What 'migration' covers: Migration is part of the theme Experiences. You need vocabulary to talk about it — and to give your opinion about it.
What you need words for
- moving to another country
- cultural differences
- integration
- the challenges immigrants face
Use the list as a glossary: The words below are common English B vocabulary. Treat the list as a glossary: learn each term with its meaning and a synonym, then reuse them in the reading and writing sections.
- migration / to migrate
- the movement of people from one place to another to live; to make that move
- to emigrate — to immigrate
- to leave your own country — to arrive in a new country to live
- an immigrant
- a person who has come to live in a country that is not their own
- to settle in
- to get used to a new place and start to feel at home there
- to adapt / adaptation
- to change so you fit a new situation; the process of doing so
- to integrate / integration
- to become a full part of a community; the process of fitting in
- culture shock
- the surprise and stress of meeting a very different way of life
- to miss (someone/something)
- to feel sad because a person or thing is no longer near you
- the language barrier
- the difficulty caused by not sharing a common language
- the host country
- the country that receives and takes in newcomers
- diversity
- the variety of cultures, backgrounds and people in a society
- to live between two cultures
- to belong to and take part in two cultures at once
- a welcome programme
- an organised scheme to help newcomers settle in
| Useful expression | What it means |
|---|---|
| My family emigrated in search of a better life. | My family left our country hoping for better opportunities. |
| At first I experienced culture shock. | The new way of life surprised and unsettled me at the start. |
| The language barrier was the hardest thing. | Not sharing a language was my biggest difficulty. |
| Little by little I managed to integrate. | Slowly, over time, I became part of the community. |
| I miss my family and my old customs. | I feel sad to be far from my family and familiar traditions. |
Why this matters: This vocabulary turns up in every skill — a reading text about an immigrant's experience, a listening interview about living abroad, a Paper 1 email advising a friend who is moving, or your oral. Reusing precise topic words is how you score Criterion A (Language).
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Have something to say: Examiners reward developed ideas, not just vocabulary. Take a position and back it up.
The common debates on migration
- The difficulties immigrants face in a new city, and how to help them.
- The cultural differences of living abroad.
- The advice you'd give a friend who is moving.
Opinion phrases (use these to introduce a view)
- In my opinion… / From my point of view… — to introduce what you think
- It seems to me that… / I believe that… — a slightly softer way to give a view
- The most important thing is… — to highlight your main point
- On the one hand… on the other hand… — to weigh up two sides
- I (completely) agree that… / I'm not convinced that… — to react to an idea
Difficulties of emigrating
- The language barrier makes daily life difficult.
- Many immigrants miss their family and home.
- Culture shock can cause loneliness.
Benefits of living abroad
- You learn another language and another culture.
- You meet people from all over the world.
- You become more open-minded and tolerant.
Deciding to move
- A job abroad: pay, housing, flights, family
- Go with your family or stay with relatives?
- Which choice fits your plans for the future
Migrant stories
- Arriving: the weather, the accent, the loneliness
- Building a life: a job, a shop, a restaurant
- Sending money home, helping family
The second generation
- Growing up between two cultures
- Embarrassed as a teenager, proud as an adult
- Visiting the country your parents left
- to relocate
- to move to a new place, often for work
- to settle in
- to start to feel comfortable in a new place
- push and pull factors
- reasons to leave a place / reasons to go to a new one
- to send money home (remittances)
- to send part of your wages to family in your home country
- second-generation immigrant
- a person born in a country their parents moved to
- to feel torn between
- to feel two strong loyalties at the same time
Link your ideas: Connectors lift your answer from a list into an argument: moreover (to add), however (to contrast), therefore (to conclude), although (to concede). Use at least two or three in any written answer.
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Read like Paper 2: Here is a short blog post — the kind of text Paper 2 (Reading) gives you. Read it once just for the general idea; don't worry about every word. Then we'll work through one exam question together.
Living between two worlds (1 of 2): Two years ago my family and I moved to another country in search of a better life. At first everything felt strange to me: the language, the customs and even the food.
The hardest thing was missing my grandparents and not understanding people well in class.
Living between two worlds (2 of 2)
However, little by little I made new friends and started to feel part of the neighbourhood. The school ran a welcome programme and some classmates helped me with the language. Today I speak two languages, I know two cultures and, although I sometimes miss my home country, I feel lucky to be able to live between two worlds.
