Some people believe that the best way to learn English is to study with native teachers. Do you agree or disagree?
Sample Response
The saying "If you want to learn the language, learn the culture first" is indeed true when learning English. From native teachers, we can learn the language in the best possible way because they can ingrain the culture of the language among the learners while also showing us the context of a word, or expression and helping us with the correct pronunciation.
To begin with, native educators use the language in their everyday life, and they know the contextual meaning of a word or expression. This is why learners comprehend words and expressions with their contextual meaning - which is perhaps the best way to learn English because, in it, the same word can mean several different things based on the context. For instance, only a native teacher can explain what the word "terrific" means when used by a British. Furthermore, teachers, whose first language is English, can teach students the culture and history associated with words and sentences, and it is a proven way to enhance vocabulary and master language skills. To cite an example, a teacher from London, who taught us literature at our university, explained a couple of Shakespear's writing which, despite reading before, most of us had no idea about.
Moreover, a native teacher can teach better pronunciation than a non-native teacher. During my university days, I was surprised to find out how erroneous many of my English word pronunciations were. Thanks to a couple of native teachers who helped me with that. Finally, native mentors, unlike non-native teachers, focus more on the practical aspects of the language rather than forcing learners to memorise hundreds of grammatical rules. It makes learning more interesting and functional.
In conclusion, the English language could be learned in many different ways, but when someone has the opportunity to learn it from native instructors, this is definitely the best possible way to master the language and use it in everyday life.
IELTS Writing Correction
- 1. Use natural collocation Original: ingrain the culture of the language among the learners Suggested revision: instil an understanding of the language's culture in learners Why it matters: The original verb and object do not form a natural collocation for developing cultural understanding.
- 2. Remove unnecessary comma Original: the context of a word, or expression Suggested revision: the context of a word or expression Why it matters: A comma should not separate two alternatives joined by “or.”
- 3. Use plural noun Original: life Suggested revision: lives Why it matters: The plural possessive subject “educators” requires the distributive plural “lives.”
- 4. Clarify the collocation Original: comprehend words and expressions with their contextual meaning Suggested revision: understand words and expressions in context Why it matters: English speakers understand language “in context,” rather than “with” a contextual meaning.
- 5. Name the reference Original: because, in it, Suggested revision: because in English, Why it matters: Replacing the vague pronoun with “English” makes the reference clear and removes disruptive punctuation.
- 6. Complete the noun phrase Original: used by a British Suggested revision: used by a British speaker Why it matters: “British” is an adjective here and needs a noun such as “speaker.”
- 7. Correct name and noun Original: explained a couple of Shakespear's writing Suggested revision: discussed a couple of Shakespeare's works Why it matters: The author's name is misspelled, and “works” is the appropriate countable noun after “a couple of.”
- 8. Add perfect form Original: despite reading before Suggested revision: despite having read them before Why it matters: The clause needs a perfect gerund and an object to show the earlier reading clearly.
- 9. Use complete expression Original: had no idea about Suggested revision: did not understand Why it matters: “Have no idea about” requires an object, whereas the replacement completes the clause naturally.
- 10. Use natural noun phrase Original: English word pronunciations Suggested revision: pronunciations of English words Why it matters: The revised noun phrase expresses the relationship between the words and their pronunciations more naturally.
- 11. Use direct phrasing Original: is indeed true when learning English Suggested revision: applies directly to learning English Why it matters: The revision connects the quotation to the topic more directly and naturally.
- 12. Express context naturally Original: know the contextual meaning of a word or expression Suggested revision: know how a word or expression is used in context Why it matters: The revision describes contextual knowledge with a more natural and precise expression.
Suggested Rewrites
- ingrain the culture of the language among the learners instil an understanding of the language's culture in learners
- the context of a word, or expression the context of a word or expression
- life lives
- comprehend words and expressions with their contextual meaning understand words and expressions in context
- because, in it, because in English,
- used by a British used by a British speaker
Why this response received Band 7.5
The response presents a clear, consistent position and develops several relevant advantages of native-teacher instruction through logical progression and specific examples. Its main limitation is uneven linguistic precision, with several awkward collocations and malformed phrases weakening otherwise confident expression. The highest-priority improvement is to revise word combinations and complex sentence structures so that claims and examples remain natural, exact, and grammatically controlled.
IELTS Writing Criteria Scores
Task Response
The position is explicit and sustained, with relevant reasons and examples that address the question directly.
Qualify absolute claims and make each example demonstrate more precisely why native instruction is superior.
Coherence and Cohesion
Ideas progress logically through well-focused paragraphs, and cohesive devices generally support rather than interrupt the argument.
Strengthen the internal unity of the third paragraph by linking pronunciation and practical teaching methods more explicitly.
Lexical Resource
A wide vocabulary supports nuanced discussion, although several collocations and word forms are awkward or inaccurate.
Refine combinations such as references to culture, nationality, literary works, and pronunciation to achieve more idiomatic precision.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy
The response uses varied complex structures effectively, but occasional malformed clauses and agreement or reference problems remain noticeable.
Proofread long relative-clause constructions and ensure that every modifier has a clear, grammatically complete relationship to its noun.
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IELTS Writing Task 2
Some people believe that the best way to learn English is to study with native teachers. Do you agree or disagree?
Your response
Write the task yourself, then compare your choices with the annotated response.