IELTS Speaking · Part 3
Childhood and memories: IELTS Speaking Part 3 questions
Last updated 2 September 2026
In short
Discussion questions
The examiner usually opens the discussion with: "Why do you think people remember their childhood so clearly?", then works up from concrete to abstract.
Warm-up (concrete)
What kinds of experiences do children tend to remember most?
Opinion
Development (societal)
How is childhood today different from childhood a generation ago?
ComparisonDo you think children today have too much or too little freedom?
OpinionHow do early experiences shape the kind of adults people become?
Cause & effectWhat are the effects of children spending so much time on screens?
EvaluationIs it better for children to grow up in a city or in the countryside?
Evaluation
Depth (abstract & hypothetical)
How might childhood be different for the next generation?
SpeculationIf children spent more time playing outdoors, how would they be affected?
Hypothesis
Useful vocabulary for this theme
Band 7+ language for discussing childhood and memories.
- look back on
- reflect on something in the past
- “I often look back on my childhood with a big smile.”
- fond memories
- warm, affectionate recollections
- “I have fond memories of long summers at my grandparents' house.”
- bring back memories
- cause you to remember the past
- “That old song always brings back memories.”
- grow up
- spend your childhood and become an adult
- “I grew up in a quiet little village by the sea.”
- the good old days
- a fondly remembered time in the past
- “My grandfather loves talking about the good old days.”