IELTS SPEAKING CUE CARD
[PART 2]
A TOY YOU LIKED IN
YOUR CHILDHOOD
Describe a toy you liked in your childhood
You should say:
- What kind of toy it was
- When you received it
- Who gave it
And explain how you played it
A N S W E R
As early as four years old, I already enjoyed swimming since my family’s residence was close to a slow-moving and tranquil lake in the country. I spent most of my weekends playing with my mom and dad at the lake. When my uncle learned that I was more than eager to swim in the lake, he bought me an inflatable swim ring with a rubber yellow duck squeaker toy as a freebie.
LEXICAL RESOURCE
Tranquil [adj.] – calm; peaceful
The country [noun] – countryside
Inflatable [adj.] – capable of being filled with air
Swim ring [noun] – a circular shape rubber that can be inflated and used for swimming to avoid drowning
Squeaker [noun] – a toy that produces a short and high-pitched sound when squeezes
Freebie [noun] – a thing that is provided for free
TIP
i.) The speaker developed his introduction by not immediately talking about a specific toy. Instead, he talked about his love of swimming and his residence which was located near a lake. That serves as his foundation of his story. After that, he then connected it to the toy which he considered as his favorite which was related to his interest in swimming. The introductory part is smoothly developed.
It’s still vivid in my memory how elated I was when I got those presents from my uncle during his once-a-year visit to our tiny house. I didn’t really pay much attention to the swim ring but I was so focused on the rubber yellow duck squeaker toy that he gave. I was entertained playing it, which made me burst into laughter every time I squeezed it for innumerable times. The sound it created was strange to me and at the same time, really hilarious. I might not realize then, how noisy it was for my parents and my uncle.
LEXICAL RESOURCE
Vivid [adj.] – clear
Burst into laughter [phrase] – to suddenly begin to laugh
Innumerable [adj.] – countless
Hilarious [adj.] – very amusing
TIP
i.) In this part, the speaker started recalling his childhood memories of playing with his favorite toy, the first time he got that toy. He gave a description of his toy so the examiner would be able to understand it better. This was the start of answering the prompt in the cue card ‘how you played it’.
Anyway, whenever I played with my parents at the lake, I always had my squeaker with me. I built a castle with my squeaker at the shore, swam with it, and pretended to be a lifesaver when it moved far away from me. I could say, I really had a wonderful and memorable time with that favorite toy of mine. It was like my buddy whenever I spent time at the lake.
As I was the only child, I created a special kind of bond with my toys, most especially with that yellow duck squeaker. Interestingly, every time I see some squeakers these days, I always have a bittersweet feeling – realizing how beautiful the innocence I had when I was still a child and learning how time flies.
LEXICAL RESOURCE
Shore [noun] – the land along the edge of the lake
Lifesaver [noun] – a lifeguard working on a beach
Buddy [noun] – a close friend
Bittersweet [adj.] – an emotional feeling with a mixture of happy and sad
Time flies [expression] – used to express that time passes quickly
TIPS
i.) THIRD PARAGRAPH: The speaker continued talking about how he played with that toy to extend his story and to make the examiner understand why it was his favorite toy. This is needed so he could justify why that toy became his favorite toy among other toys.
ii.) FOURTH PARAGRAPH: The speaker ended his story by talking about his emotional connection with that favorite toy of his and wrapped up this part in a creative way by sharing his reflection about how beautiful his childhood was and how time passed quickly. A wonderful ending to his story.
PART 3 – TYPES OF TOYS |
ADVERTISEMENT
TARGETING CHILDREN |
PARENTS ON BUYING
TOYS
What kinds of toys were famous in your childhood? How about these days?
Back in the day when there was no internet yet, toys such as dolls, toy guns, a flip-over pet dog, remote-controlled cars and helicopters, and some collectible anime characters were popular during my childhood. Those days were memorable since the children lived a carefree and happy life playing and sharing toys with other children which resulted in forging meaningful friendships.
However, these days, I have noticed that children become individualistic and less sociable. They just enjoy staying in the comfort of their homes playing computer games for hours and hours. Well, because of the advancement of technology, common toys nowadays are not something traditional or tangible but it is more computerized.
LEXICAL RESOURCE
Back in the day [phrase] – an expression used when talking about a time in the past, usually when remembering something nice about that time
Carefree [adj.] – unworried
Forge [verb] – create something strong
Individualistic [adj.] – refers to a person who shows great independence or individuality in thought and action
Tangible [adj.] – perceptible by touch
Computerize [verb] – be operated by computer
TIP
i.) The speaker started constructing his answer using a natural expression to recall his childhood, then enumerated some toys that were popular during his times. He then transitioned to talking about his realization of how wonderful those times were and comparing his childhood to the current generation where children are more into playing computer-based games than traditional toys. The speaker delivered a direct-to-the-point and well-discussed answer.
