Describe an interesting thing you have learned from a foreign culture IELTS Cue Card

IELTS CUE CARD TOPIC

Describe an interesting thing you have learned from a foreign culture

You should say:

What it is?

How did you learn it?

Why did you learn it?

Explain how you think it will help others?

Sample Answer 1

Introduction

Being a social butterfly, I love interacting with people from diverse backgrounds. A few years back, I had a conversation with a Chinese citizen, and I learned an interesting practice from him.

What it is?

There is no denying this conviction that health is wealth. In Chinese culture, people drink hot water instead of cold water.

Whenever guests visit their house, people serve hot water. It seems like a simple practice, but it brings collosol benefits because it is intuitively true that drinking cold water is detrimental to our health.

On the other hand, drinking hot water keeps our gut neat and clean. Moreover, our digestive system remains in good shape.

How did you learn it?

I practised taking hot water instead of cold water. For the first two months, I got minimal results. But after two months, I started enjoying it because I lost body fat.

People started complimenting me on my changed look. Moreover, the glow on my face grew double. After experiencing a paradigm shift in my health, I realized that drinking hot water is a good practice.

Why did you learn it?

I learned it because I tried numerous things to lose weight but did not get desired results. This practice of drinking hot water has made me a fit person.

Explain how you think it will help others?

In my nation, obesity is a pressing problem which has affected people from all walks of life. By following this practice of drinking hot water instead of cold, people can transform their personalities.

Moreover, a fit nation is a productive nation. That is why I would like to create awareness regarding this Chinese practice.

Sample Answer 2

Introduction

Being a voracious traveller, I have visited many places and met people from diverse backgrounds. One year back, I met a Japanese citizen, and I learned an interesting concept from him.

What is it?

The concept is “IKIGAI,” and it encourages us to know the real purpose of our life.

How did you learn it?

After getting brief knowledge about this concept, I read a book on it. Moreover, I gained a boatload of information from the internet.

Another resource that I used to get information was Quora.com which is a question-answer-based website and application.

Why did you learn it?

I learned it because despite putting in my best efforts, I was not getting success in my life. The concept of IKIGAI changed my mindset and helped me to think beyond the conventional domain.

Before learning this concept, I used to follow the latest trends to live a happy life. But after gaining knowledge regarding it, I started looking for the real purpose of my life.

I realized that I was following the wrong path by listening to others, and I started following my passion for photography to lead my life towards an impressive growth trajectory.

Explain how you think it will help others?

It will help others because people these days are living their life like a radar-less ship which is always at the mercy of wind for movement. By learning the concept of IKIGAI, they can find the real purpose of their life.

Sample Answer 3

Introduction

Being a constant learner, I tend to learn from whomsoever I meet. I met an American citizen two years back, and I learned an exciting thing from him.

What is it?

In American culture, the youngsters do part-time jobs while pursuing their university education. It serves two purposes. Firstly they help their parents by financing their education.

There is no denying this conviction that education has become expensive these days. Moreover, spiralling inflation is another grave concern. In such circumstances, when young people do part-time work while pursuing a university degree, they provide their parents with unabated support.

Apart from this, the work experience gained while pursuing a university education helps youngsters lead their careers towards an impressive growth trajectory. It is intuitively true that companies these days prefer university graduates with work experience.

Hence, a youngster who works while pursuing his tertiary education is a blessing to his family and his nation.

How did you learn it?

During my international with that American citizen, I asked about his life experiences. He told me that the part-time job he did put his career on the right path.

Why did you learn it?

I learned it because I wanted to know why America is a thriving economy. And the prominent reason for America’s success is the highly productive population.

Explain how you think it will help others?

I have planned to create awareness regarding the practice of doing part-time work while pursuing a university education because, in our nation, the percentage of non-productive youngsters is high.

They have this uncanny knack for wasting their time on trivial matters, and they consider part-time work a menial job.

By spreading awareness, I would like to change the mindset of people toward earning while learning concepts.

Sample Answer 4

Introduction

Being an avid learner, I try to fetch valuable information from whoever I meet. Recently I met a person from Vietnam, and I learned an exciting practice from him, which helps us to remain fit.

What is it?

In Vietnamese culture, they consume significantly fewer carbohydrates in their diets. All their eating items are soup-based with plenty of vegetables and spices inside.

How did you learn it?

I have read a lot about Vietnam, and I know that the percentage of the obese population in this nation is substantially lower than in others. Therefore, I was curious to know more. When I met a Vietnamese in person, I asked him about his diet plan, and he told me fine details regarding the eating practices and recipes of their culture.