- to feel strange
- to seem unfamiliar or odd to you
- a welcome programme
- an organised scheme to help newcomers settle in
- to make friends
- to form new friendships
- lucky / fortunate
- having good things happen to you, often by chance
- between two worlds
- belonging to and shaped by two different cultures
IB-style task — one Paper 2 question
One question, step by step
- The question — "According to the text, who helped the writer with the language?"
- Find it in the text. Look for the word "language": "The school ran a welcome programme and some classmates helped me with the language."
- The answer — Some classmates helped them, thanks to the school's welcome programme. The words are right there in the text, so no outside knowledge is needed.
Reading technique: For an "according to the text" question, find the exact line that proves your answer — don't rely on memory or general knowledge.
The task: Your friend Diego is moving to another country to live and study, and he's nervous. Write him an informal email: tell him about your own experience of moving and give him advice on how to adapt and integrate.
Write 250–400 words.
Informal email structure — 6 steps
1
Subject line
A short, friendly subject. "Subject: Moving abroad? You'll be fine!"
2
Friendly greeting
Hi + your friend's name. "Hi Diego,"
3
Body: your experience
Say why you are writing, then describe your own move in the past. "When I first moved, I had a hard time…"
4
Your advice and a request
Give two or three tips with imperatives, then ask for a reply. "Learn the language", "sign up for activities", "Will you write and tell me…?"
5
Friendly close
A warm, reassuring line. "Soon you'll feel more at home. You've got this!"
6
Sign-off and name
Take care, Speak soon or Love + your first name. "Take care, speak soon, Maya"
Subject → Greeting → Body → Advice + request → Friendly close → Name
Model: the 6 steps in ~140 words
The informal email, step by step
- Subject: Moving abroad? You'll be fine!
- Hi Diego,
- I'm really glad to hear you're going to study abroad, and I know you're a bit nervous. When I first moved, I had a hard time. I didn't understand the language, I missed my family, and everything seemed different. Honestly, I felt a little lonely at the start.
- So here are three tips. First, learn the language from day one — even a few words help. Second, sign up for clubs or activities to meet people. And third, keep in touch with your family back home. Will you write and tell me how your first week goes?
- Settling in takes time, so be patient. Soon you'll feel more at home, and you'll see that living between two cultures is a real advantage. You've got this!
- Take care, speak soon, Maya
Why it works: A strong informal email does this for each of the three Paper 1 criteria:
A — Language /12
- Range of tenses: past "I had a hard time", imperatives "learn", "keep in touch"
- Connectors: "so", "and", "first/second/third"
- Topic vocabulary, used accurately
B — Message /12
- Task fully done: shares an experience AND gives advice
- Ideas developed with concrete examples
- Ends with a clear request: asks Diego to write back
C — Conceptual /6
- Email conventions: a subject line, "Hi Diego," and a sign-off with a first name
- Direct address: "Will you write and tell me…?", "You've got this!"
- A warm, personal tone that suits a friend
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How listening is tested: Paper 2 also tests listening: you hear short clips, each played twice, and you never see the words.
Answering a listening question
1
Read the questions first
Do this before the clip plays.
2
Listen for the key idea
Not every word, just the part the question points to.
3
Answer
Write what the speaker said.
Questions → key idea → answer
Practise on the page: Here we'll use a transcript so you can practise the technique on the page. Read the questions, then find the answer in the speaker's words.
Transcript — Amira's grandfather (1 of 2): Hi, I'm Amira. Sixty years ago my grandfather left his village and moved abroad to work in a car factory. He planned to stay for two years, save some money and go back home. But then he met my grandmother, they had three children, and the two years turned into a whole life.
Transcript — Amira's grandfather (2 of 2)
Every month he sent part of his wages to his parents, and every summer he drove back to the village with presents for everyone. Now he says he has two homes: the village where he was born and the city where his grandchildren live.
IB-style task — two listening questions
Two questions, step by step
- Q1 — Why did Amira's grandfather move abroad? Listen at the start, just after "moved abroad": "to work in a car factory." That is your answer.
- Q2 — Why did the two years become a whole life? She explains it straight after: "then he met my grandmother, they had three children." Answer: he started a family in his new country.
Listening technique: Read the questions before the clip plays. Each question usually points to one short part of the recording — listen for the words around it, not the whole thing.