The two bar charts show the proportion of 14 - 16 year-old students studying a modern foreign language in an English-speaking country, and the top three popular foreign languages.

Foreign Language Students 14-16 English Country Top Three Languages Chart - IELTS Writing Task 1

You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.

Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant.

Write at least 150 words.

A student's answer to this task, and the feedback on it

Written by an IELTSX user under exam conditions and published unedited and anonymously. Band 9 · 205 words.

The first bar chart compares the proportions of boys and girls aged 14–16 who studied a foreign language in 1984 and 2007, while the second chart shows the top three foreign languages studied in those years.

Overall, a higher proportion of girls participated in foreign language study than boys in both years. It is also clear that, despite a general decline in participation, French remained the most commonly studied foreign language, while German and Spanish were less popular.

Regarding the percentages of boys and girls studying a foreign language, girls accounted for a larger share in both years. In 1984, nearly half of female students aged 14 to 16 studied a foreign language, compared with only 30% of boys. By 2007, participation had declined, with figures falling to 40% for girls and approximately 25% for boys.

In terms of the languages studied, French was by far the most popular choice in both years. However, its proportion dropped significantly, halving from 50% in 1984 to 25% in 2007. German showed a similar downward trend, dropping from 20% to 15% by 2007. Spanish was the only language that increased in popularity over the period. Participation in this language doubled from 5% in 1984 to 10% in 2007.

Examiner feedback

This response is an excellent example of a Band 9. It accurately synthesizes the information from two separate charts into a coherent report, uses precise mathematical language (halved/doubled) to describe trends, and maintains a formal academic tone throughout without any grammatical or lexical lapses.

Task Achievement - 9

- The response fully satisfies all requirements of the task, providing a comprehensive and accurate summary of both charts. - A very clear overview is presented, identifying the main trends (overall decline, gender disparity, and specific language shifts) immediately after the introduction. - Key features are expertly selected and illustrated with precise data (e.g., highlighting that Spanish participation doubled while French halved). - Data points are used effectively to support descriptions without becoming a mere list of numbers.

Coherence & Cohesion - 9

- The message is followed effortlessly; paragraphing is logically managed, with one paragraph dedicated to the gender split and another to language popularity. - Cohesive devices (e.g., 'despite a general decline', 'regarding', 'in terms of', 'by far') are used naturally and with full flexibility. - There is a clear progression from the general overview to specific details, ensuring a smooth transition between the two different sets of data.

Lexical Resource - 9

- Uses a wide range of vocabulary with natural and sophisticated control (e.g., 'accounted for', 'halving', 'downward trend', 'doubled'). - Lexical choices are precise and appropriate for an academic report. - Spelling and word formation are error-free, contributing to a professional tone.

Grammatical Range & Accuracy - 9

- Demonstrates full flexibility and control over a wide range of structures (e.g., 'By 2007, participation had declined, with figures falling to...'). - Sentence structures are varied, including complex comparisons and introductory participial phrases. - Punctuation is used correctly throughout, and the response is entirely free of grammatical errors.

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