Describe a Time When you Learned Something New - IELTS Cue Card

In the IELTS Speaking, you need to showcase your ability to speak fluently in English. One of the sections in the IELTS Speaking would provide you with a minute to brainstorm and two minutes to speak such as a topic, 'Describe a Time When you Learned Something New'. The IELTS Speaking Part 2 Cue Card topics will prompt you to formulate a response and speak on the given topic.

To attempt the question on a time that you learned something new that changed you in some way, you must narrow down the essential questions on the given topic to answer within the given time.  To excel in the IELTS exam with a band score of 8+, you must practice with different questions and check out the answers to understand the structure to be used.

So, why wait any longer? Let’s work together to get you a band score of 8+!

Strategies for Attempting IELTS Cue Card - Describe a Time When you Learned Something New to Score Band 8+

Before indulging into the topic to describe a journey you made where you learned something new, remember to incorporate a few strategies as you prepare for the cue card.

• An effective note making skill will help you organize your answer logically and ensure that all aspects of the question are addressed.
• To make the answer more interesting and easier to remember, use specific details and examples instead of generic answers which must be related to your experience.
• Use all varieties of IELTS Speaking Vocabulary to demonstrate lexical resources where you can use synonyms and precise language to avoid repetition.
• Utilise the time to think for 1 minute and speak for 2 minutes. Try your best to structure your answer within the given time frame to avoid rushing. Practice providing detailed responses that last about 1-2 minutes long as you learn to pace yourself.
• The criteria for assessment also include fluency and conciseness where you can use a varied sentence structure from IELTS Grammar.
• Show your interest in the topic and be enthusiastic about it. Your voice will reflect excitement about the topic and engage more in the response.

Aiming to score BAND 9 in IELTS Speaking? Check out the video below!

Question - Describe a Time When You Learnt Something New - IELTS Cue Card

To answer this question, you can describe the situation, the emotions you experienced, and the outcomes. Remember to write the pointers which would help you build confidence and also improve your speaking skills. As you will only get a minute to prepare, you must be fast enough to effectively answer the questions.

Let’s check out the sample answers to describe the last time you were curious about something and did your own research!

Sample Answer 1

Trying out new things is always an invigorating experience. With the dawning of each day come an infinite number of possibilities to explore and learn things one is unfamiliar with. As for me, I am always curious to learn new things and expand my repertoire of knowledge. In this regard, I would like to talk about the time I learned something new.

Being a passionate artist, I decided to take up Art as a subject during my final years of school. As part of the curriculum, we had to learn to do textile-based work and I selected batik. Batik is an ancient, traditional form of wax-resist dyeing done to create interesting patterns on various textiles. This technique originated from the island of Java, Indonesia and now is popular all over the world.

Under my art teacher’s guidance, I started the process by creating a draft of the design I wanted to dye onto a cloth. I then sketched it out on a thin white cotton cloth. Once the design was done, I melted beeswax over a stove and started applying the liquefied wax using a paintbrush to cover areas of my design that I wanted to remain white. Then, I started preparing to dye it. Once I was satisfied, I shook off the excess water and hung it out to dry.A few days later, I covered the areas I wanted to remain red on my design with beeswax and prepared for my final round of dyeing. When I was happy with the richness of the colour and was sure it had covered my design well, I took out the cloth and let it dry. As it dried, I scrubbed out the wax using lemon, hot water, and a scrubber.

Learning to do batik printing was an interesting experience for me. It was unlike anything I had ever done before and was quite a cumbersome and time-consuming process. Nevertheless, the results were incredibly worth it and I was thoroughly overjoyed at having learned to do something as unique and wonderful as batik printing. Preserving traditional forms of art and craft is always important and I am glad I got the opportunity to learn the traditional printing technique and play a role in preserving its rich legacy.

Sample Answer 2

I believe that every day of our lives is a moment to learn something new. It can be something minuscule, like making our first cup of tea, or something life-changing like learning how to drive a car. Being a reclusive person, interacting with someone has never been my forte until I stepped into the adult world. I realized that unless I work on communication skills, I cannot flourish in any sphere. So, I decided to learn public speaking. Today, I am going to share my experience of the time I gradually mastered the skill of public speaking.

During my school days, my parents and teachers used to push me to speak up. But, unfortunately, all their efforts failed as I mostly kept to myself and talked with some very close friends. So, when I decided to move to another city for further education, my parents talked me out about the importance of public speaking in professional and personal life.

Therefore, I used the days between the exam and the result declaration to search online public speaking classes as I had limited time due to my college preparation. Consequently, I joined one of the courses offered by Coursera. Initially, the expert helped me overcome my hesitation of speaking through different activities like preparing and presenting PPTs. Gradually, I overcame the fear and got the confidence to communicate freely with others. During the course of the sessions, I learned about various great public speakers, mastered voice modulation, and it relaxed my body language.

Now, I can proudly say that I am a transformed person. Although I still have limited friends, I can express myself among strangers and other professionals adroitly. As we all know that words have the power to inform, persuade, educate, and even entertain, I have finally become adept in public speaking, making me a self-assured person.

Vocabulary - Describe a Time When you Learned Something New - IELTS Cue Card

• Minuscule

Meaning: extremely small; tiny
Eg: Ants are minuscule but hard-working creatures.

• Forte

Meaning: something that a person can do well; a strong ability
Eg: Rashika’s forte is storytelling.

• Talk (someone) out

Meaning: to discuss something such as a problem or plan completely in order to find a solution or an agreement
Eg: His parents talked him out of moving to a different country.

• Modulation

Meaning: a change in the style, loudness, etc. of something such as your voice in order to achieve an effect or express an emotion
Eg: If you master proper voice modulation, you can be a good orator.

• Adroitly

Meaning: in a way that is very skilful
Eg: Our manager dodged the disastrous decision adroitly.

Awesome job! You are just a step away from getting a band score of 8+ in the IELTS exam. Since the IELTS Speaking Part 3 involves follow up questions related to the topic in Cue Card, you must also ensure to answer according to the structure. Practice diligently to acquire your desired band score of 8+ in the IELTS Speaking.

Let’s continue with the flow!

Also check:

• Describe a Big City You Would Like to Visit - IELTS Cue Card
• Daily Routine - IELTS Speaking Part 1,2,3
• Describe a city you want to live in - IELTS Cue card