Describe a skill that you learned in your childhood IELTS Cue Card

IELTS CUE CARD TOPIC

Describe a skill that you learned in your childhood.

You should say:

– What the skill was

– Who taught you this skill

– How they taught you

-And explain why you think it is important

Sample 1

Although I have learned many skills in my life, especially after growing up as an adult, the one skill I learned in my childhood was cooking, and my mother taught me this skill. And for teaching me, she did a lot of hard work. I was just eight years old then, and my mother was in a job, so she was transferred to another location for two months.

She wanted me to handle all my conflicts adroitly because my father also used to remain busy during those days, so she thought that teaching me how to cook was prudent so that I could cook the mouth-watering delicacies of my choice.

And for teaching me, she followed a straightforward approach. Every day, firstly, she would teach me how to cook a particular food item, and then the next day, she would stand in front of me and make me do all the activities. Initially, it was a difficult task for me, but with regular practice for one week, I learned it, and in her absence, I could cook the meals for myself.

It was vital for me because, with the skills I helped, my father also because whenever he would come back home, I used to cook the vegetables, and it was easy for him to manage his office at home. So this skill is still with me, and now I stay away from my home, and the cooking techniques learned from my mother work like a charm for me.

Sample 2

Although I have learned many skills in my life, a few of them I learned in my childhood, and one skill is very important to me. That’s why it is worth discussing, and that skill is photography.

My dad taught me how to take amazing photographs when I was five. He did many things to teach me this skill. First, he took me to a forest, and there he told me to take pictures of wild animals from a wide distance using a lens, and that was my first experience. After that, he would take me to busy streets and tell me to take pictures of people moving here and there.

After that, I also clicked pictures of tiny objects and insects, and within one or two years, I became proficient. This skill is important because this is now an era of social media. People use it effectively to do business transactions, and having the skill of photography works like a charm because now I can click very good photographs of my products and services and post them on social media, which helps me to churn more business.

Moreover, other people also provide me with work for clicking their photographs, which is a win-win situation for me. Photography is an imperative skill these days, and every child must learn it.

Sample 3

I learned numerous skills in my childhood. The particular skill that I knew was kite flying. My cousin taught me this skill while in my village during summer vacations. He practically taught me. When I saw him flying the kite, I was fascinated. Then I requested him, and he told me the entire procedure. First, he told me how to tie the kite, make small strides, see the wind direction, and choose the best time for kite flying.

And I worked under his aegis for two or three days. After that, I learned it. And slowly and steadily, I became an expert in it. People in my neighbourhood also started learning it from me. And to date, that skill is with me. Hence, I love to fly a kite whenever I get free time.

And this skill is essential because, in this modern era, people have less time at their disposal. Due to that, whatever their leisure time is, they like to watch TV or remain busy with their gadgets. So they are not close to the nature. They have started staying in closed environments.

On the contrary, kite flying is an activity that you do outdoors. And in this, you judge the wind in a better way. And you always remain calm. Moreover, it teaches you patience because, through impatience, you cannot fly a kite. So this skill is highly imperative because it helps you to be close to nature.

Sample 4

Every person has different skills which are lucrative for them. I am also an artist, and I have a lot of skills in doing art. I am very good at this thing.

I vividly remember that when I was in 11th standard at that time, My grandfather taught me how to grow vegetables, which was an excellent skill for me.

Firstly, I spent some time with my grandfather, who taught me how to grow vegetables and which kinds of seeds and chemicals are helpful for vegetables and plants.

Whenever I went to my farm, I grew some vegetables and plants with my grandfather, and when I became an expert in gardening, I started to grow some plants on my garden lawn.

Firstly, I purchased some seeds, and I started to grow. When I started at that time, my mother gave me lots of compliments, and my father also. The plants looked beautiful after two or three days, and they thanked me.

I told them to thank my grandfather because he taught me excellent skills that would benefit my future,

My friends also asked me how to grow vegetables because they knew my grandfather was a farmer. So it is a very proud moment for me.

Sample 5

The skill that I learned in my childhood was playing football.

I learned it at my school where there was this coach, and his name was Neeraj sir. He taught us and instructed us throughout our school time. He used to call us in the morning before the school hours.

And then he used to make us do stretching and run there. There, they were running drills by sir. We used to run seven to eight rounds of the ground; then he made us all stand in a circle where we used to practice, and then he made us play. He used to divide all the girls into two teams.

Mostly, he used to give me a forward left position to play. Sports are essential, and football has been a crucial part of my life. It has given me physical strength and made me focus throughout the day. Sports teach you to maintain the spirit even if you fall, not just in the field. It is also in real life, so sports have been essential.

Sample 6

I learned different skills in childhood, like cooking, cleaning, and recycling.

One of them is exceptional, and as mentioned, was my cooking skill because everybody needs culinary skills to cook healthy food for themselves and their family.

I was 11 years old when my mother taught me about cooking because she was a housewife. At that time, we had cotton crops in our field, and she had to pick the cotton in the field with some of the labor people. At that time, she faced many challenges because she was very busy with her work, and when she returned in the evening.

