Some believe that students should begin learning a language very early in school while others think these subjects should be taught later. Discuss both sides and give your own opinion.
Sample Response
Many have argued that the earlier students begin learning a language in school the better. Although this can pose challenges for schools, I am in complete agreement with this opinion.
Those against early foreign language courses contend it is not always practical. In many school systems, the cost of such courses can be prohibitive. More specifically, in more remote areas, teachers will often not have the ability to teach another language and it may be difficult to recruit foreign native language speakers. If the schools teach a foreign language anyway, then they will have to rely largely on textbooks and the classes are not likely to be as productive. This reality can create a situation where wealthier school districts receive a disproportionately superior education.
However, even when the conditions are not ideal, there is tremendous value in learning a language early relative to learning it later in life. Studies have shown that languages can be acquired far more easily early in one’s education. As a person gets older, the muscles in the mouth become more fixed making it more difficult to pronounce sounds from another language similar to a native speaker. Their brains are also less flexible and this is clearly evidenced in the considerably slower progress for adults when learning a new language. Attempting to acquire another language younger therefore has greater overall value for any given individual.
In conclusion, the effectiveness of early language acquisition justifies its inclusion in curricula at all schools. This educational reform should be a priority.
IELTS Writing Correction
- 1. Add the comparative comma Original: school the better Suggested revision: school, the better Why it matters: The paired comparative construction needs a comma between its two clauses.
- 2. Remove vague comparison Original: more remote areas Suggested revision: remote areas Why it matters: “More” implies an unstated comparison and is unnecessary here.
- 3. Use concise wording Original: not have the ability to teach Suggested revision: be unable to teach Why it matters: The revision conveys the same meaning more directly.
- 4. Untangle the noun phrase Original: foreign native language speakers Suggested revision: native speakers of the foreign language Why it matters: The original noun sequence is awkward and obscures which language the speakers use natively.
- 5. Use a generic plural Original: If the schools Suggested revision: If schools Why it matters: The zero article is more natural when referring to schools in general.
- 6. Choose a precise adjective Original: productive Suggested revision: effective Why it matters: “Effective” more precisely describes the quality of language classes.
- 7. Avoid inflated comparison Original: a disproportionately superior education Suggested revision: a substantially better education Why it matters: The revision expresses the inequality clearly without the awkward combination of “disproportionately” and “superior.”
- 8. Use direct comparison Original: relative to learning it later in life Suggested revision: than learning it later in life Why it matters: “Than” completes the explicit comparison introduced by “learning a language early.”
- 9. Sentence rewrite Original: As a person gets older, the muscles in the mouth become more fixed making it more difficult to pronounce sounds from another language similar to a native speaker. Suggested revision: As a person gets older, the muscles in the mouth become more fixed, making it harder to pronounce another language’s sounds like a native speaker. Why it matters: The rewrite fixes the missing comma and makes the final comparison attach clearly to pronunciation.
- 10. Clarify the final link Suggested revision: Add a brief transition before the final sentence to connect the practical constraints with the resulting inequality between school districts. Why it matters: The paragraph moves abruptly from classroom effectiveness to unequal educational outcomes.
Suggested Rewrites
- school the better school, the better
- more remote areas remote areas
- not have the ability to teach be unable to teach
- foreign native language speakers native speakers of the foreign language
- If the schools If schools
- productive effective
Why this response received Band 8.0
The essay presents a firm position, develops relevant arguments on both perspectives, and moves through them in a controlled, readable structure. Its main limitation is that the opposing case focuses more on practical obstacles to early provision than on a fully explicit rationale for teaching languages later, with a few phrases also sounding strained. The priority is to connect those obstacles more directly to delayed instruction and its proposed benefits.
IELTS Writing Criteria Scores
Task Response
The response covers both perspectives and sustains a clear opinion with relevant explanation, though the case for later teaching is somewhat indirect.
Explain explicitly why the practical constraints described would make a later starting age preferable rather than merely difficult to avoid.
Coherence and Cohesion
Ideas progress logically through a clear introduction, two focused body paragraphs, and a concise conclusion with well-controlled linking.
Make the transition between institutional constraints and the comparative benefits of early learning even more explicit.
Lexical Resource
A wide and topic-appropriate vocabulary conveys precise distinctions, with only occasional strained combinations.
Refine awkward phrases such as references to native speakers and superior education so the intended comparisons read more naturally.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy
A broad range of complex structures is handled accurately and flexibly, with only minor lapses in phrasing and attachment.
Review long participial structures to ensure every modifying phrase attaches unambiguously to its intended subject.
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IELTS Writing Task 2
Some believe that students should begin learning a language very early in school while others think these subjects should be taught later. Discuss both sides and give your own opinion.
Your response
Write the task yourself, then compare your choices with the annotated response.