Cue Card # 33: Describe a language you would like to learn

IELTS Cue Card/ Candidate Task Card # 33

Describe a language other than English that you would like to learn.

You should say:

• what the language is
• where it is spoken
• what you think would be difficult about learning it

and explain why you would like to learn it.

[You will have to talk about the topic for one to two minutes. You have one minute to think about what you are going to say. You can make some notes to help you if you wish.]

Model Answer:

Learning a different language is never an easy thing to do even when we probably consider ourselves “better learners” from the rest of the crowds. But, with an increasing need for better communication among ourselves in a world, not only full of diverse population and languages but also hatred, bigotries and animosities, it is imperative that we equip ourselves with the abilities to speak/write/read another language. Of course, what language we choose to learn is entirely upon us. But, as for me, I would like to learn “Spanish” which is spoken by almost 600 million people across the world in 20 different countries, most of them are in Latin/South America, including the Philippines, the USA and not to mention “Spain”. I would like to thank you for this great cue card topic.

Well, learning to speak “Spanish” can be challenging because the language is spoken at a real fast speed by the native speakers, and understanding the different accents/dialects of a language becomes really hard when it is spoken fast. But the real challenge in learning Spanish lies in learning “conjugation in the verb”. While “verb” is just a single word in English and many other languages, in Spanish, it needs to be conjugated by a person (as in 1st person, 2nd person and 3rd person in the subject of a sentence) as well as “number”.

Be that as it may, I would like to learn “Spanish”. Why? Well, my answer is, to begin with, it is relatively easier to learn since the language has similar alphabets like English. Besides, I have always felt fascinated by the Mayan civilization (after learning a little bit about it from my college anthropology teacher), and I even want to visit some Latin American countries someday. Therefore, learning the language of a vast continent would certainly help me to understand their cultures and lifestyles. Finally, learning a popular language like Spanish will certainly improve my chance of landing on a better job. I am hoping to learn it soon. Please wish me luck!