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Describe A Traditional Product In Your Country: IELTS Speaking Cue Card

You should say

  • What is it?
  • How is it made?
  • When did you first try it?
  • Why do you like it?
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37 unique answers with expert feedback

Show all 37 answers

Cue 1:What is it?

  • Begin by introducing the traditional product clearly, mentioning its name and significance in your culture.
  • Describe its main ingredients or components to give the listener a clear idea of what it is.

Example

The traditional product I want to talk about is 'Biryani,' a fragrant rice dish that is deeply rooted in Indian cuisine. It is made with basmati rice, marinated meat, and a blend of aromatic spices, making it a beloved dish across the country.

Cue 2:How is it made?

  • Outline the basic steps involved in preparing the product, highlighting any unique techniques or ingredients.
  • Mention any traditional methods or family recipes that are commonly used.

Example

Biryani is made by first marinating the meat in yogurt and spices for several hours. Then, the rice is partially cooked separately. The marinated meat is layered with the rice in a pot, along with fried onions and saffron, and then cooked on low heat until everything is perfectly blended. My grandmother has a special recipe that she has passed down through generations, which makes it even more special.

Cue 3:When did you first try it?

  • Share a personal story about your first experience with the product, including where and with whom you tried it.
  • Reflect on the emotions or memories associated with that experience.

Example

I first tried Biryani at a family wedding when I was about ten years old. The aroma filled the air, and I remember sitting with my cousins, eagerly waiting for our turn to serve. It was a joyous occasion, and the taste of that Biryani was unforgettable, filled with flavors that danced on my palate.

Cue 4:Why do you like it?

  • Explain your personal connection to the product and what makes it special for you.
  • Discuss any cultural or emotional significance it holds in your life.

Example

I love Biryani not just for its rich flavors but also for the memories it brings back. It reminds me of family gatherings and celebrations. Every time I eat it, I feel a sense of belonging and nostalgia, as it connects me to my roots and my family's traditions.

Conclusion

    Example

    In conclusion, Biryani is more than just a dish for me; it represents my culture and family heritage. Its intricate preparation and the joy it brings during gatherings make it a cherished traditional product in my country.

    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. It's important to provide specific details about the traditional product to engage the listener and demonstrate your knowledge.

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    Tip

    Use descriptive adjectives and specific examples to paint a clear picture of the product. For instance, mention its color, texture, and unique features.

    2: Skipping Key Cues

    Neglecting to address all the cue prompts can lead to an incomplete answer. Each cue is designed to help you structure your response effectively.

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    Tip

    Make sure to answer each cue in order. For example, start with what the product is, then explain how it is made, and so on.

    Lack of Personal Connection

    Failing to share your personal experience with the product can make your answer less engaging. Personal stories can make your response more relatable and interesting.

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    Tip

    Include a personal anecdote about your first experience with the product and why it holds significance for you. This adds depth to your answer.

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    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
    anonymous person icon

    Reported by

    Anonymous student Band 7.5

    location icon

    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
    anonymous person icon

    Reported by

    Anonymous student Band 8

    location icon

    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
    anonymous person icon

    Reported by

    Anonymous student Band 6.5

    location icon

    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
    anonymous person icon

    Reported by

    Anonymous student Band 7

    location icon

    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
    anonymous person icon

    Reported by

    Anonymous student Band 7.5

    location icon

    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.

    All Answers

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

    Band 6-7

    A traditional product that is very famous in my country is silk saree or else Banarasi saree. The Banarasi saree that is made up of the special threads and clothes which can be called as silk material and that are artistically made by the people who have great experience from more than 15 to 20 plus years. The first time I bought it for my mentor and my mother and they wear it on the day of festival and that festival is called as Diwali. I like that product because the design of that particular saree or else silk saree or else Banarasi saree, it was too good that I can't remove my eyes from that. The best part of that, the design over the saree was too good that I can't compare it with other types of saree and that saree was too good that my mama and my mentor was looking too gorgeous as they wore that together.

    Band 6-7

    So a local item from India is earthen pots which are used for storing water. These earthen pots are made of clay and they are used for various purposes. The first purpose that it's used for is carrying water from one place to another. It's especially seen in drier states like Rajasthan and Gujarat where women often carry pots on their head to take water from the source of water to their home. Secondly it's also used as a tool to save or rather a utensil to store water in homes so that it can be easily used or rather poured out for drinking or cooking. So I first came across the earthen pots when I was a young child. My mother got it one summer and I was really excited to see it. There are various benefits of keeping water in an earthen pot. Not only does it keep it cool, it's also an economic and sustainable method to get cool water. What I like the most about the earthen pots is the earthy smell of it and the taste of water is also very sweet. So this is one of the inventions that I feel is quite unique to India and it offers many advantages.

    Band 6-7

    I am going to talk about Toddy that is locally produced in my state Kerala in southern India. It is not exactly made, however it is a liquid that is collected from the coconut tree. It is fermented in the tree itself and hence it has a slight alcoholic content with a slight phase to it. This is called Toddy and when I first tasted it was in a Toddy shop nearby. I had an outing with my friends and I had tasted it out of curiosity and it was a translucent white coloured liquid and I could see bubbles because of the fizzy nature of the drink and why I liked it was because of its fizzy taste. It was slightly fun to drink, it is also very refreshing especially as a summer drink but it can be had at any time due to its refreshing nature. It has a tangy taste to it. It is also healthy because it has a host of probiotics in it which is very good for the gut. So as I am a person with a lot of gut problems I recognize the importance of having a good gut and prebiotics and probiotics contribute a lot towards it and Toddy has that. It is also a local product in our traditional culture which is healthy and I think it should be promoted because of the very fact.

