Talk Icon

Practice 100+ speaking topics!

Star rating icon

4.2

1M+ Installs

Get App

leap-scholar-logo
hamburger-menu
cue_card_backround_image_mobile

IELTSTM CUE CARD

Describe A Skill That You Can Teach Other People: IELTS Speaking Cue Card

Updated on Nov 13, 2024, 05:03

Overview

When it comes to IELTS Speaking, imagine a friends chat divided into 3 parts. The whole chat is only 11-14 minutes- not too overwhelming, right? Now, let’s talk about the part 2 or cue card task. 

 

Imagine the examiner giving you a cue card with topics like Describe A Skill That You Can Teach Other People. 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 Skill That You Can Teach Other People

You should say

  • What is it?
  • How did you learn it?
  • How can you teach others this skill?
  • How do you feel about this skill?
Sample Answer 1

Introduction:

 

  • One skill I am proficient in and confident enough to teach others is public speaking. I was first introduced to this skill in my debate activity classes in school.
  • Any skill has to be cultivated through years of deliberate practice and becomes essential to any individual's personal and professional life.
Leap To Learn: Word of the Moment

Proficient: Something you are good at through practice.

Cultivated: Well-educated and refined.

Articulate: having or showing the ability to speak fluently.

Overview of the skill: 

 

  • The skill of public speaking was taught by my English teacher, who was also our instructor in debate classes. We had different activities around the skill, like debate competitions, MUN, etc. 
  • Initially, when the skill was introduced, I was timid about trying and experimenting with it. Still, later, I started enjoying the activities and skills as I developed an interest in public speaking.
     

Describe how you can teach the skill to others: 

 

  • I would first like to discuss the problems learners face, and then I would proceed with teaching the skill.
  • I would teach the learners by first breaking the skill into different modules. I would then start with the skill fundamentals, such as speech structure and tone modulation.
     

Conclusion:

 

  • The ability to articulate ideas convincingly is invaluable in various aspects of life. We should teach each other whatever skill we are good at to help others.
  • I can confidently share my skills with vivid learners through theoretical knowledge and practical activities.
Tip: Minimize the use of filler words such as “um”, “uh”, or “you know.” Overuse of filler words can disrupt the fluency of the speech.
Sample Answer 2

Introduction:

 

  • The skill that I have a keen interest in is photography. 
  • Skills like photography and videography, which capture candid moments and narrate stories through images, have always inspired me. The skill I am confident about in teaching others is photography.
     

Overview of the skill:

 

  • I learned about this skill through formal education at my university and hands-on experience. I particularly enjoy photography’s capacity to capture moments in time and evoke emotions.
Leap To Learn: Word of the Moment

Evoke: Something to be remembered or expressed.

 

Describe how you can teach the skill to others:

 

  • My first step would be to connect with the enthusiast's learners and understand their aspirations for photography. My teaching methodology would be a blend of theoretical and practical knowledge.
     
  • I plan to initiate a photography club where learners can share their work, seek feedback, and engage in constructive discussions. This would help in continuous learning.
     

Conclusion:

  • Photography is a skill and a creative journey that offers various opportunities. This skill is more based on individual creativity and expression. 
Tip: You should avoid speaking general statements in the answer. You should give specific details and examples to support your answer.
Sample Answer 3

Introduction:

 

  • I am particularly interested in effective communication skills, though I am not an expert in this area.
  • Communication, as a whole, is a very broad and valuable skill that is essential in both personal and professional life.
     

Overview of the skill:

 

  • Even if you don’t possess skills like painting or swimming, the ability to communicate effortlessly, listen actively, and express oneself is a skill set worth adopting.
  • I have understood the importance of communication through experiences and prominent communicators around me.
Leap To Learn: Word of the Moment

Prominent: Something which is very important and is very noticeable.

