Question 1: The Internet will never replace traditional course books in schools. How far do you agree with this prediction? There is a huge range of resources available to the modern teacher, and the right selection is crucial in delivering effective lessons. I agree that there will always be a place for course books in the school curriculum, despite the many benefits of the Internet. Firstly, course books (whether conventional or digital) have been developed by pedagogical experts and designed to be incorporated into a subject syllabus, leading to testing procedures such as formal examinations or continuous assessment. This means that they are proven to improve students’ academic achievement, enhancing their potential for progression to further or higher education. Furthermore, the use of modern course books allows pupils to coordinate their studies as part of group work, hopefully making their lessons less teacher-led and more about autonomous learning. This in itself teaches study skills such as independent research and synthesising sources, rather than old-fashioned rotelearning. This is where the Internet, in fact, can play a useful part: to supplement and add to knowledge which the students are assimilating via their course books. However, it is the role of teachers and school management generally to ensure that use of the Internet remains a guided learning process, and not an exercise in data-gathering from Internet sources which may be unreliable or even misleading. It is true that the Internet can be invaluable for adults (for example in distance learning or self-study modules) who are able to discriminate between sources and sift information to marshal their facts. However, this is a mature skill and we should not assume that school age pupils are ready to do this. Overall, it appears that course books, with their quality and depth of material, are set to remain an integral part of the syllabus. The internet can be judged a useful supplement to this, if used carefully and under supervision. Question 2: Many people go to university for academic study. More people should be encouraged to do vocational training because there is a lack of qualified workers such as electricians and plumbers. To what extent do you agree or disagree? Planning the ideas Introduce idea: many young people study academic subjects at university. This is necessary, but more vocational training is also needed. Paragraph 2: two reasons why more vocationally-trained workers are required: 1 electricians, plumbers and other trades are vital when buildings are constructed or need maintenance – example: schools, hospitals, museums – safety of public buildings in general. 2 too many academic graduates in some countries – resulting in graduate unemployment. Paragraph 3: more vocational training must be provided to meet society‟s needs. 1 schools must make changes in the curriculum and provide workshops to teach practical skills. 2 parents should encourage their children to consider learning a skilled trade as a good alternative to university, with good job prospects when they qualify. Conclusion: repeat using some different words.
ANSWER:
It is true that many people prefer to pursue academic studies at university rather than to follow a vocational training course. While nobody can deny the need for university graduates, I totally agree that we should encourage more people to qualify as electricians, plumbers or other essential manual workers. There are two important reasons why more workers must be trained in skilled professions such as plumbing or electrical work. Firstly, such workers are vital when new buildings are constructed or when existing buildings have to be renovated or simply maintained. Indeed, in many countries, a permanent maintenance staff of skilled tradesmen is employed in hospitals, schools or museums, ensuring the safety of all who use the buildings. Secondly, in some developed countries, there is an existing imbalance in the economy, resulting in graduate unemployment, while at the same time there is a shortage of skilled labour. Governments in those countries need, therefore, to work with employers to ensure that extra vocational training is provided. More people must be encouraged to attend vocational training courses. [1] The bonus is on schools to incorporate relevant subjects into the curriculum, so that not all the emphasis is placed on preparation for academic study at university. Many boys and girls are not academically inclined, but this does not mean that schools should consider them as failures. For example, workshops in schools could provide an opportunity to learn „hands-on skills‟, adapting the theory of the physics lessons to practical applications. [2] Parents should also help their children to choose vocational careers, explaining the good employment prospects and remuneration for manual workers with qualifications and skills In conclusion, I agree that it is vital that we encourage more people to do vocational training because without such skilled workers, society cannot function effectively. VOCABULARY
renovate (sửa sang): to repair something so that it is in good condition again. Imbalance (thiếu cân bằng): a situation in which two things are not the same size, in a way that causes problems.
Callout (gọi thợ sửa): an occasion when someone is called to do repairs. in all weathers (trong mọi điều kiện thời tiết): if the weather is good or bad. vocational training (đào tạo nghề): training in the skills and knowledge that you need in order to do a particular job.
Accountant (kế toán): a person whose job it is to keep or check financial records. manual work (lao động chân tay): a type of work in which you use you use your hands and your physical strength.
white-collar jobs (công việc văn phòng): jobs in which you work in an office. blue-collar jobs (công nhân): jobs in which you work in a factory or other work site. fulfill their dreams (thực hiện ước mơ): to do or to achieve what they hoped to do. Potential (tiềm năng): qualities that exist and can be developed. Example: He has the potential to become a world-famous artist.
skill set (tập hợp các kỹ năng): a person‟s range of abilities. Tradesmen (thợ): skilled men, especially those who work with their hands in some professions. A woman is referred to as a „tradesperson‟.
