IELTS SPEAKING CUE CARD
[PART 2]
Describe a short-term job you want to have in a foreign country
You should say:
- What the job is
- Where you want to do it
- How you knew it
And explain why you want to do it
A N S W E R
Well, in the first place, my biggest goal in life is to secure long-term work abroad that is aligned with my current profession because I really want to emigrate to another country. So this topic really had me thinking seriously while I was preparing just a minute ago. It’s a difficult one as I’ve been absorbed in my major goal.
LEXICAL RESOURCE
Align with [phrasal verb] – to be in relation with something
Absorbed [adj.] – if one is absorbed in something or someone, one is very interested in them and take up all their attention & energy
So what came to mind earlier was the work of an au pair. Just so you know, an au pair is a person who travels abroad and lives with a host family to support them in taking care of their child or children, and in doing some light housework, in return, the family provides free lodging as well as allowance. But just to make things clear, an au pair is neither a housekeeper nor a nanny. The main purpose of having an au pair is for cultural exchange.
LEXICAL RESOURCE
Come to mind [phrase] – (of an idea or thought) that occurs to someone
Just so you know [expression] – used to say if you want to give someone a piece of important information which you believe they don’t know
Actually, I love kids, I enjoy talking with them because their never-ending innocent questions which are a product of their curiosity and imagination entertain me. Besides, I love playing with them as it makes me feel young and energetic. As a person who loves to learn languages and cultures, I believe the job of an au pair is a perfect short-term job to experience all of these. I would really love to do this in Scandinavian countries as this job is more popular there, which is totally awesome as I’m also into reading Nordic tales. I find their folklore so enchanting and I believe there’s no way better to learn more of these than staying with a Nordic family and experiencing their life.
LEXICAL RESOURCE
Scandinavian countries – Denmark, Sweden, Norway
Folklore [noun] – traditional customs, tales, sayings, artforms, or dances
Nordic [adj.] – relating to Scandinavia, Finland, and Iceland
Enchanting [adj.] – captivating
Anyway, I really believe that working as an au pair will help me understand more about kids and learn more about Nordic traditions. Not to mention, fulfilling one of the many things on my bucket list, that is to enjoy the beauty of Scandinavian nations and immerse in their culture. If only I had gotten enough courage to work as an au pair in my early 20s, perhaps, I would have settled down in one of the Scandinavian countries and had a life that’s completely different from what I currently have.
LEXICAL RESOURCE
Immerse [verb] – absorb, engage, involve
Settle down [phrasal verb] – to begin to live a quieter life by staying permanently in a place or getting married
PART 3
What kinds of work can young people get in foreign countries?
To answer this question, we have to take into account their skills or qualifications because not all young people have equal job opportunities abroad. A young person who has an impressive educational background, excellent skills, and enough work experience mostly secures white-collar jobs than those who don’t have good qualifications.
In most cases, those whose education or experience is less, always end up getting a blue-collar job or manual labor like housekeepers, shop assistants, fruit-pickers, and the like, contrary to those who have high educational attainment. So, in other words, the jobs that they can do in foreign countries solely depend on their skills, experience, and education.
LEXICAL RESOURCE
Take into account [idiom] – consider
White-collar [adj. as used in the answer ] – a job that is usually performed in an office environment
End up [phrasal verb] – to be in a particular place or state
Blue-collar job [adj.] – manual work
Solely [adv.] – only
Is it good for young people to have an experience of living in other countries?
Personally yes, because it definitely helps them develop perspectives on different aspects of life like the economy, culture, politics, lifestyle, and many more. Once they get out of their comfort zone, that is their own country, they will then learn the many differences between their motherland and the foreign country where they’re going to live and that’s an eye-opener for them.
I mean, they will learn innumerable things like giving value to their own cultures and respecting other cultures, understanding how foreign people live their lives and how their government works, and more importantly, gaining a deeper understanding of life. I’m speaking from experience and I must say, living abroad is a great experience as it makes me become open-minded.
LEXICAL RESOURCE
Perspective [noun] – mental view or prospect
Aspect [noun] – a particular part or feature
Motherland [noun] – one’s native country
Eye-opener [noun] – an event or situation that is enlightening
Open-minded [adj.] – receptive to new ideas; unbiased
Why are some people unwilling to work in other countries?
I see two reasons for that, first, one is not bold enough to take a risk and I can understand that since there’s no guarantee that one will have a good life in a foreign country. Truth be told, there will always be struggles living abroad like cultural differences, and injustices, among others and some people aren’t tough enough to bear all these things, as a result, they prefer living in their own country, where they can feel safe.
Another reason is that one is just simply having a good career in his own country and he’s just completely satisfied. More often than not, people work abroad in search of better opportunities. If one has a great and secure job in his own country, why would he trade that fulfilling life for something that is uncertain? So, these two reasons are practical enough for them to refuse to give a shot at living and working in other countries.
LEXICAL RESOURCE
Bold [adj.] – brave; fearless
Truth be told [idiom] – used to say that one is stating the truth
Fulfilling [adj.] – making someone feel happy or satisfied
Give it a shot [idiom] – to try something
What’s the difference between working in an international company and working in a domestic one?
To be honest with you, I don’t have any experience working in a domestic company for all these years, I’ve been working in an international company. However, let me tell you some things that I consider great upon working in an international company. First is being diverse, I work with people who come from different countries with different cultural backgrounds, which helps me understand the value of cultural differences. Second, I speak English to communicate with my co-workers which is challenging for me since English is not my mother tongue. Third, the business culture is completely different from that of a domestic company’s culture.
What I mean by that is I’m working in a fast-paced environment, that is we have to make decisions quickly and complete our task as scheduled or before its deadline. These are the biggest differences that set international companies apart from domestic ones.
LEXICAL RESOURCE
Diverse [adj.] – involving people from different social and ethnic backgrounds
Fast-paced [adj.] – in a way that things happen quickly and continuously
Set apart [phrasal verb] – to make someone or something different or special
Learn how to answer the recent
IELTS Speaking PART 1 Topic
about SHOPPING.
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Meaning of Words and Phrases Sources: Collins, Macmillan, Cambridge, Oxford
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