• IELTS

Talk About a Traditional Object of Your Country - IELTS Cue Card

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By:CANAM Group
Updated On:Dec 22,2023 05:09 PM IST

Does taking the IELTS speaking test send shivers down your spine? Preparing for the cue card section of the IELTS speaking test is not only a part of the test, but a good chance to learn to express using appropriate vocabulary and correct sentences. Read to prepare yourself for the speaking cue card question about a traditional object of a country.

Talk About a Traditional Object of Your Country.webp

The IELTS speaking test comprises three parts – Introductory questions, Cue card and Follow – up questions. Let’s have a look into the details about the type of questions asked in each of the parts.

Introduction & questions about familiar topics

This part starts with general questions about the candidate – place of residence, where they work, study and more. Then comes a range of personal and familiar topics like the test-taker’s taste in music & films, their habits about cooking, their view about weather and more such topics. Generally, two to three sets of questions about two different topics are asked in a test.

Example questions -

1. Why did you choose to study what you are studying right now? (work /studies)

2. Which is a festival that you enjoy the most? (festival)

3. How often do you observe the sky? (sky)

Individual Long Turn

In this part the examinee is given a topic (with hints), about which they have to speak about 2 minutes. One minute is given to prepare this answer.

Example questions -

1. Talk about a traditional object of your country

2. Describe an interesting song

3. Describe a competition you would like to take part in

Two-way Discussion

This part consists of general questions related to the topic in the second part. In this part, the candidate can show their ability to discuss their philosophy of life and the topic, their take on rules, happenings and social situations, analysis and speculations about different subjects.

Example questions -

1. Do you think the governments should promote tourism?

2. Should children compete for prizes at schools?

3. What impact does the internet have on schools?

Given below is a cue card or individual speech topic for the IELTS speaking question Talk about a Traditional Object of Your Country with two model answers.

Talk about a traditional object of your country

• What is it?

• How is it made?

• When did you first try it?

• Why do you like it?

Sample Answer 1 - IELTS Speaking Test Cue Card

The speech for the second part of the IELTS speaking test should be cohesive and connect instances and semi-topics well. The aim should not only be to answer questions correctly or wholly, but to form an engaging and fluent story around it.

For reference, in the first sample, the speech has been divided into answers for hint questions.

Introductory lines	In India, we say that culture and language change every 15-20 kilometers. While that is the extent of variety of differing lifestyles and traditions, the effect of everyone wanting to go global cannot be ignored. A lot of things have been modernized, the way we cook, eat, sleep, and do almost all our daily activities. The kind of music liked by the general public is different too. But maestros are doing their best to keep the culture alive and thriving. I’m going to talk about an instrument that used to bring an Indian touch to all kinds of music.
What is it?	It is a stringed instrument called a sitar. Sitar has a spherical sound resonating body and a long neck with strings. The instrument makes a deep, reverberating sound that is now synonymous with Hindustani classical music.
How is it made?	The body of a sitar is made out of dried pumpkins, and the neck and face from teakwood. The body and neck are mostly intricately carved on by the artisans who have generational talent.
When did you first see it?	I first saw the object live in a semi-classical music concert that my parents took me to. I had seen it earlier on TV, but it didn’t strike me as an interesting instrument that my ears and heart would like listening to often. But being an audience to the concert took me by surprise. The sound of the sitar in sync with the drums and tabla was enchanting.
Why do you like it?	Since then, I have been listening to the music of Pandit Ravi Shankar, Niladri Kumar and more. I now have a completely different outlook towards it.
Ending	I now feel that traditional things are beautiful and have been created with numerous years of thought, trials and experiments. We shouldn’t just discard or disrespect them for their use being obsolete but bring them into newer contexts and situations. No wonder, the blend of old and new would be a positive change.

Read the answer together again to see how to connect ideas into a seamless string. You may also note that a few questions require you to share information that you may not have. In such cases you can skip answering the question and continue talking about another one.

Sample Answer 2 - IELTS Speaking Test Cue Card

Most people think that tradition is a thing of the past, but I feel that it’s something that we bring along from the past to the present through generations. I haven’t always been a fan of tradition and traditional things, but a piece of jewelry that my cousin wore at a wedding really caught my attention. Payal is a string of metal, mostly made of silver that is worn on the lower leg, just above the feet. It’s like a bracelet for the feet. They come in different styles, some have metal balls that jingle, some are made of plain string in different designs.

On talking to my grandmother about it, I got to know the significance of silver payal. Besides being the symbol of marital status of a woman, it was considered as a protection against negative energies. I have been stunned to know that jewelry, unlike in our generation, was worn not just to look good and add accessories to the outfit.

I really like payal as an accessory as it is sleek and goes well with a lot of Indian and Indo-western outfits and though it doesn’t feel any different but who doesn’t want a protection against those antagonistic vibes.

