Cue Cards Samples with band 8 answers
Describe an idea for improving something at work or college - Cue Card # 299
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IELTS Speaking Part 2: Individual Long Run - IELTS Cue Card/ Candidate Task Card.
[The topic for your talk will be written on a card which the examiner will hand over to you. Read it carefully and then make some brief notes.]
Describe an idea you had for improving something at work or college.
You should say:
- when and where you had your idea
- what your idea was
- who you told about your idea
and explain why you thought your idea would make an improvement.
[Instruction: 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.]
[Examiner: All right? Remember you have one to two minutes for this, so don't worry if I stop you. I'll tell you when the time is up. Can you start speaking now, please?]
Model Answer 1:
This is a great topic to talk about. Before I start my talk, I would like to thank you for the opportunity to speak about an idea I had to improve something at my office.
These days, I'm working as a "Business relations manager" in a large multinational company but I will never forget the days when I worked as a "Call Centre Agent" during my college years. As a student, I took the job to support my finances and gain some job experience. Within a few weeks of my joining, I felt that there was a major problem in the office despite it having a great working environment.
I did realise that employees were working really hard but the management was not happy about their performance as they expected continual progress. I had been working sincerely and vigorously too, and when I learnt that the higher management was disappointed with our performance, it deteriorated my spirit. I was thinking hard for a solution as I knew that it would worsen the situation if it continued and I wouldn't be able to work there anymore. After a day or two, I was talking to our manager and then an idea popped in my head!
I realised that we did not have any direct communication with the higher authority in the office and they were getting all the updates from just a couple of senior managers. I thought that was creating some confusion and miscommunication. I shared my idea with my team leader and manager and they also agreed that we should talk to the higher management more often and have one of them among us during office hours so that they could realise how sincerely their employees were working.
Initially, I was not sure if it would eliminate any gap between us (employees) and them (the management) but when I, along with my manager, talked to one of them, I was convinced that it would work. In fact, when we were allowed to meet someone from the higher authority once a week and one of them started spending more time with us during office hours, the dissatisfaction and misunderstanding were mostly gone and we had been better rewarded for our hard work later on. I learnt an important lesson from that event- "Never shy away from sharing an idea with your colleagues if you are convinced that it would make a difference."
Model Answer 2:
Introduction:
As a student at college, I always looked for ways to improve the quality of education. Last semester, I had an idea that I believed could make a significant improvement in the learning experience. Here, I would like to share this idea with you.
When and where you had your idea:
I had my idea last semester during one of the lectures at college that I attended. The professor was explaining a concept that I had a difficult time understanding. I thought there must be a way to help students like myself who have a hard time comprehending some subjects.
What your idea was:
I thought of creating a platform where students can access lectures and other learning materials at their own pace. My idea was to have the college record all lectures and upload them on an online platform that students could access anytime. Additionally, the platform could have supplementary materials such as study guides and practice questions.
Who you told about your idea:
I told my classmates about my idea, and they all seemed to like it. I also brought it up to my professor, who was impressed with the concept and said he would bring it up to the academic committee.
Why you thought your idea would make an improvement:
I believed my idea would make an improvement because it would give students more flexibility in their studies. Some students may learn at a different pace than others, and having access to lectures online would allow them to learn at their own pace. The supplementary materials would also help students study better, making it easier to pass exams. Furthermore, if students missed a lecture, they could always catch up at a time convenient for them.
Idea generation for this Candidate Task Card / Cue Card topic:
Here are several practical ideas you might have had for improving something at your workplace or college. Each idea can be expanded by answering the accompanying cue card questions effectively:
1. Introducing flexible working hours:
You had this idea while working overtime regularly at your office. Your idea was to allow flexible starting and ending times for employees. You shared this with your team leader. You thought it would improve work-life balance and employee productivity.
