Describe a person who is good at learning and speaking new languages: IELTS Speaking Part 2 Cue Card and Part 3 Questions
Part 2 cue card
Describe a person who is good at learning and speaking new languages
You should say:
- How you got to know him/her
- How he/she learns a new language
- What languages he/she can speak
- How you feel about him/her
You will have one to two minutes to talk about this topic.
Read the complete transcript
I want to describe a friend of mine called Ana, who’s brilliant at picking up languages. I met her at university during a language-exchange event, and we quickly became study partners; in our first term we’d meet twice a week to practise conversation and swap notes. She learns new languages mainly through immersion and deliberate practise — she spends weeks listening to podcasts, shadowing speakers and making herself speak even when she makes mistakes; for example, she spent a month living with a Spanish family and kept a small phrasebook of tricky expressions. She also uses a mix of resources: grammar books, language apps and conversation tandems, and she’s not afraid to ask native speakers to correct her. As a result she speaks English and Spanish fluently, French and German quite well, and has basic Mandarin and Arabic for travel; I’ve seen her switch effortlessly from casual chat to formal introductions at a multicultural fair where she helped as an unofficial interpreter. I admire her patience and resilience — she’s the sort of person who makes language learning look enjoyable rather than a chore, and she often encourages me to push myself by suggesting tiny daily habits that really help. She even keeps a record of the mistakes she’s made so she doesn't repeat them.
Preparation status: Predicted topic cycle. This independent practice resource is not an official IELTS paper, and the questions in your test can be different. How topics are labelled.
Part 3 discussion questions
Move one question at a time: listen, answer, compare and retry. The complete question text remains in the page HTML for accessibility and search.
- 01Are there many people who can speak foreign languages in your country?
- 02Does speaking other languages help at work?
- 03Do people learn any languages other than English?
- 04Why is it easier for children to learn new things than for adults?
- 05How do people learn new things?
- 06What is the most important thing for learning a language well?
See the topic before you speak
Use the images as idea prompts. Describe what you notice, connect it to your experience, then answer the real question.


Model answers, heard side by side
Start with the simpler answer, switch bands to hear how the same task can be developed, then record a personal response. These are teaching examples, not official answers or score guarantees.
Part 2 — Model Answer
Part 2 cue-card response
I'd like to talk about a colleague called Tom who is very good at learning languages. I met him at work two years ago when we were on the same project. He learns by practising a little every day. He uses apps, watches films with subtitles and talks to native speakers when he can. He speaks English and Spanish well and can hold basic conversations in Italian. I think he is very patient and hardworking. He is not afraid of making mistakes and he helps others too. I feel inspired by him and it makes me want to study more.
I want to describe a friend of mine called Ana, who’s brilliant at picking up languages. I met her at university during a language-exchange event, and we quickly became study partners; in our first term we’d meet twice a week to practise conversation and swap notes. She learns new languages mainly through immersion and deliberate practise — she spends weeks listening to podcasts, shadowing speakers and making herself speak even when she makes mistakes; for example, she spent a month living with a Spanish family and kept a small phrasebook of tricky expressions. She also uses a mix of resources: grammar books, language apps and conversation tandems, and she’s not afraid to ask native speakers to correct her. As a result she speaks English and Spanish fluently, French and German quite well, and has basic Mandarin and Arabic for travel; I’ve seen her switch effortlessly from casual chat to formal introductions at a multicultural fair where she helped as an unofficial interpreter. I admire her patience and resilience — she’s the sort of person who makes language learning look enjoyable rather than a chore, and she often encourages me to push myself by suggesting tiny daily habits that really help. She even keeps a record of the mistakes she’s made so she doesn't repeat them.
Part 3 — Model Answers
Are there many people who can speak foreign languages in your country?
Yes, there are more people now, especially in big cities. Young people learn English at school and many can speak it reasonably well. In rural areas there are fewer bilinguals. Tourism and business have made language skills more common, but not everyone has the chance to practise.
Overall, the number of people who can use a foreign language has increased, particularly in towns and cities. English is widespread because it's part of the school curriculum, and many young adults also pick up a second language at university or through work. In addition, migration and tourism have encouraged service workers to learn conversational phrases. However, fluency differs a lot by age and location: older generations in some regions still have limited access to language learning opportunities.
Does speaking other languages help at work?
Yes, speaking other languages helps at work. It can make communication with foreign clients easier and open up job opportunities. People who speak another language often get better roles or pay. In some jobs, though, it isn’t necessary.