 

Describe how you can teach the skill to others:

 

  • I can share resources like books and articles with the learners to practice and online courses for fluency. I would emphasise active listening, body language awareness, and picking communication styles and tones based on the audience. 
  • I could teach the skill of effective communication by involving learners in group discussions, providing constructive feedback and conducting role-play activities.

 

Conclusion:

 

  • By adopting communication skills, individuals can enhance their personal and professional relationships, excel in their professional endeavours, and positively impact society. 
Tip: Avoid using negative language in the answer. Focus on the positive aspects of the experiences you share. Try to find a constructive way to answer a challenging question.

A good answer for the IELTS cue card section should include a strong introduction, some context to the topic, 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.

 

We have broken down the answer for our topic, ‘Describe a skill that you can teach other people’ into 4 parts. 
 

Introduction:

 

  • Describe your interest in the skill.
  • Name the skill.
     

Overview of the skill:

 

  • Mention how did you learn the skill.
  • Explain how you enjoy the skill.

 

Describe how you can teach the skill to others:

 

  • Explain how you will connect with the learners.
  • Define your teaching methods to help students learn the skill.

 

Conclusion:

 

  • Summarise the key highlights.
  • Mention why others should also do the same.
     

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

Part 3 of the IELTS speaking section is known as the discussion round. The follow-up questions for “Describe a skill that you can teach other people” 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 avoid rephrasing the question without adding meaningful content in this section. Pay attention to the time allocated by the examiner for each section, especially during the discussion round. 

Q1. How do skills positively influence your life?

Answer 1: Skills make our lives easier, and we might feel that the skill will not help us now, but at some point, it will definitely help us.

 

Answer 2: Acquiring skills is very important. It enables the ability to adapt to various experiences and succeed in all aspects of life.

Q2. What do you believe is more important, academic or practical skills?

Answer 1: I believe academic skills are more important as they provide a foundational base of one’s knowledge. It has often led to formal recognition like certificates and degrees, valued in various professions.
 

Answer 2: Practical skills are more important than academic skills as they equip the individual to perform the task. Practical skills are often directly applicable to real-life situations.

Q3. What qualities should teachers have in their methodology?

Answer 1: The qualities that a teacher should possess are communication skills and should be an active listener. Teachers should also be keen observers as it will help them better understand the students. 
 

Answer 2: A good teacher should have qualities like patience, focus on growth, collaboration, and adaptability for evaluating students' progress continuously. 

Q4. What abilities may a student adopt from his or her teachers and parents?

Answer 1: Students can adopt various qualities from teachers and parents. For teachers, students can adopt study plans, research skills, and subject-specific expertise. Students can develop the ability to analyse from teachers. 
 

Answer 2: The abilities that students can adopt from parents are life morals, the importance of honesty, and the work ethics of diligence, hard work and perseverance.

FAQs

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 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. 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 are some of the common cue card topics?

Ans. Some of the common cue card topics are:
 

1. Describe a Famous Person that you are interested in IELTS Cue Card
2. Describe an activity that you do after school/work IELTS Cue card
3. Describe a person who impressed you in primary school IELTS Cue card
4. Describe an invention that changed people's life IELTS Cue card
5. Describe a person who you believe dresses well IELTS Cue card

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 the time is completed, you are asked to speak about the topic for a duration of 3-4 minutes. In part 3, the examiner asks questions related to the topic given to you in part 2.

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. Are speaking tests for Academic and General the same?

Ans. Both academic and general are the same for speaking tests. In both academic and general, there are three parts: the introduction round, the long turn round and the discussion round. However, reading and writing are different for the academic and general tests.

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 3-4 mins
 

  • Preparation time: 1 min
  • Speaking time: 3-4 mins
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.
ielts logo

Get the IELTS Prep App

Star rating icon

4.2

1M+ Installs

app download banner image

Get the app link on your phone

+91

Or download app from

google play storeapp store

IELTS Important Information

Read More about IELTS Practice Test

IELTS Accepting Universities

IELTS Test Centre and Dates in India

IELTS Accepting Countries

Top Speaking Sample with Answers