Some people say that the only reason for learning a foreign language is in order to travel to or work in a foreign country. Others say that these are not the only reasons why someone should learn a foreign language. Discuss both these views and give your own opinion.
Sample Response
While some people believe that the sole reason we should learn a foreign language is to visit or work in a foreign country, many others argueopine that the benefits of learning a foreigndifferent language are not limited to employmentjob and travel. This essay discusses both points of viewdelves into both points of view. My opinion is that learning a foreign language goes beyond travel, migration or job prospects.
On the one hand, proponents of learning a second language for travelling and working in a different country think that people need the skills of a foreign language only to be able to communicate with its speakerspeople who speak this language. Therefore, many peopleThus a large number of people learn foreign languages such as Englishforeign languages like English, French, German, Spanish, and Arabic to travel, migrate or find jobs in countries where people use these languages. From this perspectiveregard, it seems quite logical that visiting a country or working there is the main and sometimes sole reasonthe main, and sometimes the sole reason, people learn a second language. In my country, for example, most people learn English and Spanish while almost no one learns Russianalmost none learn Russian. Migration and job prospects are the factors that have created this trendreasons that have established this trend, I believe.
By contrastOn the contrary, those who believe in the multifacetedmultifaced benefits of learning a foreign language argueexpress that cognitive development occurs faster among children who learn a second language than those who do not. It is scientifically proven that children who learn more than one language in school become more capable adultsmore skilled individuals in their adult life. Learning a second language is mandatory in many school curriculamany academic syllabi, and this helps learners develop their motor skills as well.
Moreover, people who have skills in more than one language are capable of reading more books, making new friends and understanding the lifestyles and cultural aspects of different nationalities. Since learning a foreign language helps us make new friends, everyone should learn one or two foreign languagesat least one or two foreign languages to expand their social and professional networksnetwork. Thus it is evident that learning a foreign language has many other benefits as well.
In conclusion, many people learn a foreign language to travel to or work in a developed country. But it is quite evident that there are far moremany advantages of learning a foreign language than just working or migrating to a different country.
Why this response received Band 7.0
The essay’s clearest strength is its full engagement with both views and its consistent position that foreign-language learning offers cognitive, cultural, social, and professional benefits beyond travel and work. The main limitation is that several supporting claims are broad or asserted rather than carefully justified, and some ambitious wording is unnatural; prioritise deeper explanation of fewer benefits, supported by precise examples and more idiomatic academic language.
IELTS Writing Criteria Scores
Task Response
Both views are discussed and a clear opinion is maintained, with relevant examples and several developed alternative benefits, although some claims are overgeneralised.
Develop one or two non-travel benefits in greater depth and qualify claims about cognitive or motor development with a clear causal explanation.
Coherence and Cohesion
The essay is logically organised into the two views, further benefits, and a conclusion, with clear progression despite some formulaic or inaccurate linking.
Replace “On the contrary” with “On the other hand” and reduce repetitive conclusion signals within body paragraphs.
Lexical Resource
A broad vocabulary supports the discussion, but errors such as “from this regard,” “multifaced,” “express that,” and “far many advantages” reduce precision and naturalness.
Use established academic collocations such as “in this respect,” “multifaceted benefits,” “argue that,” and “many more advantages.”
Grammatical Range and Accuracy
A wide range of complex sentences is generally well controlled, with occasional comparative, article, and noun-phrase errors that do not impede meaning.
Check comparison structures and write forms such as “develop faster than it does in children who do not” and “advantages beyond working abroad.”
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IELTS Writing Task 2
Some people say that the only reason for learning a foreign language is in order to travel to or work in a foreign country. Others say that these are not the only reasons why someone should learn a foreign language. Discuss both these views and give your own opinion.
Your response
Write the task yourself, then compare your choices with the annotated response.