[IELTS Writing Task 2] Discussion about online courses

Pros and cons of studying an online course

Task: In the last decade, there has been a great increase in the number and variety of online courses available to adults. This has been welcomed as a great opportunity by many students, however, other students see these courses as less effective than classroom teaching. What are the advantages and disadvantages of studying an online course?

The recent decade has witnessed a significant increase in the quantity and variety of courses on the Internet for adults, which are argued to be beneficial for some reasons. Nevertheless, other people claim that these courses are not able to replace the study in classroom. This essay will discuss some benefits and possible risks of this teaching method.

On the one hand, online courses have several positive effects. One key benefit is its flexibility, which means that online classes allow learners to choose their favorite study time and place. This is extremely necessary for those who cannot go to classes due to far distance or their working schedule. Besides, studying on the Internet helps reduce the course fees as the location and facilities rental is saved. Taking moon.vn (a website organizing online courses for Vietnamese high school students) as an example, each month they save 40% more than average budget of other offline teaching centers, meaning that they have more to spend on enhancing their curriculum's quality.

On the other hand, there are also some negative impacts which must be considered. One important issue is that there are currently hundreds of online courses, which are not easy for the government to verify their quality. Unreliable sources could be dangerous as they provide unprecise and subjective information. Furthermore, compared with traditional classes, there is less interaction between students and teachers and their peers. This makes it more difficult for learners to fully understand the lesson because they receive only little support from others. For instance, with lessons which are previously recorded and played back later on, learners cannot give questions straightly to teachers and the discussion with other students need hours or days to be responded.

In conclusion, while online courses can benefit the study of learners thanks to their flexibility and savings, they also have some obstacles compared with traditional classes.

Please help me review my essay. Thank you!

There is a slight error in your discussion instruction paraphrase. You are not going to discuss the advantages and possible risks, you are to discuss the advantages and disadvantages of the proposed learning methods. A risk is defined as exposure to the chance of injury or loss; a hazard or dangerous chance, while a disadvantage is ; the state or an instance of being in an unfavorable circumstance or condition. Based on the definition, I am sure you can understand why your response is in error when considered in the original context of the discussion. this is a D/A discussion essay.

Still in reference to your opening paraphrase, you did not fully rephrase the presentation to show a clear knowledge of the English language. You are still using keywords from the original presentation. A totally new presentation would have been:

Over the past 10 years, grownups have been attending an assortment of virtual classes. Learners have seen the advent of this situation as a good fortune for themselves. The problem, is that some pupils still believe that nothing can replace a lecture hall. Both learning styles offer positives and negatives for students. Let us have a look at one of each discussion point.

While your grammar is not perfect, there is a sense of simple clarity and cohesion in your reasoning presentations. You did a good job discussing the talking points. I guess the earlier errors were caused by your lack of English vocabulary and understanding. Brush up on your vocabulary. Always make sure to use the right descriptive term or you could lose LR points in the actual test.