Sanitation (thiết bị, hệ thống vệ sinh): the equipment and systems that keep places clean and free from all types of waste.
Lift (thang máy): the Americans say „elevator‟ – a machine that carries people or goods up or down to different levels in a building.
Glazier (thợ lắp kính): a person who fits glass into windows. hospital ward (phòng bệnh): a room in a hospital where patients are in bed. operating theatre (phòng phẫu thuật): a special room in a hospital where doctors
perform operations on patients. Question 3: Some people believe that studying at university or college is the best route to a successful career, while others believe that it is better to get a job straight after school. Discuss both views ANSWER: Upon graduating from high school, the young often wonder whether they ought to keep on studying further or not. Many people believe that continuing to study at a university or college will be the best way to guarantee a successful career, whereas others believe that working right after school is a better option. Working straight after graduation is beneficial in some ways. Firstly, by working, young people will be able to earn money as soon as possible, and since they will likely be mature enough, they will be able to live independently on their own income. It is also common knowledge that having a job leads to even more maturity. Secondly, a person who chooses to get a job instead of pursuing higher education is likely to progress rapidly in their career. This may help them to obtain a lot of real experience and skills in their chosen profession. On the other hand, there are a variety reasons why people tend to choose to continue their education after high school. First, a college education prepares young people to meet
higher-level qualifications, which is what most employers expect these days. University graduates usually get a much higher salary than those without a university education. Furthermore, the job market is becoming more and more competitive and nowadays people are well-advised to get a degree, as hundreds of applicants often chase the top jobs. Having a degree is an obvious advantage that university graduates have. In Vietnam, students who graduate with an engineering degree are highly paid and have an easy time getting a good job. In conclusion, it seems evident that both working right after school and choosing to continue higher-level studies each have their own unique advantages. VOCABULARY
upon graduating from (ngay sau khi tốt nghiệp từ): you use upon to talk about once you have finished doing something, in this case graduating from a school.
guarantee a successful career (đảm bảo một sự nghiệp thành công): to ensure that someone has a good career; to make sure someone has success in their career.
straight after (ngay sau khi): when you do something directly after another thing; right after. to earn money (kiếm tiền): to make money; to be paid for your work.
to live independently (tự lập): to live on your own, outside of your parents‟ home. leads to (dẫn đến): to go from one state to another; something that causes a change that makes you go from one state to another; something causes another thing.
pursuing higher education (theo đuổi bậc học cao hơn): to continue to study at higher and higher levels
progress rapidly (thăng tiến nhanh chóng): to improve very quickly. to obtain a lot of real experience (có nhiều kinh nghiệm thực tiễn): to obtain means to get and real experience means real-life experience in the real world. chosen profession (nghề nghiệp đã chọn): the career that a person chooses is their chosen profession. to tend to do something (có ý định làm gì): to usually do a certain thing; “they tend to go swimming on a hot day” to meet higher-level qualifications (có khả năng đáp ứng những công việc đòi hỏi trình độ cao): to be able to do higher-level jobs; the qualifications are the things that youare supposed to be able to do if you want a specific job; “he didn‟t get the job because he did not meet the higher-level qualifications required for the position” chase the top jobs (tìm kiếm công việc tốt nhất, có vị trí quan trọng nhất): to go after the best jobs; to try to get the most important positions
to have an obvious advantage (có lợi ích rõ ràng): to have a clear advantage; to be clearly better at something than another
it seems evident that (hiển nhiên rằng, rõ ràng là): to appear clear that something is true
unique advantages (những lợi ích đặc biệt): special, one-of-a-kind advantages; things that make you better than another
Question 4: Some people think that schools should reward students who show the best academic results, while others believe that it is more important to reward students who show improvements. Discuss both views and give your own opinion. Planning the ideas Introduce idea: there are different views. My opinion – reward students who show improvements. Paragraph 2: [View I disagree with] 1 rewards = competition among students. Result: children try harder to get good scores at school. 2 rewards = the best students are identified. They can be given special attention to develop their abilities. Personal example: my own school. Paragraph 3: [View I agree with] 1 equal chance for all students to receive rewards. Result: all children are motivated to try hard. 2 promotes learning for enjoyment and understanding, not to gain high scores. Reduces exam pressure and cheating to score high marks. Conclusion: repeat using some different words. ANSWER: It is true that the question of whether to reward students with excellent academic results or those showing great improvements remains a source of controversy in the education field. While a number of people believe that only students achieving the highest grades deserve rewards, I would argue that praising students who achieve improvements is much more reasonable. On the one hand, there are a variety of reasons why awards should be given to students having excellent academic performances. [1] Firstly, this could create a highly competitive studying environment at school, seeing that students often desire to win prizes. As a consequence, school children could be encouraged to put their effort into studying for the highest scores. [2] Secondly, by adopting this approach, gifted students who are outstanding could be given opportunities to nurture their abilities. My secondary school, for instance, selects students with the best results for extra classes to develop their capabilities in order to take them to national competitions.
