IELTS Task 2 : Education

For a person like myself who has lived abroad for a long time and learnt foreign languages, this is a very interesting question. In this essay, I will give examples from my own experience that show that learning a language well does not depend on learning about the culture and lifestyles of the people who speak it, though I do believe that such knowledge can help in the language learning process.

At schools in many countries around the world, language teachers develop lessons and use materials that tech language and introduce the culture and lifestyle of countries where that language is used. A perfect example is “Family Album USA”. These materials help students to see how the language they are learning is used in real life situations. This often inspires students to learn a foreign language. These materials also help to introduce vocabulary that students can later use when discussing different topics.

Sometimes, however, the materials purpose to give information about countries where the foreign languages are spoken and claim to give information about the lifestyle and culture of the people living there, but in fact they do not. I have noticed this in many countries, including China. For example, these materials often state that most Englishmen walk around with umbrellas and wearing hats. This may have been true for many Englishmen some decades ago, but it is quite funny when people suggest that it is still the case. Clearly, what has happened is that the materials used by students have not been updated.

One result is that some students learn English or other languages to a very high standard whilst knowing little or nothing about the country where the language is spoken or about its culture and lifestyle there. I do not think that this is a big problem. When the student eventually gets the chance to visit a country where the language he/she has learnt is spoken, they can get their facts in order and sort out any misconceptions.