IELTS Speaking for Success - 🧠 Memory (Part 1) + Transcript

Episode Date: August 25, 2025

Get our premium episode archive: https://www.patreon.com/ieltssfs How do you remember important things? What do you need to remember in your daily life? Have you ever forgotten something important? Are you good at memorising things? Tune in and have a great day! - Book a class with Rory here: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://successwithielts.com/rory⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Our course on Phrasal Verbs: https://successwithielts.com/podcourses Transcript: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://successwithielts.com/s12e21 Find an IELTS Speaking Partner: https://links.successwithielts.com/ieltspartner Our social media: https://linktr.ee/successwithielts © 2025 Podcourses Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hello, lovely, I'm Maria. And my name is Rory, and we are the host of the IEL 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've started this podcast to give you gorgeous grammar and fabulous vocabulary for your high IEL score. Your band nine score. Bhand score. Rory, do you remember what today's topic is? Oh, today we're going to talk about memory.

Oh, good. Good. You've passed the first test. Memory. Memory, dear listener. Again on this podcast, Memory. I think I else people love the topic of memory. They're just checking if you can remember things, if you take care of your memory, you know.

Let's find out what I can remember about memory. How do you remember important things? I think that depends on what they are. For regular or big events, I have them down in my diary planner, which I refer to just about every day to make sure I've done what I need to do or I've gone to where I need to be. I also set alarms and calendar reminders for things like classes that also have fixed times. What do you need to remember in your daily life? Oh God, what don't I need to remember?

I have a terrible memory, so I always tell people that if they don't make me write it down, then it's not getting done. So I almost recruit other people to aid with my memory and memorization as well. Have you ever forgotten something important? Constantly, if I haven't got it down in the diary planner. I'm terrible with things like birthdays and events in particular. Occasionally I've forgotten work meetings and the like too, which is obviously not professional,

but that's why I have all these safety nets in place to prevent that happening. Are you good at memorizing things? I know, I'm awful at it. I might occasionally be able to recall something like an address or a random fact, but for more complex ideas and concepts, I need it written down and in front of me to be able to recall it effectively. As you know, we now release all of our premium content for free, and it's available for one month.

After one month, it goes into our super secret archive. To sign up for the archive, Click the link in the description below. See you soon. Dear listen, do you like the topic of memory? First of all, we say we remember things. I remember important things well, or I don't remember things well. And you can say that I have a terrible memory.

So you don't remember anything, okay? Or I have a very good memory. So just remember how you were at school. history classes, you had to remember all the dates, names, places. So were you good at it or not? Or like, are you good at remembering English words? New English words. Phrase of verbs, idioms, you know. You can say that it depends on what it is. Regular things or big events. So I remember regular things. Well, but I have difficulties remembering some big events. dates, numbers, so I have them down in my diary planner. So kind of your, I know, notebook or something

in your phone, so you have them down. So you have important things down in your diary planner, if you have one. Or you write it down on your phone, for example. You can also say that I set alarms. to set an alarm. You take your phone, you set an alarm. Okay. Drink water. Okay, and then alarm goes like, blah, blah, blah. And okay, okay, I remember to drink water.

So you drink water. Yeah, some people set alarms to drink water because they forget. Some people forget to eat, to go to the toilet, you know, and then they remember when they're super hungry. Yeah, so you can say that I set alarms. I set reminders for things like classes, I set reminders for dinner times. I set reminders for doing certain things.

And, Roy, tell us, I say I have a bad memory, but what about memories? When do I use memories? To talk about when they're bad? No, just like in general, because I say, like, I have a terrible memory, memory, or memories. So we always say terrible memory. Memories are like specific things, specific parts of. your memory that you have. For example, childhood memories. Yeah. So memories, like, what you actually remember, right? And we say, like, I've got a good memory of something, right? So I remember seeing

something. For example, if you saw an elephant, so I have a clear memory of an elephant. I remember, like, looking at an elephant, correct? So memories of something. But if I remember dates very well, Right, what do I say? Well, you've got a good head for dates, for example. Can I say I've got a good memory for dates or for people? Ah, okay, you could. A good head for dates is an idiomatic expression, but you could also say I've got a good memory for dates. I've got a good memory for dates.

I've got a good memory for numbers or for names, for example. Or I don't have a good memory for anything. Yeah, I have to write everything down. And Rory told us that if I don't write it down, it's not getting done. So if I don't write it, I'm not going to do it. And Rory uses other people to aid his memory. So you can say that, yeah, I always tell people to remind me things or to tell me to write down. So other people, I use other people to aid my memory.

So they help my memory. Or you can say that I always create lists. I write everything down in my phone or on my phone. On my phone and then in a notebook. Yeah, I write everything down on my phone to aid my memory, to help my memory. I forget birthdays. I forget events. Like, what do usually people forget?

