Sample Speaking Part 2, 3: Describe a new skill you would like to learn

“Describe a new skill you would like to learn” is an IELTS Speaking Part 2 topic under the Favorites category. To handle this topic effectively, the best approach is to closely follow the cue card provided in the prompt. In addition, the test-taker should provide the clearest information possible, avoiding vagueness or generalization, and may customize the response based on their thoughts. Let's refer to the article below from prepedu.com to practice IELTS Speaking effectively at home!

I. Part 2: Describe a new skill you would like to learn

1. Cue card: Describe a new skill you would like to learn

Describe a new skill you would like to learn. You should say: 

• What it is

• Who you want to learn it from

• How you are going to learn it

And explain why you want to learn it

2. Outline: Part 2

2.1. Sample ideas

• The task "Describe a new skill you would like to learn" requires the test taker to describe a skill they want to learn, providing information on:

  • What the skill is

  • Who they want to learn it from

  • How they plan to learn it

  • Why they want to learn it

• The "Describe a new skill you would like to learn" task falls under the broader topic of Favorites. The most effective way to handle this task is to closely follow the cues provided in the prompt and provide the clearest information possible, avoiding vagueness or generalization, or customizing based on your own thoughts.

• For the first question in the "Describe a new skill you would like to learn" task, which is about what the skill is, this is generally quite easy to answer, as we all have some skills we want to learn. All you need to do is choose a skill that you feel confident talking about your passion or desire for, whether it's a hard skill or a soft skill.

• Continuing on this point in the "Describe a new skill you would like to learn" task, you can incorporate answers to the second and third questions - who you want to learn it from and how you plan to learn it. For this part, you can briefly mention the learning method, without needing to go into too much detail about who you will learn from or the specific learning process.

• Finally, the "Describe a new skill you would like to learn" task asks why you want to learn this skill. In this part, you should provide the reasons that make you want to learn this particular skill and how it will be beneficial.

2.2. One-minute note-taking

3. Sample Speaking: Describe a new skill you would like to learn

Check out the sample IELTS Speaking Part 2 answer on the topic "Describe a new skill you would like to learn" to effectively practice for the IELTS Speaking test at home.

Let's listen to the podcast sample for IELTS Speaking Part 2 - "Describe a new skill you would like to learn":

As a lifelong learner, I always desire to acquire new skills to become a better version of myself. However, the skills I want to learn do not stay the same, as what I like depends a lot on my mood at certain times. Right now, I am really into learning how to dance.

Right since I was a young boy, I have already loved to move my body to the beat of the music. In the past, I took part in loads of extracurricular activities related to dancing, but I have never taken proper classes. For the past few years, being up to the ears in work, I have had no time to think about dancing anymore. Not until I came across a random clip with such mesmerizing dance moves on TikTok did my love for dancing rise again.

At that very moment, I decided to give learning to dance a go, planning to register for an intensive dance course. What ignited my interest in taking dance lessons not only stemmed from my love for dancing in the first place but also because of the advantages it may bring me. 

Firstly, dancing is such a perfect way for me to resist, reduce and escape stress. Working life can be tricky sometimes, and after such a long day of work, all I need is a class to dance all the burdens away from me. It would, undoubtedly, help me pull myself together, ready for the next day or week. 

Another benefit of dancing would be to improve my physical strength. Dancing means that you have to move your body a lot. This sure contributes to enhancing my flexibility in movements, since certain dance moves may require all body parts to work. Besides, it is also a form of exercise that can help you burn ample calories during the session.

For a person with a sedentary lifestyle like me, I am sure that dancing would definitely do wonders for my well-being, especially when I am under the supervision of experienced trainers. Hopefully, in the upcoming time, I will be able to arrange my overall schedule for some dance lessons. It would be great to be immersed in music and dancing.

The key vocabulary used in the sample answer for "Describe a new skill you would like to learn":

• A better version of oneself - a more improved or enhanced version of yourself

• Take classes - enroll in/attend classes

• Up to the ears in something - deeply or heavily involved in something

• Love rises again - passion or enthusiasm for something is renewed

• Give something a go - try to do something

• Stem from - originate or derive from

• Dance something away - express or release something through dancing

• Pull oneself together - regain one's composure

• Sedentary - physically inactive or not involving much physical movement

• Be immersed in - be deeply engaged or absorbed in

Note: The IELTS Speaking Part 2 sample answer on the topic "Describe a new skill you would like to learn" can also be applied to some other prompts such as: Describe something you would like to learn in the future, Describe a skill you want to learn, Describe a time when you learned something new, Talk about a skill you want to learn,...

II. Sample IELTS Speaking Part 3: Skill

1. What do you think is the most important practical skill? Why?

From my own perspective, communication would be the most crucial skill that we need to work on. Communication plays a significant role in any aspect of life. Whether you are a student, an office worker or a business leader, it will help you develop a stronger relationship with your mates, your coworkers or your counterparts.

It’s the essence of life, allowing us to express feelings, convey information and share thoughts with one another. If one knows how to communicate effectively, he is more likely to win the hearts of others and have the world at his feet. 

• Counterpart - a person or thing that corresponds to or has the same function as another person or thing in a different place or situation.

• Essence - the intrinsic nature or indispensable quality of something, which determines its character.

• Win the heart - to gain the affection, admiration, or love of someone.

• Have the world at one's feet - to be extremely successful and widely respected.

2. What kinds of skills did people learn in the past?

Well, for me, I think in the past, people placed an emphasis on acquiring essential life skills. I mean, they must have learnt how to perform daily tasks on their own, such as cooking, cleaning or renovating their houses, since there were not so many developments that could be of help to them at that time. As time went by, thanks to the advancements in many aspects, life has been so much easier and they no longer need to overly focus on mastering these skills. 

• Place an emphasis on - to give special importance or attention to something

• To be of help = be helpful - to be useful or beneficial

3. Are skills in the past more difficult to learn than today’s skills?

Well, it’s hard to decide which set of skills - today’s skills or ones in the past - is tougher to learn, since it really depends on the nature of a certain skill. Skills that have long existed such as sewing and gardening would require intense practice and physical stamina. However, we all know that people who desire to acquire contemporary skills, mostly related to computing and design, would also have to buckle down, as they take blood, sweat and tears to master. 

• Physical stamina - the ability to sustain physical activity or exertion for a long period of time

• Buckle down - to apply oneself diligently or with great effort to a task or situation

• Blood, sweat and tears - a great deal of hard work, effort, and perseverance

III. Conclusion

This article includes the sample IELTS Speaking Part 2 and Part 3 answers on the topic "Describe a new skill you would like to learn", which have been comprehensively compiled by the teachers at PREP. Please check them out to effectively practice for the IELTS Speaking test at home!