IELTS Speaking Cue Card

I am a multilingual person and I love learning new languages, especially the foreign languages spoken in the TV shows that I watch. I regularly watch shows and movies in other languages and learning the language makes my watching experience more intriguing. One such language that I picked up a few words from is Korean. I absolutely love Korean thriller dramas and thought learning it would be even more fun. 

So, I started learning the basics initially by watching Youtube videos that provide translations as well as subtitles. With the Korean basics that I learned and the love for the shows, last year, I attended a local event celebrating the dramas and food. I met many fans and made a few Korean friends as well. I tried to communicate with the little knowledge I have of the language, and to my surprise, it wasn’t that bad. 

Subsequently, I kept in touch with the friends I made and they have, in a way, became my pen pals but digitally, taught me Korean. We still converse and message each other about our lives in Korean frequently. It has been an exhilarating experience throughout from the moment I met them till the one when I recited a poem in Korean. They were all of great help and made my learning a bit easier as opposed to watching tutorials and practicing on my own. 

I am glad that I attended that event and stayed in touch with the group. They are not only good teachers but great friends. I now talk to them fluently in Korean and sometimes they are taken aback by how good I am at speaking Korean. I feel great that I learned the language and it certainly feels like an accomplishment when I watch Korean shows without subtitles.

 

Vocabulary:

1. Intriguing - interesting
2. Converse - talk
3. Exhilarating - exciting
4. Taken aback - be surprised

---

Part 3 Follow Up - Questions & Answers

---

1. What difficulties do people face when learning a language?

The initial problem is being able to keep up and continue. Every language seems unfamiliar when we first start learning it; so, sticking to our schedule and not giving up is key. Some other challenges would be learning grammar and honorifics. I was always confused between gendered honorifics when I was learning Korean but somehow managed to ace them later.

2. Do you think language learning is important? Why?

Absolutely, learning a new language helps someone dive deep into the region’s culture where the language is vastly spoken. It also develops communication skills. Moreover, learning languages like German and French opens a pathway for many career opportunities in foreign countries. Further, being multilingual improves cognitive abilities.

3. Which is better, to study alone or to study in a group? Why?

I consider group studies to be better than studying alone. When studying by ourselves, we often become lazy and procrastinate thereby by postponing the tasks that we need to complete. Group studies offer much more than just time management; they let students clear any kind of doubts and have intellectual discussions on subject topics.

4. What’s the best way to learn a language?

I first started learning a foreign language by watching video tutorials. Some other effective ways to learn a language include signing up for language classes where professionals teach, practicing daily by talking to others, doing tasks on some language learning apps, and watching a lot of movies and shows in the language. It is also best to have someone to talk to in the language to get better command.