IELTS SPEAKING CUE CARD
[PART 2]
Describe a subject you used to dislike but now have an interest in
You should say:
- What the subject is
- Why you disliked it
- What you want to learn from it now
And explain why you become interested in it
A N S W E R
It’s funny to say that when I was still a student, I really loathed spending time learning the English language as my second language because for me it was completely worthless. During those times, I didn’t foresee the importance of being able to speak and understand English well since most of my countrymen never bothered speaking English. I was thinking that I could survive without speaking that language. Little did I know, that I needed it for my further study.
LEXICAL RESOURCE
Loathe [verb] – intense dislike
Foresee [verb] – anticipate; expect
Countrymen [noun] – fellow citizen
(never) bother [expression] – if you never bother doing something, it means you don’t do it
Little did I know [expression] – used to say that I do not know or realize that something is true
Further study [expression] – to study more; to take up a Master’s course or Doctorate
TIPS
i.) The speaker started his story by talking about his past experience as a student who hated learning English. He did not directly say ‘I’d like to talk about English…’ to let the examiner know straightly about what subject he was not interested in, instead, he presented his story about his first-hand experience of learning English and how he felt learning that language. That’s another way to introduce a story in which he’s able to show the examiner his English skills.
ii.) The speaker used some advanced English vocabulary words and at the same time natural expressions but he didn’t overdo it. That surely helps improve his mark in Lexical Resource.
Now, here I am today wanting to pursue my Master’s Degree in the US which requires me to submit proof of English proficiency. It made me feel remorseful remembering the days when I could have studied the language seriously. Those days when I neglected my English classes flashed back every now and again. I could only wish that if I had taken my English lessons by heart, I wouldn’t have gone through spending so much time, money, and effort these days just to brush up my English communication skills faster like a lightning bolt, so my student’s application in one of the Ivy League schools would be granted without any hassle.
LEXICAL RESOURCE
Pursue [verb] – follow; go after
Remorseful [adj.] – feeling regretful/sorry
Neglect (ed) [verb] – fail to care
Flash back [phrase] – to come back/visit in the memory
Every now and again [phrase] – from time to time
By heart [phrase] – word for word; from memory
Brush up [phrase] – to improve
(as fast as a) lightning bolt [figure of speech] – to be very quick
Ivy League [noun] – refers to the high academic and social prestige schools such as Harvard, Yale, Princeton, Columbia, Dartmouth, Cornell, Brown, and the University of Pennsylvania
Hassle [noun] – inconvenience
TIP
i.) Right after the speaker’s introduction, he then talked about his current situation that made him study the language that he hated in the past. This part helps him develop his story in an organized way. He was able to connect his introduction to this part, thus, he achieved coherence.
Well these days, I’ve been giving my very best in learning English and to be honest, I found it really interesting since I realized that I’m not only studying the language itself but also, I’ve got the chance to understand the history and culture of this language. That is something I couldn’t see when I was still a high school and university student. Back in the day, I wasn’t open-minded about the language, I felt like it’s all about grammar and memorizing innumerable vocabulary words. Had I known that learning the English language would be that informative and fascinating, I wouldn’t have wasted the great opportunity to master learning that language during my younger years. Anyway, it’s never too late to make my English communication skills better. I guess I just need more patience and persistence to learn so I can make my dream of studying in the US a reality.
LEXICAL RESOURCE
Back in the day [expression] – used when talking about something that happened in the past
Innumerable [adj.] – many
Fascinating [adj.] – interesting
Persistence [noun] – determination
TIPS
i.) Here the speaker, provided his explanation or reason why he had changed his mind in learning the English language. He also talked about the things which made the English language really interesting which he could never appreciate when he was still a student. With this, he’s able to develop his story better. Details are key to making a story easy to understand.
ii.) Also, the speaker made a good mark on the criterion, Grammar & Accuracy by using the third conditional tense (Had I known…I wouldn’t have wasted…)
iii.) The speaker ended his answer by giving his realization that it’s never too late to make his skills better.
PART 3
Do you think learning many subjects is beneficial to children?
In my opinion, children do not need to learn so many subjects as they are still too young – their span of attention in learning is just short compared to adults, and forcing them to learn many subjects makes them abhor learning. I believe a few subjects like Language, Math, and Art are just enough for them.
