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IELTS Essay, topic: the positive and the negative sides of globalization

Even though globalization affects the worlds economies in a positive way, its negative side should not be forgotten. Discuss. In the present age, globalization is playing an increasingly important role in our lives. But in the meantime whether it is a blessing or a curse has sparked a heated debate. Some people argue that globalization has a fundamentally beneficial influence on our lives, while many others contend that it has a detrimental effect as well. A convincing argument can be made about globalization not only playing a pivotal role in the development of technology and economy, but also promoting the cultural exchange between different countries. To start with, it is the globalization that impelled many corporate to become an international group, thereby making a contribution to the local technology and employment. Specifically, when a multinational group establish a factory in a developing country, the new equipment, the new management skills and the job vacancies are all in the best interest of the local society. Moreover, people worldwide can get to know each other better through globalization. It is easy to see that more and more Hollywood blockbusters show cultures different from American, some recent examples are Kungfu Panda and The Mummy.

Admittedly, profit driven globalization has severely affected young people. Today, in the metropolises in different countries, it is very common to see teenagers wearing NIKE T-shirts and Adidas footwear, playing Hip-Hop music on Apple iPods and eating at KFC. The culture that took a thousand years to form just seems similar in these cities; it looks like you can only distinguish them by their language. Meanwhile, in some developing countries, sweat workshops are always a concerning issue. For instance, reports show that some teenagers employed by NIKEs contractors work in smelly factories over 14 hours a day, but are only paid fifty cents per hour. To sum up, I would concede that globalization does come with some adverse effects. Despite that fact, benefits created by it far outweigh the disadvantages. Overall, I am convinced that we should further promote globalization and meanwhile the local government should take measures to combat culture assimilation and sweat workshops.

In some countries children have very strict rules of behavior, in other countries they are allowed to do almost anything they want. To what extent should children have to follow rules? The extent to which children have to follow rules is in itself a very complex issue, since children across the world grow up in very different cultures. In India for example, the level of morality is very high and children are to be very submissive to their parents as well as other adults around them. This, however, is not the case for the Western countries of the world where children follow the motto Thou shalt do what thou wilt as promoted by celebrities and rock stars. I believe that following strict rules has both advantagesas well as serious drawbacks as discussed below. Firstly, strict rules of behavior create responsible and respectful children who in turn mature into respectful adults. This forms a stable society which is virtually free from vices such as prostitution and

drug abuse. Secondly, if children do not follow strict rules of behavior, they will get out of hand and become work- shy and indolent. This will then create a burden on society since the government has to find ways to cater for these social ills.

However, forcing children to follow strict rules of behavior doesnt always yield positive results as discussed above, most of the time it backfires and works against society. For example, teenagers are more likely to do the opposite of what theyre told to do simply because they want to be independent. Children should also have rights to exercise their free will and develop their own pattern of behaviors. Strict rules simply destroy the individuality of children if theyre imposed on them. At the end of the day, it is clear that children should be guided by rules, but these rules should not be imposed on them because as human beings, they need to have room to develop their own traits of character and adopt a behavioral pattern of their own.

Financial education should be mandatory component of the school program. To what extent do you agree or disagree with this statement? It is an obvious fact that financial aspects are a major part of daily life, as an adult and even as a young individual. Each and every one of us has to make financial decisions concerning recreation, health, education and more. The question is whether to start with financial education as part of school program or postpone it for a later stage in life. To being with, being able to understand the value of money, the way the economic system works and interpret financial news and its implications is a virtue. Without this virtue, an individual, and even a young one, might suffer, to some extent. For an example, a child who doesnt understand the concept of money might find it more difficult to except choosing only one present out of more possible ones. In addition, many adults are lacking financial analysis capabilities. Quite often, the reason can be a shaky basis or insecurity when it comes to financial terms and concepts. Starting from an early age, building a strong background, can very likely prevent such a situation.

However, financial education necessarily involves quantifying and setting prices and value for services and goods. It can be easily turn young people into cynical and cold-hearted human beings. Furthermore, a tendency to self-concentration and egoism might rise when one start measuring everything from a profit making perspective. In conclusion, financial education has both pros and cons. In my opinion, the advantages are stronger than the disadvantages, making financial education an advisable component of school program. The disadvantages should be thought of as a certain price that young people have to pay due to the characteristics of the world that we live in.

