How Could Multilingualism Benefit India's Poorest Schoolchildren — IELTS Reading Passage with Answers (Q14–26)

The Full IELTS Reading Passage

How could multilingualism benefit India's poorest schoolchildren?

The crowded and bustling streets of Delhi teem with life. Stop to listen and, above the din of rickshaws and buses, you'll hear a multitude of languages, as more than 20 million people go about their daily lives. Many were born and raised here, and many millions more have recently made India's capital their home, having moved from surrounding neighbourhoods, cities and states or across the country, often in the hope of gaining better jobs and a better life. Some arrive speaking fluent Hindi, the dominant language in Delhi (and the official language of government), but many arrive speaking any number of India's 22 officially recognised languages, let alone the hundreds of regional languages in a country of more than 1.3 billion people.

A team of researchers led by Professor Ianthi Tsimpli of Cambridge University is currently working on a project collecting data on 1,000 primary-age children in Delhi and the cities of Hyderabad and Bihar. The overriding aim of the four-year project, called 'Multilingualism and Multiliteracy', is to find out why in a country where multilingualism is so common (more than 255 million people in India speak at least two languages, and nearly 90 million speak three or more languages), the many benefits of speaking more than one language, observed in schools in Europe for instance, do not apply to many of India's schoolchildren.

'Each year across India, 600,000 children are tested, and year after year over 50% of children in Standard 5 [ten-year-olds] cannot read a Standard 2 [seven-year-olds] task fluently, and just under 50% of them cannot solve a Standard 2 subtraction task,' says Tsimpli. She explains that low educational achievement can lead to many of these students dropping out of school — a problem disproportionately affecting female students.

Tsimpli and her colleagues are investigating whether these low learning outcomes could be caused by an Indian school system where the language that children are taught in often differs from the language used at home. The research project, which focuses on 8 to 11-year-old schoolchildren in rural and urban areas, collects data on whether the schoolchildren live in slum* or non-slum areas. Many of the children have moved from remote, rural areas to urban areas. They are so poor they have to live in slums and, as a result of migration, they may speak languages that are different from the regional language.

Having already tested 1,000 children, the researchers will now embark on retesting them. They intend to look not only at test results, but also at variables such as the standard of schooling, the environment and the teaching practices themselves. It's possible that one of the causes of low performance is the lack of pupil-centred teaching methods; in many Indian primary schools the teacher dominates and there is little room for independent learning.

Although the findings are at a preliminary stage, Tsimpli and her team have found that the medium of instruction used in schools, especially English, may hold back those children who have little familiarity with, or exposure to, the language before starting school and outside of school life. According to Tsimpli, most of the evidence from this and other projects shows that English instruction for children from low socio-economic areas might not be the best way for them to learn, at least in the first three years of primary education.

'What we would recommend for everyone, not just low socio-economic status children, would be to start learning in the language they feel comfortable learning in … English can still be used, but perhaps not as the medium of instruction in primary schools. It could, for example, be one of the subjects that are being taught alongside other subjects. We are not suggesting that English be withdrawn — that ship has sailed — but we perhaps have to think more about learner needs. There is perhaps too much uniformity in teaching and less tailoring to the children's language abilities and needs,' says Tsimpli.

While the preliminary results show there is no difference in general intelligence among boys and girls from slum areas versus those from urban poor backgrounds, an unanticipated finding has been that children from slum backgrounds do not seem to lag behind children from other urban poor backgrounds — and in some cases outperform them (e.g. in numeracy and literacy tasks). According to the researchers, this unexpected finding may be down to the life experiences of children growing up in slums. They are likely to mature faster and come into closer contact with the numeracy skills essential for day-to-day survival.

The project has already caught the attention of government ministers, who are keen to use the findings of the study to inform and adjust school policy in Delhi and the wider state. 'They are as keen as us to understand how the challenging context of deprivation can be attenuated when focusing on the languages children learn and use while at school. Our findings don't mean you're doomed if you're poor. It may be that these low learning outcomes are because of the way education is provided in India, with a huge focus on Hindi and English as the mediums of instruction, to the potential detriment of children unfamiliar with those languages,' explains Tsimpli.

