Sample Question + Answer Writing Task 2 IELTS Exam

Sample Answer Wrtiting Task 2 Type 1 IELTS Exam

In some countries young people are encouraged to work or travel for a year between finishing high school and starting university studies.

Discuss the advantages and disadvantages for young people who decided to do this.

Before embarking on colloge many young people are advised that a year working or travelling may be a good option. This essay will suggest that saving money is the biggest advantage of this and a reduced motivation to study is the primary disadvantage.

Third level education is very expensive and lots of students decide to work for 12 months and save uo money before they begin their studies. This allows them to pay for their living costs, tuition fees and accomodation dan focus on their studies, rather than struggle financially or have to get a part time job on top of their academic work. The Times recently reported that the average student at a UK university requires over $12,000 per annum just to survive and many drop out because they cannot afford to stay.

Despite these advantages, many students often get used to working or travelling and don’t want to return to a life of study after a year off. This short term view can cause some to bypass university altogether and go straight into a job that is beneath their capabilities or may not offer the same prospects their future career might have done. For instance, a recent survey by a the British Government found that 26% of students who take a gap-year never enter tertiary education.

In conclusion, taking a break from studies can be advantageous if it allows people to gather up savings, however they should also be careful that it does not lead to disillusionment with education altogether.

Sample Answer Wrtiting Task 2 Type 2 IELTS Exam

Some experts believe that it is better for children to begin learning a foreign language at primary schools rather than secondary schools.

Do the advantages of this outweigh the disadvantages ?

Some authorities think that it is more favorable for pupils to begin studying languages at primary school instead of secondary school. This essay will argue that the advantages of this outweigh the drawbacks. The essay will first demonstrate that the earlier someone learns an additional language the more likely they are to master it and that it brings added cognitive benefits, followed by an analysis of how the primary disadvantage, namely confusion with their native tongue, is not valid.

The main reason to start kids off with foreign languages early is that this increases the likelihood they will achieve fluency in adulthood. That is to say that they will have far more yeras to perfect their skills and it will seem perfectly normal to speak bilingually. For example, in countries such as Holland and Norway where English is taught from a very young age, more than 95% of adults speak it at an advanced level. Learning a second language also helps to improve overall cognitive abilities. In other words it benefits the overall development of a child’s brain. A recent survey by Cambridge University found that children who studied a new language before the age of 5 were significantly more likely to score higher in Mathematics and Science.

Those opposed to this say that it causes the child to become confused between their mother tongue and the other language. However, there is actually no evidence to support this view and children from billingual families do just as well in both languages. My own sonwas brought up speaking both Vietnamese and English and outperforms most of his classmates in both.

In conclusion, the fact that early foreign language learning leads to higher fluency and improved brain function clearly outweighs the flawed argument that it impairs uptake of native languages.