Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-09-01

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 6.0)

While some advocate that the only reason for learning foreign language is in order to travel or employment in a foreign country, others argue there are other benefits too. I completely agree with the second assertion because learning a new language helps people to develop social connection and expands continuous skill adaptation in this modern world.

On the one hand, the belief that foreign language learning is primarily for international travel and career development is entirely understandable. From a foreign worker point of view, a shared or mediator language is the main barrier to communicate with their colleagues. Consequently, adjusting in a foreign work culture sometimes a bit problematic without knowing their language. Learning local language is really useful for tourists as they can easily buy groceries and use public transport which ultimately make their trip convenient and efficient. For example, if anyone is planning to visit China they must need to learn some basic Chinese word because Chinese people have really little knowledge of English. Sometimes they feel shy, if someone want to talk to them in English and leave the place instantly.

On the other hand, there are several reasons why I hold this view. One possible reason is continuous skill adaptation. Learning new language is not only helpful for making a international trip or foreign employment but also it helps us to learn a new culture and expand our social connection. In this rapidly developing world, social isolation is a severe problem and this problem can be reduced by making new foreign friends. Overall, learning other language always useful for learning new culture and expand our knowledge about another nation and their people. For example, after learning Chinese we can easily read Chinese read books and anyone cannot argue that reading book in it's original language is far better than reading in a translated language.

In conclusion, I firmly believe that while traveling and working abroad is a high motivating factor to learn foreign language, they are not the only reasons. Learning foreign language motivates us to learn different culture and breaks our social isolation.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The response addresses all parts of the prompt, discussing both views and providing a clear personal opinion. The ideas are relevant, such as the practical benefits of language for travel and the cognitive/social benefits of cultural understanding. However, the development of these ideas is somewhat uneven. The explanation regarding 'continuous skill adaptation' is a bit vague and could have been more explicitly linked to the prompt's theme. The examples provided, such as the reference to China, are relevant but could be more sophisticated in their execution to fully support the argument. Overall, the position is consistent throughout the essay.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The essay is logically organized with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the two viewpoints. Cohesive devices are present, such as 'On the one hand', 'On the other hand', and 'Consequently', which help guide the reader. However, some transitions feel slightly mechanical, and there are instances where the flow between sentences could be smoother. For example, the transition between the discussion of travel and the specific example of China is a bit abrupt. Overall, the progression of ideas is clear and easy to follow.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, allowing the student to convey their meaning clearly. There is an attempt to use some topic-specific vocabulary like 'mediator language', 'social isolation', and 'career development'. However, there are some inaccuracies in word choice and collocation, such as 'adjusting in a foreign work culture' (should be 'to') and 'learning other language' (missing article). The range is sufficient to discuss the topic, but it lacks the precision and sophistication required for a higher band score. More varied synonyms for 'learning' and 'language' would improve the lexical profile.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The student uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is generally clear, there are frequent grammatical errors, particularly with articles ('a foreign language', 'the local language'), pluralization ('read books'), and preposition usage. For instance, 'anyone cannot argue that reading book in it's original language' contains errors in subject-verb agreement and possessive pronouns. These errors do not impede communication, but they are persistent throughout the text. To reach a higher band, the student needs to demonstrate more consistent control over complex structures and reduce the frequency of basic grammatical slips.

See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.

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