Follow-up Questions IELTS Speaking Test Cue Card

Questions for two-way discussion after an individual long talk about a traditional object are given as under. The responses are for reference and represent only one style; opinions and way of responding can be very different from the sample answers. However, a semi-formal to formal tone and language must be maintained.

What advantages do you think traditional products have for locals?

I think traditional products put the people of a place on a map. Locals represent their cities or states in people’s home, everywhere. Traditional products also have a monetary benefit. People run successful businesses on traditional products like I once saw a video about a shop in Pokharan that sells more than 20 earthen products, some of which the seller made himself. He was able to make a good living out of it. Now you might not have known about Pokhran, but a product from the shop would make you remember it for life.

Do you think the government should help in promotion of traditional products?

The government should definitely promote and improve the consumer base for traditional products and it is already happening. We see brands on airports that sell only traditional products; every railway station has at least one shop that sells local traditional objects, things made of bamboo leaves, palm leaves, objects with embroideries and so on. A lot of exhibits are also organized in my city that bring the traditional products from all across the country under one roof.

Do you think because of globalization countries are adopting each other’s traditions?

Yes for sure they are. Globalization has opened so many points of access that Indian products are going global and being accepted by people the world over. Indian henna, earthen products, and more are now known to people in America, Africa, Europe etc. and even the word chapatti has been included in Oxford dictionary. Similarly, we are adopting Japanese foods, Korean products, songs and TV shows and much much more.

Did the traditional things of the past have more value than the present things?

I don’t think I can evaluate that. It is a personal and habitual thing. People use the traditional things of the past in varied ways. Some value these products too much, some don’t at all, some take the moderate route.

If the question wants me to address its value in rupees, I think it has increased. Copper utensils, earthen products, Khadi and other traditional things made through traditional methods cost much more than they used to.

Is it necessary to protect traditions?

I think yes. Because unlike what we commonly think, they are not just practices, they are well thought ideas. So what that means is that we shouldn’t be a stickler for them since they were thought of for a certain era, a time and stuck because everyone deemed it important. But we should protect what we can of them since that gives a sense of belonging and shapes a part of our identities.

More follow-up questions about a range of topics can be read here.

Tips to Prepare for IELTS Speaking Test Cue Card

The individual speech or cue card part of the IELTS speaking test is a chance for a candidate to communicate an incident or event in detail with all the emotions and observations. Only enough practice can get candidates of all levels to speak fluently at the time of the final test.

The following tips can help prepare for a long speech on any topic in the IELTS speaking test.

• Practice using general and IELTS specific cue card topics.

• Practice using the one-minute preparation time effectively.

• Practice speaking without the hints if they are stopping the flow of your speech.

• Record your speech and get feedback from friends, parents, teachers or mentors.

• Review your own speech and incorporate ways it can get better.

Conclusion

The IELTS speaking test is a significant part of the complete study abroad process that contains three types of questions – personal, familiar and opinion based questions and a topic for monologue. The response to individual long speech questions has to be structured with ideas, examples, instances from one’s life and more. Candidates can use the tips shared above to respond to the question or connect with language educators at Canamprep for guidance and going up the band score scale.

FAQ

Will the examiner deduct my marks if I speak a wrong sentence in my IELTS speaking test?

The marking of the speaking test is very subjective as it is scored by a human evaluator so it cannot be said which sentence caused the deduction. But, one mistake in a sentence is generally overlooked. Also, you can correct yourself while speaking if you identify it during your test.

On what basis will my responses in the IELTS speaking section be marked?

They are based on four parameters – fluency & coherence (fluent and well-connected speech), lexical resource (vocabulary), grammatical range (usage of compound and complex sentences) and accuracy (how correctly you understand the question).

Can my IELTS cue card topic be the same as someone else’s before?

Yes, the topics are mostly repeated after a few months. But your overall test may not be the same. Someone may get a different set of questions for the first and third part even if the topic in part two is the same.

Do we have a choice for the IELTS cue card topic?

The candidate is presented with only one topic about which they have to prepare and speak.

How can I calculate my IELTS speaking score?

There is no way to do that because it is not an objective test and a human evaluator checks it. A candidate however can know the range of the score they may get based on how confident they are about the quality of their answers.

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Talk About a Traditional Object of Your Country - IELTS Cue Card

Table of Contents

Introduction & questions about familiar topics

Individual Long Turn

Two-way Discussion

Talk about a traditional object of your country

Sample Answer 1 - IELTS Speaking Test Cue Card

Sample Answer 2 - IELTS Speaking Test Cue Card

Follow-up Questions IELTS Speaking Test Cue Card

What advantages do you think traditional products have for locals?

Do you think the government should help in promotion of traditional products?

Do you think because of globalization countries are adopting each other’s traditions?

Did the traditional things of the past have more value than the present things?

Is it necessary to protect traditions?

Tips to Prepare for IELTS Speaking Test Cue Card

Conclusion

FAQ

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Griffith University - Nathan Campus Queensland

La Trobe University - Bendigo Campus Victoria

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