This is my IELTS writing task 2 sample answer essay on the topic of traditional festivals from the real IELTS exam.

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IELTS Essay: Traditional Festivals

In some parts of the world traditional festivals and celebrations have disappeared or are disappearing.

What problems is this causing?

What measures could be taken to counter this situation?

Around the world, many traditional festivals these days are at risk of becoming outdated and irrelevant. In my opinion, this contributes to issues concerning cultural disintegration and should be countered by citizens in concert with governments.

The main issues resulting from abandoning traditional festivals concern culture. More commercial holidays such as Black Friday and Christmas are gaining in popularity which naturally threatens smaller cultural groups and their festivals. For example, in China there are numerous ethnic groups living in remote areas that struggle to preserve their traditions over time as locals learn more about the outside world and leave their hometowns. As these groups disperse further both physically and virtually it will be a challenge for old traditions to persist and the results may impact the stories they hand down through generations, their language, traditional dishes and other aspects of culture.

The optimal remedies for the weakening of traditional cultures are for governments and individuals to actively encourage traditional festivals. Governments can make the greatest difference. For instance, states could fund organizations that aim to promote traditional festivals by staging local events and reaching out to older members of the community. Younger people could likewise attempt to engage more with their roots and connect with the sources of their culture. This occurs to some extent already when traditional festivals are advertised on social media to bring in a wider audience and greater attention.

In conclusion, the loss of traditional festivals is a boon to globalization and injures the cultural identity of various groups. This development must be confronted by locals of their own individual initiative and encouraged by governments.

Analysis

1. Around the world, many traditional festivals these days are at risk of becoming outdated and irrelevant. 2. In my opinion, this contributes to issues concerning cultural disintegration and should be countered by citizens in concert with governments.

  1. Paraphrase the overall essay topic.
  2. Write a clear opinion. Read more about introductions here.

1. The main issues resulting from abandoning traditional festivals concern culture. 2. More commercial holidays such as Black Friday and Christmas are gaining in popularity which naturally threatens smaller cultural groups and their festivals. 3. For example, in China there are numerous ethnic groups living in remote areas that struggle to preserve their traditions over time as locals learn more about the outside world and leave their hometowns. 4. As these groups disperse further both physically and virtually it will be a challenge for old traditions to persist and the results may impact the stories they hand down through generations, their language, traditional dishes and other aspects of culture.

  1. Write a topic sentence with a clear main idea at the end.
  2. Explain your main idea.
  3. Develop it with specific or hypothetical examples.
  4. Keep developing it fully.

1. The optimal remedies for the weakening of traditional cultures are for governments and individuals to actively encourage traditional festivals. 2. Governments can make the greatest difference. 3. For instance, states could fund organizations that aim to promote traditional festivals by staging local events and reaching out to older members of the community. 4. Younger people could likewise attempt to engage more with their roots and connect with the sources of their culture. 5. This occurs to some extent already when traditional festivals are advertised on social media to bring in a wider audience and greater attention.

  1. Write a new topic sentence with a new main idea at the end.
  2. Explain your new main idea.
  3. Include specific details and examples.
  4. Add as much information as you can and make sure it links logically.
  5. Continue your development.

1. In conclusion, the loss of traditional festivals is a boon to globalization and injures the cultural identity of various groups. 2. This development must be confronted by locals of their own individual initiative and encouraged by governments.

  1. Summarise your main ideas.
  2. Include a final thought. Read more about conclusions here.

Vocabulary

What do the words in bold below mean? Make some notes on paper to aid memory and then check below.

Around the world, many traditional festivals these days are at risk of becoming outdated and irrelevant. In my opinion, this contributes to issues concerning cultural disintegration and should be countered by citizens in concert with governments.

The main issues resulting from abandoning traditional festivals concern culture. More commercial holidays such as Black Friday and Christmas are gaining in popularity which naturally threatens smaller cultural groups and their festivals. For example, in China there are numerous ethnic groups living in remote areas that struggle to preserve their traditions over time as locals learn more about the outside world and leave their hometowns. As these groups disperse further both physically and virtually it will be a challenge for old traditions to persist and the results may impact the stories they hand down through generations, their language, traditional dishes and other aspects of culture.