IELTS Essay, topic: Computers replacing teachers


As computers are being used more and more in education, there will be soon no role for teachers in the classroom. There have been immense advances in technology in most aspects of people?s lives, especially in the field of education. Nowadays, an increasing number of students rely on computers for research and to produce a perfect paper for school purposes. Others have decided to leave the original way of learning and to get knowledge through online schools. These changes in the learning process have brought a

special concern regarding the possible decrease of importance of teachers in the classroom.

Some people believe the role of teachers started to fade because computers have been helping some students to progress in their studies quicker than when compared with an original classroom. For example, in the same classroom, students have different intellectual capacities, thus some would be tied to a slow advance in their studies because of others? incapacity of understanding. In this way, pupils could progress in their acquisition of knowledge at their own pace using computers instead of learning from teachers. However, the presence of a teacher is essential for students because the human contact influences them in positive ways. Firstly, students realize that they are not dealing with a machine but with a human being who deserves attention and respect. They also learn the importance of studying in group and respect other students, which helps them to improve their social skills. Moreover, teachers are required in the learning process because they acknowledge some student?s deficiencies and help them to solve their problems by repeating the same explanation, giving extra exercises or even suggesting a private tutor. Hence, students can have a bigger chance not to fail in a subject. In conclusion, the role for teachers in the learning process is still very important and it will continue to be in the future because no machine can replace the human interaction and its consequences.

Improvements in health, education and trade are essential for the development of poorer nations. However, the governments of richer nations should take more responsibility for helping the poorer nations in such areas. Todays world has been divided into developing and industrialised countrieswhich the main difference between them is the amount of money that governments apply in important sectors such as education, health and commerce. Most of the poorer nations are buried in debts as a result of their unbalanced finances which are reflect in a failed health care, an unstructured education system and a weak international trade. This vicious cycle will continue indefinitely unless wealthier nations show interest in minimizing the worldwide economic differences, as well as taking more responsibility for assisting unfortunate countries.

Most of the African countries live in sub-human conditions because of the extreme poverty, upheaval, hunger, disease, unemployment, lack of education and both inexperienced and corrupt administrations. The devastating consequences of the AIDS epidemic in those countries could improve if the infected populations receive free drugs to control the disease, have access to health professionals and get information on how to prevent its spread. But this can only be achieved through international help programs in which leaders of the world?s richest countries donate medicine and also send doctors and nurses to treat and educate those in need. Moreover, most of the poor countries rely on selling agricultural products and raw material to rich nations and buying industrialized products from them resulting in a huge financial deficit. Consequently, they borrow a significant amount of money from the World Bank to try to improve their broken economies, but sometimes the money disappears with no significant changes and they cannot even pay the interest to the bank. Regarding this issue, last year the G8, which is comprised of leaders of the eight richest nations, decided to forgive billions of dollars worth of debt owed by the world?s

poorest nations. In addition, they developed adequate loan programs to financially assist those countries. In conclusion, leaders of the industrialised countries play an indispensable role in assisting developing nations deal with essential areas such as health, education and trade. Also, their aid is the key to breaking the vicious cycle, which results in poverty and death.

IELTS Essay, topic: Events bringing people together


Popular events like the football World Cup and other international sporting occasions are essential in easing international tensions and releasing patriotic emotions in a safe way. Every four years, the whole world stops to watch international sporting events such as the Olympics and the Football World Cup in which athletes show their best performance to make their country proud of them. These sporting occasions have proved to be helpful in easing international tensions in difficult times when powerful leaders were trying to control the world?s economy and other governments were fighting over land.

