Culture & SocietyDiscuss Both ViewsIntermediateHigh Frequency

IELTS Essay: Some people think that all school students should learn a foreign language. O...

Prompt

Some people think that all school students should learn a foreign language. Others think that a student should not be required to learn a foreign language if he or she does not have the talent for it. Discuss both these views and give your own opinion.

#language education#mandatory vs. optional#talent#practical utility#cultural capital

Ready?

Write this essay in 40 minutes

Start

✨

Band 7 → 9 — Band 7 weighs universal requirements against individual interest and aptitude, while Band 9 questions whether 'talent' is trait or pedagogical artifact, and examines how mandatory language education perpetuates or reduces inequality depending on design.

PRO

Essay #332 — part of the Pro library

The first 30 Task 2 essays are free. Upgrade to Pro to read this one plus the full Pro essay library.

Upgrade

Key concepts in this essay

language learning and cognitive development
equity and access to linguistic cultural capital
labor market returns to multilingualism
alternative models (immersion, elective tracks, later start)

Pitfalls the model essay avoids

Assuming 'talent for languages' is innate and fixed without examining how instruction quality, motivation, and exposure affect outcomes
Ignoring the role of foreign language in expanding opportunity and perspective for those without access or disadvantage
Treating mandatory education as either entirely justified or entirely harmful without discussing thresholds or differentiation

Next in Culture & Society

See all →