IELTS Speaking Part 2

Describe a short-term job you want to have in a foreign country: IELTS cue card with sample answer

An IELTS cue card for Speaking Part 2 with a Band 8 sample answer, the one-minute plan behind it, the vocabulary that lifts it and the Part 3 follow-up questions the examiner can ask next.
  • 255 words
  • An experience
  • 1 minute to prepare
  • 2 minutes to speak

The cue card

Describe a short-term job you want to have in a foreign country

You should say:

  • →Where it is
  • →How you know of it
  • →What the job is
  • →And explain why you want to do it

One minute to prepare, then speak for one to two minutes.

An experience

How to answer this cue card: a one-minute plan

  1. 1

    Jot down keywords for each bullet point to ensure you cover every requirement.

  2. 2

    Pick a job that genuinely interests you to make your delivery more enthusiastic.

  3. 3

    Use one bullet point per main paragraph to maintain a logical flow of ideas.

Model answer

Band 8 sample answer

Band 8255 words, about two minutes at a natural pace. Details are invented; use your own.

I have always been fascinated by the concept of seasonal work, and specifically, I would love to spend a summer working as an assistant at an organic vineyard in the Tuscany region of Italy. I first heard about this through a travel blog I follow, which featured a young woman who spent three months picking grapes and helping with the initial fermentation process. It sounded like an incredibly grounding experience, far removed from the digital intensity of my current office job. The job itself would involve manual labour, primarily pruning vines and assisting the vintners with the harvest during the late summer months. It is definitely not a high-paying role, but it offers room and board in a rustic farmhouse, which is all I would need. I am drawn to this because I want to disconnect from my screen-based life and reconnect with the natural world. Italy has such a rich cultural heritage, and I think being embedded in a local community rather than just passing through as a tourist would give me a deeper understanding of the Italian way of life. Furthermore, I have been trying to learn Italian for a few years now, and I believe that full immersion—hearing the language spoken in the fields and over communal meals—would be the most effective way to finally become conversational. It is a chance to step out of my comfort zone, challenge myself physically, and gain a fresh perspective on the value of hard work and craftsmanship in a world that is becoming increasingly automated.

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8 words

Useful vocabulary for this cue card

  • grounding

    making you feel calm and sensible again

  • vintners

    people who make or sell wine

  • rustic

    having a simple, charming, or country-style quality

  • embedded

    firmly fixed as part of a larger system

  • full immersion

    a method of learning by experiencing only

  • conversational

    able to hold a conversation quite easily

  • craftsmanship

    the quality of design and work shown

  • automated

    operated by machines rather than by people

6 questions

Part 3 follow-up questions

  1. 1What short-term jobs do young people do in other countries?
  2. 2What challenges do young people face when working abroad?
  3. 3What are the benefits of working for an international company?
  4. 4What personal skills are required to work in an international company?
  5. 5What kind of work can young people do in foreign countries?
  6. 6Why are some people unwilling to work in other countries?

Answer each in three to five sentences: position, reason, example, limit. See how to answer IELTS Speaking Part 3.

Frequently asked questions

How should I start the cue card "Describe a short-term job you want to have in a foreign country"?+

Jot down keywords for each bullet point to ensure you cover every requirement.

How long should I speak on an IELTS cue card?+

You get one minute to prepare, then speak for the full two minutes, about 220 to 280 words at a natural pace. The examiner will stop you at two minutes, which is a good sign, not a problem.

How is the cue card scored?+

Part 2 is not scored on its own. Your whole Speaking test gets one band from four criteria: fluency and coherence, vocabulary, grammar and pronunciation. The cue card is where the examiner hears whether you can keep going for two minutes.

Can I use this sample answer in the exam?+

Use its structure and vocabulary, not its sentences. Examiners recognise memorised answers and mark fluency down; a shorter answer from your own memory scores higher than a recited one.

Keep practising

More cue cards: an experience

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