Describe an Important Thing you Learned, not at School or College IELTS Cue Card

IELTS CUE CARD TOPIC

Describe an Important Thing you Learned, not at School or College

You should say:
When did you learn it?
How did you learn it?
Why did you think it was important to learn it?
How did you feel when you learnt it?

NOTE – The examiner gives you one minute to plan your answer, and to help you prepare for the topic, the examiner provides you with a pencil and a notepad. You’ll have to answer the questions given on the topic for one-to-two minutes

Sample Answer 1

Introduction

There is no denying this conviction that many skills we learn in school help us lead our lives toward an impressive growth trajectory.

Although I have learned various skills at school, there is one that I acquired from the comforts of my home.

When did you learn it?

In 2022, the higher authorities imposed a lockdown because of the coronavirus. During that time, I was free at home, and I decided to use my time prudently by learning how to cook.

How did you learn it?

Firstly I gained basic cooking knowledge by watching many videos on Youtube. That helped to gain vital knowledge regarding various spices, vegetables, herbs, etc.

After that, I take the support of my mother. With her, I started cooking lunch for my family. Initially, it was a daunting task for me by my persistence paid off, and within three months, I became an expert cook.

Why did you think it was important to learn it?

It was important to learn because, first, it helped me to use my time productively.

Secondly, I have plans to go overseas for further education. The cooking knowledge will help me have my favourite food anywhere.

How did you feel when you learned it?

The feeling was fabulous. After learning this skill, life has become easy. Now I can cook the mouth-watering delicacy of my choice without any delay.

Moreover, this new skill has improved my health drastically because, during my learning experience, I read a lot about food ingredients and their nutritional value.

My knowledge helped me cook healthy food for myself and my family.

Sample Answer 2

Introduction

Although I have acquired tremendous knowledge from school teachers, one valuable lesson I have learned from real life.

When did you learn it?

Last year due to the corona pandemic, my country was in lockdown. During that time, there was a restriction on the movement of the general public, and I had to spend six months in the comfort of my home.

To use my spare time productively, I decided to read a book gifted by one of my friends, Andrew. The book’s name is “The compound effect,” and its author is Darren Hardy.

This book has taught me a valuable lesson: To lead our lives toward an impressive growth trajectory, we need to regularly do small tasks with determination, dedication and discipline.

If we put a lot of effort but irregularly, the chances of our success are minimal

How did you learn it?

I read the book with concentration and adopted the strategies prescribed. Then I applied the principles prescribed in the book to my joy. They worked like a charm.

Why did you think it was important to learn it?

This skill of making small, consistent efforts was important to learn because earlier, I used to do hard work but in bits and pieces.

This new learning has brought a paradigm shift in my life, and I am climbing the ladder to success.

How did you feel when you learned it?

After learning it, I realized that our lives are fairly simple, but we complicate them by not flowing the laws of nature. And the compound effect is a gospel truth that applies to every field.

Sample Answer 3

Introduction

There is no denying this conviction that school teaches us many things.

However, there is one skill that I learned after passing school.

When did you learn it?

After passing my 12th standard, I was free for two months. I decided to make prudent use of my time by learning a new skill. During that time, I researched a lot and learned that digital marketing is a skill that could help me lead my career toward an impressive growth trajectory.

Hence, I learned it during that time.

How did you learn it?

To learn it, firstly, I watched a boatload of videos on Youtube. But my efforts were unsuccessful because the information provided was not up to the mark.

After that, I joined an institute. There I learned the concepts under the aegis of a seasoned trainer.

I did tremendous hard work with determination, dedication and discipline, and within two months, I gained substantial knowledge of digital marketing.

Why did you think it was important to learn it?

It was important to learn because the world has become a global village. Moreover, social media has made inroads into our lives.

In such a scenario, acquiring a skill like digital marketing is prudent because it increases your chances of getting employment.

Moreover, most businesses these days thrive primarily on digital marketing to promote their products and services.

How did you feel when you learned it?

The feeling was awesome because I got part-time work as a freelancer after acquiring this skill. These days I am pursuing graduation, and this skill helps me to finance my education.

Sample Answer 4

Introduction

School is the perfect place to learn things. However, we can learn only a few things from this pious place. Many skills you have to learn on your own.

There is a significant skill that I learned after passing school.

