In some countries, schools are teaching foreign languages for primary school children. Do the advantages of this outweigh the disadvantages?
Sample Response
These days, the paramount importance of knowing a foreign language is universally acknowledged, and an increasing number of primary schools have made language teaching an essential part of their curriculum. This has both positive and negative outcomes, and I believe that the demerits are far outweighed by many great merits it brings.
It is undeniable that teaching young children languages is beneficial for several reasons. Young minds are proven to pick up languages much more easily compared to adolescents as their brains are still programmed to acquire their mother tongue. This has the added benefit that children might gain a better understanding of other cultures at an early age, thus facilitating their personal development in later life. Primary schools’ timetables also allow shorter sessions with a play-centered approach, which helps maintain learners’ enthusiasm and progress. In many non-native English-speaking countries, for instance, teenagers tend to feel demotivated and overwhelmed when studying this global language due to their hectic schedule and a huge amount of work needed to complete everyday.
Nonetheless, learning foreign languages at such a young age is associated with drawbacks. The majority of primary teachers are generalists, so they might not have the required knowledge and qualifications themselves. If specialists need to be brought in to deliver these lessons, the flexibility of primary schools’ timetables no longer exists. Let us not forget either that the various levels of ability among young students can be a major disadvantage for secondary schools when it comes to classifying them in different classes. If some are taught what they already know while their peers have zero knowledge of the language, they are highly likely to lose interest sooner or later.
In conclusion, early exposure to language learning benefits individuals and society as a whole. As long as clear policies are adopted, the problems mentioned above could be addressed efficiently and strategically.
IELTS Writing Correction
- 1. Use natural emphasis Original: the paramount importance Suggested revision: the importance Why it matters: ‘Paramount importance’ is redundant because ‘paramount’ already means most important.
- 2. Clarify the pronoun Original: many great merits it brings Suggested revision: the many significant merits this brings Why it matters: The original phrase has an unclear pronoun and an awkward noun phrase.
- 3. Use natural word order Original: teaching young children languages Suggested revision: teaching languages to young children Why it matters: The revised order expresses the recipient of the teaching more naturally.
- 4. Complete the comparison Original: much more easily compared to adolescents Suggested revision: much more easily than adolescents Why it matters: Use ‘than’ to complete this direct comparative structure.
- 5. Add the preposition Original: allow shorter sessions Suggested revision: allow for shorter sessions Why it matters: ‘Allow for’ is the natural construction when describing what a timetable makes possible.
- 6. Improve verb pairing Original: maintain learners’ enthusiasm and progress Suggested revision: maintain learners’ enthusiasm and support their progress Why it matters: ‘Maintain’ does not collocate naturally with ‘progress’ in this context.
- 7. Match plural reference Original: schedule Suggested revision: schedules Why it matters: The plural noun ‘teenagers’ requires the plural ‘schedules’ here.
- 8. Fix clause and adverb Original: a huge amount of work needed to complete everyday Suggested revision: the large amount of work they need to complete every day Why it matters: The revision supplies the missing subject and uses the time expression ‘every day’ correctly.
- 9. Remove redundant emphasis Original: required knowledge and qualifications themselves Suggested revision: required knowledge and qualifications Why it matters: ‘Themselves’ is unnecessary and makes the phrase sound awkward.
- 10. Use concise phrasing Original: various levels of ability Suggested revision: varying ability levels Why it matters: This phrase expresses differences among learners more directly.
- 11. Choose the right verb Original: classifying Suggested revision: placing Why it matters: Schools place students in classes rather than classify them in classes.
- 12. Use formal wording Original: zero knowledge Suggested revision: no prior knowledge Why it matters: ‘No prior knowledge’ is more precise and appropriately formal in this context.
Suggested Rewrites
- the paramount importance the importance
- many great merits it brings the many significant merits this brings
- teaching young children languages teaching languages to young children
- much more easily compared to adolescents much more easily than adolescents
- allow shorter sessions allow for shorter sessions
- maintain learners’ enthusiasm and progress maintain learners’ enthusiasm and support their progress
Why this response received Band 7.0
The response presents a clear comparative position and supports both sides with relevant, logically extended reasons, with the advantages receiving appropriately greater emphasis. Its main limitation is occasional imprecision in phrasing and support, particularly where claims about adolescents and school timetables are asserted rather than fully explained. The priority is to sharpen causal explanations and use more natural collocations throughout.
IELTS Writing Criteria Scores
Task Response
The response clearly answers the comparison question and develops relevant advantages and disadvantages while maintaining that the advantages prevail.
Strengthen the comparison by explaining more explicitly why the benefits outweigh the implementation and mixed-ability problems.
Coherence and Cohesion
Ideas progress logically through a clear introduction, two focused body paragraphs, and a consistent conclusion, with generally effective linking.
Make links within examples more precise so each supporting detail follows directly from the preceding claim.
Lexical Resource
A sufficiently wide vocabulary conveys the argument clearly, although several combinations are awkward or imprecise.
Replace unnatural phrases such as “complete everyday” and “various levels of ability” with more idiomatic, exact wording.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy
A varied range of complex sentences is used with good control, and the few grammatical slips do not impede meaning.
Proofread for agreement, missing nouns, and awkward clause attachment in longer sentences.
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IELTS Writing Task 2
In some countries, schools are teaching foreign languages for primary school children. Do the advantages of this outweigh the disadvantages?
Your response
Write the task yourself, then compare your choices with the annotated response.