Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-10-05

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)

A Language is not just a medium of expression but also a medium of profession. There have been various debates between not only scholars but also every John Dick and Harry on the topic of language, and reasons for learning a new one.

Many claim that the only benefit of learning a foreign language is the convenience it provides for travellers or migrants who go to a foreign country. While some advocate that there is a whole plethora of reasons to learn a new language other than migration or travel

Admittedly, in modern times the only reason why people learn a new language is to migrate to a foreign country. The driving factor in students and working professionals is the incentive to study or work in a first world country, where proficiency in the local language would give them a competitive advantage or in some cases, may be necessary for basic survival. Learning a new language, especially from scratch, is not only time-consuming but may also, in some cases require certain finacial investments, such as those into classes and textbooks. Apart from time and money learning a foreign language would also require discipline, focus and constant effort. Majority of individuals who decide to put such efforts, burning the midnight oil, expect a better life in return, or expect their foreign travel to be more effortless. Therefore, those who preach migration and travel as the only reason for learning a foreign language do not take a frivolous stand, but in my opinion, a limted one.

On the other hand, some opine that reasons for learning a new language is not limited to migration and travel. It is certain that travel and migration are major factors for individuals to learn a new language, However, many other reasons may take precedent over them. Among those who support this claim are Archaeologists who argue that the knowledge of foreign languge is an essential for decoding ancient texts on artifacts. The story of Rosseta stone comes to mind where the knowledege of the Greek language helped decipher ancient Egyptian symbols through translation. Many Doctors state that knowing a foreign language, even fragments help them treating a foreign patient, or interact with foreign professionals from the medical field. Lawyers, especially dealing with immigration and assylum, express that fluency or even rudimentary knowledge of a foreign language helps them to understand the issues of clients better. Personally i agree with these professionals. I strongly belive that, although migration and/or travel remains the strongest driving factor for individuals to learn a foreign language, it is not the only reason to pick up one.

In Conclusion, it is certain that the factors for learning a foreign language includes but is not limited to migration/travel to a foreign country.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 7.0

The response addresses all parts of the task, presenting a clear position throughout. The introduction establishes the two competing views, and your personal stance is clearly stated later in the body paragraphs. Relevant ideas are extended and supported, such as the discussion surrounding migration incentives and the specific professional examples involving archaeologists, doctors, and lawyers. However, there is a minor tendency to over-generalise in parts, such as claiming that 'the only reason why people learn a new language is to migrate to a foreign country,' which slightly limits the depth of development in that section. Overall, the content fully meets the criteria for this band by ensuring all prompt requirements are thoroughly covered.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The essay displays a coherent overall arrangement with a clear logical progression throughout. Paragraphing is used sufficiently and appropriately to separate the introduction, the two contrasting views, and the conclusion. However, cohesion is sometimes mechanical or features minor lapses in referencing. For example, the transitional phrases used between paragraphs can feel a bit formulaic, and the unfinished second paragraph sentence ('While some advocate...') disrupts the flow. To reach the next level, cohesive devices could be managed with greater flexibility and subtlety, ensuring seamless transitions between complex ideas without relying on repetitive structural cues.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.5

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, attempting less common lexical items such as 'plethora', 'frivolous', and 'rudimentary'. However, there are some word-choice, spelling, and collocation errors that prevent a higher score, such as 'finacial' instead of financial, 'Majority of individuals' missing the article 'The', and 'treat a foreign patient' phrased as 'treating a foreign patient'. Idiomatic expressions like 'every John Dick and Harry' are also slightly informal and awkward for an academic context. To improve, aim for greater precision in word selection and ensure all less common vocabulary is spelled correctly and collocated naturally.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

The writing contains a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, demonstrating a willingness to experiment with varied syntactic structures. However, there are frequent errors in grammar and punctuation that persist throughout the text. Noticeable issues include punctuation errors such as sentence fragments and missing commas, as well as minor subject-verb agreement issues like 'factors for learning a foreign language includes'. Furthermore, articles are occasionally omitted or misused (e.g., 'Rosseta stone', 'knowledege of foreign languge is an essential'). These errors mean the sentence structures, while varied, cannot yet be considered free of frequent mistakes.

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