Illiteracy continues to be a concern for many countries in the world today. What are the causes of illiteracy in the modern world, and what effects does it have on the people concerned and on society as a whole?

In the modern world, there are approximately 773 million illiterate
people
despite the advancement and spread of
education
. There are three main causes, and a number of key impacts, which I will outline now. The main cause is probably having parents who are illiterate. Many illiterate parents do not put much emphasis on the importance of
education
, especially those in remote areas where many
people
in the older generation have not gone through formal
education
.
Furthermore
, they often prioritize work before
education
and have lower expectations in
regards
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regard
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to schooling. The second key cause is
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the
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unemployment
of the educated as many
people
believe that without the promise of employment,
education
is not a necessity to them.
For instance
, in a country where many of the educated are unemployed, there may not be enough motivation for the illiterate to go to school. Another important issue is social barriers
such
as restrictions on girls’
education
in some societies. Recent statistics reveal that
two-third
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two-thirds
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of
this
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the
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illiterate population in the world comprises
of
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apply
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women.
For example
, half the adult women in South and West Asia and sub-Saharan Africa cannot read or write.
As a
result
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result,
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an illiterate person can lead a difficult life in so many ways. Perhaps the main impact is
unemployment
as individuals with low levels of literacy are more likely to experience insufficient employment opportunities, outcomes and lower income. The inability to find gainful employment can subject one to a life of poverty with poor living conditions.
As a result
, they often face welfare dependency, low self-esteem, and higher levels of crime. The other main effect could be adverse health outcomes. Without the ability to read and write, it can be hard to read instructions which in some cases may have dire consequences.
For example
, these
people
may not learn how to prevent certain diseases or how to get medication for illnesses.
To sum up
, the causes of illiteracy could be intergenerational,
unemployment
of the educated and social barriers.
The
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apply
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Illiteracy draws a parallel with
unemployment
, poverty, crimes and poor health.
Submitted by alexstudyin on

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Structure your answers in logical paragraphs

The easiest way to score well on the IELTS Task 2 writing portion is to structure your writing in a solid essay format.

A strong argument essay structure can be split up into 4 paragraphs, each containing 4 sentences (except the conclusion paragraph, which only contains 3 sentences).

Stick to this essay structure:

  • Paragraph 1 - Introduction
  • Paragraph 2 - First supporting paragraph
  • Paragraph 3 - Second supporting paragraph
  • Paragraph 4 - Conclusion

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Topic Vocabulary:
  • Literacy
  • Illiteracy
  • Poverty
  • Access
  • Educational resources
  • Social inequality
  • Discrimination
  • Gender disparity
  • Racial bias
  • Cultural norms
  • Technological advances
  • Political instability
  • Disruption
  • Education systems
  • Socioeconomic status
  • Job prospects
  • Health implications
  • Self-esteem
  • Empowerment
  • Economic growth
  • Social cohesion
  • Civic participation
  • Democratic processes
  • Exclusion
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