Describe A Festival That Is Important In Your Country: IELTS Speaking Cue Card

You should say

When the festival is celebrated?
What people do during this festival?
What you like or dislike about it?
Why this festival is important for you?

4 unique answers with expert feedback

What other festivals are celebrated in India?

Apart from Diwali, India celebrates numerous festivals such as Holi, Eid, Christmas, and Pongal. Each festival has its own unique customs and significance, reflecting the country's rich cultural diversity. For instance, Holi is known as the festival of colors, while Eid celebrates the end of Ramadan.

How do people prepare for Diwali?

Preparation for Diwali usually starts weeks in advance. People clean and decorate their homes, buy new clothes, and prepare sweets and snacks. Many also purchase gifts for family and friends. The atmosphere becomes festive with lights and decorations, creating a joyful environment leading up to the celebration.

What are some traditional foods associated with Diwali?

During Diwali, various traditional sweets and snacks are prepared, such as ladoos, barfis, and samosas. Families often exchange these delicacies with neighbors and friends. The preparation of these foods is a cherished tradition, bringing families together in the kitchen to celebrate the festival.

Band 6

00:00

I think the most favorite festival in our country, so actually it's not a country, it's in our state, so that is Onam, and the Onam was held on about August or September month, and the celebration, and actually the Onam was celebrated in the ideology of Hindu religion, but actually the Keralites, all Keralites celebrate that moment equally, and I don't like the ideology of the religious things, but the most interesting part is everyone celebrating at the same stretch. Moreover, the specialty of the celebration is all family members get together in their own house, or in their parent house, and celebrate family-wise, and also it's got more pleasure, immense pleasure on all members. I also celebrated, and during that we prepare, during the celebration we prepare Onam Sadya, and a fabulous meal for everyone, and also we put Atta Pookala, it's a design made with flowers, and also we bought new dresses for all members, and celebrated.

Follow up questions

What are some traditional dishes served during Onam?

During Onam, one of the most popular dishes is Onam Sadya, which is a feast that includes a variety of vegetarian dishes served on a banana leaf. Some traditional items include rice, sambar, avial, and payasam. Each dish has its own unique flavor and is prepared with fresh, local ingredients.

How do people prepare for the Onam festival?

Preparation for Onam usually starts weeks in advance. Families clean and decorate their homes, buy new clothes, and prepare for the Onam Sadya. People also create beautiful flower arrangements called Pookalam at their doorsteps to welcome King Mahabali, the mythical figure associated with the festival.

What activities do people enjoy during Onam celebrations?

During Onam, people engage in various activities such as traditional dances like Thiruvathira, boat races, and games. Families come together to enjoy the Sadya, and there are often community events that include music, dance, and cultural performances, making it a vibrant and joyous occasion.

IELTS Cue Cards asked last week

Reported by Leap students who gave IELTS

Describe your favourite food at a traditional festival or a special event in your country

Reported by

Anonymous student Band 7.5

Pitampura Test Centre, New Delhi

Answer

I like to taste different types of cuisine. Here I would like to talk about my favorite dish at my traditional festival of Onam which is Sadya. Sadya is popular in my city. We are experimenting these cuisines on Onam festival day. Onam is a famous festival in my city. All family members get together in my home and we make a delicious Sadya. There are many ingredients includes that Sadya. Moreover, we make a big feast that day as well as we create a lot of memories together and we wear that day the traditional dress called Sari and men wear the Dhotis. That festival is really important to us because the whole day we are conducting different kinds of games at our homes and all the family members came together. It's a memorable day in my life. This is the festival. We are making the Sambar and Aviyal. These all the kinds of foods are making with the vegetables.

Talk about a toy you liked in your childhood

Reported by

Anonymous student Band 8

Sector 34 Test Centre, Chandigarh

Answer

The toy which I liked in my childhood was a panda doll, which makes me pleasant and makes me more blush. The pandas are the most beautiful creatures of the world, which looks gigantic and has pooshy cheeks and they are like stars in the clouds and they dream in me. Furthermore, these have been given by my father. My father is a very very beautiful artistic person, who makes me think of that. Every day you will face every difficulties and make you suffer and move forward. Pandas are always seen in Japanese countries. It is my lifelong dream to visit a Japanese country and click a photo with the original pandas, which makes sounds better.

