Describe something you would like to learn in the future: IELTS Speaking Cue Card

You should say

What it is?
How would you like to learn it?
Where you would like to learn it?
Why would you like to learn it?
Explain whether it's difficult to learn it.

21 unique answers with expert feedback

Why do you think swimming is an important skill to learn?

Swimming is a vital life skill that can enhance safety around water. It promotes physical fitness, builds endurance, and can be a fun recreational activity. Additionally, knowing how to swim can provide confidence in various situations, especially when traveling or engaging in water sports.

What benefits do you expect to gain from learning to swim?

I expect to improve my physical fitness, as swimming is a great full-body workout. It can help me relax and relieve stress. Moreover, I believe that learning to swim will open up opportunities for enjoying water activities, such as snorkeling or diving, which I find exciting.

Have you ever tried swimming before, or is this your first attempt?

I have tried swimming a few times, but I never had formal lessons. I mostly splashed around in shallow water. This time, I want to take it seriously and learn proper techniques, which I believe will make me a more confident and skilled swimmer.

Band 6-7

00:00

I would like to learn classical dance. Since my childhood, I have a dream of learning classical dance and perform in stage, but I never find an opportunity to learn. When I was in my job in Hyderabad, I thought of going to, I have been to Bharatanatyam classes for around 2 weeks, but due to the unavailability of...

Follow up questions

What inspired your interest in classical dance?

I have always been fascinated by the grace and storytelling involved in classical dance. Watching performances and seeing the dedication of dancers inspired me to pursue it myself. The rich cultural heritage behind classical dance forms like Bharatanatyam also plays a significant role in my interest.

How do you plan to overcome the challenges of learning dance?

I plan to set aside dedicated time each week for practice and seek out classes that fit my schedule. I also intend to connect with other dancers for support and motivation. Additionally, I will watch online tutorials and performances to enhance my understanding and skills.

Have you considered other dance styles besides classical dance?

Yes, I have considered exploring contemporary dance and folk dance styles as well. Each style has its unique expression and technique, and I believe learning different forms can enrich my overall dance experience and help me become a more versatile dancer.

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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 6-7

00:00

I really want to learn a skill of articulation. Articulation is a skill which requires you to explain complex ideas into simple terms. As I think I am not great in articulating things, I have started taking small steps so I can improve this skill. So I record myself every day and listen to it. I take a complex topic, put down what I will say about it and record myself and I often hear to it. I usually write down what I did mistake, which part I didn't understand. I listen to it as an audience. If I didn't know anything about this topic, how would that feel? And I always listen to myself as a third point of view. Am I delivering it good? Am I delivering it with a good conscience and have a good spirit? So by doing this, I am taking a baby step to improve my skill of articulation. And apart from this, I use online tools. I usually listen to podcasts of billionaires or successful people like Elon Musk. He has built some great companies in the world which tackles a complex problem like SpaceX, Tesla and now he has bike tutor. So the way he explains the complex idea into simple terms which are full of jargon like for instance SpaceX. Explaining the rocket mechanism is not so easy. I often hear to his interview how it interacts with the media and I gain some key points from it and try to implement it in my own and again record myself to do it. It is important in my career because articulation skills can give me promotions and excel my career as these skills are really important to be successful in life. And it is also difficult because explaining complex ideas requires many thinking processes.

Follow up questions

Why do you think articulation is important in your career?

Articulation is crucial in my career because it helps convey ideas clearly, which can lead to better collaboration and understanding among colleagues. Good articulation can also enhance my chances for promotions, as it demonstrates effective communication skills that are valued in any professional setting.

What other skills do you think are important for effective communication?

In addition to articulation, I believe active listening, empathy, and non-verbal communication are vital. Active listening ensures that I understand others, while empathy helps me connect with my audience. Non-verbal cues, like body language, also play a significant role in how messages are received.

How do you plan to measure your improvement in articulation?

I plan to measure my improvement by regularly recording myself and comparing my earlier recordings to newer ones. I will assess clarity, confidence, and the ability to simplify complex ideas. Additionally, seeking feedback from peers and mentors will help gauge my progress.

Band 6-7

00:00

I would learn urban sketching as a hobby. I've always been captivated how art does capture the energy of a city through sketches, whether it is capturing a busy street market or a peacefulness of a quiet park or a unique old architecture building, a modern, a contrast between a modern and a traditional style. I think urban sketching is not about drawing. It is about immersing yourself in the environment and capturing those fleeting moments. It is a wonderful way of documenting real life because each sketch tells you a story. I love the fact that urban sketching doesn't need or require a studio, just some pens, a sketchbook and city itself as your canvas. It's a perfect way to explore creativity while staying connected to the environment you're in.

