Cambridge book 13 IELTS Academic
A sample answer for the Cambridge book 13 IELTS Academic Test 1 essay. This is an IELTS Band 7+ essay answer and also includes an Understanding of the question.
Cambridge book 13 IELTS Academic Test 1 Essay Question
Question – Living in a country where you have to speak a foreign language can cause serious social problems, as well as practical problems. To what extent do you agree or disagree with the statement?
Understanding the question
The question talks about people living in a foreign country. One where you don’t know the local language. Then, the statement claims that this cause both social and practical problems. The question asks you if you agree or disagree with the statement.
Before answering the question, you need to understand that Social and Practical problems are different. Social problems revolve around making friends or being a part of the culture, while practical problems are related to one’s daily life, such as purchasing a bus ticket. Thus, these two problems are not the same.
While answering,
- Write an introduction paragraph with a hook statement, paraphrase and a thesis. Be clear and concise.
- Write two body paragraphs – one body paragraph discussing social problems and another regarding Practical problems. Be explanatory, with examples.
- Finally, conclude with your opinion.
Cambridge book 13 IELTS Academic Test 1 Essay Answer
Sample essay: 280 words, Band 8-9
Human communication is mostly verbal and language plays a vital role. Some people claim that anyone living in a country where an unfamiliar language is spoken can lead to cultural and functional problems. Truly, migrating to a country that does not speak your local language can bring about challenges of its own.
Most of the people who move to a new region are not concerned about knowing the local dialect. However, as soon as they arrive, the lack of conversational skill becomes evident. Not being able to read the name boards on the roads is an issue that strikes first. Consequently, travelling around the town can be quite daunting. Another concern is with the ability to fill forms to avail basic utilities like water and electricity. A visit to government offices would need one to depend on agents to translate and get application forms submitted for processing. Therefore, practical hassles crop up more, when one does not know the local language.
Another issue is acceptance into the local community. A lack of localism may be a deterrent altogether. For instance, when I relocated to South India, it made me feel very alienated. As I did not know the lingua franca, I faced numerous problems trying to get along with the locals. No matter how much I tried, I could not break the ice with natives. The neighbourhood remained distant, and no one interacted with me. Moreover, this issue did not elude me in the workplace too. Most of my co-workers spoke in Malayalam, the dialect, which left me aloof. Therefore, even mingling with the local people can be a challenge in such a case.
To conclude, anyone who moves to a new region must make an effort to learn the vernacular. Therefore, I would agree with the statement and voice out that lack of communication skills can be upsetting, both socially and practically.
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Justus Joseph