On the other hand, I believe that giving encouragement to those who make strides in their studies results in more favourable outcomes. [1]The first benefit is that this could give equal chances for every student to receive awards, rather than only focus on the highest achievers. Instead of feeling disappointed when competing with their top classmates, students who are recognized for their effort during semesters will feel motivated if they are rewarded for making significant progress. [2] Another benefit is that this form of recogniton follows the holistic principle of learning, which is to access the world of knowledge, not just to gain high scores. Consequently, several common phenomena which occur when examinations approach, including pressure, anxiety and cheating, would be reduced. In conclusion, although rewarding students with the highest scores is advantageous to some extent, it seems to me that it is better to give encouragement to those who have improved their level of academic performance. VOCABULARY
a source of controversy (vấn đề gây tranh cãi)= a subject of public discussion, about which people strongly disagree.
highly competitive (có tính cạnh tranh cao)= a situation in which people or organisations have to compete against each other.
nurture their abilities (bồi dưỡng năng khiếu)= to develop their capacity to learn or do things while they are growing.
make strides in (có bước tiến)= to make great improvements in the way that something is developing.
the highest achievers (học sinh có thành tích tốt nhất)= the students who have the most success and the highest marks.
the holistic principle of learning (nguyên tắc toàn diện trong học tập)= considering
education as a whole thing, rather than as separate facts or subjects. Question 5: In many countries schools have severe problems with student behavior. What do you think are the causes of this? What solutions can you suggest?
Sample Answer 1: Nowadays, schools in various parts of the world report that students tend to have behavioural problems. Unfortunately, this will make it harder for schools to educate students as problematic behaviours are likely to interfere with the education process. There are some reasons as to why students behave inappropriately. Firstly, the way society works these days affect students’ behavioural patterns. For instance, parents might spend more time at work than at home and as a result, children lack parental guidance, not knowing how they are supposed to behave. This in turn is likely to cause them to have behavioural problems. Secondly, such behaviours might be caused by external influences, such as internet and television. Students, for example, might watch TV shows that use a lot of
violence. Therefore, they are likely to imitate in real life by being more aggressive and using more violence. After all, students, especially teenagers, are easily affected by external parties. In order to counter such problem, teachers should be friendly while still maintaining their professionalism. By being friendly, teachers might be able to understand students’ point of views and thus devise the right strategies to connect with them. This is because students are more likely to listen to teachers if they feel they can relate to the teachers and that the teachers understand them. Furthermore, it is also important to handle students patiently. This is really crucial, since rough treatments might worsen their behaviours or encourage them to play truant. It is therefore wiser to be patient and guide students gradually to be well-behaved rather than using force to do so. In conclusion, behavioural problems are resulted from the way society works these days (e.g. lack of parental guidance) and external parties, such as bad influences from TV shows. Nevertheless, by understanding students’ views and guiding them patiently, students can gradually change and behave in a more appropriate manner. Sample Answer 2: Aggressive student behaviour is a major cause of concern in many countries. This article addresses the reasons behind such behaviour and the measures that can be taken to prevent it.
Violent student behaviour can be attributed to a bad family atmosphere, a competitive school environment and lifestyle/dietary habits. A student’s behaviour in society depends upon the atmosphere at his/her home. If the parents of student do not devote enough time for him/her, the adolescent mind goes wayward. Research and study have shown that major acts of violence were committed by people who have had abusive mother or father in their childhood. Another factor that influences student behaviour is the environment at school. A competitive and comparison-based education structure adds fuel to fire. The last but least acknowledged factor in violent behaviour is their lifestyle/dietary habits. Excess meat consumption and lack of adequate physical exercise results in an unhealthy body and mind which leads to violent acts. The behaviour of a student reflects the society we live in. Although violent student behaviour is a matter of grave concern, there are adequate and simple measures to prevent it. Parents and teachers must devote enough time for the student and understand his/her strengths and weaknesses. They must never compare one student with another. A great deal of emphasis must be placed by schools in physical activities like swimming, running and other sports. These help to channelize the great energy of the students in a better manner. Students should also be encouraged to take up activities like gardening and caring for domestic animals. These help in providing opportunities for them to appreciate nature and the other living creatures in this planet.
Violent student behaviour, although on the rise, can be purged at the grass-root level if proper preventive measures are taken. The youth are the future of our society and it is our solemn duty to guide and make them compassionate human beings.
