Do You Think People Should Adapt To And Accept The Culture Of The Country They Are Visiting | Band 8 IELTS Essay Sample
It is often said that “when in Rome, do as the Romans do”. Do you think people should adapt to and accept the culture of the country they are visiting? Do you think it is possible to learn a culture without learning the language?
Here is a band 8 IELTS essay on this topic written by one of our students. Need help with IELTS writing? Get your IELTS essays, letters and reports corrected by me.
Band 8 IELTS essay sample
It is an undeniable fact that world has become a global village owing to the advent of globalisation and advancement in industrialisation. Thus, each day millions of people are visiting other countries for different reasons. Some people insist that visitors should embrace the culture of the country they visit and that learning the local language might help them to appreciate the local culture better. While I do admit that respecting the local culture is important, in my opinion, it is not necessary to learn the language of a country to understand it better.
To embark on, individuals often visit other countries for various reasons such as educational, recreational, business or even personal reasons. Since each country has some different norms and customs due to its historical and geographical differences, it would be aberrant of visitors to not respect the local culture. Accepting local culture can mean embracing the lifestyle of the local people. For example, western people visiting India should consider wearing modest clothing. Likewise, people visiting the Middle East should consider covering themselves from head to toe. It is treating their religious places with the same respect as them and avoid doing things that might antagonize them. Personally, I believe it makes sense to adopt harmless aspects of the local culture while we are there.
On the other hand, learning the local language is not required to have a better understanding of the local culture. For one thing, someone visiting a country for a few weeks or months does not need a thorough understanding of the local culture. They just need a basic understanding of the local cultural practices to avoid putting themselves in situations that might embarrass or hurt themselves or the locals. Of course, it is also beneficial to have a working knowledge of the local language This, however, does not mean that one should gain proficiency in it.
In conclusion, while it is true that language and culture are related, learning a foreign language for a short term visit is neither necessary nor a wise investment of time. In most cases, it is more than enough for travelers to simply familiarize themselves with the local cultural practices before visiting.
