TEOFL iBT Writing for an Academic Discussion Should you learn the language of the country you are traveling in? (Revised)

 

Do you agree or disagree that foreigners should learn the language of the country they are traveling in?

 

 

 

☆Let’s Think

1.        Have you ever talked to by a person from overseas in the local language? If so, share the experience.

2.        What are the purposes of learning a language?

3.        What is your stance on the professor’s question?

 

 

☆Hints for Points

Agree

1.       It is natural to learn the language of the country you are traveling in unless you are a recluse or have a kind of superiority complex.

2.       Travelers who speak the local language relate to the residents and can be a liaison between countries.

3.       To understand or make friends with someone, you have to talk with him or her. Without conversation, communication will be hampered and will be superficial.

4.       To learn about some culture, the knowledge of the language is a must because language is part of culture and plays a very important role in it.

5.   Especially in countries where no major languages are spoken, ability to speak the language is crucial for safety and comfort.

 

Disagree

1.       In the case of a minor language, there is little chances to use it after the tour.

2.       Phrase-book communication is not very deep.

3.       Machine translation is enough to interact with the locals.

 

 

☆Sample Response

【Thesis】Main purposes of traveling is to see the world and enjoy life outside of your daily lives. For that matter, it is crucial to learn the language of the place you are visiting.

【Supporting Details】Language learning helps understand the culture of the country and allows smooth communication with the natives, and therefore, your trip will be more fruitful and memorable if you speak even a fraction of the vocabulary. Especially, memorizing words representing the culture, national character, and the mentality of the people because they will work as keys for you to comprehend the ethos of the society and get into the heart of the people you meet there.

【Counterargument-treatment】It is true that non-verbal communication, tour guides, and translation apps, as David mentions, help travelers do without the language ability, but not speaking even a basic level of the language of the country will make them miss precious moments of true interaction with the people of the country because language breaks the ice, deepens interactions, and helps make good memories. For instance, I always feel happy when tourists from abroad talk to me in my language even if they are just repeating simple expressions like “Thank you!” It shows their friendship and their kindness to share joy of life through intimacy that speaking the same language creates.

【Conclusion】Therefore, I definitely agree with the idea that travelers should learn the locals’ language. (232 words)

          

 

【Thesis】I agree / disagree that foreigners should learn the language of the country they are traveling in because …

 

【Supporting Details】For example,

 

【Counterargument-treatment】It is true that …          However, …

 

【Conclusion】Therefore,

 

☆Speech Time

a.        Make a speech on this topic. Don’t worry. Everybody speaks at the same time.

b.        Have a debate on this topic.

TEOFL iBT Writing for an Academic Discussion Is fashion and clothing important? (Revised)

Some people argue that investing effort and money in dressing fashionably and attractively is important. Others believe that spending resources on clothes is unnecessary and that money and effort should be better utilized elsewhere. Given these perspectives, do you think fashion and clothing are important, and why?

 

 

 

☆Let’s Think

Which do you spend more of your discretionary money, pocket money, on, dressing fashionable and attractively or other activities like hanging out with your friends or buying books? Why?

 

 

☆Hints for Points

The first view (fashion)

1.       We communicate partly by how we dress, and to dress yourself fashionably is to show others your good will and to get a good impression about you from others.

 

2.       In capitalism, fancy attire means wealth, which is supposed to earn respect. In this materialistic mindset, people judge you by your appearance, especially how you embellish yourself with clothing and other materials.

 

3.       Enjoying fashion is enjoying life. You have to respect and take care of yourself, and naturally you will be conscious of fashion. You have to make a decision on what to wear seriously and try to enjoy embellishing yourself as part of this philosophy.

 

4.       How you dress shows your identity. The choice gives you a sense of belonging to a certain group of people who enjoy the same type of fashion. Thus, you have to take it seriously to spend some amount of money on clothes.

 

The second view (other things)

1.       As the saying goes, you cannot judge a book by its cover. What counts more is one’s personality, not what he or she wears. Money and energy should be spent on self-improvement. A good appearance will follow later naturally with or without fancy outfit. 

 

2.       Fashion seems to be just another factor to make life colorful like art and music that is not necessarily the priority in individual lives.

 

3.       Fashion is not eternal. Its trend changes every year. You should be focused more on something that lasts forever such as arts, science, or political actions.

 

4.       Fashion is part of the industry or the economic activity. Advertisements make many of us buy more than what we need. Spending much money on fashion is a result of brainwashing of consumerism.

 

 

☆Sample Response

【Thesis】Although I know the sentiment relating to being dressed well and high spirit it arouses in you that Emma points out, I agree with Tim in terms of the importance of expanding your horizon.

【Supporting Details】As far as I know, knowledge of fashion is inversely proportional to how interesting the person is. Most people who are dressed extremely well and utter various brand names talk about little else. On the other hand, people who never make others bored with their talks full of knowledge and experiences are often dressed plainly, some in a very cool way even though they wear no brand names.