Follow up questions

What inspired your interest in urban sketching?

I've always been fascinated by how art can convey the essence of a place. Watching artists capture city life in real-time and seeing their unique perspectives inspired me to try urban sketching myself.

How do you think urban sketching differs from traditional painting?

Urban sketching is more spontaneous and immediate. It focuses on capturing the moment and the atmosphere of a place, while traditional painting often involves more planning and can take longer to complete.

What challenges do you anticipate in learning urban sketching?

I think one challenge will be overcoming my fear of making mistakes in public. Also, learning to quickly capture details and the essence of a scene will take practice, but I believe it's a rewarding challenge.

Band 6-7

00:00

Well, there are a lot of things that I really want to learn in my future, one of them is data science. I have listened many things about the data science from my different friends. In the future, I really want to pursue a data science course after completing my job as a graphic designer or maybe in my free time. Well, I think it helped to boost my career a lot. And I know I usually face many of the difficulties while learning data science because it contains of many other things like coding and many technical terms, which I really don't want to learn. But you know that hard things will help in life to achieve new success. And apart from graphic design, I really want to learn something new, which can provide something new variety in my life and knowledge. I think if I want to learn data science, I really have to schedule all my meetings on my working days and the free time, usually Saturdays and Sundays, I have to take the class and read all these study materials and learn something. And after that, I have to practice on these codings or maybe ask the questions from one of my friends who is a data science engineer. And my college, I really dislike coding a lot like the other kids. But right now, I think it's very important to learn something new. Data science is a very amazing course that I have I have listened from many of the people.

Follow up questions

What specific skills do you think are essential for data science?

I believe that skills like statistical analysis, programming languages such as Python or R, and data visualization are essential. Additionally, understanding machine learning concepts and having a strong foundation in mathematics will also be very beneficial for a career in data science.

How do you plan to balance your current job with learning data science?

I plan to create a strict schedule where I allocate specific hours during the week for studying data science. I will utilize weekends for classes and practice, ensuring that I manage my time effectively to balance my graphic design job and my learning goals.

What challenges do you anticipate while learning data science?

I anticipate facing challenges with coding and understanding complex technical terms. Since I have a dislike for coding, it might be tough initially. However, I am determined to overcome these challenges by seeking help from friends and dedicating time to practice regularly.

Show all 21 answers

Cue 1:What it is?

Clearly state the skill or subject you want to learn.
Provide a brief reason why this particular skill interests you.

Example

I would like to learn how to play the guitar. Music has always been a passion of mine, and I believe that playing an instrument would allow me to express myself creatively.

Cue 2:How would you like to learn it?

Mention the methods you prefer for learning, such as online courses, private lessons, or self-study.
Explain why you think this method would be effective for you.

Example

I would prefer to take online lessons through a platform like YouTube or a dedicated music app. This way, I can learn at my own pace and revisit difficult sections as needed.

Cue 3:Where you would like to learn it?

Identify a specific location or environment where you would like to practice.
Discuss how this setting would enhance your learning experience.

Example

I would like to learn in a quiet corner of my home, where I can focus without distractions. Having a comfortable and personal space would help me concentrate better.

Cue 4:Why would you like to learn it?

Explain the personal significance of this skill to you.
Mention any long-term goals or dreams associated with learning this skill.

Example

Learning to play the guitar is important to me because I want to be able to perform at family gatherings and maybe even write my own songs one day. It would be a fulfilling way to connect with others through music.

Cue 5:Explain whether it's difficult to learn it.

Acknowledge any challenges you might face while learning.
Discuss your determination to overcome these difficulties.

Example

I know that learning the guitar can be challenging, especially at the beginning when my fingers will hurt and the chords will be hard to grasp. However, I am determined to practice regularly and not give up, as I believe the effort will be worth it.

Conclusion

Summarize your enthusiasm for learning this skill.
Reiterate how it aligns with your personal interests or goals.

Example

In conclusion, learning to play the guitar is something I am very excited about. It aligns perfectly with my love for music and my desire to express myself creatively. I am committed to making this dream a reality.

Following this structure will ensure you cover all the essential points while providing a clear and engaging response to the cue card topic.