IELTS ĐÌNH LONG

170 Hoàng Văn Thụ Phường 9, Quận Phú Nhuận.

077 458 0088

GIÁO DỤC
1. Some people think that the main purpose of school is to turn children as a good
citizens and workers, rather to benefit them as individuals. To what extent do you
agree or disagree?

Although education has an instrument in our lives, the issue as to whether schools should
place emphasis on turning children into productive members of society, or solely focus on
personal qualities that serve best to their self-interest remains controversial. In my opinion,
these functions are not conflicting but complementary to one another.

Firstly, many may advocate that schools should nurture students’ individualism. This
argument could be true to some extent because personal identities make people
distinguished from others. However, it should be acknowledged that schools teach
discipline which shows them how to judge right from wrong that benefits students as well.
For example, schools instill the cultural values that are shared by the society, teaching them
to show tolerance and mutual understanding to others. This in return will help them expand
social cycle, get along well with others and build rapports. Besides, thanks to regulations
like school uniforms, schools also teach children to be disciplined, to show respect to
authority and to take schooling more seriously.

Secondly, those who argue that job-oriented courses don’t benefit children as individuals
are ignorant of the fact that schools make children more well-rounded individuals. In fact,
curriculum always consist subjects or activities that require children to interact with each
other, thereby improving their communication skill and helping them gain more confidence.
For example, team works and group tasks have been integrated into school curriculum as
each member will be assigned with tasks that closely match his or her abilities, which assists
them to cultivate their talents. In short, children have the best personal development at
school as they have good learning environment to acquire skills to enhance employability.

All thing considering, that the main purpose of school is to at the same time turn children
as a good citizens or workers, and benefit them as individuals.

2. Full-time university students spend much of their time on study. Some people think
that it is essential for them to take some other activities. To what extent do you
agree or disagree?

Although academic education is the top priority to most university students, the issue as to
whether students should squeeze some time to do other activities or not remains
controversial. In my opinion, spending some time doing other activities is complementary
to their study.

Firstly, many may argue that university students should focus on academic study to gain
excellent qualifications. This argument could be true to some extent because labor market
IELTS ĐÌNH LONG
170 Hoàng Văn Thụ Phường 9, Quận Phú Nhuận.
077 458 0088
has been characterized by the specialization in all fields, and it has become highly
competitive. Therefore, the grasp of professional knowledge will stand them in good stead.
However, it should be acknowledged that the mastery and proficiency in specialized
knowledge is not enough. Recruiters today have high expectations on potential workers,
applicants should show not only insights but also soft skills like communication skill in cross-
cultural working environment, high adaptability to ever-changing industries. Meanwhile,
such skills are mostly non-transferable via theoretical lectures. For this reason, participation
in other social activities that gives them opportunities to practice social skills is highly
recommended.

Secondly, in the past few years, a lot of attention has been devoted to mental health on
university campuses. Many studies show a large proportion of students experience high
levels of depressive symptoms. For example, an investigation found 33% of UK students had
experienced suicidal thoughts in the past academic year. Although it does not hit the
headline as frequently as other issues do, psychological illness among university students is
a serious problem. Not only does it affect how students learn but also impacts whether they
actually finish their degrees. Ultimately, the imbalance between rest and study will
influence their career potential and their lives greatly. While, taking recreational activities
like playing sports or physical exercises that is a good solution to them should be taken into
account by university students.

All thing considering, university students should at the same time concentrate on academic
learning and take part in other activities.

3. Some people believe that studying in a college or university is the best way for
students to prepare for their future career. Others think they should leave school
as soon as possible to develop their career through work experience. Discuss both
sides and give your own opinion.

Although to most students the pursuit of tertiary education is a good preparation for future
career development, the issue as to whether school leavers should start working after high
school graduation remains controversial.

On the one hand, many may argue that it is more beneficial and crucial to enroll in a
university or college after school. This argument could be true to some extent because
labor market has been characterized by the specialization in all fields. Nowadays, industries
are ever-changing and economies are ever-developing. Therefore, the grasp of professional
knowledge will stand students in good stead. In this sense, universities which are well-
known as educational institutes to those teaching professionals can impart insights to
students by various techniques. This could be the main justification why higher education is
widely perceived as the most important predictor of one’s success.

