Some people think that foreign films and programmes have a negative impact on local culture. To what extent do you agree or disagree?
Sample Response
Many believe that foreign movies and shows havecreate an adverse impact on localdomestic culture. I completely agree becauseI completely agree with this opinion because I believe that foreign filmscinemas and programmes exert a powerful influence on local audiences by promoting individualism and Western fashion trends.
Foreign movies and programmes contribute to the dilution of local cultural values. Films from majordominant film industries often portray specific lifestyles, norms, and ideologies that may not be compatible with local cultureacceptable to local culture. When these films become smash hitsbecome smash-hit, they can encourageinduce local audiences to adopt the cultural ideals portrayed in the filmsthe films’ cultural ideals that may challenge conventional norms and values. This, in turn, can lead to erosionlead to an erosion of the local cultural fabric. One example isA good example here is “The Pursuit of Happiness”, an American film. The movie’s emphasis on individualism can resonate with Asian audiences who also stress the importance of the collective well-being of society.
Likewise, local audiences often emulate certain features of foreign films and shows that may cause conflict with shared cultural values. Specifically,That is to say that international cinema tends to showcase Western fashion trendsvogues that may conflict with traditional dress codesgo against traditional dress codes. The influence of these movies on viewers can lead to the adoption of Western attire. This is illustrated by the fact that many Indiansmany Indian audiences, particularly women in corporate rolescorporate women, wear trousers, suits or skirts with blazers, a trend that challenges conservativewhich challenges conservative dressing norms in certain Indian societies. The influence of foreign films and programmes can thus leadprogrammes, thus, can lead to the adoption of Western fashiondressing trends, which may conflict with local cultural norms.
In conclusion, I totally agree that foreign films and shows have harmful effects on local culture because they encourage local audiences to adopt individualistic views and Western clothing styles that go against their own societal values.
Why this response received Band 7.5
The essay maintains a clear complete agreement and develops two focused cultural concerns involving individualism and Western dress, supported by named examples. Its strongest feature is the consistent paragraph structure and sustained relevance to local norms. The main limitation is evidential logic: the film example says individualism resonates with collectivist audiences, and the clothing example assumes adoption necessarily causes cultural harm. Prioritise explaining the mechanism of displacement with more balanced, credible evidence.
IELTS Writing Criteria Scores
Task Response
A clear position is sustained and two relevant ideas are developed, but the examples do not fully substantiate the claimed cultural harm.
Show how repeated exposure can displace local stories, languages, or dress traditions, and acknowledge that cultural exchange does not always equal cultural erosion.
Coherence and Cohesion
The introduction, two focused body paragraphs, and conclusion form a clear, cohesive progression with effective internal linking.
Reduce repetition of the fashion conclusion within the second body paragraph and use that space to deepen the causal explanation.
Lexical Resource
Vocabulary is varied and mostly precise for media influence and culture, though several expressions are inaccurate or overstated.
Replace 'foreign cinemas', 'become smash-hit', and 'fashion vogues' with 'foreign films', 'become major hits', and 'fashion trends'.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy
A good range of complex structures is used with strong overall control, despite occasional agreement and noun-form errors.
Correct forms such as 'When these films become major hits' and ensure pronouns and relative clauses refer unambiguously to the intended idea.
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IELTS Writing Task 2
Some people think that foreign films and programmes have a negative impact on local culture. To what extent do you agree or disagree?
Your response
Write the task yourself, then compare your choices with the annotated response.