Band 9 essay (GRANDPARENTS' LIVING)

Some commentators feel that grandparents should live together with their children and grandchildren, while others say that elderly people should be encouraged to live independently.Consider the possible arguments on both sides of this debate, and reach your own conclusion.

Explanation of the Task

This is an Opinion>Discussion type Task, requiring you to discuss both sides of a topic and then give your view. You should introduce the topic, make it clear that this will be a Discussion essay,and then give two or three ideas to support each side in the debate. You should give your own opinion

in the conclusion.

Band 9 Model Essay

The issue of whether grandparents should live with their extended families is partly a questiono of the traditions in different cultures or nationalities. However, the question of affordability also plays an increasing part, and so this debate is rather complex, as we shall see.

On the one hand, those who support the idea of grandparents living with their children point tothe higher level of emotional support which all family members may receive in such situations, for example in times of crisis such as bereavement. Furthermore, it is also true that personal security may be increased, offering protection against such problems as accidents or even robbery. Finally, it
seems that extended family life will also be considerably less costly, for instance with lower food and utility bills, meaning that enjoyment of life may be higher.

By contrast, supporters of grandparents living independently often state that elderly people should be encouraged to be as self-reliant as possible, as this boosts their self-esteem and may guard against mental decline in old age. They also say, with some merit, that many younger families these
days do not have the housing space, or indeed the spare time, which is necessary to care properly for older members. As a last point, it is also true that many grandparents prefer to see their grandchildren on a less frequent basis (as opposed to every day), making these visits more special and cherished for all concerned.

Overall, it appears to me that the stronger argument is in favour of grandparents living independently, with all the advantages of self-reliance and separate space. This is provided that their health and finances allow them to continue living separately, without risk or the fear of isolation.

Band 9 essay (EDUCATION AND SCHOOLING)

‘The Internet will never replace traditional course books in schools.’How far do you agree with this prediction?

This is an Opinion>Personal viewpoint type essay (it asks how far you agree with an idea.).You should introduce the topic and give your opinion in the introduction, then explain why you have this view. You should briefly consider the opposing view, then restate your opinion in the conclusion.

BAND 9 ESSAY

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 rote-learning. 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.

ASSOCIATED VOCABULARY

curriculum = the full range of subjects offered by a school or group of schools.

A.The curriculum in private schools is sometimes wider than in state schools, because they have more resources.

pedagogical (experts) = (experts in) education and teaching.

I admire pedagogical pioneers such as the Victorian English thinkers who began free schools for all children.

syllabus = the content of elements taught in a specific subject.

The syllabus for geography at my school included volcanoes, earthquakes and tidal waves,which we found fascinating.

formal examinations = exams where students answer set written or spoken questions without assistance.

continuous assessment = giving students marks for course work or projects, rather than formal exams.

At my school, our grades were based 50/50 on formal examinations and continuous

assessment, which we thought was very fair to all the children.

academic achievement = the measurable performance of a student in marks, exam results etc

In my country, children enjoy school, but academic achievement is frankly quite low.

further education = education after leaving school at the minimum age.

Some governments encourage further education by allowing teenagers to claim benefits while they study.

higher education = education after age 18 at college or University, usually for a Degree.

When I pass IELTS, I plan to go on to higher education in Canada and do a degree inengineering.

group work = study where pupils discuss and agree a project together.

Personally, I think that group work enables lazy children to do less work than the eager ones.

teacher-led lessons = traditional lessons where the teacher delivers a long talk and the students take notes.

In my country, lessons are still very teacher-led and interaction is rather limited.

autonomous learning = when a student learns through independent study and research.

At University, you are expected to be an autonomous learner far more than at High School, which is quite exciting for me.

study skills = the skills of organising, using and checking study work

My study skills were rather weak until I read an excellent book by a Japanese pedagogical expert.

to synthesise sources = to use a variety  of sources and combine them in one project.