On the other hand, the main argument raised by those who advocate the full participation
on a job is that tertiary education itself cannot guarantee one’s success. In fact, labor
market has become highly competitive when numerous candidates are in the same race for
single position. Recruiters today have high expectations on potential workers, applicants
should show not only insights but also practical experiences, hands-on skills, rules of
IELTS ĐÌNH LONG
170 Hoàng Văn Thụ Phường 9, Quận Phú Nhuận.
077 458 0088
thumbs. Meanwhile, such skills are mostly non-transferable via theoretical lectures. For this
reason, full participation in a job has been taken by many students as a way to gain the
mastery of them.

All thing considering, it is my opinion that the combination of both university qualifications
and soft skills acquired through real-world experience seems to be the best way to have
bright career prospects.

4. Some people think a language should be taught in small class, others believe the
number of people in class does not matter. Discuss both views and give your
opinion.

Although the acquisition of foreign languages is widely perceived as one of the most
important predictors of one’s success, the issue as to whether languages should be
educated in small classes remains controversial.

One the one hand, many may argue that limited number of students could improve
academic outcome. This argument could be true to some extent because the fewer
number of learners, the less divided attention of the teacher will be. This means more
opportunity to engage in real communication, more feedback and better understanding of
the learner’s needs. Besides, the learner has more opportunities to use teachers as a
resource – to ask questions, to see models of language, and to practice skills. In other
words, learners can develop a real and productive relationship with teachers, thereby
helping them to overcome difficulties in learning process more individually, and effectively.

On the other hand, the main argument raised by those who believe the number of people
in class does not bear any influence is that teachers do not play the decisive role in the
proficiency in second languages but students themselves. In fact, it is undeniable that self-
studying plays an important role in language learning. Since classroom time is limited,
students do not have much time to use and practice the target language adequately in
classes. Therefore, self-studying enables students to study at their own pace and according
to their individual needs outside the class. In this case, the number of students does not
exert significant impact on students’ progress.

All thing considering, it is my opinion that teachers are those giving guidance and
instruction that students should stick to gain the mastery of foreign languages. However,
students who are self-motivated would perform better than others. The size of classes is
thus not very important.

5. Some people think secondary school students should learn international news as
one of their subjects, while others believe that this is a waste of valuable time.
Discuss both views and give your own opinion.
IELTS ĐÌNH LONG
170 Hoàng Văn Thụ Phường 9, Quận Phú Nhuận.
077 458 0088
Although watching international news is undeniably valuable, the issue as to whether it is
necessary to include international news as a part of school curriculum remains
controversial.

One the one hand, many may argue that watching international news is beneficial to
students. This argument could be true to some extent because economies today are ever-
developing, the world has been characterized by globalization and cross-national
development. Therefore, the grasp of new trends by reading editorials will stand them in
good stead. For example, studying international news can enhance young people’s critical
thinking skill and drive them to explore different perspectives of a global event, allowing
them the practice independent thinking. It is of critical importance as they are very likely to
encounter with the fierce international competition in later years.

On the other hand, the main argument raised by those who oppose the introduction of
international news into schools as a subject is that the integration of news into school
curriculum may result in many problems. In fact, it is undeniable that international news
has an emphasis on wars and civil unrest. Potentially, excessive exposure to violence and
various conflicting debates by experts could divert student’s attention from study.
Consequently, their academic performance will eventually be adversely affected as they
have less time to learn core subjects such as Math and Physics, which are definitely more
important to their education.

All thing considering, it is my opinion that in this ever-changing world, international news
has potential advantages to students and should be taken into serious consideration to be
introduced to high schools. However, there should be supervision to control the
appropriateness of information.

6. Some people think that in order to continue improving the quality of high school
education, students should be encouraged to evaluate and criticize their teachers,
while others assume this could result in the loss of respect and dignity for teachers.
Discuss both views and give your own opinion.