2. Creating a recycling program:
This idea struck you during an environmental seminar at college. Your plan was to set up clearly labeled recycling bins across campus. You proposed it to your college administration. It would encourage sustainability and reduce campus waste significantly.
3. Developing a peer mentoring scheme:
You came up with this idea while struggling with challenging coursework. Your idea involved pairing senior students with juniors to guide them academically. You discussed it with your course coordinator. It could greatly enhance academic performance and foster stronger connections among students.
4. Establishing a relaxation zone at work:
You had this idea after noticing your colleagues' stress levels increasing. Your suggestion was to create a quiet space with comfortable seating and relaxing music. You shared it with your HR manager. It could improve mental well-being and employee satisfaction.
5. Implementing digital attendance systems:
This idea occurred to you after noticing inaccuracies in manual attendance records at college. Your solution was an electronic scanning system for attendance. You brought this up to your department head. It would streamline administrative work and reduce errors.
6. Organising regular team-building activities:
You thought of this after observing lack of interaction among colleagues. Your idea was to hold monthly team-building games or outings. You presented this idea to your department manager. It would boost team morale and improve workplace relationships.
7. Creating an online resource hub for students:
You had this idea during your study hours when finding resources became difficult. Your idea was an easily accessible online library containing study materials and tutorials. You discussed it with your classmates and professors. It could enhance students' academic efficiency and self-learning.
8. Introducing healthier cafeteria food:
This idea came to you after noticing limited healthy eating options at your workplace. Your suggestion was adding more nutritious meals and snacks to the menu. You conveyed this idea to your facilities manager. It would help employees maintain better health and higher energy levels throughout the day.
9. Launching an internship placement cell:
You had this idea after realizing students had difficulty finding relevant internships. Your plan was to create a dedicated team to connect students with potential employers. You proposed it to the college career services department. It would enhance students' professional opportunities and career readiness.
10. Introducing regular feedback sessions:
This idea struck you after realising staff suggestions weren't being effectively communicated. Your idea was to organise monthly meetings to discuss staff feedback openly. You discussed it with your supervisor. It would enhance communication and encourage continuous improvement at work.
Sample Answer 3:
There always are areas in our lives, be it at home or office, in which we can bring some innovations. But, we don’t really go for such improvements because they seem complex. However, with the right ideas and approach, we can always bring such developments, and today, I would like to talk about one such idea that, I think, brought some much-needed improvements in our office and the way we work.
Anyway, there are many things at my work which I can really be proud of, but as far as the teamwork among the staff and co-ordination across the different departments were concerned, I didn’t really think that much was really going on to make us proud. Apparently, all the mid-level and junior-level employees at my company think that their own departments, in which they work, are more important than other departments. So, as a junior staff of my company, who hardly had anything to lose, I decided to put forth a proposal to the upper management which would make it mandatory for all the staff to work at every department for at least 2 working days in rotation every month so that they all understand the value of everybody’s efforts and works.
I got this idea from one of the senior brothers’ companies which had almost the same kind of issue. It would be around three years ago when the idea struck me since I was really thinking about the solution to the problem that I was facing in my office. I knew that it wouldn't be that easy to implement this idea as it would force them to change (and change is what everybody “hates” at work) their daily routines in a significant way, but it was worth the shot and I was not afraid! I told a couple of my colleagues about my ideas and they all thought that it is a great idea that would make an impact if implemented properly.
I thought that the idea would bring some positive changes in my workplace mainly because everybody would be treated fairly and equally in this scheme. Besides, in this way, I also believed that since all staff would be able to try something new or new activities/works at least a couple of days per month, they would be able to break free from the monotonous work schedules at least for some times. Retrospectively, it was a great idea, and we still have this practice in our office.
Sample Answer 4:
Introduction:
These days, the work environment is always changing and there is always a scope for improvement. As an employee, I often try to come up with new and innovative ideas that could improve the workflow and processes of my organization. For this topic, I'd like to talk about an idea that I had to improve the communication system in my workplace.
