IELTS cue card: describe a person you admire
An answer plan for the IELTS Speaking Part 2 task about a person you admire, with prompts for who they are, what they did, and why they matter to you, plus follow-up practice.
Speech9 cardsAbout 2 min to speakIntermediateAnyone
IELTS cue card: describe a skill you learned
Answer plan for the IELTS Part 2 topic about learning a skill: what it was, how and when you learned it, what was difficult, and how it helps you now.
Free to use, edit, print and study. No account needed: your set stays on this device.
The cards
- 1
The task
Describe a skill you learned that you find useful.
You should say:
- what the skill is
- when and how you learned it
- what was difficult about learning it
- and explain why it is useful to you.
Original practice topic in the Part 2 style.
- 2
Pick a skill
Practical skills give the clearest answers:
- cooking a family dish
- swimming or riding a bike
- touch typing, coding or editing videos
- driving, sewing, first aid, a musical instrument
My skill: [___] Learned at age: [___]
- 3
Opening
"A skill I'm really glad I learned is [cooking]. I picked it up when I was about [sixteen], and I use it almost every day now."
"Picked up" is a natural phrase for learning something informally.
- 4
When and how
- Who taught you: "[My grandmother showed me on weekends.]" or "[I taught myself from online videos.]"
- How often you practised: "[two or three times a week]"
- A first attempt: "[The first meal I cooked was a disaster.]"
- 5
What was difficult
Describe the struggle honestly. It shows range of vocabulary:
- "At first I found it really hard to [judge the timing / keep my balance]."
- "I kept making the same mistake: [___]."
- "I nearly gave up after [___]."
Phrases: it took a while to get the hang of it; trial and error.
- 6
The breakthrough
"Things changed when [I started writing down what went wrong / someone gave me one simple tip]."
"After about [a month], it suddenly clicked and I could [___] without thinking."
- 7
Why it is useful
- Practical benefit: "[I save money because I rarely eat out.]"
- Personal benefit: "[It makes me more independent.]"
- Social benefit: "[I cook for my friends, which brings us together.]"
Close: "So it's a skill I'd recommend to anyone."
- 8
Useful language
- get the hang of something
- a steep learning curve
- practice makes perfect (use sparingly)
- self-taught, hands-on, step by step
- it became second nature
- 9
Part 3 practice questions
- Which skills should schools teach that they do not teach now?
- Is it better to learn from a teacher or teach yourself online?
- Do adults find it harder than children to learn new skills? Why?
- Which skills will be most important for jobs in the future?
How to use this template
This set prepares you for IELTS Speaking Part 2 topics about learning: a skill, a hobby you took up, or something you taught yourself. You get one minute to plan and up to two minutes to talk, and the cards follow that rhythm. After the task and a planning card, the answer moves through when and how you learned, what was hard, the moment it finally clicked, and why the skill matters now. That 'struggle then breakthrough' shape gives your answer a natural story arc and lets you show past tenses, phrasal verbs and reflective language. The final cards provide vocabulary and Part 3 questions about education and learning. The topic is original practice material written in the exam format.
Tips
- Choose a skill with a clear difficulty. 'It was easy' leaves you with nothing to say for the third bullet.
- Use time expressions to move the story forward: at first, after a few weeks, eventually, these days.
- The breakthrough card is optional if you are short of time, but it often lifts an answer from adequate to engaging.
- Avoid listing every step of the skill. One specific example, such as your first attempt, says more.
- Say the closing line slowly. A calm finish leaves a good final impression on the examiner.
Make it fit
- For 'describe a hobby you took up recently', keep the structure and swap 'useful' for 'enjoyable'.
- For 'describe something you would like to learn', move every card into the future: 'I would like to...', 'I imagine the hardest part will be...'.
- For 'describe a time you taught someone', flip the roles: you are the teacher and the other person struggles.
- Pair the Part 3 card with the education cards in your other IELTS sets to build a bank of opinions.
Updated October 28, 2026