'Language is central to the way knowledge is transferred — so the medium of instruction is obviously hugely influential. We hope to … show that problem solving, numeracy and literacy can and do improve in children who are educated in a language of instruction they know. The trick may be to bridge school skills with life skills and make use of the richness of a child's life experience to help them learn in the most effective ways possible,' says Tsimpli.

*slum: a very poor and overcrowded urban area.

The Questions

Questions 14–19

Complete the summary using the list of words, A–J, below. Write the correct letter, A–J, in boxes 14–19 on your answer sheet.

Multilingualism in Delhi

The city of Delhi has a 14 …………………… and as you walk through its streets you hear people speaking a variety of languages. Some of them have spent their entire life in Delhi, while others are 15 ……………………. Whether they have come from a 16 …………………… or have travelled from the other side of India, they have all come in search of things such as improved 17 …………………….

A team of researchers led by Professor Ianthi Tsimpli of Cambridge University is collecting data on primary-age schoolchildren in Delhi and other Indian cities. The 18 …………………… of the research is to discover why multilingual Indian schoolchildren do not experience 19 …………………… to those that multilingual schoolchildren in Europe experience.

A basic outlook B employment opportunities C wealthy visitors D distant country E primary objective F similar advantages G thriving economy H nearby district I dense population J new immigrants

Questions 20–23

Do the following statements agree with the claims of the writer in Reading Passage 2? In boxes 20–23 on your answer sheet, write:

• YES if the statement agrees with the claims of the writer
• NO if the statement contradicts the claims of the writer
• NOT GIVEN if it is impossible to say what the writer thinks about this

20 Ten-year-old Indian schoolchildren tend to perform better in literacy tests than in numeracy tests. 21 Tsimpli had problems convincing some female students to take part in the study. 22 Tsimpli and her team wanted to know if there is a connection between poor academic performance and being taught in an unfamiliar language. 23 The researchers have decided against investigating the impact teaching methodology may have on learning outcomes.

Questions 24–26

Choose the correct letter, A, B, C or D. Write the correct letter in boxes 24–26 on your answer sheet.

24 What point does the writer make about primary schools in India in the sixth paragraph?   A Exposure to English outside of school is of limited benefit.   B Children learn English more easily when they are well motivated.   C Poor children may be disadvantaged further by being instructed in English.   D There is little consistency across schools with regard to instruction in English.

25 What is Tsimpli suggesting when she uses the phrase 'that ship has sailed'?   A The findings of the report may be of little help to some Indian schoolchildren.   B Instruction in English could be better adapted to the needs of schoolchildren.   C Schools have had limited success in teaching English as a separate subject.   D It is too late to remove English completely as a language of instruction in schools.

26 In the eighth paragraph, what do we learn has surprised researchers?   A Boys and girls from low socio-economic groups have similar general intelligence levels.   B The age at which children move into a slum does not affect their academic performance.   C Slum children and children from other urban poor backgrounds have similar life experiences.   D The literacy and numeracy skills of slum children are not lower than those of children from other urban poor backgrounds.

Quick Answer Key

Detailed Explanations — Questions 14 to 19 (Summary Completion)

The summary paraphrases paragraph 1 and part of paragraph 2. These questions follow the order of the passage, so read the six gaps as a chain, not as isolated blanks.

Q14. The city of Delhi has a __________

Answer: I — dense population

The opening line of the passage says the streets of Delhi "teem with life" and that "more than 20 million people go about their daily lives." Twenty million residents in one city is the definition of a dense population. "Thriving economy" (G) is tempting, but the passage never talks about Delhi's economy — only about people and languages.

Q15. Some of them have spent their entire life in Delhi, while others are __________

Answer: J — new immigrants

The passage contrasts people "born and raised here" with "many millions more [who] have recently made India's capital their home." People who have recently moved to a city are new immigrants. "Wealthy visitors" (C) is wrong because these arrivals are poor and looking for work.