Should we allow boys to play with toys that are played by girls and vice versa?
In my opinion, we should let children play with toys that they like as it helps them develop their creativity and imaginative skills. I understand and respect the traditional belief that boys must only play with toys for boys and girls should only play with toys for girls because that is what people perceive as the norm, and some people believe that it is the right thing to do so that their children will not be confused with their gender role.
However, I believe toys do not define the gender role of a child. We should let our children explore things and make them discover their toy preferences, instead of imposing our default beliefs that they should only play this and that. Having that kind of attitude limits children to become creative and imaginative. Well, I always go for something that can make children happy, if their choice is what makes them happy, and as long as it is not harmful, then I just support it.
LEXICAL RESOURCE
Norm [noun] – standard; normal
Preference [noun] – choice
Impose [verb] – force something on someone
Default [noun] – something that is usual or standard
Go for [phrase] – choose; pick
TIP
i.) The speaker gave a straightforward negative answer and expressed his reason for focusing on creativity and developing imaginative skills. Then, he talked about the traditional thinking of most people stating that he understood and respected their beliefs. To support his argument, he then transitioned to explaining more about his opinion stating why he’s interested in letting children play whatever they liked. Finally, he wrapped up his answer by giving his support to children’s preference for toys. This answer is not the traditional one and it is a very good way to showcase your language ability to the examiner since you’ve challenged yourself to explain the answer which is not usually chosen by most students.
Do you think parents should buy more toys for their children or they should spend more time with them instead?
Well, the answer is obvious, parents should spend more time with their children! What is the point of having children if parents cannot spare a good amount of time with them? The problem with our society now is that most parents do not have enough time for their children because of their hectic schedule at work, their demanding jobs, and the like.
Parents let other people look after their children by sending them to nurseries or hiring babysitters, and when something bad happens with their children, they blame the carers. Should they not blame themselves then for not looking after their own children? I do understand that both parents need to work in order to provide a comfortable life for their children, but there are some parents who cannot be bothered spending time with their children.
As a result, their children grow to be attention seekers, emotionally unstable, and narcissistic, since during their early stages of development, when they needed their parents beside them, they were left alone or being taken care of by other people and that is not right. For me, if newly-wed couples are always busy with their work and if one of them cannot give up their work, they should refrain from wanting to have a baby.
LEXICAL RESOURCE
Spare [verb] – give; afford
Hectic [adj.] – busy
And the like [phrase] – used to say that there are other similar things or people that can be included in what you’ve previously said
Look after [phrase] – take care of
Nursery [noun] – a place where children are cared for during the working day
Cannot be bothered [phrase] – unwilling to make an effort to do something
Refrain [verb] – stop
TIP
i.) The speaker gave a direct answer by choosing the second choice at once. Then, he added a rhetorical question to support his choice. That made him sound very natural! Right after that, he talked about the social problem in this generation in which parents are always busy and they can’t spend time looking after their children.
In the second paragraph, he acknowledged the fact that parents just wanted to provide a better life for their children as a result they need to work harder. Then, he added an insightful argument which was how the personality or the character of a child got affected, if parents couldn’t spend enough time with their children. That’s a very realistic point. He just ended his answer by saying that couples should not plan to have a baby unless they are willing to spend more time with their child. It’s a very good way to end his answer.
Should advertisements aimed at children be banned?
I do not support the idea of banning commercials that target young audiences, however, I am supportive of regulating those advertisements. For me, the government should make sure that those kinds of ads are child-friendly, that are not deceptive, and not harmful for a child’s development once they watch the ads. The government should execute the law strictly to those advertisers who disobey the guidelines, as we need to protect children from bad influences. So I can say that banning is not right but regulating is.
LEXICAL RESOURCE
Young audience [noun] – another term for children
Regulate [verb] – control
Deceptive [adj.] – misleading; deceiving
Execute [verb] – carry out; implement
TIP
i.) The speaker gave his opinion stating that he’s against banning, instead, he recommended regulating. Then, he explained why it needs to be regulated by emphasizing the child’s welfare. It’s a brief answer but very logical.
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Meaning of Words and Phrases Sources: Collins, Macmillan, Cambridge, Oxford
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