【Counterargument-treatment】Of course, fashion is part of culture, even regarded as an art, and so there are pandits who are also dressed gorgeously. However, fashion is merely a part of their education, a result of spending their resources on learning other more significant things like history, literature, music, and fine art. They have never prioritized fashion in their lives. To do so is to put the cart before the horse.

【Conclusion】Therefore, I believe that to invest resources in improving your inner self is more important than to pathologically pursue fashion trends. (192 words)

TEOFL iBT Writing for an Academic Discussion Uniform policy in high school (Revised)

Some people argue that uniforms promote equality and reduce distractions, while others believe that they stifle individuality and self-expression. Given these perspectives, do you think it is better for high school students to have to wear uniforms？

 

 

 

☆Let’s think

1.        What kind of people wear uniforms? Why do they wear uniforms, or why are they made to wear uniforms?

2.        Which is the dress code of your school, uniform policy or no-uniform policy? Do you like it? Why/Why not?

 

 

☆Hints for Points for Discussion

Uniform policy

1.       Uniforms help equal treatment. The policy is fair for students with financial difficulties.

2.       Uniforms make it clear that school is the place to study.

3.       Uniforms are for protection. High schools should exercise restrictions on some aspects of students’ life.

4.       Uniforms help develop the sense of belonging, or love for the school.

 

No-uniform policy

1.       To make students wear uniforms violates their freedom. It is to monitor and control students.

2.       No-uniform policy helps understand and nurture liberty and individuality, leading to independence.

3.       Freer dress codes help students express themselves, experiment with new modes, or nurture creativity.

4.       Everyday clothes are comfortable and reasonably priced.

 

 

☆Sample Responses

A.

【Thesis】High schools should respect their students’ autonomy and should not force them to wear uniforms.

【Supporting Details】Clothing is an indicator of personality, and a uniform is a label of a social status, an icon of an occupation and the lank. Thus, a person in a certain uniform is expected to play a certain role and behave accordingly. Military officers, medical personnel, restaurant workers, kindergarten pupils, and inmates are in uniforms, and they are expected to behave as society expects them to. A person wearing a high school uniform, therefore, is expected to behave as a minor and act in a way that matches the image of the school the uniform represents. Like a jar of jam with a label, students in uniforms are judged and treated uniformly. This will not only discourage students from having self-respect or modesty but also negatively affects their emotional development as citizens. They are half-adults who are in the period of life when their world view and identity is challenged and reestablished. The uniform policy limits this transformation by explicitly showing that they are watched and controlled, making them uncritical and irresponsible to society and to themselves.

【Counterargument-treatment】Although there is a practical advantage that school uniforms lessen discrimination based on inequality as Emily points out, no-uniform policy can avoid inequality with certain dress codes, while the restriction of individuality with uniforms is difficult to address other than abolishing the rule.

【Conclusion】High school students should be treated as an individual with a distinct personality with freedom, independence, and individuality. School has no authority to limit them by demanding them wear uniforms.

 (265 words)

 

B.

【Main Idea】I think it is better for students to be required to wear uniforms because uniforms contribute to fairness.

【Supporting Details】This is because uniforms can prevent wealth gap from being revealed. Under the no-uniform policy, rich students will naturally come to school in high-quality, stylish attire, and poor students keep wearing what they can afford for years. This difference can lead to separation, discrimination and even bullying, Students may not show such problems on the surface, but according to a professor, school is a closed space where even the smallest difference can make one ostracized. Till they go to university and acquire freedom to escape from belligerence, high school students, especially the vulnerable ones, need to be protected from harassments and attacks by wearing in the same clothes as others are wearing.

【Counterargument-treatment】The claim of James that uniforms restricts freedom of expression could be true, but students can exercise it during their free time.

【Conclusion】

School should provide the environment for students to be able to focus on their studies without worries, and uniform policy facilitates its realization.

 (175 words)

TOEFL iBT Writing for an Academic Discussion Is it acceptable to keep animals in zoos? (Revised)

Some people argue that zoos play an important role in conservation, education, and research, providing a safe environment for endangered species. Others believe that keeping animals in captivity is inherently cruel, as it deprives them of their natural habitats. Given these perspectives, do you think it is acceptable to keep animals in zoos? Explain your opinion on this question by offering specific reasons and examples.

 

 

☆Let’s Think

	Conservation	Education	Research	Others
Pros.
Cons.

 

 

☆Hints for Points

Acceptable

1.        Zoos contribute to protecting wild life. Today’s zoos provide a better environment for animals to live in than their natural habitat. Animals in zoos live longer than their counterparts in the wild. Also, endangered species are successfully kept, bred, and returned successfully into the wild.

2.        Zoos provide educational opportunities to learn about life and the importance of conserving the environment. Open display shows the characteristic behaviors of animals.

3.        Observations of animals in zoos can facilitate studies of species, especially those endangered.

 

Unacceptable

1.        The contribution of zoos to conservation is not substantial because the original environment of the endangered animals has been lost or changed. Sending them back to nature usually fails. Rather than fumbling with the reproduction of individual species, it is vital to clean and revive the environment as pollution has even had negative impacts on the health and reproduction of us humans. Removal of toxins like chemical fertilizers, microplastic, and PFAS from the entire ecosystem should be the top priority.

