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Describe your first day at school.: IELTS Speaking Cue Card

You should say

  • When & where did you go to?
  • What happened there?
  • How did you feel on that day?
Show all 69 answers

Cue 1:When & where did you go to?

  • Begin by mentioning the name of the school and its location to set the context.
  • Include the date or year to give a sense of time and personal significance.

Example

I started my first day at St. Xavier's School in Mumbai in June 2005. It was a bright sunny morning, and I remember feeling a mix of excitement and nervousness as I stepped into the school premises for the very first time.

Cue 2:What happened there?

  • Describe the activities that took place during your first day, such as meeting teachers and classmates.
  • Mention any memorable events or interactions that stood out to you.

Example

On that day, I was introduced to my class teacher, Mrs. Sharma, who was very welcoming. We had a brief orientation session where I met my classmates. I vividly remember playing games during recess, which helped break the ice and made me feel more comfortable.

Cue 3:How did you feel on that day?

  • Share your emotions and thoughts throughout the day, highlighting any changes in your feelings.
  • Reflect on how the experience shaped your view of school and learning.

Example

Initially, I felt anxious about fitting in, but as the day progressed, I started to feel more at ease. By the end of the day, I was filled with joy and anticipation for what the rest of the school year would bring.

Conclusion

  • Summarize your overall experience and its impact on your life.
  • Mention how that first day influenced your attitude towards school in general.

Example

Looking back, my first day at school was a pivotal moment in my life. It not only marked the beginning of my education but also taught me the importance of stepping out of my comfort zone. That day laid the foundation for many wonderful friendships and learning experiences.

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: Avoid Vague Descriptions

Using vague language can make your response less engaging and informative. Specific details help the examiner understand your experience better.

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Tip

Include specific details about the location, activities, and people you encountered on your first day to create a vivid picture.

2: Don't Rush Your Response

Speaking too quickly can lead to unclear communication and missed details. It's important to pace yourself for better clarity.

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Tip

Take a moment to organize your thoughts before speaking, and practice speaking slowly to ensure your ideas are conveyed clearly.

Neglecting Emotions

Failing to express your feelings can make your answer less relatable. Emotions add depth to your story and engage the listener.

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Tip

Share how you felt during your first day, whether it was excitement, nervousness, or joy, to connect with the examiner on a personal level.

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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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Reported by

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

Actually, I don't remember the first day I went to school because it was too long ago, maybe 16 to 18 years long. But it was maybe it was quite good and first day I feel very afraid of that school because I had to leave my home, parents, surroundings, I think it was bit difficult but it's okay. But I remember the first day of my bachelors, it was very fantastic experience because the first day I wore beautiful dress and I went to the class, the service was very welcoming and take good care of us and asking about myself. It was good experience.

Band 6-7

When I was, when I went to my first day of the school, it was the school, James International School, and the day I went to my school first time in my life was when I was in the nursery class. As I was a kid, I was a bit nervous, I cannot go far for my parents just because I always was under the protection of him or her, right. Look for instance, if we take a newborn baby also, he or she always gets protected by a family, is always around a family, and cannot go to a new environment, cannot adapt a new environment. Same happened with me, I also couldn't adapt a new environment, I was not able to handle the environment, I cannot handle the new people at that time, I was not able to interact with anyone, neither my teachers. But unfortunately, there's a good thing that happened with me, when I was in the nursery class, I went, I went to school and met a new teacher, who was my class teacher, until date, I am 12 past, and I passed my high school right now, and she is still in touch, she tells me about how I was a kid and how I used to interact with people, although I was a very naughty kid, I was a very naughty kid, I used to spoil teacher's work, I used to hit people, I used to hit my friends, I used to steal their food, so it was a good time, just it took me 2-3 days to settle in the school, for the first time, but after that, I was habitual, and I was so excited to go to school afterwards. So this was the thing that I learnt at the school, after that I changed my school, and I went to my high school, which was an over spot for me, because I was grown up, and felt the consciousness, and the adolescence keep on doing that, so I made friends, it was, it is very tough to me to make the friends, so I made friends, and then I was totally okay and excited to go to school.

Band 6-7

When asked about my first day at school, I went to the school named Chinmaya Vidyalaya at Kheelpok in Chennai and it's one of the most prestigious school in Chennai. First day of my school is still etched in my memory that I cannot forget that day even though I was just a four years old kid. My parents took me to the school and they left me at the gate and I was feeling so lonely because I hadn't been without my parents since my birth and that was the first day my parents are leaving me alone. But I am not a kid who used to cry so I just walked in but I had a missing feel of my parents and I went to the class teacher and my parents came to the class teacher and told that I am a very naughty kid, notorious kid and the teacher reacted in a way like it's okay I have seen a lot of kids like that, I will take care of him. But what happened that day was I didn't do anything to the other kids, I was not naughty to the other kids but unfortunately I bit the teacher's hand because she was scolding at me for some reason and she was surprised at that additionally she told my parents that he is naughty but not to the students, to the teachers, this is always in my memory and it's one of the weird first day of the school for any kid. You cannot hear stories like this from any kid because no one goes and gives a bite to teacher in the first day of school.