I think birthdays and anniversaries and all passwords, yeah. Yeah, names. Well, did they forget them or did they just not learn them properly? Yeah, but here we talk about forgetting, like you remembered some information, but then you forgot it, right? It's not just, oh, I forgot my phone in a club. So I left my phone in a club. So usually, yeah, appointments, dates, names, passwords, some numbers. But you can say that, yeah, people often forget things.

Things like documents, charges, medications, they forget to take something with them. And you can say that I'm terrible with things like birthdays. I'm terrible with names. I'm terrible with passwords, with dates, with numbers. Once I forgot a work meeting, for example. You had a meeting at work and you just forgot, which was not professional. It happens from time to time. Robbie, you said that you use safety nets.

What did you mean here? Safety nets. Oh, a safety net. Well, a safety net is an actual physical net that acrobats use to keep themselves from dying if they fall. However, a safety net can also be something you use to help you. I know that I usually forget things, so I have these safety nets in place to prevent forgetting something important. So what are these safety nets? Notifications, alarms, reminders.

The diary planner? Diary planner, yeah. On your phone or a notebook, you tell other people to remind you to do something. You can say I'm good at memorizing names. So I'm good at remembering names or I'm good that memorizing names. Or I'm awful at it. So the examiner asks you, are you good at memorizing things? And you say, no, I'm terrible at it. Or I'm awful at it. I'm usually able to recall something. Recall is a nice synonym to remember. And I can recall. I'm able to recall something like an address or a random fact. Like, I can recall a random fact. Like, I can recall a random fact. Like, for example, Rory, give us a random fact.

Well, surely the fact that the random means that I can't really plan it out. Oh, what's a random fact? Oh, I've got one. A banana is not a fruit. Botanically speaking, okay? This is important. Because in our regular life, yeah, in our regular life, banana is a fruit.

That's a random fact. So you can say, oh, I remember some, random facts, but I have difficulties recalling specific ideas, concepts, names, dates, addresses. I write everything down. Any other synonyms for remember or recall? Not directly. Something can be brought to mind, but that requires you to have something to help you remember. Yeah, so pretty much recall, memorize, remember, forget. And, you know, Roller. what are the common reasons why people forget things? They weren't paying attention?

Yeah, yeah, but... What else? According to Verywellmind.com, the common reasons are alcohol, depression, lack of sleep, okay, lack of sleep, medications, stress, we can't remember things, stress causes forgetfulness. Really? Okay.

Forgetfulness, like you forget things, and stress causes forgetfulness. So you can say, oh, you know, I'm usually stressed out, and which causes forgetfulness. And age. There you go. I'm old, so I forget things. Age-related, forgetting is common and normal,

since people tend to experience certain types of cognitive declines. That's a fancy collocation for you, dear listeners. cognitive decline. Rory, what's a cognitive decline? Surely that's just a reduction in your ability to think about things well. Yeah, and what do you call a disease, which is connected to memory, and age? Oh, Alzheimer's, Parkinson's. Yeah, Alzheimer's disease when people don't remember things. They may not remember their name.

So, yes, de lice and sleep well, write it down. you know exercise drink water set reminders for you to drink water all right and we are ready for a memory joke right Rory do do we need are we ready do you want to hear the joke very hmm yeah Rory is always super excited about my jokes so I have a photographic memory I have a photographic memory it's not in your camera is it Why are you interrupting the joke? If I make a pause, it doesn't mean that I'm inviting you to, you know, to batten there. So, the joke.

I have a photographic memory. I need to take a photograph to remember anything. Hey! Oh, God. So, Rorya, what's a photographic memory? Isn't that a memory that's so good it's like you've taken a photograph of the moment? Exactly. It's like Sherlock Holmes, you know, I'm genius.

I've got a photographic memory, so the ability to recall an image with high accuracy only after a brief exposure is, you know, in films, like he looks at the cards on the floor and he remembers all the cards. Easy. Yeah, so the joke is like, I have a photographic memory. I need to take a photograph to remember anything. But then, like, yeah, it's so funny because to remember everything, you take a photo.

So you don't have a photographic memory. Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha. Thank you very much. I love that. Ha ha ha, ha, ha, ha. Thank you. Bye. Bye.

How do you remember important things? I think that depends on what they are. For regular or big events, I have them down in my diary planner, which I refer to just about every day to make sure I've done what I need to do, or I've gone to where I need to be. I also set alarms and calendar reminders for things like classes that also have fixed times. What do you need to remember in your daily life? Oh God, what don't I need to remember? I have a terrible memory, so I always tell people that if they don't make me write it down, then it's not getting done. So I almost recruit other people

to aid with my memory and memorization as well. Have you ever forgotten? something important? Constantly, if I haven't got it down in the diary planner, and terrible with things like birthdays and events in particular. Occasionally I've forgotten work meetings and the like too, which is obviously not professional

but that's why I have all these safety nets in place to prevent that happening. Are you good at memorizing things? And who? I'm awful at it. I might occasionally be able to recall something like an address or a random fact, but for more complex ideas and concepts, I need it written down and in front of me to be able to recall it effectively.