IELTS Speaking Part 2+3: Describe a person you know who is from a different cultural background

The topic ‘Describe a person you know who is from a different cultural background’ is a common question in IELTS Speaking Part 2. Refer to the sample essay by Essay King if you aim to achieve a high score on this particular theme!

Part 2 – A person

Describe a person you know who is from a different cultural background

You should say:
Who he/she is
Where he/she is from
How you know him/her
Explain how you feel about him/her.

In my previous role as a teaching assistant at a language school, I had the privilege of collaborating with educators from diverse cultural backgrounds. One such colleague was Claudia, a teacher hailing from Colombia. Proficient in both her native tongue and English, which she studied during her college years, Claudia and I developed a strong rapport, likely due to our similar ages.

• cultural backgrounds (noun phrase): refers to a set of beliefs, norms, values, and practices a person has inherited from their cultural group
• native tongue (noun phrase): the native language of someone; the language of the country that someone is born in or native to
• rapport (noun): a good understanding of someone and an ability to communicate well with them

Despite transitioning to a different job, Claudia and I have maintained regular contact. During our leisure time, we frequent our preferred café, where she imparts her knowledge of Spanish to me. Learning this language has proven to be challenging, given its significant differences from both Vietnamese and English, but Claudia’s patient teaching style has been invaluable.

• frequent (verb): to be in or visit a particular place often

• significant difference (collocation): a big difference, or an important difference

Claudia has graciously shared numerous aspects of her life in Colombia with me, from her appreciation for Ajiaco, a traditional potato and chicken soup, to her admiration for the Colombian musician Shakira. Although Claudia has found her time in Vietnam to be enriching, she deeply misses her family and friends back in Colombia, prompting her decision to return home next month. While I am saddened by the prospect of seeing her less frequently, I am grateful for the insights into various cultures that Claudia has provided, significantly enhancing my appreciation for Colombian culture.

• graciously (adverb): politely and pleasantly

• enrich (verb): to improve the quality of something by adding something else

• prompt someone to do something (phrase) : to make someone decide to say or do something

Part 3 – Cultures

1. Where and how can we get to know people of different cultures better?

I feel you don’t have to travel far to get to know people from different cultures better. In fact, you can do so in the comfort of your own home as long as you have an Internet connection. With a click of a mouse, you can learn many characteristics of other cultures, such as languages or cuisine.

• do something in the comfort of your own home (idiomatic expression): a description of a state of being, meaning that the person described is at their home, comfortable.

• characteristic (noun): a typical or noticeable quality of someone or something

• cuisine (noun): a style of cooking

2. What are the advantages and disadvantages of cultural diversity?

On the one hand, cultural diversity encourages the accumulation of new viewpoints, areas of expertise, and skill sets, which in turn fosters innovation. On the other hand, cultural diversity can make professional communication across languages and cultures more difficult to comprehend, and it can also increase the likelihood that the message will be misinterpreted.

• accumulation (noun): an amount of something that has been collected

• expertise (noun): a high level of knowledge or skill

• misinterpreted (verb): to form an understanding that is not correct of something that is said or done

3. How can traditional culture and other cultures coexist?

I believe that people’s level of understanding will be the deciding factor in whether or not traditional culture and other cultures can coexist. In Japan, for instance, wearing a kimono is a part of the country’s cultural heritage. On the other hand, wearing colorful costumes and cosplaying as one’s favorite anime character is a recent trend in the anime subculture. These two vastly different cultural tenets coexist in Japan because the Japanese can appreciate and understand the distinctions between them.

• tenets (noun): one of the principles on which a belief or theory is based

I hope that the Essay King’s sample essay on the topic “Describe a person you know who is from a different cultural background” in the IELTS Speaking test has provided you with a guide on how to answer the question to achieve the desired band score.