Vanishing Traditions

IELTS Writing Practice — AI-Powered Feedback

Writing Prompt

As countries become more connected, many traditional customs, crafts and festivals are gradually disappearing.

Why are these traditions being lost? Should governments take action to preserve them?

Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.

Show Band 8–9 model answer

In an era of rapid globalisation, many societies are witnessing the decline of long-standing customs, crafts and festivals. While several powerful forces explain this trend, I believe governments should intervene selectively to safeguard those traditions that still offer clear cultural or social value.

Traditional practices are primarily being lost because they are increasingly perceived as irrelevant to modern life. Global media and the internet promote a relatively uniform, urban lifestyle that young people aspire to, making local rituals seem old-fashioned or even burdensome. For instance, intricate textile weaving or pottery often cannot compete with mass-produced goods that are cheaper and more convenient, so younger generations see little economic incentive to learn such skills. In addition, rural-to-urban migration physically separates people from the communities and environments in which many festivals and crafts originally evolved, further weakening their transmission.

A second key factor is the dominance of global languages and cultures, especially English-language entertainment and Western consumer brands. When people consume the same films, music and fashion worldwide, they may gradually abandon local ceremonies or costumes in favour of what appears more cosmopolitan. Formal education can unintentionally reinforce this shift by prioritising national curricula and global competencies over regional history and indigenous knowledge, leaving children with only a superficial understanding of their cultural heritage.

Despite this, I contend that governments should play an active, though not indiscriminate, role in preserving traditions. Public funding for museums, apprenticeships and community festivals can help keep meaningful practices alive and economically viable, as seen in Japan’s support for “living national treasures” in traditional arts. However, preservation should focus on traditions that foster social cohesion, creativity or identity, rather than rigidly maintaining customs that are discriminatory or no longer desired by the community. In some cases, documenting a tradition in archives or digital media may be more appropriate than trying to revive it artificially.

In conclusion, the loss of tradition is largely driven by global cultural homogenisation and economic pragmatism. Governments should intervene carefully, supporting living traditions that enrich contemporary society while allowing others to evolve or fade naturally.

Why this response works

This essay would score highly across all four criteria. Task response is strong: it directly answers both parts of the question, maintains a clear position and provides relevant, specific examples and explanations. Coherence and cohesion are achieved through a logical paragraph structure, clear topic sentences and effective use of cohesive devices without overuse. Lexical resource is demonstrated through precise, varied vocabulary such as “cultural homogenisation,” “economically viable” and “indiscriminate role.” Grammatical range and accuracy are high, with complex yet controlled sentence structures and no systematic errors.