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Describe an important thing you learned (not at school or college): IELTS Speaking Cue Card

You should say

  • When did you learn it?
  • How did you learn it?
  • Why did you think it was important to learn it?
  • How you felt when you learnt it?
Show all 89 answers

Cue 1:When did you learn it?

  • Mention a specific time frame when you learned this important thing, such as a few months ago or during a particular event.
  • Provide context about what was happening in your life at that time to make it more relatable.

Example

I learned this important lesson about financial management about six months ago when I started my first job. It was a significant transition for me as I was moving from being a student to a working professional.

Cue 2:How did you learn it?

  • Explain the method or source through which you learned this lesson, such as through a book, a workshop, or advice from someone.
  • Share any specific experiences or activities that helped you grasp this knowledge.

Example

I learned about financial management by attending a workshop organized by my company. The workshop was conducted by a financial expert who shared practical tips on budgeting and saving.

Cue 3:Why did you think it was important to learn it?

  • Discuss the reasons that made this lesson significant for you, such as future goals or personal circumstances.
  • Connect the importance of this lesson to your life or career aspirations.

Example

I thought it was crucial to learn about financial management because I wanted to ensure that I could save for my future and manage my expenses wisely. As I was starting my career, I realized that understanding finances would help me achieve my long-term goals.

Cue 4:How you felt when you learnt it?

  • Describe your emotions when you grasped this lesson, whether it was excitement, relief, or empowerment.
  • Reflect on how this knowledge has impacted your confidence or mindset.

Example

When I learned about financial management, I felt empowered and relieved. It was like a weight had been lifted off my shoulders because I now had the tools to take control of my finances, which made me feel more confident about my future.

Conclusion

    Example

    In conclusion, learning about financial management was a pivotal moment in my life. It not only equipped me with essential skills but also changed my perspective on money and savings, setting a solid foundation for my future.

    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 Responses

    Avoid giving vague or general answers. Specific details make your response more engaging and memorable. Candidates often lose points for not elaborating on their experiences.

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    Tip

    Use specific examples and details to illustrate your learning experience. Mention exact moments or feelings to make your answer more vivid.

    2: Ignoring the Cues

    Not addressing all the cues can lead to an incomplete answer. Candidates may miss important aspects of their learning experience, which can affect their score.

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    Tip

    Make sure to answer all the cues provided. Structure your response to cover when, how, why, and how you felt about your learning.

    Overly Complex Language

    Using overly complex vocabulary or grammar can confuse the listener. It's important to communicate clearly and effectively, especially in a speaking test.

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    Tip

    Use simple and clear language. Focus on expressing your ideas clearly rather than trying to impress with difficult words.

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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
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    Anonymous student Band 7.5

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    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
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    Reported by

    Anonymous student Band 8

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    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
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    Reported by

    Anonymous student Band 6.5

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    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
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    Reported by

    Anonymous student Band 7

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    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
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    Reported by

    Anonymous student Band 7.5

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    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 >7

    Okay, if I have to talk about one of the important things that I have learned, not in a school or in a college, that would definitely be to trust myself and not to trust anybody else. As I have really bad experience with my friendships and with my colleagues about trusting people, I have learned it really hard way because I have got really bad experiences when I was learning this thing. Once upon a time, I used to trust every person that I was around. I was really dependent on my friendships because I have no sisters and I'm the only girl in the family. So I just found a really wide in my heart and I was really searching for any bound that will be important for me as my sister would be. It was really important lesson because I think without this life, this lesson taught me that you should be independent. There will be persons in your life who would be really important for you and you would really care about them, but that definitely doesn't mean that you have to completely trust that person and give all of your secrets and all of your heartfelt things in front of them. You should never be an open book to them. Definitely, there are few persons that are really meant to be yours and with them, I think you can be yourself.

    Band 7

    Learning guitar has been one of the greatest experiences I have had. I started learning it when I was in 6th grade. But it was not at school. I had a teacher who came to my house and tutored me. That went on for like 4 years after I decided to go join guitar classes. I really felt very elated with every new lesson. Moreover, I was already a lot into music and I was very passionate about it. So, learning guitar was a very great experience for me. It helped me compose new melodies and think about music in a totally different way. This was because I had a taste of music theory as well. This experience redefined my thoughts about music. I am also very grateful to my guitar teacher who is a very prominent guitarist in India. He was always very patient with me and taught me everything from the start.

    Band 7

    One personal development activity I undertook is reading the book The Intelligent Investor. I started reading this book a year ago when I wanted to improve my financial literacy. The reason I chose this book is that I heard about how it simplifies complex financial concepts with easy to understand theories. As an investor, I wanted to strengthen my foundation and mindset around money. I read this book over a course of a week and it had a lasting impact on me. The first thing I learnt is that I became more disciplined and focused on long term goals. Second, it improved my confidence when discussing finance with others. Overall, this small but meaningful step really contributed to my personal growth and financial growth. This book is amazing and it is the best book I ever read in my entire life. It mainly focuses on the fundamentals of finance and all the strategic things that we need to know about the companies and their financial structure. Overall, I really wanted to strengthen my foundation in finance.

    Band 7

    One important thing I learned outside of school was time management. I acquired this skill during my early working years. I learned time management about 5 years ago when I started my job. I learned it through trial and error, observing colleagues and using productivity apps. I thought it was crucial because it helped me to balance work and personal life, reduce stress and increase productivity. I felt reliable and content when I mastered time management as it allowed me to achieve my goals more effectively. to enhance the response.