I use the Internet to synthesise my sources, and I always cite the origin of the information. (to

cite sources = to acknowledge publicly)

rote-learning = learning by repetition and memorising items

I used to think that rote-learning was a negative approach, but my recent experiences teaching in a South African school have changed my view.

to supplement = to add extra content or material

My supervisor said that I should supplement my essay with more examples of experiments.

to assimilate knowledge = to absorb and understand it

I always use a dictionary when I study in English, to help me assimilate new phrases.

guided learning = learning under the supervision of a teacher

Lessons in Primary Schools should always contain guided learning, otherwise the children will lose focus.

data-gathering = collecting information, usually in numerical form.

Mobile phone companies employ many people in data-gathering Tasks, to see how users are using the phones and Internet.

distance learning = learning by the Internet or email, rather than face-to-face.

My mother took an entire degree by distance learning over a period of five years.

self-study = studying using a course without a teacher’s involvement

There are many self-study guides to improving your English, and some of them are actually quite good.

to discriminate between sources = to decide whether one source is better or more reliable than another source.

Children should not study using unsupervised Internet access, because they can’t discriminate between the sources of information they find.

to sift information = to remove unwanted or less useful information

I had to sift hundreds of pages of data to arrive at my conclusions when I did my thesis.

to marshal facts = to organise facts in support of an idea

In IELTS essays, you should marshal a few facts to support each idea in the argument.

an integral part of the syllabus = essential, central or indispensable

Nutrition is an integral part of food sciences these days.

 to work/study under supervision = under the direction of a responsible person

At college, I discovered I did not have to work under supervision all the time, and I was free to do independent research.

Band 9 essay( WORK AND CAREERS)

Some employers offer their employees subsidised membership of gyms and sports clubs,believing that this will make their staf healthier and thus more effective at work. Other employers see no benefit in doing so.
Consider the arguments from both aspects of this possible debate, and reach a conclusion.

Explanation of the Task

This is an Opinion>Discussion type Task. You should introduce the topic, present two or three ideas on each side of the discussion, and then give your opinion in the conclusion.

Band 9 model essay

Employers are always seeking ways to enhance their employees’ productivity, and
subsidising healthy pursuits may be one way of achieving this. There are arguments on both sides;however, which we will discuss here.

On the one hand, it might be said that if workers are fitter and less stressed, their working time will be more efficient, leading to higher levels of output and service. Furthermore, the work/life balance of the staff will hopefully be improved, because their leisure time will be more fulfilling.
This may even be more motivating than pay increments, perks, or financial rewards ,such as bonuses or incentives which may be hard to attain. Finally, feeling healthier may lead to better job satisfaction which is in itself a motivating factor.

Conversely, the problem with such leisure-based subsidies is that their efficacy is virtuallyimpossible to quantify. For example, with target-related payments, employers can at least see whether the objectives are reached or not. It might also be said that, if this budget was spent on the on the job training or day release programmes, the employees would achieve better career progression and have better job prospects. These matters are all easier to measure,especially in performance reviews and appraisals, and may even help to reduce the risk of redundancy if the company restructures, downsizes or outsources its workforce.

Overall, it seems that, while health-related subsidies are superficially attractive, the lack of measurability is a substantial drawback. Spending funds on ongoing training would appear to be a better use of company or Human Resources budgets.

ASSOCIATED VOCABULARY

work/life balance = the ability to work hard but also enjoy a good quality family and social life.
1.People are working long hours these days, and so their work/life balance is affected, leading to stress.

to motivate people = to give them positive reasons for working hard.
1.If employees are given regular feedback, they will probably be well motivated and committed.

pay increments = pay rises/increases.
1.In my country, pay increments have been very low because of the financial crisis.

perks = reward from an employer which are not financial (eg free lunches, a car etc).
1.Personally, I’d like to work for a company that gives lots of perks, because I would find this very enjoyable.

financial rewards = any form of money payment (salary, commission, pension)

1.Being a primary teacher may be satisfying, but the financial rewards are not high.

bonuses = money given in addition to salary, usually in return for achieving targets.
1.Apparently some investment bankers can earn millions of dollars in bonuses.

incentives = any reward that makes people work harder.

