IELTS Speaking · Part 2 Cue Card
Describe a language you would like to learn
A complete preparation guide: the cue card itself, a 60-second prep framework, a band 7.5 sample answer, topic vocabulary, and likely Part 3 follow-up questions.
Cue card
Describe a language you would like to learn.
You should say:
- •What the language is
- •Why you would like to learn it
- •How you would learn it
- •And explain how you think it would change your life
How to use your 1 minute of prep time
Specific to this cue card — not generic advice.
- 1Pick a language you've actually thought about, not just one that sounds impressive.
- 2Use 'would', 'could', 'might' throughout — natural conditional opportunity.
- 3Connect the choice to a person, a place, or a piece of culture.
- 4Don't only mention career benefits; emotional reasons sound more genuine.
Sample answer (band 7.5)
Read it once for shape, then aloud for rhythm. Don't memorise it — examiners can tell.
The language I'd most like to learn is Korean. There are a few reasons. The most obvious one is that I've been watching Korean cinema for years — directors like Bong Joon-ho and Lee Chang-dong — and I've always felt that subtitles, however well done, lose something. I'd like to be able to hear what's actually said. The other reason is that I have a couple of close Korean friends, and I notice that when they speak in their own language they have a slightly different personality — funnier, more relaxed. I want access to that side of them. If I committed seriously, I'd take it slowly. I'd start with a basic textbook and weekly online lessons for the first six months, then layer in a daily habit of watching Korean dramas with Korean subtitles, which is supposed to work well at intermediate levels. I'd want to spend at least three weeks in Seoul or Busan once I had enough vocabulary to actually use what I knew. I think it would change my life less in obvious ways than people assume. Not career, probably. But I'd open up an entire culture's worth of jokes, music, and films at the level the people who made them intended, and that's a quiet but real expansion.
Topic vocabulary & collocations
Phrases used in the sample answer that lift fluency naturally.
subtitles lose something
translations don't fully convey meaning
have access to
be able to engage with
layer in
gradually add
at the level the people intended
as the creators meant it
quiet but real expansion
a subtle yet genuine widening
funnier, more relaxed
more humorous and easygoing
Likely Part 3 follow-up questions
The examiner will move from your story (Part 2) to broader, abstract questions (Part 3). Prepare answers for these.
- Why are some languages becoming more popular to learn?
- Will English remain dominant globally in the future?
- Should children learn a foreign language at primary school?
- Can you really know a culture without knowing its language?
- Is it harder for adults than children to learn languages?
Common pitfalls on this card
- ⚠Choosing English when you already speak it.
- ⚠Saying 'because it's useful' without specifying for what.
- ⚠Describing the language without saying how you'd learn it.