Q16. Whether they have come from a __________ or have travelled from the other side of India

Answer: H — nearby district

The passage lists two extremes of movement: "surrounding neighbourhoods, cities and states or across the country." "Surrounding neighbourhoods" is paraphrased as a nearby district, while "across the country" matches "the other side of India" in the summary. "Distant country" (D) is wrong — everyone described is Indian, so all migration is within India.

Q17. They have all come in search of things such as improved __________

Answer: B — employment opportunities

The passage says migrants come "in the hope of gaining better jobs and a better life." "Better jobs" = employment opportunities. "Basic outlook" (A) makes no logical sense with the word "improved".

Q18. The __________ of the research is to discover why…

Answer: E — primary objective

Paragraph 2 says: "The overriding aim of the four-year project… is to find out why…" "Overriding aim" is a direct paraphrase of primary objective. Watch this synonym pair — it is extremely common in IELTS.

Q19. Multilingual Indian schoolchildren do not experience __________ to those that multilingual schoolchildren in Europe experience

Answer: F — similar advantages

The passage says "the many benefits of speaking more than one language, observed in schools in Europe for instance, do not apply to many of India's schoolchildren." "Benefits" → advantages, and the comparison "to those… in Europe" tells you the missing word describes something similar that Europeans get but Indians don't.

Detailed Explanations — Questions 20 to 23 (Yes / No / Not Given)

Remember the rule: YES means the writer clearly states this. NO means the writer clearly states the opposite. NOT GIVEN means the writer never expresses an opinion on this at all.

Q20. Ten-year-old Indian schoolchildren tend to perform better in literacy tests than in numeracy tests.

Answer: NO

The passage says: "over 50% of children in Standard 5 [ten-year-olds] cannot read a Standard 2 [seven-year-olds] task fluently, and just under 50% of them cannot solve a Standard 2 subtraction task."

Do the maths carefully: over 50% fail literacy, but just under 50% fail numeracy. That means slightly more children pass the numeracy task than the literacy task — so ten-year-olds actually do better in numeracy than literacy, the opposite of what the statement claims. Answer = NO.

Q21. Tsimpli had problems convincing some female students to take part in the study.

Answer: NOT GIVEN

The passage mentions that dropping out of school "disproportionately affects female students," but it never says anything about recruiting girls into the research or about any difficulty in doing so. When the statement adds a new claim the passage never comments on, choose NOT GIVEN.

Q22. Tsimpli and her team wanted to know if there is a connection between poor academic performance and being taught in an unfamiliar language.

Answer: YES

Paragraph 4 says almost the same thing in different words: "Tsimpli and her colleagues are investigating whether these low learning outcomes could be caused by an Indian school system where the language that children are taught in often differs from the language used at home." Low learning outcomes = poor academic performance; language differs from home language = unfamiliar language. Straight YES.

Q23. The researchers have decided against investigating the impact teaching methodology may have on learning outcomes.

Answer: NO

The passage says the opposite: "They intend to look not only at test results, but also at variables such as the standard of schooling, the environment and the teaching practices themselves." They are actively planning to study teaching methodology — so the statement contradicts the writer. Answer = NO.

Detailed Explanations — Questions 24 to 26 (Multiple Choice)

Q24. What point does the writer make about primary schools in India in the sixth paragraph?

Answer: C — Poor children may be disadvantaged further by being instructed in English.

Paragraph 6 says: "the medium of instruction used in schools, especially English, may hold back those children who have little familiarity with, or exposure to, the language," and "English instruction for children from low socio-economic areas might not be the best way for them to learn."

"Hold back" = disadvantage. "Low socio-economic areas" = poor. That is exactly option C.

• A is wrong — the passage talks about lack of exposure causing the problem, not that outside exposure is unhelpful.
• B is wrong — motivation is never mentioned.
• D is wrong — the passage complains of too much uniformity, not too little.

Q25. What is Tsimpli suggesting when she uses the phrase 'that ship has sailed'?

Answer: D — It is too late to remove English completely as a language of instruction in schools.

The full sentence is: "We are not suggesting that English be withdrawn — that ship has sailed." The idiom "that ship has sailed" means an opportunity has passed — it is too late to do something. So Tsimpli is saying it is too late to withdraw English from Indian schools. Answer = D.