Describe a time you were in a place where you didn't know the local language

Reported by

Anonymous student Band 6.5

Whitefield Test Center, Bengaluru

Answer

As India is a very large country full of diversity, so there are many places which have their own language and speak their native language. The place which I visited and I didn't know about their language was Leladakh, which is about 300 km away from my hometown and it is a very good place as it consists of different kind of trees, animals and have many scenic views and I visited over there last year in summers as it was the best time to visit because it has many, it was cold over there and we had summers in our area so it was the best time to visit over there and I went over there with my whole family.

Describe a time when your friend damaged something you owned

Reported by

Anonymous student Band 7

Begumpet Test Centre, Hyderabad

Answer

When I was a kid, I had a little pencil box which had these four buttons which gave the pencil box an operative use. When you press the button, the box would open up. When you press the second button, a little part of it would slide out. Basically it was just a little electronical and a fun thing to have and I owned it when I was in 6th. One day after break, I was standing and talking there with one of my friends and another friend of mine was running through the hallway and accidentally she pushed my shoulder and my pencil box hit the ground and it broke into multiple pieces to the point that it was not functional anymore.

Describe a book you recently read

Reported by

Anonymous student Band 7.5

CBD Belapur Test Centre, Navi Mumbai

Answer

It Ends With Us is a book I read recently. It's by the author Colleen Hoare. It's mainly a story about two teenagers, Atlas and Lily, and how they just handle their life going through high school, adolescence, and just domestic violence at home. Both of them come from very, very different families. However, they have one common determining factor between them, which is domestic violence. The abuse that they've seen their moms go through is just insane, and they connect through that on a different level. They're actually in the same high school, but they never speak to each other until Atlas actually crashes into an empty house next to Lily's villa. When Atlas is homeless and he doesn't have anywhere to go, he just comes and breaks into the house next to Lily's, and Lily helps him with all the daily necessities like clothes and food, medicines and stuff. Furthermore, their friendship blossoms into love, but it doesn't really fructify as Atlas has to leave. This book really gave me a lot of knowledge about domestic abuse and how to deal with it.

Band 6

00:00

A very important festival that is being celebrated in my country is called Diwali, which is festival of light. It is a festival in which we celebrate Goddess Lakshmi and our God Ram. Goddess Lakshmi is actually meant for bringing health and wealth in our home and God Ram is actually our king, which is being told as a folklore to us by our grandparents. It usually starts with lighting up our house with bulbs and garlands. Moreover, after eating our lunch and decorating our house, we usually sit on a puja, which is a ritual of our festival and then after having dinner and completing our rituals, we all gather around and take a photo of our family. We end our night generally with bursting crackers and celebrating it with our cousins, father and all of our relatives. The visuals are eccentric. I really miss celebrating Diwali with my family. It's been quite a time when I've spent my Diwali at my home.

Follow up questions

What other festivals are celebrated in your country?

In addition to Diwali, we celebrate Holi, which is the festival of colors, and Eid, which is significant for the Muslim community. Each festival has its own unique customs and traditions, bringing people together to celebrate with joy and unity.

How do you usually prepare for Diwali?

Preparation for Diwali usually starts weeks in advance. We clean and decorate our homes, buy new clothes, and prepare sweets and snacks. Families often shop for gifts to exchange with friends and relatives, making it a time of excitement and anticipation.

What is your favorite memory of celebrating Diwali?

One of my favorite memories of Diwali is when my entire family gathered at my grandparents' house. We decorated together, shared stories, and enjoyed a feast. The laughter and joy we shared, especially while bursting crackers, created unforgettable moments that I cherish.

Band 6

00:00

Dussehra is the important festival in our country. It is celebrated in September or October every year. In this festival, we decorate some flowers with things and we play around it. The thing is used by girls. I like this festival because all the boys hang out around and play. This festival is celebrated because Ram rescued Sita from Lanka and returned back to Ayodhya. On this occasion, we celebrate Dussehra. Ram also defeated Ravana in the Lanka and returned back safely. It is a very big festival in our country.

Follow up questions

What other festivals are celebrated in your country?

In addition to Dussehra, we celebrate Diwali, Holi, and Eid. Each festival has its own significance and traditions. Diwali, for example, symbolizes the victory of light over darkness, while Holi is known for its vibrant colors and the arrival of spring.

How do people prepare for Dussehra in your community?

People prepare for Dussehra by cleaning their homes, buying new clothes, and decorating with flowers and lights. There are also community events where plays depicting the Ramayana are performed, and many families gather to enjoy festive meals together.

What role do you think festivals play in society?

Festivals play a crucial role in bringing people together, fostering a sense of community and cultural identity. They provide an opportunity for families and friends to reconnect, celebrate traditions, and pass down cultural values to younger generations.

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