TOEFL iBT Writing for an Academic Discussion Is ability to read and write more important today than in the past? (Revised)

With the advent of digital technology and multimedia forms of communication some argue that the traditional skills of reading and writing are not as essential as they were in the past. Others believe that these foundational skills are even more critical now. Considering the changing ways in which we disseminate and consume information, do you think the ability to read and write is more important today than in the past? Why or why not?

 

 

☆Let’s Think

1. Ava believes that today’s information-saturated world requires higher literacy ever. Make an objection.

2. Jacob suggests that videos and podcasts are often more informative than reading materials. Make an objection.

 

 

☆Hints for Points

Agree (Ability to read and write is more important today than in the past in the past.)

1         Literacy is essential in deciding reliability of videos and podcasts, for intelligence depends on literacy. To be intelligent, you must read and write because knowledge of truth humans accumulated for millennia is in writing.

 

2         Unlike two centuries ago, most of our daily tasks involve reading and writing. There is written information everywhere such as signs and scripts on TV screens. Literacy is necessary in our daily lives. Using social media also involves reading and sending texts. People usually exchange information through scripts, e-mails and text messages. To learn the latest information and communicate exactly what you think or feel, you need to be literate.

 

3         Development of technology requires you to be involved in more intellectual tasks than physical tasks. For example, entrance examinations for university include more essays than before. In business, there are more need for research and presentation skills as automatization and robotization proceeds. Also, high-level language skills are crucial in successfully utilizing AI by giving proper commands to it.

 

4         To get the most out of our lives in this age of information, whose main medium is language, literacy is indispensable.

 

 Disagree

1.          Seeing is believing. Videos and podcasts help people understand issues more quickly, easily, and effectively than written media.

 

2.          There are few opportunities to read and write today as a result of technological development. Most tasks are done just by clicking icons. Many people can spell fewer words correctly than before due to predictive text and spell check functions, and they find few problems in their daily lives.

 

3.          Just as the ability to make fire is unnecessary anymore thanks to lighters and power plants, so is the ability to read and write now that we have developed technology for it. We can think and communicate more freely and creatively while machines deal with information effectively for us.

 

4.          There are CEOs who are dyslexic. Reading and writing is just a part of human intellectual activity.

 

 

☆Sample Answer Structure

【Thesis】I believe that the ability to read and write is much more important than before.

【Supporting Details】Development of the modern world won’t happen without written media. New ideas like gender equality and climate justice, for instance, cannot be disseminated without any written text, and our thoughts and ideas keep evolving, necessitating our efforts in reading and writing even more.

【Counterargument-treatment】Jacob is right that people don’t read as much as before, but it doesn’t make reading and writing less important. It is true that audio and visual media make up for drawbacks of written media. Seeing is believing, and narration liberates us, especially those with reading impairment, from the burden of reading. They also have their own attractiveness. However, reading text is one and only action that cannot be replaced by other actions as text directly stimulates our thoughts and feeling. Video, podcasts, or audiobooks interfere this connection between text and our brain. Also, high level of intelligence cannot be maintained without literacy as text mainly deals with abstract ideas.

【Conclusion】As human thoughts have evolved and reside in written media, the content of which relates to a large part of human society, ability to read and write becomes increasingly important unless our civilization is lost. (202 words)

 

 

☆Speech Time

Make a one-minute speech and have a debate on this topic.