    Band 6-7

    Pashmina shawls are the traditional object which is made up of two layers, one of which is made of cotton and the other of which is made of cotton thread. Pashmina shawls are made up of two layers, one of which is made of cotton and the other of which is made of cotton thread. The traditional product I would like to speak about is Pashmina shawls which is known as a symbol of tradition. It is a significant item in India. It is made from a special wool of goat which is found in Himalayas for its warmth and delicate texture. Pashmina shawls are handspun, woven and embroidered by skilled artists which takes months to complete a single piece. Wool is firstly cleaned, dyed and then spun into fine threads which is woven into a shawl. I find the articrafts very remarkable. Each shawl reflects the dedication and skill of the people who create it. I first encountered the shawl when my mother draped it around my neck. That was the first time I saw the shawl and asked my mother because of its softness and warmth it provided me during winter. I curiously searched about the shawl and appreciated the work and rich history behind them. I like Pashmina shawls and in addition to that it connected the traditional and cultural roots of India. Pashmina shawl is a very special articraft made by people and it's a piece of art that carries legacy of craftsmen and heritage. Many people learn to make shawls.

    Band 6-7

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    Band 6-7

    Among all the traditional products, I would like to talk about turmeric and the products that are made using this as a base material. It is a plant that is grown in the northern parts of India and is said to have medicinal values proven by time and again. This plant originates, this plant has also found its importance not only culturally but also historically, where historical events were described having this as a component not only in foods but also in decorations. This product came under scrutiny and controversy when it was claimed by a foreign entity to be there finding that is its medicinal value was found by them and thus was being patented as such. An Indian organization put a stop to it by citing its cultural and historical significance in India, thereby winning the patent rights for the Indians. Nevertheless, this product has become an integral part where its use was first introduced by my mother as a facial product and my god am I to say it worked wonders!

    Band 6

    The traditional product that I have used from my country India is a wooden comb. I first used when I was a child it was gifted by my grandmother. I had a long hair when I was a child so she used to comb my hair with this wooden comb. This wooden comb is made of sandalwood or neem which is very useful to our body and unlike other plastic combs the teeth of wooden comb is more gentler which helps our hair to grow while we use it and in Ayurveda it is said to be the neem or sandalwood is said to be more useful for our hair growth as it stimulates our scalp and like the plastic combs when we use the wooden comb on our hair it does not make our hair frizzy and more than that it will contribute to promote our hair growth. I have been using this type of comb from my childhood itself as it was a gift from my grandmother. So my grandmother was the one who treated my hair for a long time and this wooden comb is generally crafted by local people in our area and it is quite costlier than other combs and now it is available everywhere like online online shopping sites we can buy it.

    Band 6

    Today, I'm happy to talk about the traditional product in my country. Since India is a diverse country with different culture and traditions, so the way of preparing food or the way of preparing materials are very vast and different from each region. But now I would like to talk about one particular product in my country that is in the hilly state area, that is rice powder. Means like from the rice powder, they can make different kinds of food items. For example, first they soak the rice in water till it becomes soft. After it has become soft, then they grind the rice to make it to a powder form. After the rice powder is formed, then they mix with some other food additives to like some extra recipe like sugar or salt or it depends on the taste of the food they want to make. One particular type of food that is made from rice powder I would like is this one in my local area is putharu. They call this putharu. How they make this putharu is that they have a special pot to prepare this putharu and after they have mixed the rice powder and after it becomes like jelly, so in a special pot they just pour the rice powder.

    Band 6

    The product that I'm going to be speaking about is a Pashmina. It's technically a shawl that you wear over any of your outfits. It's mostly used in cold weather. It's basically made from the silk insects that are specifically found in the areas of Kashmir. And it's a very soft material. It's very, it tends to be very, it keeps you warm. And mainly it is used, again I'm speaking, it's used in cold weathers. And I actually first got it from Goa when I had been there with my friends. I got it for myself first. I got it in the beginning of the trip for myself. I got it from the local market. And it was for a good price and I think it was 600 rupees and I used it first. I loved it so much that I got it for my grandmother and for my mother as well. It goes really well with your, you know, sarees or any suits that you wear. You can wear it outside, you can use it in the house. It becomes a statement piece if you're going for a brighter color. And I think that's, you know, it is a very versatile piece. And it also is very famous in the outer countries because of India and Kashmir. So I would like to speak about, I would like to spend some time speaking about it. And that's why I chose that topic. And Pashminas are also famous. It is also mentioned in one of the seasons of Friends. Rachel's sister buys it and so it's worldwide famous. It's a very famous piece that is from India. So yeah, that is what I would like to talk about today.

    Band 6

    I would like to explain about one traditional toy, which is famous around the world, none other than Tanjavur Talayati Bombay. It is a dancing doll in English. It was introduced in the year 1975. It got quite famous after seeing the toy because it started to shake its head continuously without giving any electrical or frictional stimulation. So it is made based on the shape. And one more fact about that is, it is taken from the state called Tanjavur. It was made and quite famous in that place. Even now, they are selling that product all over the world. You can have different type of collections in that toys, where you can see a girl dancing. Even you can see other states traditional structures with that toy. It will be so cute and you can get lot of collections based on your expectation. Not only this, it is totally handmade. Further, until today, they didn't do with any machine product or with the help of computers. Moreover, the cost of this product is quite less than other products from India. So it is efficient to buy. Further...
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