When did you learn it?

Last year I was free for two months. During that time, my father advised me to learn to drive. He told me that learning how to drive is a wise approach because it helps you to use your time productively.

How did you learn it?

To learn it, I divided the process into two parts. Firstly I took the help of Youtube to learn basics like

what functions a car has,
what’s the difference between a two-wheeler and a four-wheeler driving
how to park the car
how to get support in case of a mishap
how to keep your car neat and clean etc.

After learning the basics, I joined a driving school. I worked under the aegis of a seasoned trainer for six weeks. He taught me with determination, dedication and discipline.

The information gained from watching Youtube videos helped me a lot, and after 6 weeks, I could drive on narrow streets and busy highways.

Why did you think it was important to learn it?

In my opinion, learning how to drive is a wise approach because it helps you to use your time productively. In this modern era, time is a precious resource we waste while commuting on public transport.

Learning how to drive enhances your confidence and reduces your stress.

How did you feel when you learned it?

Learning it brought a paradigm shift because it helped me save two hours from my busy schedule.

Sample Answer 5

Introduction

A school is a pious place that makes us responsible citizens by teaching us numerous values and skills.

Although I gained enormous knowledge from my school, one skill I acquired after passing my school was.

When did you learn it?

During last summer vacation, I had sufficient free time at my disposal. I decided to make prudent use of that time by learning to swim.

How did you learn it?

To learn it, firstly I researched the internet to find basic information like swimming techniques, costumes, accessories etc. After that, I shortlisted 3-4 swimming pools nearby my home.

Then I visited all of them and finalized a properly maintained swimming pool. I hired the services of a seasoned coach who taught me how to swim with determination, dedication and discipline.

Initially, it was a tough task, and I planned to leave it; however, I persisted in my coach’s advice. After 15 days, I became comfortable with it, and I became an expert swimmer in the space of two months.

Why did you think it was important to learn it?

Swimming was important to learn because, in case of unforeseen contingency in a water body, you can save your and others’ life. Moreover, it is a complete exercise that helps you to maintain your ideal body weight.

How did you feel when you learned it?

Learning to swim brought a paradigm shift in my life. Firstly I became a fit person, and my confidence enhanced considerably; I can swim in rivers, canals and other water bodies with tremendous ease.

Moreover, swimming works like a charm to uplift the mood in the scorching heat of North India.

Sample Answer 6

Introduction

In my school, I learned many things. However, there is one skill that I acquired after completing my schooling.

When did you learn it?

Last year due to the corona pandemic, I was at home most of the months. To pass my leisure time, I watched many videos on platforms like Netflix, Amazon Prime, Voot and many more.

However, after that, I started feeling bored and decided to learn how to play the guitar.

How did you learn it?

Although there was a lockdown, luckily, online sales were open. I ordered a guitar, and it reached me in one week.

After getting the guitar, I read a lot of material online regarding its basics there, and I watched umpteen videos to start playing it, but I failed miserably.

Instead of acquiring the knowledge, I was getting confused. Ultimately, I joined an online course where a seasoned trainer taught me; his central focus was on discipline.

Under the trainer’s guidance, I worked with determination, dedication and discipline, and it took me three months to become a guitarist.

Why did you think it was important to learn it?

It was important to learn because we live in an era of cut-throat competition, which adds immense stress to our lives. In such a scenario, it is advisable to learn a musical instrument because it adds patience to your life.

How did you feel when you learned it?

Learning it was an enchanting experience. It has helped me to be more creative. Moreover, by learning it, I have developed the skill of patience which helps me to handle conflicts adroitly.

Sample Answer 7

Introduction

Last year I learned a skill after finishing my schooling that is worth mentioning.

When did you learn it?

Last year during the corona pandemic, I developed a sedentary lifestyle, and I used to watch tv for long hours while sitting on the couch in awkward positions.

Due to that, I developed unbearable lower back pain, and I did many things to get relief, like seeing a doctor, eating medicines etc., but nothing worked.

One of my friends advised me to do Yoga for back pain relief. Then I decided to learn Yoga.

How did you learn it?

To learn it, first, I read a lot of books to have a basic understanding. After that, I watched numerous Youtube videos but did not get many benefits.

After that, I joined the local gym for Yoga classes and worked under a seasoned trainer’s guidance for three months. Under his aegis, my performance improved considerably, and I became an expert. Apart from this, I got relief from back pain.