The Olympic Games are one of the best examples which prove how sporting events can bring nations together, at least temporarily. From ancient History, when Greeks and Romans would interrupt battles to participate in the games, to the more recent international disputes, when athletes from Palestine and Israel would forget their differences, compete pacifically and even embrace each other after an event. Moreover, these popular events have called the world?s attention to the terrible consequences of wars; thus some leaders have tried to accept agreements to end their dispute and live peacefully. Similarly, international sporting events show benefits in some developing countries which live in a daily internal civil war. For example, Brazil has a high rate of unemployment, lack of education, hunger, crime, poverty and corruption which leads to an immense embarrassment of being Brazilian and a low self-esteem. However, when the Football World Cup starts, the Brazilian squad, which is considered the best team in the world, provokes an amazing feeling of pride in their country. Most people seem to forget all their problems and even the criminal activity decreases. They paint roads with the national colors, use wear the Brazilian team shirt and buy national flags. Moreover, the competition brings families and neighbors together and even rival gangs watch the games and celebrate peacefully. In conclusion, popular sporting events play an important role in decreasing international tensions and liberating patriotic feelings as History has shown. This is a great essay, the ideas, language, structure of paragraphs and sentences, grammar show high level of English. In my opinion it is Band 8. Keep up the go

As computers are being used more and more in education, there will be soon no role for teachers in the classroom. There is no doubt that education and the learning process has changed since the introduction of computers: The search for information has become easier and amusing, and connectivity has expedited the data availability. Though experts systems have made computers more intelligent, they have not yet become a substitute of the human interaction in the learning process. In my opinion;

what can be expected, is a change of the teachers? role but not their disappearance from the classroom.

Nobody can argue that the acquisition of knowledge is more fun and easier with computers. The mere activity of touching and exploring this device constitutes an enjoyable task for a kid. This, accompanied with the relaxing attitude and software interactivity, usually conduce to a better grasping of new knowledge. At a higher educational level; the availability of digital books, simulator and other academic materials, provide the student with an ever accessible source of information, that otherwise would not be at hand. But, besides the increasing complexity and behavior of intelligent software, which is usually embedded in the academic digital material, the need of human interaction in the learning process will always be present, at least in the foreseeable future. There is the necessity for a human being to be able to determine what thespecifics needs of each individual are. The expertise of a teacher in how to explain and adapt complex concepts to different individuals can hardly be mimicked by a computer, no matter how sophisticated its software is. As computers are becoming a common tool for teaching, teachers should be more aware of their role as guides in the acquisition of knowledge rather than transmitters of facts. They have to be open minded to the changes that are taking places, keep updated and serve as a problem solvers in the learning process, thus allowing students to discover the fact for themselves. To summarize, in my personal view, teachers play and will() play an important role in the classroom, especially at the primary level. No matter how complex computers become, there will be no replacement for the human interaction, but in the way haw thisinteraction takes place.

IELTS essay plan Should developing countries receive non -financial help?
Writing task 2 topic Even though developing countries receive financial help, poverty is still an issue. Some say they should be receiving other kind of help, to eliminate poverty. To what extent do you agree or disagree? Give examples and suggest what other form of help can be offered. You should spend about 40 minutes on this task and write at least 250 words. Introduction version 1 Millennia have passed but the problem of poverty still hounds mankind. So-called developed countries have largely tamed this issue; however, developing countries are still suffering despite receiving billions of dollars in the form of international aid. It is clear that simply providing monetary assistance will not be sufficient and radical approach is required on the part of the rich nations to deal with the menace of poverty in the Third World. Introduction version 2 In the wake of the present financial crisis that has swept across most of the rich world, questions are being raised as to why governments of these nations are giving financial aid to the developing countries when this money yields little tangible results. Intelligentsia has proposed non-monetary