Why did you learn it?

I learned it because I was overweight earlier and tried numerous techniques with little success. The eating pattern told by the Vietnamese gentleman worked like a charm for me, and I lost 15kgs weight in one year.

Explain how you think it will help others?

It will help others because millions of people worldwide are suffering from the problem of being overweight. They are trying numerous techniques and spending a boatload of money to get the desired shape. But their efforts are going in vain.

In such a scenario, this simple technique of restricting one nutrient intake could help people gain a healthy life without much hard work.

Therefore, I have decided to create awareness about this eating practice in Vietnamese culture through social media.

Sample answer 5

Introduction

Recently I came to know about an exciting thing regarding a foreign culture.

What is it?

It is called Potluck. In this system, when you go to someone’s place for a party, you bring something from your home to share the burden of the host.

How did you learn it?

Last week one of my friends came from Canada. We met after a long time, and being a curious person, I asked him for details about Canadian culture.

During that time, he told me about this exciting system of potlucks. According to him, this is an integral part of their culture because people have a hectic lifestyle in Canada. Due to that, cooking for many guests during weekends is not a worthwhile proposition. Moreover, having outside food is an imprudent approach because you get unhealthy food coupled with an exorbitant price.

Why did you learn it?

I learned it because I will move to Canada after a year, and knowing the culture in advance is a prudent approach because it would help me handle the conflicts adroitly.

Explain how you think it will help others?

Spreading knowledge of this exciting system is a rational approach because these days, people have this uncanny knack for wasting a boatload of money on weekend parties. By following the system of Potluck, they can make substantial savings.

Moreover, there is no denying this conviction that outside food is detrimental to health. However, we go for it because cooking at home is a daunting task for most people. Such persons can maintain good health by making potluck parties a part of their culture because that would help them to have home-cooked food at their disposal.

Follow up Questions

Here are some follow-up questions that the examiner might ask during your speaking part 3 related to the cue card “Describe an interesting thing you have learned from a foreign culture”.

1 Do you think it’s important to know about other cultures?

In the contemporary epoch, technology has bridged the gap between people. Due to this reason, the movement of individuals from one country to another has increased appreciably. In such a scenario knowing other cultures is a prudent approach because it leads to the holistic development of individuals.

Moreover, by learning about other cultures, people can easily lead their lives toward an impressive growth trajectory. In the modern era, more information leads to a surge in the opportunities at your disposal.

2. How can we benefit from learning about other cultures?

Learning about other cultures leads to a paradigm shift in our personality because we come to know various practices that help us know the world better.

Moreover, it helps us be closer to the people from other nations. And this closeness fosters business relationships betwixt various countries. Hence learning about other cultures is a worthwhile proposition.

3 What do you think is the best way to learn about another culture?

The best way to learn about another culture is to interact with the native people of that culture. By conversing with them, we can know their values and traditions.

Apart from this, watching movies and videos related to the culture we wish to know about is another prudent approach. This medium is highly effective. Youtube is the best platform for this.

Lastly, they can take the help of social media and join various groups to chat with people from diverse backgrounds. This practice helps to gain knowledge of other cultures from the comfort of your home.

4 Do you think that learning foreign languages can help us understand foreign cultures?

Yes, it is worthwhile to learn the language of the culture you wish to know more about. Because language contains the essence of that culture, and by learning it, we can interact with the native population in a better way.

5. Do you think it’s better to go overseas to study a foreign language or to study it in your home country?

I think it depends on the time and funds at your disposal. There is no denying this conviction that the best way to learn a foreign language is by interacting with the natives. By visiting overseas to learn a foreign language, we remain in a cosmopolitan environment and thrive primarily on the foreign language to communicate with others. Hence studying overseas for foreign language proficiency is a prudent approach.

6. How do people of different cultures can bridge the gap between them?

The best way to bridge the gap is to accept the traditions and cultures of the place you visit. By doing so, we can come close to the native population, which helps us form new relationships and bonds and removes the biases from people’s hearts.

7. How nations can preserve their culture?

In the modern era, globalisation has made inroads worldwide. Due to this, cultural invasion is burgeoning at an alarming rate. Many people are adopting new practices by parting ways with the old ones.

In such a scenario, preserving the cultural identity is a daunting task for the individuals and the nation.

The prudent approach is to include cultural practices in the study curriculum so that the current generation and posterity remain aware of their roots.

Apart from this, the higher authorities need to organise campaigns to educate the masses and classes about their cultural identity.