A few languages are increasingly spoken in different countries, while the use of others is rapidly declining. Is it a positive or negative development?
Sample Response
These days, there is a tendency that a small number of languages have gained widespread popularity in the world, while many others are being less spoken. In my opinion, this trend could bring both positive and negative consequences.
To begin with, there are substantial societal benefitssubstantial benefits to society when people in many countries share common languageswhen many countries share common languages. The first benefit is that cross-cultural communication becomes easiercan become easier nowadays, which helps boost multilateral trade and cultural exchange. It is true that ones who are bilingual or multilingual find it easier to do business or work in international companies as their issues at work can be addressed and discussed thoroughly. Furthermore, by learningacquiring languages commonly usedwhich are commonly used in business, science and technology, people from less developed countries can learn more quickly fromaccelerate the process of learning from more developed countries. For example, India has achieved such remarkable growthachieves such incredible growth partly by using English as itstheir official language.
Despite the considerable benefits of sharing common languagesgreat convenience of sharing common languages, the fact that other languages are spoken less frequentlyother languages are less spoken can bring several drawbacks. The first disadvantage is that communities may lose elements of their cultural heritagewould lose parts of their cultural traditions such as songs, myths and poetry that cannot easily be translated into other languageswhich are not easily translated into another language. This may in turn affect their cultural identity, producing weaker social cohesiona weakened social cohesion as new values and traditions replace existing onesas their values and traditions are replaced with new ones. Moreover, this trend affects not only the local culture within one nation but also human civilisationthe civilization of mankind. If all countries no longer use their own language but use the same one, this could gradually destroy the cultural diversity of the world.
In conclusion, although I believe the trend is inevitable in the era of globalisation, people need to takehave measures to protect their less widely spoken languagestheir less spoken languages to preserve their cultural identityas a way to preserve their cultural identity.
Why this response received Band 7.5
The essay is well organised and develops both the practical benefits of shared languages and the cultural costs of language decline with relevant explanation. Its main limitation is that the stated position remains insufficiently decisive for a question asking whether the development is positive or negative, despite the protective recommendation in the conclusion. The highest-priority improvement is to state and justify a clear overall evaluation while preserving the strong logical development.
IELTS Writing Criteria Scores
Task Response
Both sides are relevant and well developed, but the response does not clearly decide whether the development is positive or negative overall.
State a definite overall judgment in the introduction and conclusion, then explain why one side carries greater weight.
Coherence and Cohesion
Ideas are sequenced logically in well-focused paragraphs, with cohesive devices used effectively and progression easy to follow.
Refine transitions so the final recommendation follows even more explicitly from the preceding evaluation of drawbacks.
Lexical Resource
A wide range of topic-appropriate vocabulary conveys nuanced ideas, with only occasional awkward or imprecise choices.
Replace unnatural expressions such as references to people as 'ones' and use more precise wording for declining language use.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy
Varied complex structures are used with strong control, and the few grammatical slips do not impede meaning.
Polish isolated tense, agreement, and article choices to make the otherwise accurate sentences consistently natural.
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IELTS Writing Task 2
A few languages are increasingly spoken in different countries, while the use of others is rapidly declining. Is it a positive or negative development?
Your response
Write the task yourself, then compare your choices with the annotated response.