    Band 7

    One important thing I learned outside of school was how to build a robotic arm. I learned this about a year ago when I decided to create a project that combined programming and electronics. I started by watching tutorials on YouTube and reading articles online about Arduino, robots, and sensors. I also asked for advice from friends who had experience in robotics. It took me several weeks to understand how to connect the circuits properly and write the necessary code. This experience was really important to me because it taught me problem-solving skills and patience. For example, I faced many challenges like error in writing and programming bugs, but I did not give up. In the end, I successfully built a working robotic arm, which gave me a lot of confidence and inspired me to continue learning about technology in the future. This was one of the skills I learned.

    Band 7

    One of the most important thing I've learned outside of school or college is time management. I acquired this skill a few years ago while working part-time and studying for my degree at the same time. Managing both responsibilities was initially quite overwhelming, but gradually I realized that learning to organize my day effectively could make a huge difference. I learned this skill through a mix of trial and error, observation, and some self-help resources like productivity, podcasts, and time management books. I started setting daily goals using a planner and prioritizing tasks based on urgency and importance. I also learned to say no distraction and avoid multitasking, which helped me stay focused and efficient. This skill turned out to be extremely valuable because it helped me balance multiple commitments without feeling too stressed or burnt out. I was able to complete assignments on time, perform well at work, and still have time for personal activities and relaxation. What makes this learning so important is that it's not limited to any specific situation. Time management has helped me in every aspect of life, whether it's preparing for exams, attending interviews, or meeting deadlines at work. It's a life skill that I believe everyone should master, and I'm really grateful I learned it early on.

    Band 7

    The most important thing that I've learned over the years is responsibility and accountability. I had to move to a different city for my higher studies and in that period I learned how important it is to take care of your own things, to prioritize on your own well-being. Being home we were always dependent on our parents. However, taking this step to move away and being in a different city teaches you a lot. May it be simple menial things as taking care of your identity proofs or your home key so that you don't lose it or actually being accountable for how you behave. This does not stop here. It also means how how do other people behave to you. Being responsible is a great activity that could be practiced. It also allows you to submit all your assignments on time, to be punctual, to prioritize yourself over others, to be best. You have to put on your best effort forward and I've seen that being accountable takes you a long way.

    Band 7

    A very important lesson I learnt was not in my school or my college, but at a railway station. I was travelling with my father and we were waiting for a late train to come. On my plan, I was waiting in the section reserved for ladies and I was present there with an elderly woman and a young beggarly lady. Upon talking with her and asking her questions, I found out that this young beggarly lady was actually just 21 years old, merely 4 years older than me. The reason why talking with her and the other elderly lady was eye-opening is because of the things I learnt, lessons for me and life lessons for them. The young beggarly lady was in fact pregnant with her child at the pure age of 21. She had been married off to a husband she did not want, taken from her lover and forced into her life simply because she was not educated, simply because she had jealous relatives who did not like to see her win. The elderly lady had been kicked out by her family, by her own son's wife, her son whom she had adored and helped out financially, but was kicked out as soon as she stopped financially helping them. It was very eye-opening to see the importance of good, supportive family members. Members who genuinely have their best interest at heart and are ready to support you and be your pillar in the most difficult times. It opened my eyes to see how easily your own relatives and loved ones could throw you out, could betray you at the last minute and how blessed and fortunate I am to have my parents and my loving family. I wished them well as I went to catch my train, but the encounter with those two ladies, the elderly lady and the beggarly 21-year-old pregnant lady is something I will never forget.

    Band 7

    I wish to speak about something that I learnt just immediately after my college days. In fact, during school days, my second language was Tamil, after which it was changed to Hindi. The moment I finished college, I was travelling long distance to go for a job, during which time I found that the understanding and communicating in Hindi was very important. As I reached my destination, I found that the absence of this language was a hurdle for me. So I kept practicing by reading newspapers and talking to people in this particular language, and finally I found that I was able to manage this. So this is something that I learnt after school and college, and that has helped me to be able to work in different parts of North India, and also it helped me abundantly when I went to a foreign country and I was amidst a lot of Hindi-speaking people. So the knowledge of this language is something that I pride myself in, and right now I am happy that I learnt it during my holiday period immediately after college.

    Band 7

    One important thing I learned outside of school is time management. I picked up this skill during the pandemic, when all my classes and daily routines were disrupted. Suddenly, I had a lot of free time, but I wasn't using it effectively. I realized I needed to manage my time better, especially to balance my studies, hobbies, and personal responsibilities. I learned this mostly through trial and error. I started using a simple to-do list each day and later switched to a planner app on my phone. I also watched some videos and read a few blogs about productivity. One tip that really helped me was the Pomodoro Technique, means working for 25 minutes and then taking a short break. It made a big difference in my focus. This skill became very important to me because it helped me reduce stress, gave me a sense of control over my life. Earlier, I used to feel overwhelmed with tasks and often procrastinated, but after learning how to organize my day, I became more productive and even had more free time to relax or pursue hobbies like reading or drawing. Overall, learning time management was a turning point for me. It's not something I was ever formally taught in school, but it's a life skill that I believe everyone should develop. Thank you.
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