CULTURAL PERSPECTIVE

Question

3. Cultural perspective: Local traditions may be lost. Traditional jobs and skills die out (e.g. farming, fishing). Local people are forced to work in the tourist industry. Thinking about topics from different perspectives can help you to generate better ideas. This technique isn't perfect for every topic, but it can be really useful. 22IELTS SHAREMany students find the following question difficult (Cambridge IELTS 4, page 55): Happiness is considered very important in life. Why is it difficult to define? What factors are important in achieving happiness? Here are some ideas from my ebook. • Happiness means different things to different people. • It can be described as a feeling of pleasure or enjoyment. • People enjoy spending time with family and friends. • Hobbies, sports and games can be a source of fun and enjoyment. • Some people see money as a source of happiness. • Other people define happiness as something deeper. • They need to feel that they are doing something useful with their lives. • Some people get a sense of achievement from their work. • Others find happiness in bringing up their children. Try expanding on these idea to write a full essay. Remember to use examples from your experience; this is the best way to develop an idea. The speaker in yesterday's video gave the positives of English as a global second language. Here is a paragraph with arguments against this view. Negatives of English as a global language: The expansion of English has also been criticised. Some people worry that if one language, like English, becomes dominant, other languages may disappear. Languages spoken by small communities could become extinct as people learn English in order to find work. This would obviously have a negative effect on local cultures, customs and traditions because the new dominant language would bring its own culture with it. For example, the expansion of English has happened alongside the increasing popularity of American culture. The American film, music and fashion industries are as dominant as global American companies and products, such as Microsoft or the iPod. Some people call this ‘cultural imperialism’, meaning that one culture has power over others. Try to analyse this paragraph Is there a topic sentence? What reasons and examples are given? What linking expressions are used? What 'band 7 vocabulary' is used? Can you find some conditional sentences? Write the main ideas for the 'global language' topic (positives and negatives) in your notebook. 23Here is a question that a student asked me about: Some people believe that the range of technology available to individuals today is increasing the gap between rich people and poor people, while others say that technology has the opposite effect. Discuss both views and give your opinion. I'd write a 4-paragraph essay:

CULTURAL PERSPECTIVE

3. Cultural perspective: Local traditions may be lost. Traditional jobs and skills

die out (e.g. farming, fishing). Local people are forced to work in the tourist

industry.

Thinking about topics from different perspectives can help you to generate better

ideas. This technique isn't perfect for every topic, but it can be really useful.

22

IELTS SHARE

Many students find the following question difficult (Cambridge IELTS 4, page 55):

Happiness is considered very important in life.

Why is it difficult to define?

What factors are important in achieving happiness?

Here are some ideas from my ebook.

Happiness means different things to different people.

It can be described as a feeling of pleasure or enjoyment.

People enjoy spending time with family and friends.

Hobbies, sports and games can be a source of fun and enjoyment.

Some people see money as a source of happiness.

Other people define happiness as something deeper.

They need to feel that they are doing something useful with their lives.

Some people get a sense of achievement from their work.

Others find happiness in bringing up their children.

Try expanding on these idea to write a full essay. Remember to use examples from

your experience; this is the best way to develop an idea.

The speaker in yesterday's video gave the positives of English as a global second

language. Here is a paragraph with arguments against this view.

Negatives of English as a global language:

The expansion of English has also been criticised. Some people worry that if one

language, like English, becomes dominant, other languages may disappear.

Languages spoken by small communities could become extinct as people learn

English in order to find work. This would obviously have a negative effect on local

cultures, customs and traditions because the new dominant language would bring its

own culture with it. For example, the expansion of English has happened alongside

the increasing popularity of American culture. The American film, music and fashion

industries are as dominant as global American companies and products, such as

Microsoft or the iPod. Some people call this ‘cultural imperialism’, meaning that one

culture has power over others.

Try to analyse this paragraph

Is there a topic sentence? What reasons and examples are given? What linking

expressions are used? What 'band 7 vocabulary' is used? Can you find some

conditional sentences?

Write the main ideas for the 'global language' topic (positives and negatives) in your

notebook.

23

Here is a question that a student asked me about:

Some people believe that the range of technology available to individuals today is

increasing the gap between rich people and poor people, while others say that

technology has the opposite effect. Discuss both views and give your opinion.

I'd write a 4-paragraph essay:

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