The optimal remedies for the weakening of traditional cultures are for governments and individuals to actively encourage traditional festivals. Governments can make the greatest difference. For instance, states could fund organizations that aim to promote traditional festivals by staging local events and reaching out to older members of the community. Younger people could likewise attempt to engage more with their roots and connect with the sources of their culture. This occurs to some extent already when traditional festivals are advertised on social media to bring in a wider audience and greater attention.

In conclusion, the loss of traditional festivals is a boon to globalization and injures the cultural identity of various groups. This development must be confronted by locals of their own individual initiative and encouraged by governments.

Answers

For extra practice, write an antonym (opposite word) on a piece of paper to help you remember the new vocabulary:

Around the world globally

traditional festivals cultural celebrations

at risk of becoming outdated and irrelevant might start to be forgotten

contributes adds to

issues concerning cultural disintegration problems relating to cultures being lost

countered remedied

citizens in concert with governments people working together with the state

resulting from abandoning traditional festivals concern culture caused by not celebrating older festivals relate to tradition

commercial holidays festivals mainly concerned with making money

Black Friday the day after Thanksgiving when there are many sales

Christmas the holiday about the birth of Jesus

naturally threatens smaller cultural groups of course cause problems for minorities

numerous ethnic groups living in remote areas smaller cultural groups in less populated areas

struggle have difficulty

preserve keep alive

outside world the rest of the world

leave their hometowns move away

As these groups disperse further both physically and virtually when these peoples move to new places or learn more about the world

persist continue

impact effect

hand down through generations teach their children, grandchildren

traditional dishes older cuisines

aspects of culture related to culture

optimal remedies best fixes

weakening not getting stronger

actively encourage traditional festivals go out of their way to help older celebrations

make the greatest difference have the biggest impact

fund organizations give money to groups

aim try to

promote encourage

staging local events putting on celebrations

reaching out to older members of the community talking to one’s elders

likewise attempt to engage more with their roots similarly try to learn more about tradition

connect with the sources of get back into contact with the origins of

to some extent already to a degree

advertised marketed

social media Facebook, Instagram, etc.

bring in a wider audience and greater attention make more people notice it

loss disappearance

boon good for

globalization everyone around the world connecting

injures the cultural identity of various groups harms how groups of people see themselves

confronted by fought by

initiative efforts

Pronunciation

Practice saying the vocabulary below and use this tip about Google voice search:

