Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-07-29

IELTS Writing Task 2 question

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.

Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.

Student answer (Band 6.5)

In ,modern societies, people learn foreign languages due to numerous reasons. Some people believe that it is due to travel or work in a foreign country, while others think that this should not be the only reason to learn a non-native language. In this assay, I will discuss both sides before presenting my opinion, "why I believe that foreign languages are mostly learnt by the people who aimed to work or travel overseas".

On one hand, people consider to learn a non-native language in order to travel abroad, as it is essential to communicate with locals of that country. For example, if a person travels to a foreign country due to any reason and do not know there's local language, will face social isolation and feel difficulty to report any emergency. Moreover, in order to work in a foreign country, one should learn local language of that place otherwise, it will be hard to do the routine job tasks, ultimately leads to limited progress.

On the other hand, people says that learning different languages is always beneficial in terms of professional development and improve communication skills beyond the boundaries. For instance, people who are able to speak multiple languages can network with people of different countries on social media platforms like linkedIn and could get opportunities to work or study abroad.

In my opinion, although learning a non-native language is important and has benefits in many aspects, but the primary reasons to learn a foreign language remain traveling and moving to a different country for work. Mostly, people consider to learn a new language only when it is necessary, as it requires energy, time and money.

In conclusion, despite the several advantages of learning a foreign language, people learn it mostly if they have to travel or work.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The response addresses both sides of the prompt and provides a clear personal opinion. However, the development of ideas is somewhat limited. While you mention that learning a language is beneficial for professional development, the explanation remains quite general. To achieve a higher band, you should provide more specific examples or deeper analysis of why people might learn languages for reasons other than travel or work, such as for cognitive benefits, cultural appreciation, or personal interest. The position is consistent throughout, but the supporting arguments could be more thoroughly extended to demonstrate a more sophisticated engagement with the topic.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The essay is logically organized into clear paragraphs, each with a distinct focus. You use basic cohesive devices such as 'On one hand', 'On the other hand', and 'In conclusion' to guide the reader. However, the flow between sentences is sometimes mechanical, and the use of referencing could be more varied. For instance, the transition between the second and third paragraphs could be smoother. The paragraphing is appropriate, and the overall structure is easy to follow, which meets the requirements for a Band 6.0.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.5

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'social isolation', 'professional development', and 'non-native language'. There are some minor errors in word choice and collocation, such as 'people consider to learn' (should be 'consider learning') and 'report any emergency' (should be 'handle an emergency'). While you attempt to use some less common vocabulary, the control is not always precise. To improve, focus on using collocations more naturally and avoiding repetitive phrasing.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The essay uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors, such as 'people says' (subject-verb agreement), 'do not know there's local language' (should be 'their'), and 'ultimately leads to' (missing subject). Additionally, there is a punctuation error in the opening sentence ('In ,modern societies'). While these errors are noticeable, they do not generally impede communication. To reach a higher band, you need to increase the frequency of error-free sentences and ensure better control over complex grammatical structures.

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