Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-09-11
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)
Some people believe that learning a foreign language is only for traveling and work opportunities abroad while others argue that learning foreign language is not only limited to traveling and working. I agree that being knowledgable with a foreign language have more advantages than just for traveling and pursuing jobs.
On one hand, for a person to travel and apply a job in a foreign country, learning a new language is a basic requirement. While traveling, you should be able to communicate to prevent language barrier while visiting a new country, and to avoid getting scammed and to ensure your safety. Additionally, pursuing a career in other countries would require you to speak the foreign language to be able to do your job properly. For example, seeking employment in English speaking countries would need to partake english language test for a person to establish that they can communicate effectively and understand the language, which is necessary to be hired.
On the other hand, while it is essential to speak foreign language when you travel and apply for jobs abroad, there are also other advantage why we need to learn it such as access to information and media. By knowing another language, it allows people to read books, watch films, listen to music, and access news in its original form. For instance, a person who learns Korean can access Korean news, books, documentaries, and online content directly rather than relying on translations. This allows them to gain new insight that may not be available to their own language.
In conclusion, learning a new language would not only benefit us in terms of traveling and job seeking but also it will allow us to access more sources and gain different perspectives. As a result, it will give us broader understanding of the world.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 7.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 7.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 6.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 6.0 |
| Overall | 6.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0
The response addresses all parts of the prompt, discussing both views and providing a clear personal opinion in the introduction and conclusion. The ideas are relevant and supported with examples, such as the mention of Korean media to illustrate the benefits of language learning beyond travel and work. However, the development of the first body paragraph is slightly repetitive, focusing heavily on the necessity of language for safety and employment without exploring the broader cultural or cognitive benefits as deeply as the second paragraph. To reach a higher band, ensure that each supporting point is fully extended with more nuanced analysis.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0
The essay is logically organized with a clear progression of ideas. Each paragraph has a central theme, and the transition between the two viewpoints is handled well using cohesive devices like 'On the one hand' and 'On the other hand'. The use of referencing is generally clear, though some cohesive links are slightly mechanical. For instance, the transition 'As a result' in the conclusion is used correctly, but the flow could be improved by varying the sentence structure to better connect the final summary to the preceding arguments. Overall, the paragraphing is appropriate and contributes to a coherent reading experience.
Lexical Resource — Band 6.0
The vocabulary is adequate for the task, allowing the writer to express ideas clearly. There is an attempt to use topic-specific vocabulary such as 'English speaking countries' and 'original form'. However, the range is somewhat limited, and there are minor inaccuracies in word choice, such as 'being knowledgable with a foreign language' instead of 'being knowledgeable in' or 'proficient in'. The repetition of phrases like 'traveling and working' suggests a need for more synonyms or paraphrasing to demonstrate a wider lexical range. Incorporating more precise academic collocations would elevate the score.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0
The essay demonstrates a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is always clear, there are several grammatical slips. For example, 'apply a job' should be 'apply for a job', and 'have more advantages' should be 'has more advantages' to agree with the singular subject 'being knowledgeable'. Additionally, 'need to partake english language test' is missing articles and proper noun capitalization. While these errors do not impede communication, they occur frequently enough to prevent a higher score. Increasing the variety of complex structures and proofreading for subject-verb agreement would improve the accuracy.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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