IELTS Task 2 model essay: Some people think people who move to a new country should adopt its customs

The question

Some people think people who move to a new country should adopt its customs. Others think they should keep their own. Discuss both views and give your opinion.

Essay type: Discuss both views. Write at least 250 words in 40 minutes.

The plan (5 minutes)

• Paragraph 1: Migration has made many societies more culturally diverse, raising the question of whether newcomers should adopt local customs or maintain their own.
• Paragraph 2: Those who believe migrants should adopt local customs argue that this helps them settle and succeed.
• Paragraph 3: On the other hand, many people argue that migrants should keep their own culture.
• Paragraph 4: In my view, integration does not require abandoning one's culture.
• Paragraph 5: In conclusion, although adopting local customs helps migrants to settle, keeping their own culture is equally valuable.

Model essay (278 words)

Migration has made many societies more culturally diverse, raising the question of whether newcomers should adopt local customs or maintain their own. In my opinion, migrants benefit most from doing both: learning the customs of their new country while keeping the traditions that matter to them.

Those who believe migrants should adopt local customs argue that this helps them settle and succeed. Understanding social norms, such as how people greet each other, behave at work or queue in shops, makes it easier to make friends, find employment and avoid misunderstandings. Learning the local language is particularly important, because it opens up education, work and full participation in the community. A shared set of customs can also strengthen social cohesion.

On the other hand, many people argue that migrants should keep their own culture. Their traditions, language and religion are a central part of their identity, and giving them up can lead to a sense of loss, especially for older people. Maintaining a home language also allows children to communicate with grandparents and relatives overseas. Moreover, the customs migrants bring, from food and festivals to music, often enrich their new society, as can be seen in many multicultural cities.

In my view, integration does not require abandoning one's culture. Migrants should learn the language and respect the laws and important customs of their new country, but they should also feel free to celebrate their own traditions. Host societies can support this by welcoming cultural diversity.

In conclusion, although adopting local customs helps migrants to settle, keeping their own culture is equally valuable. A combination of both allows migrants to belong to their new home without losing who they are.

Why it's a band 7+ answer

• Task Response: every part of the question is answered, with a clear position from the introduction to the conclusion.
• Coherence and Cohesion: 5 paragraphs, each with one main idea, linked naturally (however, moreover, in my view, in conclusion).
• Lexical Resource: precise topic vocabulary and collocations, without forced "big words".
• Grammatical Range and Accuracy: a mix of simple and complex sentences, with very few errors.

Your turn

Write your own answer to this question in 40 minutes, then paste it into the free IELTS writing checker for an estimated band on all four criteria. For more practice questions, see the 60 IELTS Task 2 questions.