Describe a thing you did to learn another language?: IELTS Speaking Cue Card

You should say

What was it?
How was it helpful?
How did you feel about it?

39 unique answers with expert feedback

What specific challenges did you face while learning German?

One of the main challenges was mastering the grammar, as German has complex rules. Additionally, pronunciation was tricky, especially with certain sounds that don't exist in my native language. However, I tackled these challenges by practicing regularly and seeking help from native speakers.

How did watching German TV shows enhance your learning experience?

Watching German TV shows was incredibly beneficial. It exposed me to natural conversations and colloquial expressions. The subtitles helped me connect spoken words with their written forms, and I learned cultural references that are often used in everyday language, making my learning more contextual.

Have you considered visiting Germany to improve your language skills further?

Yes, I have considered visiting Germany. Immersing myself in a German-speaking environment would provide an excellent opportunity to practice the language daily. It would also allow me to experience the culture firsthand, which I believe is crucial for language learning.

Band 7

00:00

One thing I did to learn Korean was watching Korean dramas. I started watching them out of curiosity, but over time, I realized they were a great way to pick up the language. I would watch with subtitles, paying close attention to the pronunciation and common phrases. This helped me learn everyday expressions, cultural nuances, and even some informal slang. I also tried repeating the dialogues to improve my pronunciation. It was an enjoyable and effective way to learn as it combined entertainment with language practice. Watching Korean dramas not only improved my listening skills, but also motivated me to learn.

Follow up questions

What other methods did you use to learn Korean besides watching dramas?

In addition to watching dramas, I also practiced speaking with native speakers through language exchange apps. I enrolled in a few online courses and used language learning apps to enhance my vocabulary and grammar. Reading Korean books and listening to music also contributed to my learning.

How did watching dramas help you understand Korean culture?

Watching Korean dramas provided insights into cultural norms, social interactions, and traditions. I learned about family dynamics, friendship values, and even food culture, which deepened my understanding of the language in context and made my learning experience richer.

Do you think watching dramas is an effective way to learn a language?

Yes, I believe watching dramas is an effective way to learn a language. It makes learning enjoyable and relatable. You get to hear real-life conversations, which helps with listening skills and pronunciation. It also keeps you motivated to learn more about the language and culture.

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 7

00:00

In my opinion, it is important to learn other languages than our mother language. And in my school days, I had different languages like Sanskrit, Hindi and Malayalam as well, our mother tongue. And I was good in Hindi language but I was not able to speak it very well. But my friends used to talk in Hindi like a native speaker. And I asked them, how you learned it this much correctly or fluently, how could you speak it this much fluently. So they didn't tell me anything. And I found a way like I started watching Hindi series. And watching that, I could make my Hindi speaking fluent. In my opinion, everyone should learn other languages other than their mother language. And in my school days, I had different languages like Sanskrit, Hindi and Malayalam as well, our mother tongue. And I was good in Hindi language but I was not able to speak it very well. But my friends will... In my opinion, it is very important to learn other languages other than our mother tongue. And in my school days, I had different languages such as Sanskrit, Hindi, English and our mother, Malayalam. That's my mother tongue. And I was good in all languages. But my friends are very good in Hindi language as well. They speak like a native speakers. And I was wondering about that. And I also want to speak in Hindi just like a native speaker. So I found a way like I started to watch Hindi series. That helped me very much. I can speak and I can understand everything in Hindi language. And it helped me in a lot of way. Because my profession is a medical profession. And I need to speak or I want to communicate with other language speakers. And also I worked in another state. And there are also people speaking this language. So this helped me a lot to talk like a native speaker to others.

Follow up questions

What other methods do you think are effective for learning a new language?

In addition to watching series, I believe listening to music, practicing with native speakers, and using language learning apps can be very effective. Reading books or articles in the target language also helps improve vocabulary and comprehension.

How has learning Hindi impacted your personal or professional life?

Learning Hindi has significantly improved my communication skills, especially in my medical profession. It allows me to connect with patients who speak Hindi, making it easier to understand their needs and provide better care.

Do you think learning multiple languages is beneficial in today's world?

Absolutely! In today's globalized world, knowing multiple languages opens up many opportunities for travel, work, and cultural exchange. It enhances cognitive skills and helps in understanding different perspectives.

Band 6-7

00:00

I'm planning to move to Italy so that I start learning Italian recently. I always wanted to study Italian. I feel that knowing Italian can help me in my studies. So I started learning Italian. One of my friends said that there's an application that helps to study Italian. Then I took that app and started studying from my home. It was a very good application that helped. Very helpful for every kind of people like children or adults. In my opinion, that app helps people very much. I love learning Italian now. Also, I can speak Italian very well.

Follow up questions

What challenges did you face while learning Italian?