Absolutely — speaking another language can be a real advantage in the workplace. It improves employability, allows you to build relationships with overseas clients and can be crucial in roles like sales, diplomacy or tourism. It also shows cultural sensitivity, which employers value. That said, for purely local jobs it might be less important, but overall it widens your career options and sometimes leads to higher pay or international secondments.
Do people learn any languages other than English?
Yes, people learn other languages besides English. Popular choices are Spanish, French and German. Some learn Mandarin because of business. People also learn languages because of films, music or family background.
Definitely — English is common, but many people study other languages depending on personal or professional reasons. Spanish and French remain popular because of travel and culture, Mandarin is chosen for business links, and languages like Japanese or Korean gain followers because of media and music. There are also heritage speakers who learn a family language to keep traditions alive. The choice often reflects career aims, cultural interest or social trends.
Why is it easier for children to learn new things than for adults?
Children pick up new things more easily because their brains are flexible and they aren’t afraid to make mistakes. They also have more free time and often more chances to practise at school. Adults have habits that can make learning slower.
Children tend to learn faster because of greater neural plasticity and an ability to absorb patterns unconsciously; they also have fewer inhibitions about making mistakes and generally more exposure through play and school. Adults often approach learning analytically, which can help with grammar but might slow down natural use. In short, kids get lots of implicit practice and repetition, whereas adults rely more on explicit study and conscious effort.
How do people learn new things?
People learn new things by practising, watching videos, reading and asking others for help. Some take classes or use apps. Repetition and doing something regularly helps a lot.
There are several effective ways to learn: deliberate practise with clear goals, spaced repetition to move knowledge into long-term memory, multimodal input like reading and listening, and timely feedback to correct errors. Social methods — discussing ideas, teaching others or joining a group — also boost retention. Combining these approaches and staying consistent tends to be far more effective than passive exposure alone.
What is the most important thing for learning a language well?
The most important thing is regular practise and using the language to speak. Motivation matters too — if you want to learn, you will try harder. Getting feedback helps, but regular exposure is key.
I’d say the single most important factor is meaningful, regular exposure combined with active use — in other words, plenty of input (listening and reading) plus output (speaking and writing) in real contexts. Motivation and consistency are crucial, but without opportunities to communicate and to get corrective feedback, progress stalls. Immersion, even partial, accelerates learning because it forces you to use language for real purposes rather than just memorising rules.
How to answer Describe a person who is good at learning and speaking new languages IELTS Speaking questions
For the Describe a person who is good at learning and speaking new languages cue card, use the preparation minute to build a route through the talk. Choose a clear subject, add two specific moments or details and end with why it matters. Then use the linked Part 3 questions to practise broader explanation and comparison.
Cue-card prompts:
- How you got to know him/her
- How he/she learns a new language
- What languages he/she can speak
- How you feel about him/her
- Opening: identify the person, place, object or event.
- Development: describe two details or moments in a logical order.
- Extension: explain a reason, result, comparison or problem.
- Reflection: finish with why the subject is memorable or important.
Question-by-question approach
| Practice question | Useful answer move |
|---|---|
| Are there many people who can speak foreign languages in your country? | Give a direct answer, one reason and a short example without memorising a script. |
| Does speaking other languages help at work? | Give a direct answer, one reason and a short example without memorising a script. |
| Do people learn any languages other than English? | Give a direct answer, one reason and a short example without memorising a script. |
| Why is it easier for children to learn new things than for adults? | Answer with one main cause, then support it with a concrete example. |
Vocabulary focus
Useful language already demonstrated in the model answers includes bilingual, fluency, service worker, employability, secondment, cultural sensitivity, heritage speaker, media influence. Learn the meaning and a natural word partnership, then use each item in a different answer instead of copying a complete script.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Giving a memorised response that only partly answers the question.
- Adding difficult vocabulary without checking meaning or collocation.
- Restarting after every error instead of correcting briefly and continuing.
- Reading the model answer before recording your own first attempt.
Describe a person who is good at learning and speaking new languages practice FAQ
How should I use the Describe a person who is good at learning and speaking new languages cue card preparation minute?
Write keywords for an opening, two or three details and a final reflection. Do not try to write complete sentences.
Do I have to cover every cue-card bullet?
The prompts help you organise the talk. Covering them is useful, but a coherent one-to-two-minute response matters more than mechanically ticking off each line.
How are Part 3 questions connected to Part 2?
They develop the same broad theme through reasons, comparisons, social effects or future possibilities, so answers normally need more explanation than Part 1.