Learning to cook is a skill that many people aspire to develop, similar to describe a skill you have improved recently. This topic frequently appears in IELTS Speaking tests, particularly in Part 2, as it combines personal experience with practical skills.
Part 1: Introduction and Interview Questions
Common questions examiners may ask:
- Do you enjoy cooking?
- How often do you cook?
- Where did you learn to cook?
Sample answer (Band 8-9):
“I absolutely love experimenting in the kitchen. While I’m not a professional chef, I find great satisfaction in preparing meals from scratch. I typically cook four to five times a week, and I learned the basics from my mother, though I’ve also expanded my culinary knowledge through online cooking courses.”
A person preparing ingredients in a modern kitchen setting
Part 2: Cue Card
Talk about a dish you want to learn how to cook
You should say:
- What the dish is
- Why you want to learn it
- How difficult it might be to make
- And explain how you plan to learn it
Sample Answer (Band 6-7):
“I want to learn how to make authentic Italian lasagna. I tasted it at a restaurant last month and really liked it. I think it’s quite difficult because it has many layers and needs special sauce. I plan to watch some YouTube videos and maybe ask my friend who knows Italian cooking to teach me. The main ingredients are pasta sheets, meat sauce, and cheese. I think it will take me several attempts to get it right.”
Sample Answer (Band 8-9):
“I’m particularly keen on mastering the art of making authentic Italian lasagna, which is something I’ve been fascinated with ever since I experienced it at a describe a food market you visited in a different city. The intricate layering of homemade pasta sheets, rich Bolognese sauce, and perfectly balanced béchamel makes it a technically challenging dish to perfect. I’m planning to approach this systematically by first attending a specialized Italian cooking workshop, then practicing under the guidance of a professional chef I know. What particularly intrigues me is the need to understand the precise timing and temperature control required for each component.”
Professional chef demonstrating lasagna preparation techniques
Part 3: Discussion Questions
Q: Why do you think cooking skills are important in modern life?
Sample Answer (Band 8-9):
“Cooking skills are increasingly crucial in today’s world for several reasons. Firstly, they enable individuals to maintain better control over their nutrition and dietary choices, similar to how describe a foreign food you want to try. Additionally, cooking serves as a creative outlet and can be a highly therapeutic activity. In our fast-paced society, the ability to prepare healthy meals contributes significantly to both physical and mental well-being.”
Key Vocabulary and Expressions
- Culinary expertise /ˈkʌlɪnəri eksˈpɜːtiːz/ (n.) – professional cooking skills
- To master /ˈmɑːstə/ (v.) – to become highly skilled at something
- Intricate /ˈɪntrɪkət/ (adj.) – complicated or detailed
- Systematically /ˌsɪstəˈmætɪkli/ (adv.) – in a methodical way
- To perfect /pəˈfekt/ (v.) – to make something as good as possible
Examiner’s Tips
- Use specific cooking terminology to demonstrate vocabulary range
- Include personal experiences to make answers more authentic
- Structure your response logically, especially in Part 2
- Demonstrate understanding of complex cooking processes to show analytical skills
- Connect your answer to broader social and cultural contexts in Part 3
Remember that describe a meal you enjoyed recently with friends can provide additional context for discussing cooking and food-related topics in your IELTS Speaking test.
