✈️ Globalisation13 questionsReal reported + Cambridge
IELTS globalisation
essay questions.
13 Task 2 questions on globalisation. Click any question to open the full breakdown, examiner watch-outs, and a 40-minute mock.
About this theme
Free trade, multinational companies, migration, English as a lingua franca, cultural homogenisation, FDI. Globalisation prompts ask whether the gains outweigh the losses, or who captures the gains. Examiners look for essays that distinguish between economic, cultural, and political globalisation, collapsing them into one fuzzy concept caps you at Band 6 Task Response.
Task 2💼 GlobalisationOpinion (Agree / Disagree)
“Some argue multinational companies should pay tax in every country where they operate, not just where they are based. To what extent do you agree?”
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Task 2🍔 GlobalisationOpinion (Agree / Disagree)
“Traditional cuisines are disappearing under the influence of international fast-food chains. To what extent do you agree?”
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Task 2🏝️ GlobalisationOpinion (Agree / Disagree)
“Mass tourism has changed many local cultures beyond recognition. To what extent do you agree?”
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Task 2📦 GlobalisationOpinion (Agree / Disagree)
“The COVID-19 pandemic exposed how dependent countries are on global supply chains. Should governments now prioritise domestic production?”
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Task 2✈️ GlobalisationOpinion (Agree / Disagree)
“Highly skilled workers leaving developing countries for richer ones causes serious problems. To what extent do you agree?”
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Task 2🏭 GlobalisationAdvantages & disadvantages
“Foreign companies investing in developing countries bring jobs but also drive out local businesses. Do the advantages outweigh the disadvantages?”
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Task 2🏙️ GlobalisationOpinion (Agree / Disagree)
“Some say global brands have made cities look the same everywhere. To what extent do you agree?”
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Task 2🌐 GlobalisationDiscuss both views
“Some people think the global spread of English damages other languages. Others see it as a positive force for communication. Discuss both views and give your opinion.”
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Task 2🏭 GlobalisationDiscuss both views
“Some argue multinational companies harm developing countries; others say they bring valuable investment. Discuss both views.”
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Task 2✈️ GlobalisationDiscuss both views
“Some say globalisation has destroyed traditional cultures, others say it has enriched them. Discuss both and give your view.”
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Task 1 · Academic🚢 GlobalisationTable
“The table shows the five largest merchandise exporters in the world and their share of world exports in 2020.”
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Task 1 · Academic💵 GlobalisationLine chart
“The line graph shows GDP per capita (purchasing power parity) in four countries from 1990 to 2020.”
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Task 1 · Academic🌐 GlobalisationBar chart
“The bar chart shows foreign direct investment inflows as a share of GDP in five economies in 2010 and 2020.”
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❓ FAQ
About globalisation in IELTS
- How often does globalisation come up in IELTS Writing Task 2?
- It's one of the most-tested themes. Examiners draw on it because it generates strong opinions while remaining accessible to candidates from any background. You can reasonably expect to encounter a globalisation question in practice tests and on the real exam.
- What question types should I expect on globalisation?
- All five Task 2 shapes are fair game: opinion (agree/disagree), discuss both views, problem-solution, two-part, and advantages-and-disadvantages. The same theme can appear in any of these shapes, so practise the same idea across multiple question types rather than memorising essays.
- How specific do my examples need to be?
- Specific enough to be falsifiable. "Many studies show X" is empty; "a 2019 OECD report on X found Y in Z country" is concrete. You don't need a real citation. Examiners reward the specificity of the claim, not the accuracy of the source. Naming a country, a year, or an industry counts.
- Can I use the same vocabulary across all globalisation essays?
- Topic-specific lexis matters. Each of the 13 questions below hides a slightly different angle, and Band 7+ vocabulary depends on naming the precise mechanism: "carbon-intensive industries" beats "polluters", "screen-mediated communication" beats "talking online".