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 an in-bound tourist who were trying to speak the language of your country? 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 a person with ethnocentrism.

2.       Travelers who speak the local language relate to the residents. They can even 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.

4.       Non-verbal communication such as smiling plays much more important roles in communication.

 

 

☆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 will be keys to the comprehension of the ethos of the society and mutual understanding with 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, which I always feel whenever I reply to them in my native tongue even when it is clear that we both speak English.

【Conclusion】Therefore, I definitely agree with the idea that travelers should learn the locals’ language. (248 words)

 

 

☆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 fashionably 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.

 

3.       Enjoying fashion is enjoying life. You have to value and take care of yourself, and naturally you will be conscious of fashion.

 

4.       Fashion is related to identity. It shows your lifestyle. Certain clothing gives you a sense of belonging to a group of people who enjoy the same type of fashion.

 

The second view (other things)

1.       As the saying goes, you cannot judge a book by its cover. What counts more is not outfit but personality. A good appearance will follow self-improvement. 

 

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 enjoy looking at fashionable people and I know the sentiment Emma points out, the high spirit gained through dressing yourself in style, 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 as if they came out of a fashion magazine and utter various brand names talk about little else. On the other hand, people who never make others bored with their talks that are full of knowledge and experiences are not the best dressers on the list of the people I found cool. They have spent their precious time and money on their development.

【Counterargument-treatment】Of course, fashion is part of culture, even regarded as an art, and so there is nothing wrong in indulging yourself in fashion once in a while. However, taking fashion seriously would be an issue like an eating disorder, an obsession with food. Interesting people who are also dressed decently have never spent all their resources on improving their appearances. Fashion is just another part of their life and education. It could also be a result of learning about 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】Thus, I believe that focusing on improving your inner self is more important than to do so in fashion, especially than to pathologically pursue fashion trends. (257 words)

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)