Describe one of your friends who learned something new (not from a teacher)
IELTS Speaking Part 2 cue card with a full sample answer, a Band 9 model of the two-minute long turn.
The cue card
Describe one of your friends who learned something new (not from a teacher)
You should say:
- who this person is
- what this person learned
- why they learned it
- whether it would be easier to learn from a teacher
Sample answer
One of my closest friends, Shamkhal, has recently embarked on an exciting learning journey that I find particularly inspiring. We met on our very first day of school and instantly formed a strong bond. Over the years, I have come to know him very well, not only as a friend but also as someone who is constantly seeking to grow and develop new skills. He has always been curious about technology and enjoys exploring how digital tools work, which makes his recent decision quite fitting. Shamkhal has decided to dive into the world of game development. After spending a decade in the banking sector, he felt the urge to explore something completely different from his routine professional environment. Although he had a stable career, he often mentioned that he wanted to pursue something more creative and engaging. His longstanding passion for computers and gaming eventually led him to this new venture. These days, he invests countless hours each day not only playing games but also immersing himself in various aspects of virtual reality and game design. Creating something that aligns with his interests has become his primary motivation for learning game development. Starting this complex journey is certainly a challenge for Shamkhal. Game development involves a steep learning curve that encompasses both programming languages and sophisticated game development engines like Unity and Unreal Engine. The process itself can be tedious, especially when mastering the fundamentals, which often requires revisiting overwhelming concepts that may temporarily reduce one’s motivation. Nevertheless, Shamkhal remains determined to push through these obstacles and gradually improve his skills. Interestingly, Shamkhal’s decision to learn independently, rather than enrolling in a formal class, highlights the wealth of online resources available today, such as Udemy courses and AI-powered learning platforms. These tools help him track his progress and quickly find solutions when he encounters coding errors. His experience suggests that while learning from a teacher can be beneficial, the flexibility and accessibility of online education can be equally effective for motivated learners. Person who makes plans a lot (January – August 2026)
342 words — roughly 3–3 minutes at a natural speaking pace.
Reading a model answer is not the same as saying one. The sample above shows what a strong Part 2 answer sounds like. What it cannot tell you is how yours sounds — whether you hesitate, repeat the question back, or run out of things to say at forty seconds.
You can record an answer to this exact question and get it marked on fluency and coherence, lexical resource, grammatical range and pronunciation — the same four criteria the examiner uses.
Common questions
How long should I speak for in Part 2?
Between one and two minutes. The examiner stops you at two, so aim to still be talking at the ninety-second mark rather than finishing early — running out at forty seconds is the most common problem in this part.
What do I do with the one minute of preparation time?
You get one minute and a pencil and paper. Most candidates waste it writing full sentences they then read aloud, which sounds flat. Note a few keywords against each bullet instead, so you have four things to say and can speak naturally from them.
Do I have to cover all four bullet points?
They are prompts, not a checklist, and you are not penalised for skipping one. In practice they are the easiest way to fill two minutes, so covering them is usually the simplest way to keep going.
Does it matter if the story is not true?
No. You are assessed on your English, not on whether the events happened. Inventing detail is fine and often easier than recalling a real memory under pressure.
Model answers written and reviewed by The English All-in-One IELTS team. They are teaching models showing what each band looks like, not real candidate scripts.