TOEFL, iBT, Independent Writing,Do you agree that your county has become more similar to other countries because of modern communication and transportation methods? -rewrite-

Writing Topic

With many technological advances in communication and transportation, many people feel that the various countries of the world are becoming more similar to each other. Do you agree that your county has become more similar to other countries because of modern communication and transportation methods? Use specific examples and details to explain why or why not.

☆Let’s think

A quick look at this topic will tell you that it is related to what you call globalization. But what exactly is the question? It is not asking about whether you think globalization is good or bad. Nor is it asking whether it should or should not happen. It is asking about your pure impression on whether your country has become similar to other countries through development of communication and transportation.

The question uses the present perfect, “has become” and comparative “more similar”, and this means that it requires comparison between the past and the present situations of your country and your objective conclusion on whether any change at any level has taken place in your country and, as a result, whether it shares anything in common at any rate with other countries.

Does your county look the same as other countries compared to what it was 100 years ago, when it took a month for a newspaper to reach another continent and cars were starting to become popular? How about 50 years ago, when taking an airplane cost a fortune and the Internet did not exist? See your grandparents. What do they like to eat, wear, and enjoy? Is their lifestyle the same as yours? Remember the landscapes in the countryside or old movies of your country. Do they look the same as those of the cities and present films?

☆Hints for points

Homogenization in materialistic aspects through economic globalization:

The development of communication and transportation methods has enabled large corporations to spread the same products all over the world more thoroughly than before and boosted the homogenization of the world, at least materialistically. People in cities everywhere now spend most of their time surrounded by or using something western or American. They live in buildings made of concrete and steel whose interiors are filled with electronic appliances and modern furniture, wear clothes found in western movies, music videos, and fashion magazines, and eat meat-and-bread-based food served in western style dishes every day or at least several times a week. My country Japan is not an exception because it has been in capitalism for a long time.　

Westernization of popular music:

Trends in popular music reflect the changes of a society very clearly. Japanese tastes for pop music have become more similar to those of other countries than before. Japanese pop songs were slow and sounded like traditional folk music before, but now most of them are up-tempo and sound like American or British pop. It is clear that musical tastes of Japanese people are becoming similar to those in western countries and, since music affects many aspects of life, it can be said that our society is becoming more similar to those in other or western countries. This change has been caused by the development of communication and transportation methods. The pervasiveness of western music corresponds to the development of technologies. The change of media from the radio to TV to the Internet and more opportunities for concert tours enabled western music industry to market and familiarize its products to more people in my country.

Since the Meiji Restoration, Japan has made efforts to modernize itself, and now it is one of the largest economies in the world. It is natural that it has become more similar to other developed countries in fundamental aspects of daily life such as housing and clothing. Therefore, there is no denying the statement that my country has become more similar to other countries than it used to be.

☆Sample counterpoint

Throughout history, foreign cultures have not so much changed Japanese culture as have been assimilated and changed into parts of it. Japanese may eat hamburgers and drive cars, but most of us stay slim. We live and work in modern buildings, but the views of most Japanese streets are not exactly the same as those seen in other countries. The Internet has enabled us to be exposed to other cultures and languages but most of us still look and act like Japanese and speak Japanese. Almost everything that comes from overseas is either ignored or Japanized.

☆Let’s practice

Choose one aspect of your society and write a paragraph comparing its past and present and decide whether your society has become similar to other countries in respect to the aspect. Make sure you narrow down examples from the general to the specific.