Band 6-7

I vaguely remember my first day of school. I remember when my mom left me at the school gate. I'm sure I was pretty overwhelmed by all the kids there. I know once my mom left I would be alone there with many strangers. But once I got into the classroom, my teacher made me very comfortable. I sat at my desk. I remember one of my friends, I still am friends with her. Her name is Nituja. We sat together. We shared a lot of things like what's her favorite color, what's my favorite color. And then we went to the playroom. I remember there was a coloring book which I loved a lot because it had all the Mickey Mouse characters in it. Me and Nituja spent the first day coloring the entire book. We almost colored like four to five Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, and also the clubhouse. I remember once we were done in the playground, we had a nap time. I just remember being very, very active that day because I was very scared that everyone was new. But I was very happy that I got to meet so many new people. I know that I will be coming to the same school tomorrow. I even met two other students too. And I am still in touch with them. We meet sometimes around a month. And then I remember the first day when I got back home, I started telling my mom everything that happened that day. I told her that my teacher was amazing. Even I remember I told the alphabets, the English alphabets, and my teacher gave me a stamp on my hand. I showed it to my mom. It was all very fun.

Band 6-7

Today I am going to talk about my first day at Chikli School. Actually, my Chikli School is the best for me. It is very beautiful and very authentic and peaceful. This school gives me a lot of opportunities in my career. I remember that during I was sitting in the van, I felt very down of the dump because of my first day in my school. It is very introverting for me also. I felt very slump in my first day. My van is arriving at 9 am and I was reaching school at 10 am. After reaching my school, I continuously remember my home because of I have joint feeling of my parents and I can't control it. There are ample reasons why I feel down of the dump. After completing my break, I decided to pursue good behavior with my school. In my first day, I have enjoyed a lot.

Band 6-7

I went to a school named Sri Jayendra, which is located in the southern part of Tamil Nadu, which is Tirunelveli. It was the initial stages when I shifted from Mumbai to Tamil Nadu. Previously I was doing my kindergarten in Mumbai and then suddenly we got shifted to Tirunelveli. So it was a little difficult for me to gel with all the persons there. On the first day of my school, it was my sister who dropped me in my class and she went to her own class. Basically I am an introvert. I was very young at that stage and I didn't initiate a conversation with any other kids there. It felt difficult to even speak in the language there because I was used to speaking in Hindi when I was in Mumbai. Though I speak Tamil in my home, when I shifted to Tamil Nadu, at the initial stage it was a little difficult for me to speak in the local language. Combined with my introvert personality, it was even more difficult for me. I felt the urge to run away from the class and reach home as soon as possible. It was getting more difficult for me to manage there as a newbie. But the teachers were a little supportive and they came and talked with me and explained how the school works and what activities are conducted there. Though I started liking my school later on, at the initial stage it was a little difficult for me to cope up with it.

Band 6-7

talking about my first day at school it was a tragic it's a terrific memory for me actually because as a child of six years old I didn't know what even a school is meant for so it was the first time my mom carried me to the school and and I was not able to I was not willing to walk so she had to carry me on her and get me to the school and when I saw a lot of children actually I was quite a bit of surprised and I saw many many unfamiliar faces all over and some people some children were crying somewhere happy somewhere playing with their parents and for for a time period of time being my mom was along with me and suddenly I couldn't see her that time and I that's the time when I realized that this isn't going to be a safe place for me like I was it was hard for me to leave my mom and be somewhere alone and especially in between strangers so it was the it was a terrific moment for me and I had to run here and there searching for my mom and last I found her hiding behind the classroom walls and I was I wasn't willing to uh go away from her it was so anxious I was so anxious and the teachers were trying to get my attention and carry trying to uh trying to attract me get get uh get my attention by bringing toys and all

Band 6-7

I went to St. Mary English Medium High School. I remember when there was the first day of the school, I got ready very early. And when I reached the school I was so nervous that I couldn't leave my mom's hand. She calmed me down and dropped me to my class. I couldn't find a seat, so the teacher gave me the front seat to sit. I was sitting with a girl. She was kind of annoying. She was irritating me and I went to complain to the teacher. The teacher then calmed me down and asked me to make friendship with her. After a while, there was lunch break and I didn't bring my tiffin. My tiffin was with my mom and my mom was waiting outside the school gate. I went there and she fed me. Although it was the first day of the school, she was still feeding me. The first day of the school was scary, interesting and a memory that I will never forget. It was an important day of my life. I did make some friends that day. Two of those friends are still my friends after 25 years.

Band 6-7

Well, I studied in Kendri Vidyalaya in Vishakhapatnam and the first day of my school I remember it very clearly because I was extremely tensed on my first day because I came from a village and this is the first time I was going to a new school which has a lot of strength and furthermore this school is very like it has very high ratings and when I was going on the first day it was a sports day being held in my school there are all the students are gathered in the ground so when I entered the gate with my parents some students are looking at me and I was thinking about my dress like how I was looking and what they were thinking of me and I was also thinking about the ground and the sports like how huge and massive like competitions can be held in this massive ground and yeah finally I think I went to the staff room I don't remember it clearly because it was it was back so much back in very back I entered to the staff room I met my class teacher the name of my class teacher is Yashar I remember it very clearly and yeah he told all the rules of the school and how the uniform should be what is the uniform is and also that I can participate in the sports as soon as I attend the next class and I can enroll my name so I was very happy because of that because I was I was a sports player and I also being the sports captain of my school finally thank you

Band 6-7

My first day at school was back in Angola. I was five at that time. I went to the Castaneda's neighborhood because my school was located there at that time. I remember that day, my mother took me, we walked for about 30 minutes from home to my school. It was a very interesting day. I didn't make instantly friends, but I get to meet few people, children like me. I was really nervous about school, but I knew from my parents and my siblings past experience that it wouldn't be that much difficult to adjust to this new environment. I mean, I was already used to reading and do basic calculations for a common to a five years old kid, yet I was feeling a little bit anxious about everything. But it turned out being well. I finished my day, I ended my day by 12. My father came and picked me up and drove me to home. Yes, it was actually a pretty interesting day.
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