IELTS Cue Card - Talking about Season

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There are some topics that are very common in IELTS Speaking Section. These topics are not so difficult to talk about, though I wouldn't say easy either. The kind of general topic in Cue Card is usually related to daily conversation like when you talk about weather or daily routine. Below is one of many topics that are very likely to appear in IELTS Speaking

Talk about your favorite season in your country

You should say:

• What it is and when it comes
• Why you like it
• Changes that happen and things you like to do during the season

Explain the season in brief

Follow-up Questions

• How the weather is different here in your country and in other countries?
• Have you ever seen the snow?
• Is there any sport particularly suitable for certain season in your country?
• What are the seasons you have in your country that other countries don't?

Sample Answer

There are only two seasons in my country, the dry season and the rainy season. Each season lasts for six months. Rainy season is from October to March, and dry season is from April to September. I like dry season better than rainy season, because there is not much rain. I can go anywhere without being worried of catching the rain. I don't have to carry umbrella or rain coat and I don't have to wear thicker clothes to keep my body warm. The best thing about dry season is the fact that I can do outdoor activities like sport. I might be sweaty during the dry season, but it is fine with me. 

I don't like rainy season much. During the rainy season, it is harder to do my daily activities because it rains almost all the time. I ride motorbike to go to places and when it rains, I have to stop and wear a rain coat. When the rain is extremely heavy, I often have to stop in the nearest coffee shop and wait for the rain to stop, because I'm afraid that the water will trickle down my bag and damage my cellphone or laptop. My shoes are wet, and my motorbike is getting dirty that it has to be washed every morning. Some people think that rainy season is the best reason to stay home and read a good book while drinking a cup of coffee. The problem is that I'm not a stay-home person.

I live in a tropical country where dry season could be a little bit extreme. There are some changes that happen when dry season comes. For example, people have to turn on the air conditioner almost all day long. It is hot at night, some people may find it difficult to fall asleep. It is even hotter during the day light. As for me, I become more sweaty during dry season, and I will take a bath three or four times a day to cool down. I wake up in the middle of the night and sometimes have to take a bath. I have to change my cloth more often and drink more water, since I will be dehydrated. Furthermore, I don't think much about fashion during the dry season. I often hang out wearing sweat shirt and short pants. My legs and my arms are getting darker because of the sun burn, but it doesn't bother me.

I don't think I need to explain dry season in urban areas like the place where I live. Dry season does not appeal to most Indonesian people who live in the city. In fact, it could sometimes be annoying. But dry season really does appeal to foreign tourists who happen to visit places like Bali. They go to the beach, they do sunbathing, and all the things they like doing in this tropical country. I think tourists like to live here so much, because we can see the sun throughout the year. The sun is still shining even during the rainy season. It becomes cloudy only when the rain is about to come.

How the weather is different here in your country and in other countries?

I went to the United States back in 2015, and I realized that the seasons there are very different from the seasons here in Indonesia. I went there during the summer, and I was thinking that it would be extremely hot there. It turned out that the summer is not as hot as I thought. I would call it warm, but not particularly hot. It is hotter here during the dry season. But I can say that the wind there is much drier. It was so dry that my lips were bleeding when the temperature got so high. Summer in the United States is the best time to walk around the city. I did a little Washington walk there, and it was fun. In Indonesia, you can't walk around during the dry season without getting burned. It is extremely hot here and it is better to be in the car when you go to places. One thing that really surprises me is the fact that it rains a lot during the summer. My friends suggested me to bring umbrella wherever I went. At first, it sounded so strange to me. What would I use the umbrella for? It's summer! I ended up being caught by the rain that day, and had to sit for hours in a coffee shop.

Have you ever seen the snow?

No, I haven't. But I would love to. I always think of having a snowball fight, it seems like it's fun. I would also like to try winter sport like sky or ice skating. We don't have snow in Indonesia, so when I went to United States, I was all excited about seeing the snow. Unfortunately, I went there during the summer, since it was for a summer school program. If I were to go there again for holiday, I would go during the winter, so that I can see the snow.

Is there any sport particularly suitable for certain season in your country?

Many people are doing a lot of outdoor activities during the dry season. But, I think that dry season is particularly suitable for playing volleyball. Many people play volley in the beach. Some people play football, but I personally think that it is fun to play football in the rain. It is also fun to swim in the river or the lake. I really liked swimming in the river when I was a kid, and it was the most fun activity to spend day in the dry season. In the rainy season, people tend to stay at home. I liked playing in the rain as a kid, although I was a little bit scared of the lightning and thunder. My mom was always angry at me because she thought that it was very dangerous to play outside when it was raining.

What are the seasons you have in your country that other countries don't?

I'm not really sure about this question. When I was in the United States, the summer there seems to be quite similar to Indonesian rainy season. The sun still shines, but it rains a lot. Of course, Indonesian dry summer is hotter, that may be the only difference. Dry season in Indonesia is not the same as dry season in any other countries. It is extremely hot in here. However, Indonesian dry season is much more humid than American summer. In the rainy season, there could be heavy rain day and night, and this is one thing I haven't seen in any other countries.

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