əˈraʊnd ðə wɜːld,
trəˈdɪʃənl ˈfɛstəvəlz 
æt rɪsk ɒv bɪˈkʌmɪŋ aʊtˈdeɪtɪd ænd ɪˈrɛlɪvənt
kənˈtrɪbju(ː)ts 
ˈɪʃuːz kənˈsɜːnɪŋ ˈkʌlʧərəl dɪsˌɪntɪˈgreɪʃən 
ˈkaʊntəd 
ˈsɪtɪznz ɪn ˈkɒnsə(ː)t wɪð ˈgʌvnmənts
rɪˈzʌltɪŋ frɒm əˈbændənɪŋ trəˈdɪʃənl ˈfɛstəvəlz kənˈsɜːn ˈkʌlʧə
kəˈmɜːʃəl ˈhɒlədeɪz 
blæk ˈfraɪdeɪ 
ˈkrɪsməs 
ˈnæʧrəli ˈθrɛtnz ˈsmɔːlə ˈkʌlʧərəl gruːps 
ˈnjuːmərəs ˈɛθnɪk gruːps ˈlɪvɪŋ ɪn rɪˈməʊt ˈeərɪəz 
ˈstrʌgl 
prɪˈzɜːv tiː
ˌaʊtˈsaɪd wɜːld 
liːv ðeə ˈhəʊmˈtaʊnz
æz ðiːz gruːps dɪsˈpɜːs ˈfɜːðə bəʊθ ˈfɪzɪkəli ænd ˈvɜːtjʊəli 
pəˈsɪst 
ˈɪmpækt 
hænd daʊn θruː ˌʤɛnəˈreɪʃənz
trəˈdɪʃənl ˈdɪʃɪz 
ˈæspɛkts ɒv ˈkʌlʧə
ˈɒptɪməl ˈrɛmɪdiz 
ˈwiːkənɪŋ 
ˈæktɪvli ɪnˈkʌrɪʤ trəˈdɪʃənl ˈfɛstəvəlz
meɪk ðə ˈgreɪtɪst ˈdɪfrəns
fʌnd ˌɔːgənaɪˈzeɪʃənz 
eɪm 
prəˈməʊt 
ˈsteɪʤɪŋ ˈləʊkəl ɪˈvɛnts 
ˈriːʧɪŋ aʊt tuː ˈəʊldə ˈmɛmbəz ɒv ðə kəˈmjuːnɪti
ˈlaɪkwaɪz əˈtɛmpt tuː ɪnˈgeɪʤ mɔː wɪð ðeə ruːts 
kəˈnɛkt wɪð ðə ˈsɔːsɪz ɒv 
tuː sʌm ɪksˈtɛnt ɔːlˈrɛdi 
ˈædvətaɪzd 
ˈsəʊʃəl ˈmiːdiə 
brɪŋ ɪn ə ˈwaɪdər ˈɔːdiəns ænd ˈgreɪtər əˈtɛnʃ(ə)n
lɒs 
buːn 
ˌgləʊb(ə)laɪˈzeɪʃ(ə)n 
ˈɪnʤəz ðə ˈkʌlʧərəl aɪˈdɛntɪti ɒv ˈveərɪəs gruːps
kənˈfrʌntɪd baɪ 
ɪˈnɪʃɪətɪv 

Vocabulary Practice

I recommend getting a pencil and piece of paper because that aids memory. Then write down the missing vocabulary from my sample answer in your notebook:

A__________________________d, many t______________________s these days are a__________________________________________________t. In my opinion, this c_____________s to i__________________________________________n and should be c____________d by c_________________________________s.

The main issues r_________________________________________________________e. More c_____________________s such as B_________________y and C____________s are gaining in popularity which n_______________________________________________s and their festivals. For example, in China there are n____________________________________________________s that s__________e to p____________e their traditions over time as locals learn more about the o________________d and l___________________s. A________________________________________________________y it will be a challenge for old traditions to p_________t and the results may i________t the stories they h__________________________________________s, their language, t____________________s and other a___________________e.

The o____________________s for the w______________g of traditional cultures are for governments and individuals to a_____________________________________________s. Governments can m______________________________e. For instance, states could f_____________________s that a__m to p________________e traditional festivals by s____________________________s and r_______________________________________________y. Younger people could l__________________________________________s and c________________________________f their culture. This occurs t_____________________________y when traditional festivals are a____________d on s________________a to b_______________________________________________n.

In conclusion, the l___s of traditional festivals is a b____n to g________________n and i___________________________________________s. This development must be c___________________y locals of their own individual i____________e and encouraged by governments.

Listening Practice

Learn more about this topic by watching from YouTube below and practice with these activities:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HrrW3rO51ak

Reading Practice

Read more about this topic and use these ideas to practice:

https://worldexpeditions.com/blog/cultural-festivals-around-the-world

Speaking Practice

Practice with the following speaking questions from the real IELTS speaking exam:

Culture

  1. How are traditional cultures in your country changing today?
  2. Do people still celebrate traditional festivals in your country?
  3. Do you think people will become more similar culturally in the future around the world?
  4. Are there many ethnic groups in your country that have preserved their ways of living?
  5. What can governments and individual citizens do to support local ethnic minority groups?

Writing Practice

Practice with the related IELTS essay topics below:

Some people say that it is possible to tell a lot about a person’s culture and character from their choice of clothes.

Do you agree or disagree?

https://howtodoielts.com/ielts-essay-clothes-culture-character/

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