measures to help poor countries deal with the problem of poverty more effectively. I sincerely agree that the age-old system of pouring money into the bottomless pit of developing nations should be changed for good. Argument 1 Poverty alleviation programs are nothing less than large scale national projects. In most of the cases, developing countries lack experience to implement these projects. Rich nations, with their proven track record in such ventures, can provide great help by providing the know-how and guidance in implementation of the right systems. Argument 2 The root cause of poverty is not shortage of money but lack of knowledge on how to generate wealth. It has been aptly said, Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime. Developed nations need to take active interest in education and skill development of citizens of poor countries. Argument 3 Programs that link aid to performance are bound to offer better results. The governments in the Third World have wrongly found a virtue in being poor, as they know they are likely to get financial aid on humanitarian grounds. This leaves them with no sense of accountability. If rich nations toughen their stand and provide aid only when improvements are visible, based on predetermined criteria, we are more likely to see reduction in poverty. Argument 4 The whole practice of offering financial aid to developing countries has to be reworked. What are the reasons for a country like India, which is the tenth largest economy that rubs shoulders with powerful nations on several international fora, to continue being one of the biggest recipients of international monetary help? International aid agencies still provide financial assistance on the basis of the number of underprivileged people in a nation. This logic is flawed; hence, they need to devise new ways to help reduce poverty in these countries. Conclusion In conclusion, there is an urgent need to change the antediluvian system of providing financial aid to developing countries. Instead, education, skill development, and performance linked schemes need to be emphasized to bring hope to the lives of the poor in developing countries. Vocabulary Millennia, hounds, tamed, radical, menace, Third World, swept across, yields, tangible, Intelligentsia, bottomless pit, alleviation, know-how, generate wealth, aptly, bound, virtue, humanitarian grounds, toughen

IELTS Essay Plan Will a larger number of sports facilities help improve public health?
Today we are sharing some ideas for writing an essay on the topic below, which was recently seen in the IELTS exam in Saudi Arabia. Below you will find a list of arguments that can be used in your own essay.

The arguments are independent, and you can use any or all of them. To get your work checked and marked by a teacher, pleaseget instructions on this page. Writing task 2 topic Some say that public health is important and there should be more sports facilities. Others say that they have small impact on individuals. Discuss both views and give your opinion. You should spend about 40 minutes on this task and write at least 250 words. Introduction Public health has been the primary concern not only for civilians but also for governments around the globe. However, when it comes to measures of its improvement, views differ greatly. View 1 arguments 1. Since sports facilities are of great benefit to citizens physical health, it is absolutely necessary and wise to enhance their numbers for the sake of the improvement of public health. 2. Sports facilities that are easily found and controlled can provide great convenience to people who have paucity of time to take physical exercises more flexibly. 3. Sports facilities are particularly welcomed by senior citizens and youngsters whose health is vital to the whole society. Therefore, more sports facilities should be built to meet the great demand of citizens of all ages. 4. There is no doubt that taking regular physical exercise reduces the incidence of obesity and heart diseases to some extent, so that increasing the number of sports facilities in the local communities can help some people to establish an active lifestyle, thereby improving their health condition. View 2 arguments 1. It is a fact that only a minority of people utilize facilities at sports centres to keep fit, which means the vast majority of people do not benefit from this programme. 2. Some people argue that the use of sports facilities is restricted by time, seasons and location. Therefore, they are not suitable for all citizens, especially those working from 9am till 5pm. 3. Modern diseases are triggered by various factors, such as eating unhealthy food and neglecting regular checkups. Hence, it is recommended that governments and health authorities put health education among the masses high on their agenda and raise public awareness on health issues. This can be accomplished by delivering information on how to lead a healthy life to every household, and putting stringent regulations on the fast food industry. Opinion Improving public health requires a combined effort and no single action can resolve the problem effectively. In addition, although solving the problem is not insurmountable, yet a long term commitment by both individuals and governments is required. Vocabulary

paucity, stringent, vital, incidence, obesity, triggered, advocate, accomplish, neglecting, insurmountable

IELTS Essay Plan Should tourists be charged more than locals for visiting attractions?
Writing task 2 topic Some people think that foreign visitors should be charged more than locals when they visit culture and tourist attractions in a country. To what extent do you agree or disagree? You should spend about 40 minutes on this task and write at least 250 words. Suggested essay plan Introduction Your introduction paragraph would be a good place to explain that the practice of charging foreign visitors a premium is something that several countries do for logical and economic reasons. Arguments in favor As far as the differential pricing is concerned, the local government subsidizes the tickets for the citizens to promote national heritage and create more interest / awareness / national pride. In addition, in several poor countries, there is no way a common person can afford the kind of prices that these monuments deserve. This is a dent in the government coffers, but it is a decision in the national interest which the tourism department of the government has the right to make. Arguments against Its not in the best interest of a nation to ask for more from foreign tourists as it clearly shows that the government considers foreigners a source of easy money. These people have traveled thousands of miles to understand , experience and praise the historical and cultural jewels, which are a treasure for the entire mankind and not just one nation . Hence, charging them a hefty premium is immoral. Moreover, this differential pricing works as a deterrent for people from underdeveloped and developing nations who could have visited tourist attractions in foreign countries, but missed out due to the combination of high price and unfavorable exchange rate. Conclusion Summarize the ideas above, do not add new information. Vocabulary premium, differential pricing, immoral, mankind, treasure heritage, coffer, historical and cultural jewels, deterrent