When and where you had your idea:
I had this idea a few months back when I was working on a project with a cross-functional team. We were facing communication issues because we were relying on emails and messages to communicate with each other. I realized that this was slowing down our progress, and we needed a better way to communicate.
What your idea was:
I suggested that we implement a communication tool that would allow us to communicate in real time and collaborate more effectively. After doing some research, I found a tool that was affordable and had all the features we needed. I proposed this idea to my team, and they were impressed with the tool and its potential to improve our communication.
Who you told about your idea:
I discussed my idea with my immediate supervisor, who was very supportive of the idea. He asked me to present the idea to the management team, and I prepared a detailed presentation highlighting the benefits of the tool and how it could help improve our workflow.
And explain why you thought your idea would make an improvement:
I believed that this tool would make a significant improvement because it would allow us to communicate more effectively and in real-time, which would speed up the decision-making process and help us collaborate better. The tool would also provide us with a centralized platform to store all our communication and documents, making it easier for us to access them and refer to them later.
In the end, the tool was implemented, and it significantly improved our communication and collaboration, and it still is helping a lot.
Model Answer 5:
Since I am a student, my ideas are mostly related to the college where I study. Today, I would like to talk about one such idea I had that I think would bring some positive changes. Sadly, my idea did not materialise and I still believe that it is a great idea. So please bear with me and I will tell you more about my idea.
The concept struck me last year and I have been thinking about it ever since! I believe engaging two students as teaching assistants for each class is an idea that will definitely improve the study environment and facility in our college. It is a large college with more than five thousand students. Each class has more than 40 students and not all of them are equally talented and focused on the lessons. So, I think if the college authority enrolled two talented and interested students as teaching assistants, that would be a great aid for all the students who often struggle to understand the lessons but do not ask questions to the class teachers.
I got the idea from a website of a renowned university that explained how they enrol teaching assistants and how this helps all the students. I have shared the idea with a few friends of mine and a couple of teachers.
I do not think it will be difficult to implement. The college authority needs to discuss this idea and then finally decide what to do about it. That might require some administrative and decision-making level meetings. The extra budget that would be required should not be a big hassle for the college to support. So, in my opinion, I do not see any major obstacles in implementing this idea.
From my experience, I can say that only 30%-35% of students in a class can catch and fully understand the lectures delivered by the teachers. The remaining two-thirds of students in a class neither fully understand the lessons nor ask questions to the teachers to explain things again. If they get teaching assistants from their classmates, they would surely raise their questions to those TAs and would greatly benefit.
Part 3 – Details discussion:
Discussion Topic - Ideas and education:
Q. Some people think that education should be about memorising the important ideas of the past. Do you agree or disagree? Why?
Answer: I disagree with the view that education should be about memorizing the important ideas of the past mainly because that would essentially undermine the whole purpose of education. In fact, education (proper education that is) is like a “ray of light” with which we can see, learn and understand the things around us so that we can pick and choose what’s good for us and what’s bad for us for in the present time as well as in future. Besides, everything doesn’t repeat in the same way at present time or future time as it did in the past, and therefore memorizing important ideas of the past won’t do any good when the situation is different. Finally, the innovation and creativity of a person are far more important than the amount of information he or she can memorise, and from this perspective, we should focus on creating a generation who are creative and can bring innovative solutions to problems rather than memorise past ideas only.
Q. Should education encourage students to develop and share their own ideas? Why?
Answer: Yes, I do think that education should encourage students to develop and share their own ideas because this practice would encourage them to be “creative” and confident in their own abilities. Besides, sharing ideas among each other would inspire them also respect each other’s opinions in a way that would collectively benefit our entire society. Finally, this kind of practice would also allow the students to understand the “bigger picture” (understanding what things are happening and “why” in the greater scheme of things) by looking past their differences and their damaging effects.
