Reason for learning a foreign language

IELTS Writing Task 2 with sample answer.

You should spend about 40 minutes on this task.

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 won opinion.

Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.

Write at least 250 words.

Sample Answer:
In today’s era, multilingual is considered far more crucial than ever before. Knowing a foreign language other than his or her mother tongue has enormous benefits. In many circles, it is argued that the reason people learn a second language is just for travelling or job facilities. In contrast, others assert that there are numerous reasons for learning a foreign language. To my way of thinking, people learn a foreign language for wanting to hone cognitive abilities.

Knowing a foreign language has many advantages to the travellers or job seekers. Travellers can get a unique experience when they know a foreign dialect. Tourists who know foreign language can attain authentic experience of diverse cultures, lifestyle, and places. They can easily communicate with the local people, thereby they can ask for directions, find suitable places to stay, and most importantly, can avoid misunderstanding.

Likewise, learning foreign language may unveil a new horizon of myriad job opportunities. Foreign language can pave the way for business to be expanded into global market. That is to say that the target country’s accepted jargon or puns, standard for humour, or even subtle expression or gesture, very often, are not the same as the domestic country’s idioms or norms, they must be tailored according to target nation’s cultural norms. And knowing the language an employee can easily do that. The employers, therefore, tend recruit the employees who have multilingual competency.

Apart from pleasant travel experience and job or business scope, learning foreign language has other enormous advantages. It can open the door to music, dance, film, art, science, philosophy, and so on. In my opinion, a foreign language can enhance one’s cognitive and analytical competency.  One can hone his problem solving skills, dealing with abstract concepts when he studies a second language.

To reiterate, acquisition of foreign language has plenty of benefits. Not only does it make international travel pleasant and provide a competitive edge in career choices, but it also expands the horizon of ideas, knowledge, and experience.