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

IELTS Academic Writing Task 1 - Bar Graph

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IELTS Writing Task 1 Question

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

Percentage of students who studied a foreign language

Common Questions for the Bar Graph

1. Graph Type: Bar Charts

2. Title: Proportion of Students Studying Foreign Languages and Most Popular Foreign Languages (1984–2007)

3. What are the units of measurement?: Percentage of students

4. Who: Students aged 14–16 in an English-speaking country

5. When: 1984 and 2007

6.. Where: English-speaking country (unspecified)

7. Topic: Gender differences in foreign language studies and the popularity of specific languages

Comparison Showing and Trends

Comparison 1: Gender Differences in Language Studies

Details:

In 1984, 50% of girls and 30% of boys studied foreign languages.

2. By 2007, this fell to 40% of girls and 25% of boys.

Comparison 2 : Popularity of Specific Foreign Languages

Details:

French was the most popular in both years, but its popularity declined from 50% in 1984 to 25% in 2007.

2. Germany’s popularity also dropped, from 20% to 15%.

3. Spanish, initially the least popular at 5%, gained popularity and reached 10% by 2007.

Sample Answer

The bar charts illustrate the proportion of 14–16-year-old boys and girls studying modern foreign languages in an English-speaking country and the popularity of the top three foreign languages in 1984 and 2007.

Overall, more girls than boys studied foreign languages, and French was the most popular language despite a significant decline in its popularity.

In 1984, half of the girls studied foreign languages compared to just 30% of boys. By 2007, the proportion had decreased for both genders, with 40% of girls and 25% of boys still engaged in foreign language studies.

Regarding language preferences, French was the most popular, with 50% of students choosing it in 1984. However, this number nearly halved by 2007, falling to 25%. German also saw a decline, dropping from 20% in 1984 to 15% in 2007. In contrast, Spanish gained traction, rising from 5% in 1984 to 10% in 2007, making it the only language that increased in popularity over the period.

Top 29 Vocabularies

Vocabulary	Type	Meaning	Synonyms	Examples
Proportion	Noun	A part or share of a whole	Percentage, Fraction	The proportion of girls studying foreign languages fell to 40%.
Decline	Noun/Verb	A decrease in amount or quality	Drop, Reduction	The popularity of French saw a sharp decline over time.
Traction	Noun	Gaining popularity or support	Momentum, Appeal	Spanish gained traction among students in 2007.
Popularity	Noun	The state of being liked or supported	Favor, Approval	The popularity of German declined over the years.
Engage	Verb	To participate in or be involved with	Involve, Enroll	Fewer boys engaged in foreign language studies by 2007.
Illustrate	Verb	To explain or show something using visuals or examples	Depict, Demonstrate	“The bar charts illustrate the proportion of students studying foreign languages.”
Proportionate	Adjective	Corresponding in size or amount	Balanced, Relative	“The proportionate decrease in boys studying languages is evident over the years.”
Studying	Verb	Engaging in academic learning	Learning, Pursuing	“More girls were studying foreign languages compared to boys.”
Preference	Noun	A greater liking for one option over another	Choice, Inclination	“French was the top preference for students in 1984.”
Declined	Verb	To become smaller or fewer	Reduced, Dropped	“The number of students studying German declined from 1984 to 2007.”
Significant	Adjective	Important or notable in size or effect	Substantial, Meaningful	“There was a significant decline in the popularity of French.”
Rising	Verb	Increasing in number, level, or importance	Growing, Escalating	“Spanish was the only language with a rising trend in popularity.”
Engagement	Noun	The act of being involved in something	Participation, Involvement	“Student engagement in language studies decreased by 2007.”
Preference	Noun	A greater liking for one thing over another	Choice, Priority	“French retained its preference among students, although it declined sharply.”
Period	Noun	A specific length of time	Duration, Interval	“The analysis covered a period between 1984 and 2007.”
Gender	Noun	The state of being male or female	Sex, Classification	“The trend showed clear differences between genders in language studies.”
Shift	Noun	A change in position, direction, or focus	Transition, Alteration	“There was a clear shift in the popularity of languages over the years.”
Marked	Adjective	Clearly noticeable or distinct	Noticeable, Evident	“Spanish showed a marked increase in popularity by 2007.”
Consistently	Adverb	In a steady and predictable manner	Uniformly, Regularly	“Girls consistently outnumbered boys in studying foreign languages.”
Engage	Verb	To actively take part in something	Involve, Commit	“Fewer students engaged in learning German compared to French.”
Trend	Noun	A general direction of change or development	Pattern, Tendency	“The trend indicates declining interest in German over time.”
Comparison	Noun	Examining similarities and differences	Juxtaposition, Contrast	“A comparison of the charts highlights the decline in French’s popularity.”
Highlight	Verb	To emphasize something as important	Emphasize, Spotlight	“The data highlights the rising interest in Spanish.”
Substantial	Adjective	Of considerable importance, size, or worth	Significant, Meaningful	“There was a substantial reduction in students opting for French.”
Popular	Adjective	Widely liked or accepted	Favored, Preferred	“French remained the most popular language despite its decline.”
Analyze	Verb	To examine carefully and in detail	Examine, Assess	“The bar charts analyze the changes in language preferences.”
Rise	Noun/Verb	An upward movement or increase	Increase, Surge	“The rise in Spanish’s popularity is notable in the given period.”
Patterns	Noun	Repeated or regular arrangements or trends	Arrangements, Systems	“Language preferences followed distinct patterns over time.”
Retained	Verb	To continue to have or hold	Maintained, Preserved	“French retained its position as the most studied language despite its sharp decline.”

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