Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-09-17

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)

This fact cannot be denied that majority of the people learn foriegn language when they have to travel or its their job requirement. However the benefits of learning foreign language cannot be restricted to only these 2 major use cases and I personally believe that one should learn foreign languages for other reasons too.

One can learn a new language as their hobby. This can serve as a constructive past time activity that will also give sense of achievement with every step of progress. One must learn new language as various studies proves keeping your mind active and learning new skills is beneficial for mental health. This is one of the best exercise one can do to keep their brain active. Learning a new language also opens the door to read different literatures, understand cultures and broaden your own perspective about other people around the world.

I personally believe that one should learn different foreign languages even if they are not travelling or its their job requirement. By learning different languages one can keep their brain cell active and participate in constructive activities rather than wasting time on any other social medium. If we can train our brain, how to learn a new language, it becomes easy if we start a new one. I would like to mention example of my friend Ali. His hobby was to learn foreign languages. He learnt Persian and arabic as past time activity. Later he got a job in Germany where he had to learn a new language. Later he told me the learning curve to learn German was shorter as compared to his initial languages.

Based on the given arguments and example of my own friend, I believe one should learn foreign language that might not help directly but its indirect benefits are many.

AI examiner evaluation

CriterionBand
Task Achievement / Task Response6.5
Coherence and Cohesion6.5
Lexical Resource6.0
Grammatical Range and Accuracy6.0
Overall6.5

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The response successfully addresses all parts of the task by discussing both views on why people learn foreign languages and presenting a clear personal opinion. The student suggests that while travel and work are primary reasons, personal hobbies, cognitive benefits, and cultural appreciation are equally valid motives. The ideas are extended and supported with an explanation of mental health benefits and a relevant personal example about a friend. While some ideas like the cognitive benefits tend to generalise slightly, the overall development satisfies the criteria for Band 7.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The text demonstrates a clear logical organisation and progression throughout. The introduction outlines the two views and the writer's stance, followed by body paragraphs dedicated to personal benefits and a supporting example, concluding with a concise summary. Paragraphing is used appropriately. Cohesive devices are generally well managed, though transitions between some sentences feel a bit mechanical, such as the repeated use of 'Later' in the third paragraph. Referencing is mostly clear, contributing to a coherent overall arrangement that aligns with Band 6.5, rounding to Band 7.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The student uses an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, successfully attempting less common items such as 'constructive past time activity', 'learning curve', and 'broaden your own perspective'. However, there are notable spelling and word-choice errors, such as spelling 'foriegn' and 'arabic', writing 'past time' instead of 'pastime', and using 'brain cell' instead of 'brain cells'. These errors do not impede communication, but they restrict the lexical score to Band 6.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The essay displays a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, with attempts at relative clauses and conditional structures. However, there are noticeable grammatical errors and awkward phrasing throughout, such as 'This fact cannot be denied that majority of the people', missing articles ('is one of best exercise'), and punctuation slips. While these errors occur frequently, they rarely impede overall communication, placing the response securely in the Band 6 category.

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