Learning English at School is Often Seen as More Important Than Learning Local Languages – IELTS Writing Task 2

Learning English at school is often seen as more important than learning local languages. If these are not taught, many are at risk of dying out. In your opinion, is it important for everyone to learn English? Should we try to ensure the survival of local languages and if so how?

Outline

Essay Type

Direct Question Essay

Introduction

Sentences 1, 2, 3 & 4: Introduce the topic.

Sentence 5 – All the questions of the topic will be discussed.

Body Paragraphs

Paragraph 1- Why is English important?

Paragraph 2 – Study of regional languages is necessary and ways to protect it.

Conclusion

Sum up and state the final opinion.

Sample Essay

Language is like any organism that keeps on growing. It gets influenced by other languages and evolves on its own. But sometimes, languages become dead and gone as they slip away from regular use due to the popularity of another. Such is the case of regional languages that are becoming extinct due to the growing acclaim of English as the global language. In this essay, I will discuss the three questions asked in the topic of the essay.

English has become the universal language for communication, whether it is for education or in the professional sphere. This has compelled most schools and colleges to include it in the curriculum as the first language, replacing the local languages. More focus is given on the study of/in English. Even though students still go to state-funded schools where English could not take hold, they are coerced into taking up spoken English classes to maintain their pace with the developing world. Proficiency in English has also become mandatory for working in most organizations as everything is connected worldwide. Moreover, knowing English has become a status symbol along with symbolic of how educated a person is. If he/she is unable to communicate in English, the person is taunted or even, socially blacklisted. Therefore, in my opinion, to make a mark in the world and society, it has become necessary to have basic knowledge of English.

With the growing importance of a single language, regional languages are suffering a lot. Their lexicon and grammatical rules are dying out, taking the cultural denotations and ideologies with them. Due to this, the literature or creative art produced in these languages is becoming puzzling to the readers, and they are losing interest. Folklores, songs, poems or rhymes in certain regional languages are already lost as they were passed down through generations orally. A whole generation of people who cannot update themselves according to the requirements of language is losing jobs. For example, one of my distant relatives recently lost his job because he is not fluent in English and is unable to grasp the language. Therefore, to protect these traditions and linguistic heritage, it is essential to take steps to preserve these languages. Firstly, they can be included in the school curriculum as a compulsory subject. Each child must know at least one regional language. Some responsibilities should be put on the parents to cultivate the habit of learning these languages in their children. At least, in this way, their mother tongue can be passed down through generations. Thirdly, the government should play an important role to highlight these languages by offering scholarships to students who pursue study in these languages. Finally, organizing cultural events, literary fests or awareness campaigns can motivate people to take up the initiative to protect their own languages. Preserving a language is not an inconsequential matter , so each individual should play a part in this crucial effort.

In conclusion, I would like to point out that both regional and international languages are important for a person’s linguistic expansion. While the former keeps us grounded in our roots and makes us feel proud, the latter makes us capable to face the world and our future.

Vocabulary

• Dead and gone

Meaning: long past and forgotten
Eg: My grandfather is dead and gone but his memories are still alive.

• Acclaim

Meaning: applaud, praise
Eg: HIs acclaim as an artist is becoming widespread.

• Compel

Meaning: to force someone to do something
Eg: “Do not compel her to marry.”

• Curriculum

Meaning: lessons and academic content taught in a school or in a specific course or program
Eg: Our school follows the CBSE curriculum.

• Coerced

Meaning: to persuade someone forcefully to do something that he or she may not want to do
Eg: My mother coerced me to attend the marriage ceremony.

• Taunted

Meaning: a remark made in order to anger, wound, or provoke someone
Eg: My cousin always taunted me for my discipline.

• Blacklisted

Meaning: deliberately excluded from a group
Eg: That organization was blacklisted as it was caught taking illegal action.

• Lexicon

Meaning: all the words used in a particular language or subject, or a dictionary
Eg: “Do you know what a lexicon is?”, asked the teacher in the class.

• Inconsequential

Meaning: not important; able to be ignored
Eg: Everyone thought her to be inconsequential until she saved the day.

• Grounded 

Meaning: give (something abstract) a firm theoretical or practical basis.
Eg: Our project is grounded in historical facts.

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