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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 6-7

    An important thing that I have learned is to help the poor people. It was in the year 2017 while I was reading 10th standard in Hawley Family High Secondary School that I learned this one. It was my father who teach me this moral value. Even though it has been nearly seven years I still remember it like it was just yesterday. One day my father took me to an orphanage. The orphanage was in the backdrop of Leshgill, Mystery Valleys and Transcendent Landscape, Pastoral Landscape and Amit Sarovar Countryside and the orphanage was built in a Kerala architecture style with sloping roof and clay tiles and my father took me inside that orphanage and I saw that many children coming towards my father and he was very happy to see those children and he gave them chocolates and trusses and all and after getting inside I understood that my father often visited that orphanage and he frequently gave food, the other essentials that are required for the children and also for the adults who are living there and it gave me a moral value that what a humanity is, what humanity actually is and I liked the place very much on that day and the respect towards my father also increases and when I visited there I felt a mental relaxation on an epic scale. I frequently visited

    Band 6-7

    One important thing that I learned with time is the difference between loneliness and solitude. When I started spending time with myself, I found myself more and started believing in the things that I usually found taboo in the society. There is a saying that you have come alone and you will go alone. I now live with this belief and it has helped me in many ways. First thing, it made me avoid dependencies at all cost. It made me more peaceful and calm. It also created some boundaries with the society so that I can practice self-love. It's been 5 years since I am practicing solitude and I have never been happier in my life than I am right now.

    Band 6-7

    Cooking is an important thing which I learned, not in my college days or at home, because cooking was not given much importance at my family. But later in my life, after getting married, I had to learn cooking. My mother-in-law was a rude teacher, where she blamed for every single mistake which I made while cooking. The way I stirred, the way I cut the vegetables, the way whatever I did, she was finding mistake. So gradually I learned the procedure of each recipe, made a note and studied over and over and tried to remember and start cooking. Cooking is a life skill, all together, everyone should learn it. So coming to this understanding, cooking is a basic requirement that every human should understand. You can understand the chemistry of cooking while understanding how each item adding one by one enhances the flavor and comes out as the best dish. Also I learned cooking for the sake of my daughter. My daughter loves her favorite savory called Obadu in Kannada. So as she grew up, she was very fond of the dish, but I wasn't able to prepare that. So gradually I learned it for her sake, that gave me big confidence that I should learn cooking and it feels like a great accomplishment.

    Band 6-7

    As I know, as in my life, I have learned many things regarding to the sports or dancing or singing. Here, I am going to illustrate about an important thing I have learned when I used to study at IMS Unison University for a BBA. Here I have gone through many obstacles, but one thing that I have learned is that to work in a group or a team, for example, one day our professor have asked us to make a project about enterprise that what business we should open in the future. So basically we were divided into two groups and I was a leader of that group and we were asked to divide the project work. So I was the one who divide all the project terms and conditions and I was looking upon the tagline. Since my childhood, I want to be an entrepreneur. So the topic was very interesting. After that, we have worked, we have burned midnight oil to create a business and it was about a cosmetic brand and we have chosen the brand name as a stone wood, which means the electrifying thing. Moreover, basically what we have done in that particular time, I have learned about the various items like first we have to listen to all the ideas, then we have to present our own skills and ability. And secondly, what I've learned was that to interact, frequently interact with your client or a partner so that you have a better communication.

    Band 6-7

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    Band 6-7

    The important thing I have learnt and it has become useful for me. I have been able to learn a lot of things and a lot of unsolved problems I have solved using that thing. The name of the thing is learning Artificial Intelligence. I am a kind of person who likes to watch YouTube more. Back in 2020, one day I was randomly watching some YouTube contents and at my feed there was a content related to AI. I saw that content and it triggered me to learn more about that thing. So, I randomly searched about an AI tutorial and it came a lot of videos. One video, the name of the person is Joseph Moon. I think so, I don't remember the exact name. I think Joseph. I don't know the actual name. I watched this video and it has a lot of content so it has become necessary for me to implement all the things in my college days and my projects. I have struggled in a lot of situations. I like to mention one scenario that happened to me while doing my final year project. At that time, it became hard for me to solve a problem like coding because I don't know circuit parts but in coding side it got a lot of errors. Therefore, we can't able to complete at a correct time. After that, we asked for help to AI like chatgivity. We asked for help in asking code to AI.

    Band 6-7

    I learned English. I learned English in my team. I am a Malayalam English student in my class, but I am really interested in English. But I did not tell my mother. My mother told me that I should go to an English language school. But she did not put me up for that price, so I had to go to an English language school. I had to pay more money to go to an English language school. So, after my education in my team, I learned English from what I have seen in movies. I learned English from books like, the library man, the famous books, and the average English books. It really helped me a lot. So, in that time, these are the main lessons, part of my training of my English language. One important thing is that English is an official language in the world now. It is very important to learn English. So, everyday we are speaking in the native language. That is the most important thing. English is the official language in the world. How do I feel? I feel like I am in a good place. I feel proud because it is not my native language.

    Band 6-7

    One super useful life skill that I learnt outside the school is money management and planning a budget effectively. I picked it up while shopping with my mother and even sometimes on my own when I am not on a tight budget. I realized the major part of life is not about algebra and trigonometry but it's about knowing where the buy one get one free offers are available, moreover how to bargain like a professional. Now I know how to differentiate between what is needed and what I want. For example, I don't need an overpriced aesthetic notebook, it's just that I want it for my inner happiness which also don't long last for more than 3 days. Now after realizing this thing, I skip such products because I think management taught me self-control and honestly that's more valuable than any formula I learnt in school. So yes, learning budgeting and money management made me a little smarter, confident and now I have way more control over my unnecessary longings and

    Band 6-7

    I learned farming with the help of my father since my childhood. Actually my father is a farmer. It is an important thing in my life because our family is an agricultural family. We depend on agriculture at the most. Our income majorly comes from agriculture and related industries like animal husbandry and everything. I learned farming with a passion. Farming involves growing plants and it doesn't just only grow the plants. It grows hopes in our life. If we plant a seed in the soil and if we observe the growing of the seed, we can grow our hope that the seed we plant will grow into a tree and give fruits to everyone. I feel farming is not a hobby or a skill. It is a part of our life, especially in our family. Farming provides food to us and we can sell our products in the market. We can get money from it. Every child should learn farming because it is a needful skill that everyone should have in their own life. In the coming generations, there will be a shortage of farmers. No one will be interested to do farming like us. If we learn these things, we can survive with our own farmland. We can grow our own crops and get our own food from our farmland. Farming is a necessity skill that every school or college should teach their students. It is a basic life skill that everyone should learn in their childhood and in college.

    Band 6-7

    It's absolutely the most important skill that I have learned, not from college, not from my school days. It was the act of swimming. Because I have learned it when I was 10 years old. During the vacation time when I was going for a swim in a nearby lake with my siblings, it was a slow process. Gradually I have learned it, what are the skills that are required for swimming. Basically we all know that swimming is an important skill that every person should know. Because it's an emergency skill that is needed for a person to know about. During my childhood days I didn't know how to swim, I didn't have that much skill of swimming. So I got disgraced by my friends also. Swimming is a good exercise that will help our body nourish. I was so overwhelmed.
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