1.Some employers offer vacations or parties as incentives if the team hits its sales targets.

job satisfaction = enjoyment of a job for non-financial reasons
1.I get a lot of job satisfaction from my work at the wildlife centre, although the financial rewards are quite low.

target-related = dependent on hitting a target
1.My boss once offered me a target-related bonus, but it was almost impossible to achieve!

on the job training = training while working, not by leaving work to go to college etc.
1.My sister has found that the on the job training she gets at her bank is very useful, and she has progressed well because of this.

ongoing training = training throughout your time in a job, not just at the start
1.I enjoyed my work at the airline at first, but I soon found that there was no ongoing training and my skills weren’t really developed.

day release programmes = programmes of training or education when employees can spend entire days out of work.
1.I feel that employers should be much more flexible regarding training, for example by subsidising day release programmes or job exchanges with other companies.

career progression = the ability to advance your career
1.The problem with being a freelance photographer is that there’s no real career progression,unless you become very famous.

job prospects = the possibility of promotion or higher level work in future.
1.I remember an interview when the employer told me there were excellent job prospects in their firm for young people. In reality, this was not really true.

to measure = to assess the dimensions of something
1.Job satisfaction may be important, but can we really measure it?

superficial = not addressing deep or important issues
1.I’m not a big fan of traditional music. I find the lyrics rather old-fashioned and superficial for modern listeners.

performance reviews/appraisals = meeting at which an employer gives feedback to a worker on their work over a fixed period.
1.I remember being worried about my job at first, but at my six month appraisal my manager told me she was pleased with my efforts.

redundancy = a situation where a worker loses their job because of changes in the company(not because of personal mistakes) (verb = to make someone redundant).
1.In my home town, the textile factories have closed and many people have been made redundant.

to restructure = to change the organisation of a company, usually in order to make it moreeffective or to save money.
1.We used to have a large training department in my office, but in our recent restructure it was eliminated and the staff were made redundant.

to downsize = to make an organisation smaller and employ fewer people
1.My father’s college used to employ almost one thousand people, but then it downsized and now has less than five hundred.

to outsource = to stop doing work inside the company and send it to other companies or other countries, usually to save money..
1.Many American companies have outsourced their IT operations to Asian countries, where productivity is similar and salaries are lower.

the workforce = the total number of people working in an organisation, company or country.
1.The workforce in Northern Europe is skilled, but it’s also inflexible and much older than in other parts of the world.

Human Resources (or HR) = the department in a company which manages recruitment,employment and training.
1.When I graduate, I plan to work in the Human Resources area of the oil industry, possibly in the Middle East.

Band 9 essay (NATURE,THE ENVIRONMENT AND ENERGY)

Pollution of rivers, lakes and seas is a major concern for people who seek to protect the environment. What are the possible causes of water pollution, and what ef ects does this have on animal life and human society?

Explanation of the Task

This is an Ideas>Causes/effects type Task. It does not ask for your opinion, but it wants you to think of some possible ideas on the topic. You should introduce the topic, describe two or three causes, then two or three effects, and then summarise briefly.

Water contamination is a serious form of pollution, and one that can be challenging to rectify.There seem to be two main causes involved, and a variety of damaging effects on people and the biosphere, which we will discuss here.

Probably the main factor is the issue of emissions from cars, factories and other human activities. These emissions contain damaging pollutant particles which can contaminate rainwater run-off and thus enter the water cycle, by transferring through the water table into aquifers, streams and rivers. Filtration and processing are not really viable options for such large volumes of water, and so the water table remains tainted with these elements over long periods, as we see in Eastern Europe today. In situations where soil erosion and logging have already damaged the local environment, the accumulation can be very serious. The other major cause is accidental or deliberate dumping of waste products in places outside of controlled landfills or waste processing centres.Even small amounts of abandoned waste can enter water supplies through the ground, often
undetected.

The effects on animal life can be severe, especially for species which are already endangered by y such threats as poaching, habitat loss and food chain disruption. Contaminated water can lead to

dwindling numbers or even potential extinction, as may indeed happen to the Asian tiger populations. The impact on human society can also be distressing, including the poisoning of drinking water, famine or drought due to lack of safe irrigation, and long-term loss of land as we see, for example, after the Bhopal poisoning catastrophe in India. Such effects tend to have an especially grave impact on the very poorest in society, with the least resources to counter the environmental effects.

Overall, we see that emissions and dumping are the main origins of the problem, and that the effects on both humans and animals are exacerbated by the existing environmental, criminal or social problem.