Then she had to cook the food for all the family members, so she decided to teach me about cooking. She taught me how to cook food, and one day. She showed me how to put all the spices according to the quantity and how much I put in the vegetables.

, and she told me to make it by myself the next day. I tried it myself, and it took about two weeks; then I cooked every day in the evening, and in the morning, my mom always cooked the food for the whole family.

So, apart from that, I was in the 12th standard when I got my smartphone. I improved my cooking skills through it. I can cook all types of dishes because we have a smartphone. We have access to Google or YouTube to find cooking recipes, so it is beneficial for me because I can cook mouth-watering dishes for my family members.

Apart from that, my husband likes home-cooked food, so he is happy because I can cook different types of fast food and vegetarian and non-vegetarian foods. Apart from that, I am in Canada now, so it is beneficial because I can cook my food, which is healthy for me.

Follow-ups

Here are some examples of follow-up questions that the examiner might ask during your speaking part 3 related to the cue card “Describe a skill that you learned in your childhood ”.

1. Where do children learn skills in your country?

In our country, there is an excessive focus on skill development. As far as children are concerned, the first and foremost place for them to learn skills is the school, where they learn skills like drawing, coding, pottery making, etc. Apart from this, many students join various institutes where they learn about upcoming skills. Moreover, in certain families, parents take on the responsibility of teaching various upcoming skills to their kids.

2. What are the differences between learning skills independently and from others?

When we learn a skill ourselves, we take a lot of time because we do not know the right trajectory to follow. On the contrary, the process gets shortened when we learn it from someone else because the person who teaches us knows the recipe for learning a skill, so it becomes easy.

3. What essential skills should a child learn?

The first and foremost skill a child should learn is the ability to communicate effectively. Life becomes very easy when you know the basic things about communication, like handling objections and complaints and negotiating. Apart from that, essential skills are operating a computer and basic coding. So, these are the skills that are necessary in the contemporary epoch.

4. What skills do you think teenagers should have?

The first and foremost skill a teenager should have is effective communication. They should also be good at body language. Moreover, they must be skilful in digital technology platforms like Photoshop, video editing, or content writing. If they have these skills, it becomes easy for them to lead their lives towards an impressive trajectory.

5. Who should teach teenagers skills?

Regarding teaching skills, teenagers should go to specialists because learning from someone who doesn’t specialize in that skill leads to improper skill development. So, a specialist with heaps of teaching experience must provide the necessary training and support to the teenagers.

6. What are the differences between children’s and adults’ learning skills?

There is a difference between children’s learning skills and adults’ learning skills, sometimes for fun. Children want to avoid immediate results of their skills because they have plenty of time. At the same time, adults are in a stage where they have to earn money for themselves and for their families. So, the skills they learn need to be job-specific. By acquiring them, the adults can get employment, or they can help them in their business.

7.How do you usually approach learning a new skill or subject?

Usually, if I decide by myself I have to learn new things, then first I try myself, and if it is hard for me, I will ask someone to help. Apart from that, now that I have access to Google or YouTube, I can search for the skills and start practicing them.

8.What techniques do you find most effective for retaining information when studying?

The information is more attractive to me; the sources with people with experience related to the specific topic are the best option. Still, I can search online if I don’t have any approach to it.

9.Can you describe a time when you faced a challenge while learning something new?

I am in Canada nowadays, so when I joined my work last year in October, I faced different challenges with my communication skills and paperwork. At that time, we had to make a lesson plan according to my workplace, and I didn’t know much about it. It took about a month to understand how to make a lesson plan related to the student’s interests. Then I asked one of my colleagues, and she taught me very well, and nowadays, I can make it by myself.

10.Do you prefer learning independently or in a group setting?

It depends on the situation because sometimes if we know it, it is easy to get to the point from that window. Apart from that, now we have a lot of resources where we can check, but if we should have to improve any skill as a team, then we should have to consult with each other, and it is the easiest way to get to know and practice with each other, then we can get proficiency related to our skill.

11.What role do you think technology plays in enhancing learning skills?

Technology is crucial in improving skills because everybody depends on technology nowadays. They can search online if they face any challenges or problems related to their new information or environment.

12.How do you manage your time effectively when studying multiple subjects or skills?

When I study multiple subjects or skills, I have to manage and make a schedule according to my daily routine because if I spend too much time on one particular task, then I cannot focus on another, so I make sure my schedule is related to my study or my skills.

13.Have you ever used strategies or methods to improve your memory and concentration while studying?

I use strategies because I cannot memorize my work or study in a noisy place. At that time, I wanted an isolated place to focus more on my work, so I always decided to read or study in a calm and peaceful place.

14.In your opinion, how important is it to set specific goals when learning a new skill?

Everyone should have specific goals if they want to learn new things. After all, if you don’t have any goals in your life, then you cannot discover new things, because every day, if you decide on your goals, it will be short or long-term, then you can quickly achieve success in your life.

15.What are the essential qualities of a good teacher when it comes to effective learning?

First, the teacher should have good communication skills because they can learn effectively if he has good communication skills with others.

They should also have enough knowledge related to their subject and topic. Then, they have more confidence to explain their points to others.