The subjects of Language and Math are indispensable as they need to have basic knowledge in order for them to interact with others conveniently and to live their lives free from ignorance. Also, learning Art is essential as it helps them develop their creativity which is very helpful when expressing their emotions and interests in life. For me, young learners need not have to spend time learning many subjects other than what I have mentioned, because all the other subjects that they have to learn can be learned when they reach secondary education.
LEXICAL RESOURCE
Abhor [verb] – hate; strong dislike
Indispensable [adj.] – very important; necessary
Free from ignorance [expression] – to be not ignorant/stupid
Other than [phrase] – except
TIPS
i.) The speaker started his answer by giving his opinion straight away then focused on discussing the three important subjects which he thought essential to learn. Then, he discussed each subject one by one as to why children needed to learn each of them and how it would impact their lives.
ii.) The speaker ended his answer by giving his conclusive statement that other subjects can be learned later in life so children should not be forced to learn many subjects. This is a simple way to end the answer but very direct.
What subjects are more practical to learn nowadays?
Considering this internet era, subjects related to Information Technology and Computer Programming are much more realistic and beneficial to learn since there are a variety of job opportunities that people can obtain once they have the skills in those fields. As we know, giant companies like Google, Apple, and Samsung, often look for individuals who have in-depth knowledge of technology and at the same time who know how to think out of the box as these kinds of people can bring so much difference in their respective businesses.
So, I believe secondary schools should include Information Technology and Programming in their curriculum to help students develop skills that are more than useful in this digital world.
LEXICAL RESOURCE
Obtain [verb] – get; acquire
Giant company [expression] – another term for a major company
In-depth knowledge [expression] – so much knowledge
Out of the box [expression] – creative thinking; to think creatively
Digital world [expression] – another term for the internet world
TIPS
i.) The speaker provided a realistic answer here – since he knew that we are now living in this internet era, he talks about subjects related to technology. This is a very good way to answer as it is relatable and easy to explain since this is what this modern world is about.
ii.) The speaker then supports his argument by talking about the major tech companies that always look for individuals who have great skills in terms of technology. This made his answer great as he hit the nail on the head.
Which do you think is better: learning many subjects at one time or learning one subject at a time?
I suppose it varies from person to person since there are people who can multitask, these people can learn many subjects at a time without being distracted. These people are gifted with intelligence that they can easily absorb different kinds of information without forgetting any of them. They surely know how to manage their time in learning. However, there are those learners who can learn better if they need to concentrate on one subject at a time.
These learners are considered organized – they want to focus on learning a particular thing without proceeding to another unless they feel confident about the knowledge that they have acquired from the subject that they are studying. To be honest, I belong to the latter and I am proud of who I am as a learner.
LEXICAL RESOURCE
(It) varies from person to person [expression] – another way to say ‘It depends…’
Multitask [verb] – to deal with many things at the same time
Latter [adj.] – later; denoting the second thing mentioned
TIPS
i.) The speaker answered the question by not choosing any of the choices given, instead, he explained each choice to the examiner. This is the best way to do if you are provided with choices that are really hard to make.
ii.) He then ended his answer by telling the examiner which type of learner he was based on the explanation he had given. A very good way to end an answer as it sounds really natural.
Do you think all teachers should be entertaining in teaching their students?
As a student, I must say that educators should be entertaining in order for them to get the attention of the students. Nowadays, students become so stubborn that they do not always pay attention to their teachers when they are in class. A huge number of students are bothered by so many things such as the use of smartphones inside the class and some of them take their lessons for granted or worse their teacher’s presence. This is a sad reality now, so the best way to address this problem is for teachers to be initiative enough in creating a teaching style that is entertaining to their students.
LEXICAL RESOURCE
Educator [noun] – teacher; instructor
Stubborn [adj.] – showing dogged determination not to change one’s attitude
Take for granted [phrase] – failure to appreciate
Initiative [noun] – the power or opportunity to take charge in
TIP
i.) The way the speaker answered this Yes-No question, he did not directly say ‘Yes’, instead he expressed his affirmation in a different way. He talked about what he saw and experienced in the class that made him think that teachers must be entertaining. Then, he explained the impassiveness of students nowadays which is a great challenge to all teachers and that’s the primary reason as to why he believed that teachers should have an entertaining factor when teaching.
Develop a story better in Part 2 for
the recent IELTS Speaking CUE
CARD about
Describe A Time You Waited For Something Special To Happen
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Meaning of Words and Phrases Sources: Collins, Macmillan, Cambridge, Oxford
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