Learn this idiom — IELTS Reading and Writing often test everyday English idioms in academic contexts.

Q26. In the eighth paragraph, what do we learn has surprised researchers?

Answer: D — The literacy and numeracy skills of slum children are not lower than those of children from other urban poor backgrounds.

Paragraph 8 says: "an unanticipated finding has been that children from slum backgrounds do not seem to lag behind children from other urban poor backgrounds — and in some cases outperform them (e.g. in numeracy and literacy tasks)."

"Unanticipated" = surprised. Slum children matching or beating other urban poor children in literacy and numeracy is exactly option D.

• A is wrong — this is mentioned in the paragraph but described as a normal result, not a surprise.
• B is wrong — the age of moving into a slum is never discussed.
• C is wrong — the passage suggests the opposite: slum children have different life experiences (they mature faster, use numeracy for daily survival).

Vocabulary from the Passage That Often Appears in IELTS

• Multilingualism — the ability to speak several languages
• Medium of instruction — the language used to teach subjects
• Low socio-economic status — from a poor economic background
• Attenuate — to reduce the severity of something
• Preliminary findings — early results, not yet final
• Pupil-centred teaching — teaching that focuses on the learner rather than the teacher
• Doomed — certain to fail
• Uniformity — sameness, lack of variation

Note these down in your IELTS vocabulary log. They can all be reused in Writing Task 2 essays on education, poverty and language policy.

Exam Strategy — How to Score High on This Passage

Summary completion (Q14–19): Read the whole summary once before hunting for answers. The gaps follow the order of the passage. Match each gap by meaning, not by trying to fit the word grammatically first — most options here are noun phrases, so grammar barely helps you eliminate.

Yes / No / Not Given (Q20–23): The trap is confusing NO with NOT GIVEN. If the passage clearly says the opposite (like Q20 and Q23), it is NO. If the topic is simply never discussed (like Q21), it is NOT GIVEN. Do not use "common sense" — only the passage counts.

Multiple choice (Q24–26): Read the question first, locate the paragraph, then read all four options after you understand the paragraph. Wrong options usually contain one word that makes them false, so scan word by word.

Time management: Spend 18–20 minutes total on this passage. If a question takes more than 90 seconds, mark it, move on, and return at the end.

Practice More IELTS Reading with Pacific Educational Consultant

If these how could multilingualism benefit India's poorest schoolchildren IELTS reading answers helped you understand where you lost marks, the next step is more Cambridge-style passages under exam pressure — and reviewing every wrong answer against the exact line in the text, exactly the way this post explains each answer.

Pacific Educational Consultant offers structured IELTS Reading, Writing, Listening and Speaking programmes with British-Council-trained mentors, weekly mock tests, and one-on-one feedback so you know exactly why you lost each band. Whether your target is 6.5 for Canada PR, 7.0 for UK universities, or 7.5+ for Australia, our band-focused courses are built around real Cambridge passages like this one.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Is "How could multilingualism benefit India's poorest schoolchildren?" a real Cambridge IELTS reading passage?

Yes — it is an Academic Reading passage in the standard Cambridge format, with summary completion, Yes/No/Not Given and multiple choice question types you will see on test day.

Q: What is the main idea of the multilingualism India IELTS reading passage?

The passage discusses research by Professor Ianthi Tsimpli of Cambridge University showing that many of India's poorest schoolchildren perform badly at school because they are taught in Hindi or English rather than their home language, and how changing the medium of instruction could improve their learning.

Q: Which questions are hardest in this passage?

Questions 20 and 23 (Yes/No/Not Given) are the most-missed because they require careful reading of statistics and negative statements. Question 25 depends on knowing the idiom "that ship has sailed."

Q: What band level is this passage suitable for?

Band 6.0 to 8.5. Getting 11 or more correct out of 13 puts you in the Band 7.5+ range for Passage 2 difficulty.

Prepared by Pacific Educational Consultant — Kota's trusted centre for IELTS Reading, Writing, Listening and Speaking training, and study-abroad guidance for the UK, USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and Europe.