Having To Speak A Foreign Language Can Cause Serious Problems | Band 9 IELTS Essay Sample

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 this statement?

Here is a band 9 IELTS essay on this topic. Need help with writing? Get your writing samples corrected by me.

Band 9 IELTS essay sample

Every country has its own language. This arrangement can cause some difficulties to a person who moves to a foreign country and has to speak a foreign language. While I do admit that this can be quite challenging in the first few weeks, in my opinion, most people will overcome the language barrier fairly quickly.

There is no doubt that language is the first problem that an immigrant faces in the foreign land. Not being able to speak the native language can affect their ability to socialise and make friends. It can also affect their work efficiency because they are not able to give or take instructions. Going shopping, getting medical help or asking for directions can be equally challenging for someone who does not speak or understand the native language. However, in my opinion, none of these difficulties cause any serious issues because any language can be learnt with a little effort.

One thing that makes life easier for immigrants is the universal acceptance of English. More than 70% of the world population has at least a working knowledge of English. This knowledge is more than enough to survive the first few weeks in a foreign country. Even in countries like Russia, Japan or China where English is not spoken widely, it is still possible to find people who can read, write and speak it reasonably well.

Also, in order to learn a new language we only have to get exposed to it. If we hear a new language regularly or all the time, our brain will automatically pick it up. For this reason, learning a foreign language in a foreign country is actually easier than learning it while we are still in our country. Also, people who are interested in moving abroad can do themselves a favour and learn at least the basics of the foreign language because packing their bags.

To conclude, many people believe that having to converse in a foreign language can cause problems for immigrants; however, in my opinion, this is not a big issue because with a little effort most people can learn the foreign language and adapt to the new environment within a few weeks.