A goal cue card is ideal for future forms: "I'm planning to", "I'll need to", "by the time I'm 25, I'll have...". IELTS itself can be a good goal to talk about.
The cue card
Describe a goal you would like to achieve in the future.
You should say:
what the goal is
when you set it
what you need to do to achieve it
and explain why it is important to you.
One-minute notes
- goal: master's in data science, Germany, scholarship
- set it: second year, after summer internship
- need: IELTS 7, GPA, German A2, savings
- why: first in family abroad, come back and build something
Model answer (about 2 minutes)
One goal I'm working towards at the moment is getting a fully funded scholarship for a master's degree in data science in Germany.
I set it about a year ago, after a summer internship at a small IT company in Tashkent. I was given a project analysing customer data, and I realised I enjoyed it far more than anything I'd done at university. My manager had studied in Germany, and when he told me about the scholarships there, it suddenly felt possible rather than just a dream.
There are quite a few steps I need to take. First of all, I'll need an IELTS score of at least seven, which is partly why I'm preparing so seriously. I also need to keep my grades high in my final year, and I'm planning to learn some basic German, because even if the course is in English, daily life won't be. On top of that I'm trying to save a bit of money for the first few months.
It's important to me for two reasons. One is simply the education: the programmes there are some of the best in the field. The other is more personal. Nobody in my family has studied abroad, and I'd like to show my younger cousins that it's achievable. Ideally, after a few years of experience, I'd come back and help build something here.
If everything goes to plan, I'll be applying in about eighteen months.
Useful words and phrases
| Phrase | Meaning |
|---|---|
| work towards a goal | work towards a goal |
| fully funded scholarship | fully funded scholarship |
| an internship | an internship |
| rather than just a dream | rather than just a dream |
| on top of that | on top of that |
| achievable | achievable |
| if everything goes to plan | if everything goes to plan |
| rigid | rigid |
How to answer
- Mix future forms: "I'm planning to", "I'll need to", "I'll be applying".
- The story of when you set the goal adds past tenses too.
- List the steps: "First of all...", "I also need to...", "On top of that...".
- For "why important", give two reasons: a personal one and a professional one.
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Part 3: follow-up discussion questions
Is it important for young people to have clear goals?
I think it helps, but goals shouldn't be too rigid. Having a direction keeps you motivated, but at eighteen most people don't know enough about the world to plan their whole life, so it's fine for goals to change.
Why do some people fail to achieve their goals?
Often because the goal is too big and there's no plan for the small steps. Someone who says "I'll be fluent in English" without deciding what to do every day usually gives up within a few weeks.
Should parents set goals for their children?
Is it better to have short-term or long-term goals?
Part 2 strategy: the cue card guide. Next step: the Part 3 guide.
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The AI examiner asks you these questions, listens to your answers and shows your mistakes.
