Describe a Course That You Want to Learn: IELTS Cue Card

IELTS^TM CUE CARD

Describe a Course That You Want to Learn: IELTS Speaking Cue Card

Updated on Nov 12, 2024, 11:38

Overview

In IELTS Speaking, it is divided into 3 parts. The whole conversation is only 11-14 minutes- not too much, right? Now, let’s talk about the part 2 or cue card task.

Imagine the certified examiner giving you a cue card with topics like ‘Describe a course that you want to learn’. You get a preparation time of 1 minute to frame your answer. In the next 2-3 minutes, you can speak your answer about the topic.

After the cue-card task, you will be asked follow-up questions in part 3. The questions in part 3 will be related to the cue-card topic given by the examiner.

Cue Card/Topic: Describe a Course That You Want to Learn

You should say

What is this course?
When do you want to learn it?
Where can you learn it?
And explain why you want to learn it.

Sample Answers

How to answer

Sample Answer 1

Introduction:

Learning various skills can play an important role in an individual’s life. I would like to take the course in academic writing.
Nowadays, apart from academics, it is also important to learn new skills, be they driving, swimming, or painting. The course I would like to learn will be academic writing.

Overview of the course:

I want to finish this course before the start of the next semester. After completion, I will be an academic writing expert, which will help me in the course. I heard about the course from one of the videos I watched while working on my assignment.
Before the start of the next semester, I'd like to finish this course. After completion, I will be an academic writing expert, which will help me in the course. I learned about the course through one of the videos while working on my assignment.

Describe the learning process of the course:

I can start my course from online platforms like YouTube or Edx. Various institutions also offer the same course. I plan to start this course as it is one of the most crucial for achieving higher education, and since my native language is not English, it is difficult for me to interact with professors and peers.
I want to start the course through online platforms like YouTube or language classes. This course is essential for building strong writing skills, can help me publish my research, and will help me present ideas at conferences and seminars.

Conclusion:

To summarise, the course will help build a strong foundation in writing, and later, it can result in huge success in respective fields. It facilitates presenting ideas and thoughts in interactions with other individuals.

Sample Answer 2

Introduction:

A course is a structured program of study on a particular subject. I’m currently not interested in learning any course, but there is one course that I am exploring, which is “Digital Marketing Strategies.”
Course can be defined as a program designed to study a particular subject. Currently, the course I am exploring is digital marketing strategies, and I plan to take it later after in-depth research on it.

Overview of the course:

I’m planning to take the course in the upcoming months, possibly at the end of the next semester. I first learned about the course in recommendations from the professionals in the field.

Describe the learning process of the course:

The purpose of taking this course will be to better understand digital marketing strategies. The course will include online lectures, interactions and real cases.
I plan to dedicate 5 hours of study weekly for the course. The reason for applying for the course is to understand digital marketing strategies in-depth.

Conclusion:

At last, I plan to take the "Digital Marketing Strategies" course due to its huge demand in the current business market. The flexible learning methods and the potential to acquire practical skills will make it a worthwhile investment in my professional career.

Sample Answer 3

Introduction:

I’ve always been interested in learning about new subjects, and a course is the best way to learn about any subject. Recently, I had my eyes on a data science course.
A course is a structured educational program to impart expertise in a particular subject. Currently, I want to have in-depth knowledge of the data science course.

Overview of the course:

I plan to enrol in the "Data Science for Beginners" course within the next few weeks, possibly ending the current semester. I learned about this course through colleagues' recommendations, highlighting its demand in today's data-driven world.

Describe the learning process of the course:

I am motivated to pursue this course to acquire foundational data science knowledge. It will also include data analysis, statistical concepts, and machine learning basics. I believe this will help in enhancing my career capabilities.
The course combines online lectures, hands-on projects, and interactive exercises. I plan to dedicate a good amount of time to the course to get the best knowledge from the course.

Conclusion:

The course in data science will help me in my career and is in demand in the job market, too.
The interactive and practical learning approach, blended with the importance of data science skills, makes this course worthwhile.

A good answer for the IELTS cue card section should include a strong introduction, some context, reasons to support your answer, and how you relate to the topic. The examiner will assess your answer based on your ability to communicate in English.

Once part 2 begins, you will be handed a cue card and 4 questions related to it. In our case, the cue card will look something like this:

We have divided the answer for our topic, ‘Describe a Course that you want to learn.’ into 4 parts.

Introduction:

What is a course?
Set some context by mentioning the course name you want to learn.

Overview of the course:

Mention when you want to learn the course.
Explain how you heard about the course.

Describe the learning process of the course:

Explain how you will learn the course.
Mention your reason for learning the course.
Set some context about the learning process of the course.

Conclusion:

Summarise the key highlights.

Here are some sample answers to help you understand this section better.

Tip:

You should avoid repeating vocabulary while speaking during the test.