Q. How do you think teachers could help students to develop and share their own ideas?
Answer: In order to help students develop and share their own ideas, teachers should first let them know that they (students) also have many great ideas and that those ideas are also important. Besides, teachers could also arrange for some kinds of “incentives” or “rewards” (like offering “extra credits” for the ideas) in order to encourage their students. Finally, teachers themselves can actually have some “real debates” with their students on burning issues that are affecting their society so that the students feel more “engaged” in real-time.
Discussion Topic - Ideas in the workplace:
Q. Should employers encourage their workers to have new ideas about improving the company? Why?
Answer: Yes, I do think that employers should encourage their workers to have new ideas about improving the company mainly because, after all, it’s the workers who keep the company running at the end of the day. Besides, when the workers are allowed to have new ideas and implement them accordingly, they feel more “empowered” and “responsible” in order to deliver the best results. On top of that, this practice creates a rather congenial atmosphere at work where workers and employers cooperate even more with each other.
Q. Do you think people sometimes dislike ideas just because they are new? Why?
Answer: No, I don’t think that people sometimes dislike ideas just because they are new as, in fact, there are many other factors besides that. But probably the main factor is that people are not given ‘enough’ time to get themselves immersed in the new ideas and learn about their pros and cons. Another factor is that they are not offered “enough compensation” most of the time for their extra time and efforts, which they used, to eventually learn about the new ideas and implement them.
Q. What is more difficult: having new ideas or putting them into practice? Which is more important for a successful company?
Answer: In my humble opinion, none of the things, which involve “having new ideas” and “putting them into practice" is so easy. Both are important and could be difficult in times for ordinary companies.
However, they could be implemented if the work environment encourages and nurtures the creativity and dedication of the employees. A successful company always very carefully nurture the culture of having new ideas and putting them into practice without putting any extra burden on its resources, such as “human resources” and ‘assets’. Besides, a successful company is also dynamic enough to adjust and adapt almost regularly and, as such, the issue of having new ideas and putting them into practice becomes easier. However, it can be difficult for some ordinary companies.
Vocabulary for this Candidate Task Card / Cue Card topic:
Describing ideas to improve something at work or college involves discussing innovation, problem-solving, communication, and teamwork. Here's a list of important vocabulary and phrases that can help you express your thoughts clearly and professionally:
Brainstorming session – A meeting designed to generate creative ideas.
Innovation – Introducing new ideas or methods to improve something.
Implement – To put an idea or plan into action.
Streamline – To make a process simpler and more efficient.
Feedback mechanism – A method of regularly collecting suggestions or opinions.
Proactive approach – Acting in advance to deal with expected problems.
Efficiency – Doing something effectively with minimal waste of time and resources.
Collaboration – Working together with others to achieve a common goal.
Enhance productivity – To increase the amount or quality of work produced.
Optimisation – The process of making something as effective as possible.
Resource allocation – Distributing available resources in the best possible way.
Sustainability – The practice of maintaining processes without depleting resources or harming the environment.
Facilitate – To make a process or action easier.
Work-life balance – Maintaining a healthy equilibrium between professional responsibilities and personal life.
Morale – The enthusiasm and confidence among a group of people, especially employees or students.
Cutting-edge – Very modern, advanced, and innovative.
User-friendly – Easy to understand or operate.
Constructive feedback – Feedback intended to help improve or enhance performance.
Problem-solving – The process of finding solutions to difficult or complex issues.
Continuous improvement – An ongoing effort to improve products, services, or processes.
Similar Cue Card Topics
Your ability to talk about the Cue Card Topic "Describe an idea you had for improving something at work or college" will enable you to talk about the following Cue Card Topics as well:
1. Describe a positive idea you have.
2. Describe a change you would like to see in your work/ study place.
3. Describe a part-time job you have done.
4. Describe a suggestion you have to make your college/university a better place.
5. Describe something you have successfully implemented in your college.
6. Describe a success or achievement you have.
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