IELTS Cue Card/ Candidate Task Card # 9
Describe a time when you started using a new technological device (e.g. a new computer or phone).
You should say:
- what device you started using
- why you started using this device
- how easy or difficult it was to use
and explain how helpful this device was to you.
[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 1:
This cue card topic reminds me of a time when I first purchased a desktop computer back in 2004 and started using it almost every day. I would like to thank you for this great topic and would share my experience of having it.
The desktop computer I purchased in 2004 was a clone computer which had Intel Pentium 4 (2.80 Gigahertz) Processor, Gigabyte motherboard, 40 GB Hard Disk drive, 17-inch Dell monitor and it came with a Microsoft Windows XP Professional Operating System. It cost me approximately $2,300 including the software and out of it, my own contribution was 1100 dollar while the rest of the amount was given by my father. I still remember the day I owned it as it was one of the most exciting days of my life. Owing it was like a dream come true. Up until then, I had only used a computer in our college or in a cyber cafe, but having it in my study room and being able to use it whenever I liked was something truly magnificent.
As a college student, I felt the need to have a personal computer to complete my assignments as I needed to use the internet for references. Besides, most of my classmates and friends had a personal computer and they were ahead of me in terms of its use. Finally, as a science major student, I often spent hours after hours in our college computer lab to learn the programming language which was a mandatory subject in our syllabus. So having a computer was a time saver for me. On top of that, my computer skills gradually enhanced when I personally own one.
Overall, I was already capable of using a computer and the internet. So operating it for daily tasks was not hard at all. However, some specialised software like Adobe Illustrator and Codeblocks IDE were comparatively tough to use. I believe after I used the computer for about a few months, I learned how to troubleshoot it and that was something fascinating.
As I have already mentioned, this device was a time saver and a constant companion to me. I used it for personal and academic purposes and learnt plenty of new things which helped me do better in my later years. After I had it, I no longer needed to spend countless hours in a cyber cafe to complete my college assignments and it saved me money as well. I no longer have this computer as it was later replaced by a laptop, but I will never forget the utilisation and usefulness this device brought to me.
Model Answer 2:
A few months ago, my regular old mobile phone decided to stop working on me. Now, being a bit “economical” person, I wasn’t really very eager to let go of my old phone. So, I decided to fix it. But, unfortunately, it wouldn’t really get fixed completely no matter how hard I tried to do so. In the end, I was left with no other choice except to buy a new phone. This time, I decided to buy a smartphone. I guess I wanted to be a little “smart”, after all, with a smartphone in my hand!
In the beginning, it was a bit difficult for me to put my device to the best use as it was some sort of new experience for me having to deal with the “touch screen” always instead of pushing the “button” at ease. Carrying the new phone also posed a new problem for me at the start as it was bigger in size, and I wasn’t really prepared to look “awkward” in public in a “full pocket” with my smartphone hidden inside it. Anyway, I got used to my new device as time progressed and started to like it since it offered many cool options and features.
So, why exactly this thing called a ‘smartphone’ is so useful to us? Well, the answer is this smart device has combined 4 different kinds of technologies (TV, computer, camera and phone) into one to offer us the best technological experiences on the move. Now, how one wants to use this smart device is entirely up to him/her. Anyway, as for me, I just love this phone as I can call my friends and families from another city (I live in a different city far away from my family) while viewing them on the phone at the same time with the help of a thing called “ the internet”. The best thing about this phone is that I can use it now with ease even though I am not exactly a very technologically-savvy person. I also use my phone to help my father’s business (my father owns a clothing store) by taking and showing pictures of different clothing items to him so that he can decide on which product to buy, and which not to. Needless to say, this practice reduces the time and cost of doing business to a great deal.
Finally, if I don’t talk about how it helps me in taking care of my assignments on the move while remaining stuck for hours in city traffic, I wouldn’t really do justice to my smart tool. In fact, the truth is I wouldn’t really be able to finish many of my assignments in time in the last few months without my smartphone due to my busy schedule. I regret the fact that I didn’t buy a smartphone even earlier.
Describe a time when you started using a new technological device (e.g. a new computer or phone).
You should say:
what device you started using
why you started using this device
how easy or difficult it was to use
and explain how helpful this device was to you.
A few more ideas to talk about this Cue Card/Candidate Task Card Topic:
Idea # 1:
I started using a smartphone about five or six years ago when I got admitted to college. I began using this device primarily for three reasons. First, it was trendy back at that time. Second, I wanted to keep in touch with my family, as well as friends from my hometown, and a smartphone was perhaps the best technology at that time to enable me to do that. Finally, I knew that a smartphone would facilitate me to check my emails on the go and help me remain updated about things at my college.
As I had been a computer user for more than 10 years when I purchased that smartphone, it was reasonably easy to use this device. Moreover, it was not the first time that I was using a smartphone, so I knew pretty much most of the features and functionalities that came with this phone.
It was a lifesaver without a doubt. Back then, this phone allowed me to talk to my family for hours over the internet without additional costs. I could also check my emails to find out if I had an assignment or an approaching exam. It also helped me find different important information as well.
Idea # 2:
Just three years ago, I weighed 90 kg, and I was at least 20 kg overweight. It was having serious consequences on my fitness, energy, stamina and psychological health. So I made a New Year’s resolution to start exercising, losing weight and getting fit again. That’s when I decided to use a smartwatch to track my daily workout and adjust my exercise level.
The smartwatch came with tons of features. As a technophile, it was fairly easy for me to figure out the features and use them as desired. On a scale of one to ten, I would rate it 2 to denote the difficulty level for me to use it.
It helped me immensely. I can proudly tell you that I weigh less than 70 kg now, and this smartwatch assisted me to track the activities I was doing and often reminded me what sort of exercise I should be doing to burn the required calories. It was also helpful in tracking my blood pressure and how many calories I had burned from an exercise session. Finally, it reminded me to drink water, go to bed and wake up early to start my morning exercise and running.
Idea # 3:
I moved to a student hostel when I got admitted to a college that was located in our capital city. Being far away from home and taking care of everything was not easy. The most difficult thing was perhaps “cooking”, especially since I wanted to avoid cafeteria food and eat healthily. That’s when I decided to purchase a modern electric cooker that could cook different items including rice, lentils, vegetables, cakes, pasta, and curry.
It was insanely easy for me to use this device. All I had to do is read the manual and then start cooking!
This electric cooker helped me cook food that I enjoyed, and I could eat healthy and hygienic food at a cheaper cost. It could warm up the already-cooked food and pretty much worked like a microwave oven. For the next three years or so, this electric cooker was a lifesaver for me.
A list of technological devices that you can talk about for this topic:
Printer.
Digital Camera.
Memory Stick.
Headphone.
Drone.
Music Player/ MP3 Player
Laptop.
Smartphone.
Router.
Smartwatch.
Fitbit.
Kindle eBook Reader.
Fitness Mirror.
Smart Home Assistant.
Pocket Projector.
Wireless Charger.
Smart Backpack.
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