Follow-Up Questions

Here are some common questions and sample answers about ‘Describe a course that you want to learn.’

Part 3 of the IELTS speaking section is the discussion round. The follow-up questions are a part of the discussion round.

Part 2 and Part 3 are interlinked. In this section, the examiner will ask you questions related to the topic given in part 2 of the IELTS speaking. The discussion round's duration, part 3, will be 4-5 mins.

You should only rephrase the question if you add meaningful content in this section. Pay attention to the time allocated by the examiner for each section, especially during the discussion round.

Q1. Which kind of course is beneficial for university students?

Answer 1: Apart from the subjects chosen in university, students can opt for oral and written communication courses. These courses can help me professionally and academically.

Answer 2: Students can also take coding and data analysis courses. These courses are trendy, and the job opportunities in this field are increasing daily.

Q2. What influences the young generation more when selecting a course, income, or interest?

Answer 1: Initially, the young generation is inclined more towards selecting income over a course and interest as the youngsters understand that the job market is dynamic.=

Answer 2: Many young people are influenced by choosing a program that allows personal development. Due to market dynamics, they must focus on the course rather than financial stability.

Q3. What’s the most popular skill/course to learn nowadays?

Answer 1: The most popular skill or course to learn nowadays is based on individual professional objectives, personal goals and cultural trends. The demand courses are digital marketing, foreign languages and data skills like coding.

Answer 2: Many individuals have the potential to start their own careers. Thus, they need to learn courses like online marketing, data skills such as data analysis and learning a foreign language. These courses can help to build a successful career.

Q4. Why do some people prefer to study alone?

Answer 1: For some people, studying alone can be the best learning style, such as for introverts. It helps them to create their own study space, minimising noise levels and having the right temperature and lighting.

Answer 2: While studying alone, people tend to identify his/her strengths and weaknesses and gain in-depth knowledge about the subject matter by using the time to reflect on their studies.

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FAQs

Q. Can I use informal language during my cue card task?

Ans. While there are no strict rules against using informal language or slang during the cue card task, sticking to a more formal language and tone is advisable. This is because the IELTS is designed to evaluate your proficiency in using English in formal and academic contexts. Therefore, excessive use of casual language may not be suitable for the test.

Q. What vital language elements should I remember while attempting the cue card section?

Ans. The vital language elements you should remember while attempting the cue card section are:

Punctuation
Fluency
Language
Pronunciation.

Q. Is there any dress code for speaking in IELTS?

Ans. There is no specific dress code for the speaking test in IELTS. As such, you can wear comfortable and casual clothes to the test. There is no need to wear a suit or tie. However, it is important to dress appropriately and ensure you are well-groomed for the test.

Q. What are some of the common cue card topics?

Ans. Some of the common cue card topics are:

Describe a Famous Person that you are interested in cue card
Describe an activity that you do after school/work cue card
Describe a person who impressed you in primary school cue card
Describe an invention that changed people's life cue card
Describe a person who you believe dresses well cue card

Q. Can I use informal language during my cue card task?

Q. What is the difference between IELTS speaking parts 2 and 3?

Ans. The IELTS speaking parts 2 and 3 are distinctly different. IELTS part 2 is also known as the Cue card section, and part 3 is the discussion round. In part 2, a topic is given by the examiner, and you are given 1 minute to prepare the answer. After completing the time, you are asked to speak about the topic for 3-4 minutes. In part 3, the examiner asks questions related to the topic given to you in part 2.

Q. What if I fail my IELTS speaking test?

Ans. The IELTS speaking test can be retaken if you have failed. You will need to repay the fees and then sit for the exam. But before you blindly plan to retake the exam multiple times until you don’t reach the score, you need to analyse your mistake and understand what went wrong in the exam.

Q. What is the marking scheme for the IELTS speaking test?

Ans. The marking scheme for the IELTS speaking test includes:

Fluency
Coherence
Lexical resource
Grammatical range
Accuracy
Pronunciation

Q. How can I get 8.5 in IELTS speaking?

Ans. You can get an 8.5 band score in IELTS speaking with the following tips:

Build up your accent.
Maintain eye contact while answering the questions.
Practice previous topics that are likely to come in the IELTS exam.
Practice speaking by talking to the mirror; it will build confidence.

Q. Can I exceed the time limit during the speaking test?

Ans. It is crucial to remember that the speaking test has a strict time limit, and if your answer exceeds the time limit, the examiner may interrupt you and move on to the next question. However, this is a normal exam, and your scores won't be affected.

Q. What is the duration of Part 2 speaking IELTS?

Ans. The total duration of Part 2 IELTS speaking is

Preparation time: 1 min
Speaking time: 3-4 mins.

IELTS Accepting Countries

Study In USA

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Study In UK

Study In Australia

Study In Ireland

Study In USA	Study In Canada	Study In UK
Study In Australia	Study In Ireland

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