Describe a time you taught something new to a younger person?: IELTS Speaking Cue Card

You should say

When it happened
What you thought
Who you taught
Why you taught this person
How you felt about teaching

7 unique answers with expert feedback

What challenges did you face while teaching your buddy?

One of the main challenges was ensuring that he understood the importance of attention to detail. I realized that I needed to be patient and provide clear examples, as it was his first experience in a professional setting. It was crucial to build his confidence while correcting his mistakes.

How did your buddy react to your feedback?

Initially, he seemed a bit embarrassed about the mistake, but he appreciated my guidance. I made sure to approach the situation positively, emphasizing that everyone makes mistakes and that it's part of the learning process. He was receptive and eager to improve after our discussion.

What did you learn from this experience?

I learned the importance of clear communication and the need to be supportive when teaching someone new. It also taught me to be more proactive in checking in with my buddy to ensure he felt comfortable asking questions. Overall, it was a valuable experience for both of us.

Band 6-7

00:00

Well, actually teaching is a skill to share information to others effectively and it is one of the best way to know new information whenever we teaching others. I like to teach others and share knowledge to them. Today I would like to talk about a time that I taught something new for my brother. I vividly remember that it was happened when I am in my 11th standard. At that time, my brother took a short break from his school due to some health issues. So he missed so many topics in different subjects. When he completed his sick leave and he rejoined the class, he realized that he missed a lot of portions in mathematics. For him, there was a topic trigonometry in mathematics. His teacher completed the topics during his leave days. So he requested me to teach him regarding the trigonometry. Therefore, I teach him every evening and I ask different questions regarding the topics I teach him. Initially, I just clarified him about the basic topics related to trigonometry. Then I let teach him how to study the trigonometry table. Most of the students realized that it was very difficult, but I felt it is very interesting and easy to study. So I just teach him regarding the easy method how to teach the trigonometry table. So he realized the easy method.

Follow up questions

What challenges did you face while teaching your brother?

One of the main challenges was his initial frustration with the subject. He felt overwhelmed by the material he missed. I had to be patient and find ways to make the concepts more relatable and easier to understand for him. It required creativity in my teaching methods.

How did your brother respond to your teaching methods?

He was initially hesitant but gradually became more engaged as I introduced simpler methods. He appreciated the way I broke down complex concepts into manageable parts. By the end of our sessions, he felt more confident and even started to enjoy learning trigonometry.

What did you learn from this teaching experience?

I learned that teaching is not just about sharing knowledge but also about understanding the learner's perspective. It taught me patience and the importance of adapting my teaching style to fit the needs of the student. It was rewarding to see my brother succeed.

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.

Absolutely! Teaching my brother taught me patience and the importance of adapting my teaching style to his needs. I also learned that everyone has their own pace of learning, and it's essential to encourage and support them throughout their journey.

Show all 7 answers

Cue 1:When it happened

Mention a specific time frame, such as a particular month or year.
Describe the setting where the teaching took place, making it relatable.

Example

It was during the summer vacation last year when I decided to teach my younger cousin how to ride a bicycle. We were at my home in the backyard, which had enough space for practice.

Cue 2:What you thought

Share your initial feelings about teaching this skill.
Reflect on any concerns or excitement you had before starting.

Example

I felt a mix of excitement and nervousness. I wanted to ensure that my cousin learned safely, but I was also thrilled to share this fun experience with him.

Cue 3:Who you taught

Introduce the younger person you taught, including their age and relationship to you.
Highlight any relevant background information about their previous experience with the skill.

Example

I taught my cousin, who is 10 years old. He had never ridden a bicycle before, so I knew it would be a new adventure for him.

Cue 4:Why you taught this person

Explain your motivation for teaching this specific individual.
Mention any personal connection or responsibility you felt.

Example

I chose to teach him because I remember how much fun I had learning to ride a bike at his age. I wanted him to experience that joy and gain confidence.

Cue 5:How you felt about teaching

Describe your feelings during and after the teaching experience.
Share any sense of accomplishment or pride you felt.

Example

Teaching him was incredibly rewarding. I felt proud when he finally balanced on his own, and seeing his joy made all my efforts worthwhile.

Conclusion

Summarize the key points of your experience.
Reflect on the importance of teaching and sharing skills with others.

Example

In conclusion, teaching my cousin to ride a bicycle was a memorable experience that strengthened our bond. It reminded me of the joy of learning and the importance of passing on skills to the next generation.

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: Lack of Specific Details

Avoid vague answers that do not provide specific details about the teaching experience. This can make your response less engaging and informative.

Tip

Include specific examples, such as the exact time, place, and activities involved in teaching to create a vivid picture.

2: Neglecting Personal Feelings

Failing to express your feelings about the teaching experience can make your answer less personal and relatable. It is important to convey your emotions.

Tip

Share how you felt before, during, and after teaching, as this adds depth and connection to your story.

Ignoring the Audience

Not considering who you are teaching can lead to a lack of relevance in your response. Tailoring your answer to the audience is crucial.

Here are all the answers by real-users practicing speaking for IELTS Cue Cards on our IELTS Prep App.

Band 6-7

Band 6

I thought a person who was a junior to me in my working space and he was doing a CA inter and I was an audit administrator and he was an articleship trainee. I was reminded of a person who was a junior to me. He was an articleship assistant in my office and I was the audit administrator who was responsible for the whole administration of the firm. He was like two years younger to me and he had a closeness with me with regard to his academic persuasions and other advises, his personal life advises too. So when he asked me about his academic help I told him that it's better late than ever to decide now about his future and to plan out what he's going to achieve in his life. I personally believe that having a clear plan about what you're going to do in the future is what makes you take the next step for your future. So if you don't have a plan then nothing works properly and you won't have a way to go or which path you have to choose or which way you have to proceed further. So I told him to make a proper plan and check that plan for whether it's working properly or whether he's following the plan or whether he is having a backlag or his plan is working out. So he followed that tip and now he has passed his CA and he often calls me for other advises too. He is now more like a younger brother to me and he often rings me.

Band 5-6

Firstly, in my point of view, that person is my elder sister. She is doing right now a Bachelor of Pharmacy in Nima University and I really appreciate her not because of she is one of the best student of her university but the way she transform herself from starting of the semester, I know her, she was one of the most introvert person in my house and right now she is in her best world. She developed many skills like in work on self-development by participating in different types of cultural events, in academic events and I know that she hates this, she is a very anti-social person but right now she is engaging with many people and now she make a lot of connections not for only their academics but also make the friends, new friends and I really appreciate her that I would also like to develop skills and transform myself like she did. We had a lot of memories when we were in childhood and she was not like this but yes, right now she is a fantastic person. Furthermore,