IELTS Speaking Cue Card Topic: Dislike / Like

1. what it is
   I am a curious person by nature, and I am always eager to learn new things. Today, I am going to talk to you about my interest in dog psychology.
2. Why it is of interest to you ?
   I have always loved dogs since a young age because my grandparents adopted them all the time. These days, I have heard of certificate courses and even diplomas in dog psychology. I have seen plenty of such adverts on social media like Instagram, Facebook, and even TikTok. The ads seem to suggest that those armed with this diploma could have a career in training dogs or pet-sitting.
3. How you plan to find out more about it?
   I plan to get in touch with a few of these dog training centers to find out more about the course modules. Chandigarh has a few such centers, and there are some in Himachal Pradesh too. I might drive down to one actual center to see first-hand what exactly is taught at these courses, and if dogs are present at these training sessions. That would be an added incentive for me to enroll on the spot!
4. and explain why it is important that you learn more about it. ?
   Canine psychology appeals to me because I have always had a strange and inexplicable connection with dogs whether pedigreed pets or the indie dogs that live on the streets. I don’t like calling them pariahs or strays because it is demeaning! I believe that more and more people these days will turn to pets as a source of peace and solace. It has been scientifically proven that pets can help relieve stress. With this diploma, I think I could have an alternate career in helping people understand their pets.

I am going to talk about the uniform rules at my school. When I was in secondary school, the uniform rules were very strict. We had to wear trousers or a skirt, with a shirt, tie and jacket. It was very formal and it didn’t matter if it was winter or summer, we had to wear the same. It was very uncomfortable and itchy and it was unfair that boys wore trousers and girls wore skirts. The boys would be sweating in the summer and the girls would be cold in winter. I understand the idea of wearing a uniform as you are representing the school and you don’t have to think about what you are going to wear. It also stops children being competitive or bullying kids who didn’t have the latest fashions. The reason I didn’t like it was because there was no flexibility. On a hot day we had to keep our ties on and it was torture. Also, if one of the teachers saw you not obeying the rules, they would stop you there and then shout at you in front of your friends. P.E was the same. We had to wear a standard P.E. kit and it was made of shiny material that made you sweat more. After class, there weren’t enough showers so often you had to wait until you got home to have a wash. If I was the head teacher, I would allow children to wear shorts and t-shirts in the summer and trousers in the winter.

Follow-up question: Do you think this rule will change in the future?

I think the rules have already changed related to gender. It is quite old fashioned for boys to wear trousers and girls to wear skirts so I think there will be more flexibility about this. I think as the weather gets hotter uniforms will be better adapted for the summer. Or maybe that is wishful thinking!

I am going to talk about a time I attended a concert but didn’t like the music.

A few months ago, I went to a small gig at a local music club. It was live music with a band called Romana; I hadn’t seen them before but some of my friends liked them. So we turned up and paid for a ticket on the door. Before the band a singer did a few songs that were indie and it was a really good sound to get the night started. When the main act appeared, everyone was getting in the swing of it and our group was having a good night.

When the band started I knew immediately the music was not my thing. It was quite heavy, a mix of rock and heavy metal. I’m more into pop and indie music and I find it hard to sing along or dance to this type of music. On top of that, the place was really crowded so when people started to jump around and headbang we were all banging into each other, spilling drinks and it got incredibly hot very quickly. I made my excuses and went outside for some fresh air. After a while, I went back in for the sake of my friends and tried to make the most of it. I really didn’t enjoy the gig and was glad to move onto another place after the band had finished. Needless to say, I didn’t become a fan and have not seen them live again.

I am going to talk about a quiz show called ‘The Ladder.’  This is a popular quiz programme in my country and it is usually shown on TV at about 7pm in the evening, it is suitable for all the family. The contestants have to answer questions quickly to build up a pot of money that they can compete to win at the end of the programme. Then they have to face a professional quizzer and answer a set of questions correctly against the master. The questions are about numerous different subjects, the contestant can choose to answer more questions to win more money, or less questions to get back to the safety or the team. At the end of the round, the contestants play as a team and have to buzz in with the correct answer as quickly as possible.

