# Describe a person who taught you a useful skill.
- Who this person is (or, was)
- ho you learned from the person
- How the person taught you this
- And explain how this skill is useful to you.
Sample: 1
I would like to talk about my grandfather. He is a hot-tempered old man, from whom I’ve learned considerable knowledge. Out of diverse skills he taught me, I would focus on bike-riding.
It was the third year of primary school when my families thought I was old enough to go to school by myself and the most convenient way to get to school is to ride a bike. My mother became impatient with me after I failed to learn to ride for several days. So my grandfather volunteered to teach me although he was almost impatient to do most of the things.
To my surprise, he really taught me with great patience and he didn’t lose his temper at all. He explained and demonstrated the skills of riding for me before helping me overcome the fear of riding. And he accompanied me to practice riding for several hours a day. Thanks to his instruction and company, I learned to ride a bike soon and it has benefited me until now.
Learning to ride makes my life much more convenient and it is inevitable that I’ll be able to use it for the rest of my life. So I feel grateful to my grandfather and I will pass the skill onto my children and grandchildren.
Sample: 2
I’d like to talk about my grandma who taught me how to cook. I was left under the care of my grandma since I was five years old. She was an excellent cook and I, of course, was lucky to enjoy different tasty dishes each day. Time flies, I successfully finished secondary school and went to my ideal university, a boarding school, where I had five roommates who were all able to do the cooking. So on the summer holiday of my first year,
I returned home and asked my grandma to teach me about cooking, to which she agreed
immediately, saying that it was necessary for me to take up cooking, for I should look after myself without her being around. Knowing that I had no idea of cooking and foods, she asked me to accompany her to the supermarket to get familiarized with various foods. Then I was put in charge of washing all the stuff we bought for cooking and was made to stand beside her when she cooked, showing me how to do things.
After a week’s time, she left me to have a try, though I felt I was not ready. Encouraged and instructed by her, I made my first dish, although it was not as delicious as that made by grandma. Anyhow, I made it. Grandma was much happier than I did, saying that I would surely be a good cook like her.
Busy with my work, I still cook when I am on a day off. Sometimes, I will try a different way to cook, and I’d like to share my experience with grandma about cooking, which she is eager to listen to and she is happy to try a new way, too.
Follow Ups
Question: In general, how do children learn things?
Children learn things through imitation. Just as babies learning to speak, there will be a period of time for them to listen to what and how people speak. For example, after parents show them how to pronounce 4Mum’ and 4Dad’ for times, they will try to imitate the pronunciation and make a sound.
Question: How much influence do you think parents have on their children’s learning?
Parents have a life-long influence on their children’s learning. Parents who encourage their children to do things they are capable of can make their children more independent. Children will be optimistic and be more willing to try things out. When they have problems, they can turn to parents for help rather than waiting for things to be done.
Question: Do children learn the same things in their homes as they do at school?
No, there are differences. In addition to family education, schools are ideal places offering children various knowledge and leading them to find the interest of learning and to be men with dreams. Children are also shown the necessity of being punctual and disciplined. Moreover, children are made to share and cooperate with each other at school, which prepares them for social life.
Question: What do you think parents should teach their children?
First of all, parents should show their children how to dress themselves and make food to eat. Parents should help their children develop a good habit and be disciplined, making it a rule for them to go to bed and getting up on time, for example. Parents also need to show children to be responsible and to respect others. In a word, parents teach their children basic living skills and ethics.
Question: What skills do you think children should be taught?
Children at school should be taught to be active and to communicate with others, so they won’t be in solitude. Also, they should also be showed how to cooperate, as we live in a society where people need to cooperate and live in harmony. What’s more, children should be taught the skills of learning, enabling them to think for themselves and to be creative.
Question: Do you think children can learn anything from other children?
Of course, children can learn something from each other. Once a mother told me her boy had difficulty fastening his shoes even though she had shown him every day. One day, however, he did it himself, for he saw another girl did that by herself. Children learn through imitation, and they do unconsciously while playing with other children.
Question: Which do you think is better for a child, to learn from television or learn from a teacher or a person?
I believe it is better for a child to learn from a teacher’s face to face. A teacher as a human can observe how a child behaves. If he is afraid to do that, the teacher can demonstrate and encourage him to do. When he does it right or just makes the improvement, the teacher can praise him so as to make him confident. When a child fails to do it, the teacher can comfort him by giving him a warm hug, telling him it is OK. Children are clever enough to learn things, but with a teacher’s help, they will do things better and quicker.
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