I faced some challenges, especially with pronunciation and grammar. Italian has different rules compared to my native language. Sometimes, I struggled with verb conjugations and understanding the nuances of the language. However, I found that practicing regularly helped me overcome these difficulties.

How do you practice speaking Italian outside of the app?

I try to practice speaking Italian by conversing with my friends who are fluent in the language. Additionally, I watch Italian movies and listen to Italian music to immerse myself in the language. I also participate in language exchange meetups where I can speak with native speakers.

Why do you think learning a new language is important?

Learning a new language is important because it opens up new opportunities for communication and cultural understanding. It enhances cognitive skills and can improve career prospects. For me, learning Italian is not just about the language; it's about connecting with the culture and people of Italy.

Band 6-7

00:00

This year itself, I had tried to incorporate many practices just to go ahead and learn a language. So in May of this year, I had decided to learn French language because in Montreal majority of the people speak French and as a result, I need to understand French if I decide to work here and stay here for long enough. So I had decided to take a French class and the tutor was from India itself and I decided that my beginning lessons would go with them because I would like to first understand what I'm going to learn from them and eventually maybe in band second or advanced levels, I would prefer going with a French teacher itself. So the teacher, like my French teacher, she gave me exercises to do and it was a one hour class every day, every week and we would go through exercises all together. She would explain us concepts about it and then I would do those exercises as homework and I would try to recite these things on my own in my room. But another thing that I actually ended up doing to help myself out is the place where I work at, it's a food industry, so we have a production floor and in that production floor majority of the people who are working as the production staff are locals from Montreal itself and they themselves don't have a good hand at English. So I don't have any opportunity to talk to them other than in French. So in those cases, whatever lessons I would take from my teacher a day before, I would go on the floor and I would try to practice with them. So let's say the alphabets or let's say the numbers and I think that really helped me because it gave me confidence in trying to speak with them and the fact that they would understand so I would really get a hang of their accent as well.

Follow up questions

What challenges did you face while learning French?

One of the main challenges I faced was understanding the accent and pronunciation of native speakers. Additionally, I struggled with grammar rules that are quite different from English. Sometimes, I felt shy to speak with locals due to fear of making mistakes, but I pushed through that.

How do you think learning French will benefit you in the future?

Learning French will open up more job opportunities for me in Montreal, as many companies prefer bilingual candidates. It will also help me integrate better into the local culture and make it easier to socialize with French-speaking friends and colleagues.

What other methods do you think could help in learning a new language?

Besides classes, I believe watching French movies, listening to French music, and using language learning apps can be very effective. Engaging in conversations with native speakers and practicing speaking regularly can also significantly improve fluency.

Show all 39 answers

Cue 1:What was it?

Begin by clearly stating the specific activity you undertook to learn the language.
Provide context about why you chose this particular method, such as personal interest or necessity.

Example

I decided to join a local language exchange group where I could practice speaking Spanish with native speakers. I chose this because I wanted to improve my conversational skills and immerse myself in the language.

Cue 2:How was it helpful?

Explain the benefits you gained from this experience, such as improved vocabulary or confidence.
Mention any specific instances where you noticed progress in your language skills.

Example

This experience was incredibly helpful as it allowed me to practice speaking in a real-world setting. I noticed that my vocabulary expanded significantly, and I became more confident in holding conversations. For example, during one session, I was able to discuss my favorite movies in Spanish without hesitation.

Cue 3:How did you feel about it?

Share your emotions regarding the experience, including any challenges you faced.
Reflect on how this activity impacted your overall attitude towards learning the language.

Example

Initially, I felt nervous about speaking with native speakers, but as I attended more sessions, I began to enjoy the process. I felt a sense of accomplishment every time I successfully communicated, which motivated me to continue learning.

Conclusion

Summarize the key takeaways from your experience.
Express how this activity has influenced your future language learning goals.

Example

In conclusion, joining the language exchange group not only improved my Spanish skills but also ignited a passion for learning languages. I now plan to explore other languages and continue participating in similar groups to enhance my skills further.

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

Tips to answer this Cue Card

1: Vague Descriptions

Using vague language can make your answer unclear and unengaging. Candidates often fail to provide specific details about their experiences, which can lead to a lack of depth in their response.

Tip

Use specific examples and details to illustrate your experience. Describe the methods you used and the context in which you learned the language.

2: Ignoring Emotional Impact

Neglecting to express how you felt about the experience can make your answer less relatable. Candidates often focus solely on facts and forget to share their personal feelings.

Tip

Include your emotions and thoughts during the learning process. Explain how the experience affected you personally and what it meant to you.

Lack of Structure

A disorganized response can confuse the listener. Candidates sometimes jump between points without a clear flow, making it hard to follow their story.

Tip

Organize your answer by following the cues clearly. Start with what you did, then explain how it helped you, and finally share your feelings about the experience.