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IELTS Speaking Part 2: IELTS Cue Card/ Candidate Task Card.

Describe an aspect of a foreign culture you like.

You should say:

• what it is
• how you know about it
• what differences there are between that aspect of culture and your own

and explain why you like that aspect of that foreign culture.

Model Answer 1:
Japan has a distinct, fascinating culture, both modern and traditional, that is unlike any other countries, and will leave a lasting impression on any person. Some of the interesting aspects of Japanese culture may include their cuisines, architecture, performing arts, fashion, anime and manga. But, today, I would like to talk about another aesthetic aspect of Japanese culture that I find interesting also.

It is called “Sakura viewing and Hanami parties”. In plain English, “Sakura” means cherry blossom. So, it essentially means the viewing of cherry blossom when they are in full bloom during the spring season. By the way, Sakura has remained an iconic symbol of Japanese culture and history for centuries, and when this Sakura viewing takes place, thousands of people, both local and visitors from around the world, flock to see the mesmerizing beauty of cherry flowers in full bloom.

This Sakura viewing culture, which I first came to learn about from a travel show on TV, and then, later on, after reading some travel journals, may last only for a few days, but it may leave an impression on you for a lifetime.

People from my culture also love flowers, and they even use them for many purposes and occasions, but gathering ceremonially at a place or at a particular time to watch the blossoming of the flower is something that they don’t normally do. Another difference between my culture and that of Japan as far as viewing flowers is concerned, people from my culture prefer to bring flowers at home, if they like them, for decorating their homes while Japanese people like them better on trees.

Well, I like this particular aspect of Japanese culture because it shows how much they really value the beauty in mother nature. Besides, since this particular culture brings people from all over the world for a common cause, that is to enjoy the stunning beauty of mother nature, it offers all of them a chance to understand and appreciate each other and thus bringing peace and harmony in a world, which is otherwise full of hatred and animosity.

Sample Answer 2:
Different cultures and nations have their own custom, way of living and many distinctive features that seem interesting and sometimes strange to others. Some of those cultural aspects are common across different countries, and some of those are unique to a particular nation. Finnish culture is a rich culture that has a long heritage and has gone through different changes over time. One particular aspect I really love about their culture is how Finland celebrates a ‘Day for Failure’.

I have first learned about this day from a friend of mine who completed his graduation from a Finish university. Later, I did some digging on Google and found out more about this fascinating aspect of Finish culture which is about how they value failure and inspire their people to do their best.

In general, Finnish culture is composed of Finn, Swede, Sami, Roma, Tatar ethnic groups, but and Finn is over 90% of the total population. Finnish have an egalitarian society, which is reflected in their language that employs gender-neutral words. Moreover, Finnish people are very modest in behaviours and they give utter importance to modesty and humbleness. So when they observe the day of failure, it must be something unique yet inspirational!

They celebrate failure on the 13th of October each year. The failure day is observed to allow people to open up about their problems and struggles in life and gather encouragement from society and others who have suffered similar fates but still managed to persevere.

This is quite encouraging and something quite alien to our culture. We do not have such a culture to be so open about our failure and celebrate it nationwide by dedicating a day for this purpose!

But I still like it and find it fascinating because it helps people share their struggles and problems, while also reminding them that others also make mistakes and fail. So, in a way, it is a lesson that failure is not the end of the world, rather it is just the pillar of success.

Similar Cue Card Topics

Your ability to talk about this Cue Card Topic would enable you to talk about the following Cue Card Topics as well:

1. Describe a nation (not your own) you know about.
2. Describe a country you would like to visit in future.
3. Describe a country you have been to.

• IELTS Cue Card
• Candidate Task Card

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