Writing Feedback / IELTS: WHETHER TRAVELLING AND WORKING ABROAD ARE THE ONLY REASONS TO LEARN A FOREIGN LANGUAGE OR NOT [2]

It is believed that learning a foreign language is beneficial when it comes to travelling or working abroad. Nevertheless, some people claim that learning a foreign language is a good idea for many other reasons.

On the one hand, it is frequently considered by many that being proficient in a widely spoken foreign language adds value to one's CV. Consequently, it significantly increases their chances of getting a well-paying and highly-regarded job in an international company. Bearing in mind that in certain parts of the world the borders have been removed, travelling has never been easier and businesses have been able to expand globally and sign international partnerships. Hence, today, most employers mandatorily require someone who applies for a job in their enterprise to have foreign language skills, whereas others pay their employees foreign language courses so that they acquire a certain level. Also when visiting a foreign country, one who speaks a common worldwide language or the national language of the country can fully take advantage of the experience, because he can communicate with the locals.

On the other hand, no one doubts the fundamental role language has had in human evolution. Language has allowed people to understand one another and develop our planet. A language is an alive historical document which gives clues regarding ancient connections between populations. Furthermore, old words might reflect a way of life, namely the religions, the beliefs, the customs of our ancestors. Studying foreign languages is an interesting area, this explaining why some people have chosen to become grammarians. It is surreal to imagine that a language has so many different words with various pronunciations and spellings.

To conclude, I strongly believe that learning a foreign language is something everyone has to do nowadays no matter what the reasons might be. As much as I agree with the idea that proficiency in foreign languages brings financial satisfaction, I am also aware that without it the existence of most things that make me feel happy would have not been possible anymore. Therefore I cherish foreign languages and I enjoy learning them for other reasons besides travelling or working abroad.

*I am going to take the IELTS in 13th of August. I would be really glad if someone can give an opinion regarding my piece of writing. I would also be thankful if someone could approximate a band for my writing. My aim is to get a band 7 or band 7.5 at least.

Writing Feedback / IELTS: VIOLENCE SHOWN ON TV AND IN THE CINEMA MIGHT EXPLAIN YOUNG PEOPLE'S VIOLENT BEHAVIOUR [4]

A lot of people believe that the amount of violence shown on TV and in the cinema affects the actions of our young people and therefore increases the amount of violence in our society today. Do you agree or disagree?

I need reassurance that I am on the right path and my essay can score at least a band 6.5 or band 7. Please do not fear to express your opinions. Personally, I do not think this is the best essay I have ever written.

It is commonly believed that some television programs and films playing in the cinema have an extremely violent and inappropriate content, which negatively impacts on youngsters' behaviour. In my opinion, this might be an explanation for the increasing amount of violence occuring in our society today. However, I also think that the poor education the child has received could be a plausible reason for the matter in question.

Going to the cinema is something young people do every now and then in order to spend time with their friends or family, as opposed to watching television, which is part of their daily schedule. Today, many teenagers are addicted to television, which is a serios problem, given the fact that the majority of them are unaware of the effects it can have upon their behaviour. Both the film industry and the television promote characters who are not necessarily evil, but they are constantly involved in the fights. Most youngsters tend to idolize these characters and want to be as powerful as they are. They do not differentiate between reality and fiction anymore. Consequently, they become violent and feel entitled to bully those people whom they consider inferior to them.

The news programs can also affect the way children act. The world is far from being a safe place. For instance, watching news related to wars, crimes or different types of accidents can strongly impact emotionally on children. They might believe that violence is the only alternative to survive and take care of themselves.

On the other hand, the child's wild personality could reflect the family environment he has lived in. A teenager who has benefited from valuable parenting is bound to be able to stick to reality and not imitate everything they see on television or in the cinema. Conversely, one who has lived in a family environment where acts of aggression have been frequent and deemed ordinary is likely to develop ferocious traits.

To conclude, there is no doubt that the programs and films young people watch on television and in the cinema respectively damage their behaviour. I strongly support the idea that measures against this unpleasant phenomenon ought to be taken so that to reduce the amount of violence faced by our society.

Writing Feedback / IELTS: SHOULD PARENTS HELP CHILDREN WITH THEIR HOMEWORK OR NOT? [5]

Many parents think that it is good to help children in their homework, but others think parents should not do that and it is their own duty. Discuss both and give your opinion.

As I mentioned before I will be really glad if someone gives me an approximate IELTS band

Parental involvment is considered by some to be beneficial when it comes to children's homework. Nevertheless, others argue that this is detrimental to the children's education and they are the ones responsible for doing their homework on their own. In my opinion, helping youngsters with their homework is useful to some degree, as long as it is not something to be done on a regular basis.

On the one hand, most children do not perform well in all the subjects. They might find it difficult to grasp every single piece of information taught in the class. Furthermore, some teachers employ old-fashioned teaching methods which can be inappropriate for the pupils' age. Lack of interest in certain subjects is also likely to contribute to the youngster's state of bewilderment. All these can make the children feel incapable of doing his or her homework. In this case, the child is bound to ask his parents for assistance, which is perfectly understandable. Most parents are aware of the many requirements that the school teachers have because they were also students at some point in time. Thereby, they empathize with their child and consider that helping them with their homework will only improve the situation and will not cause any harm.

On the other hand, the teaching approach has changed significantly over the last period of time. Consequently, parents' knowledge and solving methods might not correspond to the way subjects are taught today. Helping the children with their homework could get them even more confused. Parents should support children to ask their teachers or classmates questions at school in case they did not understand something related to a particular lesson. Children need to become rather independent so as to solve whatever problem they encounter not only at school, but in life.

To conclude, I have mixed feelings on the matter in question. I strongly believe that children have to pay as much attention as they can during the classes, considering that homework is usually based on what it was taught at school in that day. With regard to the parents, they will ensure that the teaching methods they employ, when helping their child doing his or her homework, are according to those at school, if they want to be helpful.

Writing Feedback / IELTS: TASK 1 ACADEMIC MODULE DEGREES GRANTED IN DIFFERENT FIELDS AT THE NATIONAL UNIVERSITY [5]

The charts below show degrees granted in different fields at the National University in the years 1990, 2000 and 2010.

The given pie charts depict data on the changes in the number of degrees granted in 4 different fields of study (Law, Medicine, Business and Computer Science) at the National University in 1990, 2000 and 2010.

Overall, it is clear that initially most degrees were granted in Computer Science and Business, whereas Law accounted for the lowest number of awarded degrees. Subsequently, Computer Science remained the most preferred field, as opposed to Business, which decreased in popularity. Law continued showing the lowest figure in 2000 and 2010.

According to the pie charts, in 1990 30% of the degrees were awarded in Computer Science, and following that the figure increased to 40% and 45% in 2000 and 2010 respectively. Conversely, the number of degrees awarded in Business showed a downward trend: the figure was at 30% in 1990, it decreased by 10% in 2000 and there was a 5% decline in 2010.

With regard to the remaining fields of study, 25% of the degrees were granted to Medical students in both 1990 and 2010, while in the same years 15% were awarded to Law students. In 2000 the figure for degrees granted in Medicine rose by 5% and the one for degrees awarded in Law dropped by 5%.

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  the pie charts