
Did your school ever teach you how to use maps when you were younger?
Well, we learned about it in geography, but nothing very thorough.
I think the closest I came to learning about how to using a map was maybe from watching my parents navigate, or in the Boy Scouts.
When we were younger, we would do orienteering.
Do you ever ask anyone for directions?
Usually I know where I'm going.
And like I say, I'll have my phone with me.
But if my phone is acting up, then I'll definitely be asking people for help.
Because otherwise, well, especially in Russia, I would be completely lost.
Would you ever use a map on holiday?
I think I do almost every time I go on holiday, actually.
And I probably will continue to do so for as long as I don't really have a head for well remembering the ways around new places.
Would you survive without a map, Rory?
If it's a place I've been before, maybe but it would be very helpful to have just in case.