The reason I enjoy this show is because the presenter is funny and friendly, a well known personality in Italy. Also, it is fun to play along and answer the questions. My family is quite competitive so it can be quite serious between us, quite cut throat in fact. The only thing I don’t like about watching this show is all the commercial breaks. They can last for several minutes and are like watching paint dry, sometimes I forget what we were watching.  The show is on every day during the week but I only manage to catch it once or twice a week. I don’t watch it religiously but I do enjoy it now and again.

1. What was the advertisement about?
   I am going to talk about an interesting advertisement I saw. It was an advertisement from a travel agency to go visit Greece. It was showing pictures and clips of the country, and a voice off was sharing information, including special prices and travel packages the agency was offering.
2. When and where did you see this advertisement?
   I saw the advertisement when I was visiting parents. It played on TV in the evening while we were watching our favourite show. It was in the summer and it made sense to advertise a coastal destination then. I was actually starting to think about travel plans as I desperately needed to go on holiday after a long year of work. Seeing that advertisement partially caught my attention because it brought me a sense of tranquillity.
3. What was interesting about it?
   There were actually a lot of interesting aspects to the advertisement. The voice off was not just talking about deals, but was revealing facts about key cities to visit in Greece. Some places I knew, and others, I was unfamiliar with. One particularly appealing attraction was the underwater museum at the island Alonnisos. As a lover of nature, my desire to go visit Greece was reinforced by that point of interest.
4. And do you think it served its purpose?
   I think it was a very effective advertisement, seeing as it inspired me to go visit Greece! I wasn’t able to travel there that summer due to quarantine, but I am saving up for that trip, as it is definitely on my bucket list now! I think that the idea of introducing facts about the various locations is interesting in itself, because not all people who travel want to just sunbathe while on holiday. A lot of people go visit new places for the historical elements they have to offer. It certainly worked for me!

1. What rule is it?
   I am going to talk about a rule implemented in my house when I was a child. When I was younger, my parents decided that I could only get to watch TV if I had finished all of my homework.
2. Why don’t you like that rule?
   I didn’t like that rule, and I still do not like it, because I feel like there was a lack of understanding on their part on everything that I was going through in school. Sometimes I would quarrel with friends or just have a bad school day which would dampen my spirit, and I would really need a distraction. I understand the rationale of prioritising duties over entertainment, but sometimes it was very difficult to focus on my responsibilities when my mind was full of negativity.
3. How do other people feel about that rule?
   I think that most of my friends agreed with me at the time, and some who are now parents still believe it needs adjusting. Other friends of mine seem to have adopted such method, but I am not sure how well it works on their children. It can be challenging to break a habit, or perhaps deep down they feel it was effective for them and is worth applying to their set of parenting methods.
4. Have you ever followed that rule?
   I know I have followed that rule every day. I tried and communicate my need for entertainment countless times, but my parents weren’t having any of it. Sometimes I still find myself applying this rule to aspects of my adult life. I do, however, need to remind myself that it is acceptable to give myself a break every once in a while.

1. What is this method?
   I am going to talk about a method I use to stay in good physical health. I try to eat balanced-meals every day, which include the five food groups: protein, carbohydrates, dairy, fruit and vegetables. I find that this works for me. In addition to that, I like to exercise daily, except I make sure to switch the type of exercise every once in a while. I enjoy following exercise videos on YouTube, as I find it quite stimulating to exercise with someone else. However, I might sometimes come across new exercising methods and give those a whirl.
2. When and where do you practice this method?
   I exercise when I have time during the day. I do not have a consistent schedule I follow, as my class hours differ every day. I find that exercising in the morning or in the evening usually works best for me. If I watch YouTube exercise videos, this generally take place at my apartment, where I currently live. Other activities may occur outdoors or in specific venues.
3. What makes this method effective?
   Whenever I exercise, I feel like my energy has been renewed. I feel refreshed and ready to take on the world. I find that exercising also helps me a lot when I am in the doldrums. I pick an activity that makes me use eery ich of my body and has me give a hundred percent of myself, and it helps me feel free.
4. And do you practice this method with others?
   Exercising is a great way to dedicate myself some proper me-time, however, it can be very entertaining and rewarding when done with other people, especially those who enjoy it as much as I do. I have some good friends who enjoy physical activities, and we take great pleasure in trying new activities or challenges when exercising together