2.        The educational value of zoos is questionable. Animals in zoos look and act differently from those in the wild. Also, it is ethically wrong to show children the practice of keeping life in confinement.

3.        Displaying animals in cages violates animal rights. It is no better than a freak show. Humans should evolve to have no zoos in the future. True animal lovers are to go into the wild themselves, not the other way (a)round.

4.        Zoos are bad for animal welfare. The place animals are kept is unnatural, unclean, and stressful. No matter how much improvement has been made, the artificial environment is no match for the natural environment. Also, studies show that animals have more delicate brain activities than we think, something similar to our emotions and thought. Thus, confined animals might be aware of the situation they are in and suffering. In fact, zoo animals often display mental distress such as behavioral disorder and hair loss.

 

 

☆Sample Response

【Thesis】Of the three points to support zoos the professor mentions－conservation, education, and research－ the second seems especially vulnerable. Keeping life in enclosure for education is unnecessary and corrupting.

【Supporting Details】Although the role zoos play in the study of non-indigenous animals is always pointed out to prove their legitimacy, animals in captivity look and behave differently from those in the wild as they are confined in a limited space away from their natural habitat. Birds in cages, for instance, not only look miserable but cannot demonstrate their ability to fly to the full. Even the least active birds that stay within their territory fly around within a circle several kilometers in diameter, many of them flying more than 100 meters high in the air. No zoos can fully recreate this condition for their birds, and when birds are not free to fly, they are not exactly birds as an existence. Videos and books can provide more quality information of ornithology, and the same can be said about other creatures in the zoo. Interactions with real animals may be effective for learning about life and nurturing love of nature, but it is not essential. Daily experiences with domestic animals and common wild life are sufficient for the purpose. At any rate, most people go to the zoo not for study but for entertainment, few reading the information cards in front of the cages. In the end, blind acceptance of exploitation of living things for our benefit makes children ignorant or hypocritical of animal rights and animal welfare, which would be detrimental to the development of their sense of ethics and distort their understanding of reality. It may even help build the foundation of a sadistic attitude towards the voiceless.

【Conclusion】Therefore, zoos are not in the least acceptable for educational purposes. (297words)

 

TOEFL iBT A small private dorm room or a larger dorm room with a roommate? (Revised)

If you had the choice, would you prefer a small private room or a larger room with a roommate, and why?

 

 

☆Let’s Think

Let’s make sure the choices you have, and imagine what the life would be like in each case.

A small private room                 A larger room with a roommate

            

 

 

1)     Have you ever lived in a dorm room? If you have, was it a small private room or a large room with a roommate? Share the experience?

2)     Talk about “social aspects and shared experiences of a larger room with a roommate” the professor mentions. What exactly are they?

3)     Would you like to prioritize privacy or social life in college? Why or why not?

 

 

☆Hints for Points

Good points of a small private dorm room

・Peace of mind is easier to get.

・It provides you with a choice to be alone if you live in a single room.

 

Good points of a larger dorm room with a roommate

・Living with your roommate as if you were siblings would be enjoyable and memorable.

・Room-sharing makes you patient and mature and helps you acquire social skills necessary after graduation.

 

 

☆Sample Responses  

Sample A

【Thesis】I would choose a large dorm room with a roommate for special experiences.

【Single Room】Solitude and privacy a small single room protects and relaxation and daydreaming it allows are attractive, considering hard work and socialization in college. However, it may make me miss the essence of dorm life because a single dormitory room is not so different from my bedroom in my parents’ house. When you close the door, you shut out the outside world.

【Shared Room】On the other hand, room-sharing is a special experience I can only have during college years. I have a partner to share most of my life there. We could talk all night and share our thoughts and feelings about everything of our interest. If lucky, we can be life-time friends. It can be a start of my networking as Emily points out. Even if my roommate and I are not compatible, it will be a good experience to live with someone of my age.

【Conclusion】College life is not only for studies but also for experiences and bonding. To make my college life more meaningful for that matter, I would prefer a large dormitory room with a roommate. (191 words)

 

Sample B

【Thesis】I would choose a small single room because I would like to prioritize peace of mind.

【Supporting Details】Anyone must be alone for a certain time every day for reflection and imagination to stay mentally healthy. We also need it for personal growth, which is based on an awareness of individuality.

【Counterargument-treatment】It is true that you might sometimes feel lonely to be in a single room, but you can invite dorm mates or friends or go out to see people anytime. Also, loneliness may catch you even in the presence of a companion. To feel that you are really not alone, something like a strong interest which you can share with others is necessary, and you don’t always share it with your roommate. In terms of friendships, you can find them anywhere, in class, at a cafeteria, online, or in books.

【Conclusion】Therefore, I prefer a small private room to secure precious personal time and space. (147 words)

Write your response in 10 minutes. Show each other your responses. Write down questions or suggestions to each other’s response.

 

Write your draft. Then read each other’s draft, asking questions and making counterarguments.

 

                                                   DRAFT