Academic Writing Task 1 · pie chart

Survey of reasons for learning foreign languages in Britain

The pie charts below show responses by teachers of foreign languages in Britain to a survey concerning why their students are learning a foreign language. The first chart shows the main reason for learning a foreign language. The second chart shows how many teachers felt that there has been a recent change in the reason.

Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant. Write at least 150 words.

Main reason for learning a foreign language (%)

Travel: 33%
Business/work: 26%
Buying property overseas: 19%
General Interest: 5%
Social contact: 7%
Personal Development: 7%
Foreign Partner: 3%

View the data

Category	Value (%)
Travel	33
Business/work	26
Buying property overseas	19
General Interest	5
Social contact	7
Personal Development	7
Foreign Partner	3

Recent change in the reason for learning (%)

Travel: 3%
Business/work: 19%
Buying property overseas: 34%
General Interest: 6%
Social contact: 15%
Personal Development: 4%
Foreign Partner: 4%
No change: 15%

View the data

Category	Value (%)
Travel	3
Business/work	19
Buying property overseas	34
General Interest	6
Social contact	15
Personal Development	4
Foreign Partner	4
No change	15

Chart redrawn by BandLadder from the data in the original IELTS practice task. Many IELTS practice tasks come from the Cambridge IELTS series (Cambridge University Press & Assessment); all rights in the original tasks remain with their owners.

Band 8 sample answer

The two pie charts illustrate the primary motivations for students learning a foreign language in Britain, alongside teachers' perceptions regarding recent shifts in these reasons.

Overall, travel and business/work dominate the primary reasons for language acquisition. However, there is a significant contrast between these established motivations and the areas where teachers have observed recent changes, particularly regarding property investment.

In terms of the main reasons for learning, travel accounts for the largest proportion at 33%, followed by business/work at 26%. Buying property overseas represents 19% of the total. Smaller segments include personal development and social contact, both at 7%, general interest at 5%, and having a foreign partner at 3%.

Regarding recent changes, teachers identified buying property overseas as the most significant shift, accounting for 34% of responses. Conversely, business/work and social contact each represent 19% and 15% respectively. Interestingly, 15% of teachers reported no change in student motivations. While travel was the primary reason for learning, it represents only 3% of the observed changes, suggesting that this motivation has remained relatively stable compared to the rising interest in overseas property acquisition.

182 words. Every figure in the answer comes from the chart above.

How to write about pie charts

Name the largest and smallest shares in the overview.
Use proportion language: a quarter, just under half, the majority.
With two pies, compare the same slice across both.

dominate: to be the most important or common feature
proportion: a part or share of a whole amount
significant: large enough to be noticed or have effect
conversely: in a way that is the opposite
stable: not likely to change or fail suddenly
acquisition: the process of learning or developing a skill

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Frequently asked questions

What should the overview say?

While travel and business are the primary motivations for language learning, there has been a notable shift towards buying property overseas as a growing reason for study.

How long should an IELTS Task 1 answer be?

At least 150 words; 170 to 200 is the safe range. Spend about 20 minutes on it and leave 40 for Task 2, which carries twice the marks.

How do I describe pie charts?

Name the largest and smallest shares in the overview. Use proportion language: a quarter, just under half, the majority. With two pies, compare the same slice across both.