Why did you think it was important to learn it?

Yoga is a must-have skill because, in this modern era, fierce competition has made inroads in our lives. Due to that, we have to work for long hours, and our health suffers.

Yoga helps us maintain our physical and mental fitness.

How did you feel when you learned it?

Learning yoga was a fascinating experience because it has brought a paradigm shift in my life. Firstly it has helped me become a patient person, and I have started living a slow-paced life.

Moreover, my body’s flexibility has enhanced considerably, and the pain in my back is no more.

Apart from this, I have started remaining happier because of the mental strength Yoga provides us to handle conflicts adroitly.

Follow up Questions

Here are some examples of follow-up questions that the examiner might ask during your speaking part 3 related to the cue card “Describe an Important Thing you Learned, not at School or College”.

1. What do children learn from their parents?

There is no denying this conviction that Parents are the first teachers to children. Children acquire so many good and bad traits from their parents. They learn basic traits like how to communicate, how to eat, how to wear clothes, and how to behave in society from their parents. It is a gospel truth that children usually imitate what their parents do in front of them.

2. Are some children well-behaved because of their parents?

In most cases, the parents’ good behaviour is embraced by the children because it is a well-known fact that we become the average of five people we meet and communicate with. Children spend a sizeable part of their time with their parents, so they learn good and bad habits from them. So if a child is well-behaved to some extent, the credit for this goes to his parents.

3. Is it necessary for adults to learn new things?

It is a fact that learning is a journey, not a destination. In the modern era where fierce competition has become an integral part of our lives, learning new things is of utmost importance because it helps us to survive in a dynamic environment.

The world is changing at a rapid pace. By constant learning, adults can stay synchronized with the rest of the world to lead their lives toward an impressive growth trajectory.

4. What are the options for learning new things?

In the modern era, technology has made inroads in our lives. It has empowered us with a plethora of options to learn new things. There are two ways to learn new things. First, we can follow the traditional methods of reading books and joining courses.

The second way is to use the power of the internet. We can watch numerous videos on any topic on platforms like Youtube and Instagram to acquire knowledge on any skill.

5. Is learning new things important for our physical and mental health?

It is gospel truth that we thrive primarily on learning new things to lead our lives towards an impressive growth trajectory. In this modern era, fierce competition has become integral to our lives.

In such a scenario, thinking beyond the conventional domain is worthwhile. Because doing things in an old manner makes our lives monotonous, and it allows our competitors to beat us.

On the other hand, learning new things brings a paradigm shift in our thinking and encourages us to find solutions to the present problems so they can be dealt with adroitly.

In short, learning new things keeps us active and helps us to remain physically and mentally fit by throwing new challenges in front of us.

Vocabulary

1. Vital

Meaning: Very important

Sentence: In the modern era internet plays a vital role in our lives as it empowers us to handle numerous conflicts adroitly by providing information at the click of a button.

2. Fabulous

Meaning: Excellent

Sentence: During the 2011 world cup, Virat Kohli was an average batsman, but after that, he evolved by ingraining the traits like determination, dedication and discipline in his routine and this paradigm shift brought fabulous results for him.

3. Mouth-watering

Meaning: Food with good looks or aroma.

Sentence: A visit to my hometown is always an emotionally enriching experience for me because I get a chance to taste the mouth-watering delicacies cooked by my mother.

4. Delicacy

Meaning: a type of food that is considered particularly good

Sentence: Last week I had a gala time during my college reunion. The special feature of the party was exotic delicacies served from different cuisines.

5. Work like a charm

Meaning: Be entirely successful or efficient

Sentence: Comminatory habits such as eating excessive junk food should be eschewed because they are detrimental to our health. On the other hand, eating a healthy diet and regular exercise works like a charm and enhances our physical and mental well-being.

6. Gospel truth
Meaning: A completely true statement
Sentence: It is a gospel truth that education empowers us to handle conflicts adroitly and should not stop us from educating ourselves even after a degree. Keeping yourself updated is a must-have to gain success in this contemporary epoch.

7. Substantial

Meaning: Large in amount or number

Sentence: During the corona pandemic, the governments had to shell out a substantial part of their earnings towards providing free healthcare to the weaker sections of society.