IELTS Essay Plan Traffic congestion and possible solutions

A student asked me about the following topic, whether I think it is a situation essay or an argument one. The first car appeared on Britains road in 1888. By the year 2000 there may be as many as 29 million vehicles on British roads. Alternative forms of transport should be encouraged and international laws introduced to control car ownership and use. What are your views? I think this is a situation essay because it is talking about a problem and is looking at a possible solution. Essay plan Introduction paragraph Here you should explain what is the problem, what is its reason and its consequences. The problem is traffic congestion and a higher number of traffic accidents, the roads are jammed and the environment suffers from increasing amounts of pollution. First body paragraph an explanation of the reasons for this situation The reason is people are accustomed to using their own cars and that population growth combined with higher living standards means that more and more people own cars. Second body paragraph a possible solution (alternative transport) Explain what forms of public transport should be developed more and why the state they are now is not sufficient to convince people use the public transport. How exactly can government develop the public transport and how can it encourage people use it. Third body paragraph another possible solution (laws to control cars ownership) Write about what kind of laws can be introduced world wide to limit the number of cars per family / per company. Write whether or not you think it will work and why. Conclusion paragraph Summarize what was said before, do not add new information.

IELTS Essay plan: Good and bad of multicultural society


This is a suggested plan for an essay on the following topic: Today a lot of different cultures and ethnic groups live together in one country. Why is this so and do you think this is a positive or negative development? Essay plan

Introduction paragraph In the introduction paragraph you should first explain about the situation, mention its reason and consequences: Example: Due to the highly developed technology, advanced communication channels and massive amounts of information delivered by media about various countries, people get more motivated to leave their home country and move somewhere else in the world. In turn, this creates a situation where well-developed and thus desired countries are getting filled of a mixture of cultures, all brought by immigrants. As beneficial as this development is to the well-being of a country, its drawbacks shouldnt be forgotten. First body paragraph 1 point against multicultural society People stick to their own ethnic group and dont interact with other groups, thus creating the opposite of united society. Make that point, explain why this is so and why this is bad for the country. Then mention the good sides of cultural mix to smoothly move on to the 2nd paragraph. Second body paragraph 1 point for multicultural society People from various cultures contribute in multiple different ways to development because they bring with them different sets of skills, characteristic to their home country. Make that point, explain why this is happening and why this is to the benefit of the new country. Third body paragraph 1 point for multicultural society People broaden each others horizons by exposing a larger audience to the traditions of their own country. Make that point, explain how this is happening and what are the benefits for the new country. Conclusion

IELTS Essay plan: Women ruling the world would reduce violence
Ive received a letter from a student who ran out of ideas to write about in his IELTS essay. Nick (not his real name) was asking me if I could send him a plan for his essay and I thought that more people could find it useful, so here it is: Essay topic: Some people think that if women were to rule the world, there would be less violence in it. Do you agree or disagree with this statement? Essay plan Introduction paragraph In the introduction you can first state that there are people who think that women have a less violent nature than men and for this reason suggest that women would make the world a less violent place if

they were in power. Then you could mention that putting the women in charge wont necessarily have that effect, because there are arguments for and against. First body paragraph 3 points against women in power Ruling the world takes some cruelty that women might not have Having more submissive nature than men, women can create even more violence Women are not decisive enough to enforce order and thus reduce violence Second body paragraph 3 points in favor of women in power Women have less violent nature Women have less tolerance for violence Women are very concerned with making the world a safer place for the sake of the kids Conclusion State your personal opinion (lets assume that youre in favor of women in power), then summarize what was said in the second paragraph.

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