Describe a Foreign Culture that you Like Cue Card Sample Answer

You will have exactly one minute to prepare and speak on topics like ‘Describe a foreign culture that you like’. To help you prepare, we have put together cue card answers created by our IELTS experts. These answers will give you an opportunity to share your liking of a foreign culture and guide you to learn how to communicate clearly and successfully. Hence, you can now learn how to answer IELTS Cue Card topics by looking at the given sample answers!

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Now let us check the 3 expert-curated answers for the IELTS Speaking Part 2 topic - Describe a foreign culture that you like.

Sample Answer 1

• what culture it is

It is mesmerising to realise that the globe has diverse cultures and traditions, some known and some kept private to their communities. Out of all, I am pretty drawn toward the traditional Lion Dance of China.

• how you know about it

Back in my school days, I was assigned a project to research and write about the most famous traditions worldwide. During my thorough research, I stumbled upon this traditional dance of China. Herein, performers impersonate the movements of a lion while wearing an explicit costume. Apparently, this lion dance intends to bring good fortune and luck. Usually, it is performed during the Chinese New Year and other local traditional, religious and cultural festivals. Apart from that, it can also be performed on imperative occasions, like a business opening, wedding ceremony, etc.

• what differences there are between that culture and your own

One of the significant differences between this Chinese culture and the one India follows is that of the procedure to embark on a new journey, be it getting married or opening a business. From where I come – the land of diversity – we either break coconuts or perform pooja to mark the commencement of something prosperous.

• and explain why you like that foreign culture.

The entire organization of this dance is nothing but fascinating. Their moves are outstanding, and the performers manage to strike a balance, despite wearing such flamboyant costumes.

Vocabulary

Check out some IELTS Vocabulary to use while answering the cue card - Describe a successful businessman you know - and make sure to impress your IELTS examiner.

• Dictionary: a book or electronic resource that lists the words of a language (typically in alphabetical order) and gives their meaning, or gives the equivalent words in a different language, often also providing information about pronunciation, origin, and usage.
  Eg: The teacher asked us to buy a dictionary.
• Ponder: think about (something) carefully, especially before making a decision or reaching a conclusion
  Eg: The team pondered upon the project for sometime.
• Hot chocolate: a drink made of cocoa
  Eg: She made hot chocolate to stay up late.
• Harvest: period of gathering in crops.
  Eg: It is the harvest period and so the farmers are working hard.

Sample Answer 2

• what culture it is

Every country has its own culture to follow. The dictionary meaning of the word “Culture” is that it is the ‘way of life of people’, meaning how they live. It is passed on from one generation of people to another and sometimes from one country to the other, remaining unchanged with passing time. The celebration of Christmas and Thanksgiving in foreign countries grabbed my special attention.

• how you know about it
• what differences there are between that culture and your own

I learned about these celebrations mostly from storybooks, movies, and web series. In addition, the American sitcoms widely or descriptively show how beautifully they celebrate the two occasions.

Christmas is all the commemoration of the birth of Jesus Christ and so, they celebrate it royally. They bake cakes, decorate the Christmas trees, visit the church, and even give gifts to one another. Although our country celebrates it, not in such a grand manner. However, we do not celebrate Thanksgiving like they do and instead honour the same spirit in other ways.

• and explain why you like that foreign culture.

Both events mean celebrating a single day from your busy schedule with your loved ones. Thanksgiving is celebrated in American countries as a mark of gratitude for the harvest and other blessings of the past year. It is mainly a way of showing how thankful they are for the food they get and for every good thing happening in their life. I think it’s a beautiful culture to observe Christmas on a snowy day. It is a perfect way to sip hot chocolate with your family and ponder about the day.

Sample Answer 3

• what culture it is

Apart from the culture of my country, India, I have been attracted by the Japanese country. The people of Japan always exhibit modesty and simplicity in their behaviour, although it is one of the most technologically advanced nations with a fast-developing economy. Although many people cannot differentiate between Chinese and Japanese culture, I feel Japanese culture is more society centred, while Chinese people are more family-oriented.

• how you know about it
• what differences there are between that culture and your own

Japan is considered one of the most exotic Asian countries due to its colourful traditions, costumes and food. Being a bookworm as well as a hodophile, I was attracted by the beauty of the cherry blossoms during spring in Japan and the festival related to it. The celebration is known as Sakura, while the art of celebrating is called Hanami, which represents the beginning of spring. The origin of Hanami is said to date back to more than 1,000 years when aristocrats enjoyed looking at beautiful cherry blossoms and wrote poems inspired by them. But, now, people in Japan drink and eat, making the tradition of flower-viewing more like a picnic under the trees. Thousands of people flock to parks and they enjoy home-cooked meals, prepare barbecued foods, drink sake to mark the occasion. In addition, there are other festivals like Obon or Bon Festival, different types of Matsuri festivals, etc., in which the Japanese pay reverence to their ancestors or pray to the gods to protect them and purify them.

• and explain why you like that foreign culture.

Indian and Japanese cultures are different in quite a few ways. Firstly, the Japanese celebrate a single culture, while Indian culture amalgamates various cultures within one nation. Secondly, Japanese culture is influenced by Chinese culture and so they are quite similar. But, apart from its own variegated culture, India has accepted foreign festivals and made them its own. Moreover, Japanese traditions are society-related, whereas Indian festivals are mainly based on religion and regions.

Although no country in the world is as culturally diverse and colourful as India, the juxtaposition of humility and progress in Japanese culture is what piques my interest in it. As a result, exploring Japan and its culture is on my wishlist.

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