TOEFL, iBT, Independent Writing, Children should begin learning a foreign language as soon as they start school. / Some people are always in a hurry to go places and get things done. Other people prefer to take their time and live life at a slower pace. Which do you prefer? - rewrites -

Writing Topic 1

Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? Children should begin learning a foreign language as soon as they start school. Use specific reasons and examples to support your position.

☆Let’s think

You might find two points to consider in this statement: 1) foreign language study and 2) early childhood education. Thus, we could ask ourselves the following two questions.

1)    Is it important to learn a foreign language?

2)    If so, is it good for children to start learning it as soon as they start school?

☆Ideas and Expressions

About language learning

1.    In the present world, where English is the de facto lingua franca, it is becoming necessary to be able to have a command of the language to live a better life.

2.    It is good to be able to know as many languages as possible to have multiple views and to be tolerant to other peoples.

3.    The important thing is to establish your own style or acquire a specific skill or knowledge, and language ability is not always relevant to it. Interpreters and translators can help you with your communication if necessary.

4.    It is important to focus on completing the mother tongue acquisition to be mature enough in one’s own society.

About early language education

1.    It is obvious that in language learning the earlier the start, the better command of it will be. Children have fewer barriers to foreign languages and cultures, so it is easy for them to learn them.

2.    Learning the basics of a language at an early stage of life will help make learning higher levels of the language easily.

3.    Most of the brain network is completed by the time one turns 6 years old. Therefore, it is no use trying to make elementary school children bilingual. Moreover, since this means that children learn the language as a foreign language, the class could be nothing but a burden in their school life.

4.    Learning more than two languages at a time often leads to insufficient acquisition of all and minds ready to be satisfied with superficial understanding of anything.

☆Notes:

A Press Release by Ministry of Education, Culture Sports, Science, and Technology

(An Excerpt)

Developing a strategic plan to cultivate "Japanese With English Abilities"
-Plan to improve English and Japanese abilities- July 12, 2002

1. Objectives
With the progress of globalization in the economy and in society, it is essential that our children acquire communication skills in English, which has become a common international language, in order for living in the 21st century. This has become an extremely important issue both in terms of the future of our children and the further development of Japan as a nation. At present, though, the English-speaking abilities of a large percentage of the population are inadequate, and this imposes restrictions on exchanges with foreigners and creates occasions when the ideas and opinions of Japanese people are not appropriately evaluated. However, it is not possible to state that Japanese people have sufficient ability to express their opinions based on a firm grasp of their own language.

Critical Period hypothesis

Linguist Eric Lenneberg stated that the crucial period of language acquisition ends around the age of 12 years. He claimed that if no language is learned before then, it could never be learned in a normal and fully functional sense. This was called the "Critical period hypothesis."

☆Your short response:

I think it is / isn’t important to learn a foreign language because …

I think / don’t think it is good for children to start learning a foreign language as soon as they start school because …

Writing Topic 2

Some people are always in a hurry to go places and get things done. Other people prefer to take their time and live life at a slower pace. Which do you prefer? Use specific reason and examples to support your answer.

☆Let’s think

Preferences seem easy to explain while they are often difficult for others to understand, especially for those who do not know you well. This is probably because preference is personal. Without background information, things become difficult to understand. Those who rate your essays do not know you at all, so you have to provide as much background information related to your preference as possible to convince your rater.

☆Essay for Ideas and Expressions  (Barron’s, Writing for the TOEFL iBT, pp. 278)

xxx

♦Your Sample Essay Structure

【Introduction = Outline】

【Point 1】

【Point 2】

【Point 3 / Counterargument-treatment】

【Conclusion = Wrap-up】

☆Sample Paragraph Development

Sample Paragraph Development 1

【Main Idea】 Do not do today what you can do tomorrow.

【Explanation】 Things change, and doing things a little too early will often turn out to be just a waste of time, while time is life as the author of Momo says.

【Detail / Example】 For example, even if you review the next two chapters of a textbook because you think your teacher may finish two chapters in one class, she might actually digress and would not even finish one chapter.

【Follow-up】Although the extra preparation itself is not a waste because you can use it later, you could have used the time for something you could have done only on that day such as communicating with your family and friends. Textbooks will not change but you and your folks change day by day.

【Conclusion】 Tomorrow will be a totally new day full of the unpredictable while today will never come back. All you need to do is make the most out of what you have today.

 Sample Paragraph Development 2

【Main Idea】 Make hay while the sun shines.

【Explanation】 I try to avoid letting hesitation or procrastination ruin my life.

【Detail / Example】 If I think of doing something and do not do it, thinking now is not the time for it or I could do it later, I will never do it and regret not doing it in most cases.

【Follow-up】This is because things will not stay the same, and so now is usually the best time to do what you are up to.

【Conclusion】Taking my time often costs me my precious moments of life, and I do not want to miss them.

Your test paragraph development:

【Main Idea】

【Explanation】

【Detail / Example】

【Follow-up】

【Conclusion】