general training writing task 2

7/29/2019 General Training Writing Task 2

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Addition Sequence Consequence ContrastIn Addition Firstly/Initially As a result HoweverSimilarly Secondly/Begin with

thenThus On the other hand

Likewise as well as Next/Earlier/Later so despiteBesidesfurthermore

After this/that Therefore In spite of

Also moreover Following this/that Consequently ThoughAnd then too It follows that AlthoughNot only but even Thereby But

Eventually On the contraryThen in thatcase

Otherwise

Admittedly Yet/Instead of RatherWhereasNevertheless

Even ThoughCompared withIn contrastAlternatively

Formal Informal

Inform me Let me know

Cancel Drop

Contact Get in touch

Obtain Get

Apologise Say sorry

Postpone Delay

Request Ask for

Compensate Make up

Establish Set up

Discover Find out

Handle Deal with

Investigate Check up on

Tolerate Put up

Increase Go up

Children Kids

Many / Much A lot of

Many / Much Heaps of


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AGREEMENT: also, plus, in addition, further, furthermore, moreover, additionally,

to add to that, next, in accordance with, accordingly, in agreement, finally, for

instance, for example, in exemplification, exemplifying that, in fact, factually

speaking, in terms of, and so forth, looking at the nexus between, in coordination

with, along those lines, collectively speaking, generally speaking, indeed,

undoubtedly, obviously, to be sure.

CONTRAST: however, contrastingly, in contrast, on the contrary, on the other

hand, To put it into perspective, from a different angle, nonetheless,

nevertheless, but, yet, a catch to this is, sadly enough, as a hindrance, looking at

the holdups, oddly enough, instead, in direct opposition, still, and rather.

RESULT: as a result, as a consequence, consequently, thus, therefore, hence,

thereby, resulting in, ultimately, in the end, finally, in the overall analysis, in

hindsight, in retrospect, retrospectively, vicariously, the long term effect, as a

short term result, significantly, as a major effect, effectively, heretofore,

hereafter, thereafter, in short, generally, over all, concluding.


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General Training Writing Task 1

You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.

Write a letter to a teacher asking for a reference letter for a job and

explain:

- Why you have chosen him to write the reference letter

- What kind of job you are applying for

- Why you think you are suitable for this job

You should write at least 150 words.

Model Answer

Dear Mr. Moloisa,

As you are aware, this month marks my foray into the working world, having

graduated my studies with you at Watsons Photographer College. I am writing to

you to request your aid in my transition from student to an employed

professional.

As your top scholar last year, I am sure you will be happy to hear my chosen

career path is photography. Thanks to your gruelling courses, I feel I am

completely prepared to take on a professional challenge and am excited to tell

you I have been offered to attend the initial employment screening at National

Geographic Magazine. As part of this process, I am required to submit a

reference letter written by a third party of notable acclaim among the global

photography community. Of course, I was hoping I could ask you to be this

person.

I would be very grateful for any kind words you could compose on my behalf to

help make this opportunity at National Geographic Magazine possible for me.

Thanking you in advance,

Ryan

Write a letter to the manager of your local bus service. They have

recently made some changes to the bus services which created

inconveniences for you. In your letter, explain:

-what are the changes

-what are the problems you are facing

-what part of the service would you like to change


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Model Answer

Dear Sir/Madam,

I am a regular patron of your transit service and am writing in response to a

recent change you made to the transit schedule.

You see, I am one of many commuters who transfer at Glasgow Central station

from bus 22D to bus 33A during my commute home. Prior to your schedule

changes, I had more than enough time to do this. However, according to the new

schedule the 22D gets to Glasgow Central at 17:44, which is 4 minutes after the

33A departs. As the 33A runs on the hour, the next available departure is notuntil 16:40. As you can imagine, this has caused a lot of grief for my fellow

travellers and I as we are required to wait almost an hour simply because the

routes no longer line up correctly.

I would be most grateful if the Glasgow Transit Company could look into this

matter and consider reinstating the former schedule to allow these routes to

match up more precisely.

Sincerely,

Ryan

You have read an article in a newspaper about someone you know.

Write a letter to the editor as follows:

- describe the article,

- explain what details were wrong in the article and what the correct

ones are,

- suggest what he/she should do about the article.


Model Answer

To the editor of the Vancouver Political Observer,

I am writing to you regarding an article you published yesterday on the Editorial

page of your Local News section.

Your portrayal of my friend, political activist Stanley Jackson, is completelyinaccurate. In the article, you accuse Stanley of being a politician with little


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regard for the environment. Having known Stanley for twenty years, I can tell

you that Mr. Jackson cares highly for nature. In fact, only two weeks ago he

sponsored the establishment of a tree farm and will be the guest of honour when

it opens. You may also be surprised to learn that Mr. Jacksons home has been

completely outfitted with solar panels, making him among the first people in our

township to operate entirely off of green energy.

What I would like to see is a reprint of your article with all inaccuracies

corrected. Further, out of decency, I think the least you could do is publish a

public apology to Mr. Jackson for defaming him this way.

Expecting prompt action,

Ryan

Write a letter to a friend expressing your interest to seek employment

in a different country. Your letter should include:

- Why you want to work in a different country

- What type of work you will be looking for

- Questions you have about working in a different country that your

friend may be able to answer


Model Answer

Dear Praveen,

I hope this letter finds you well. I am writing to let you know that I have decided

to follow in your footsteps and seek employment abroad. Like you, Im very

curious about the world and want to use my career as a tool to help open up

some opportunities for travel.

You will be happy to hear that I finally finished my Political Science degree. If

possible, I want to use this educational base to find work in an embassy

somewhere. However, I am still unsure exactly which country I would like to

venture to. I was hoping your experience working in Germany, France and Russia

could help guide me to a suitable place. If you dont mind my asking, which of

those three countries would you most recommend living in? Do you think the fact

that I only speak English will prove a problem?

As you can probably guess, I am beside myself with excitement at the prospect

of having a totally new living experience. Thus, I am really looking forward to

reading your reply.


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Until then,

Ryan

Write a letter to a manufacturer to ask them to arrange production of a

new item for you. Please say

- What item do you need?

- Why do you need it?


Model Answer

To the engineering team at Quanta Manufacturing,

I am writing to you to request the production of a new bicycle chain that fits our

Go Cycle model. Allow me to go into a bit of detail regarding the situation on our

side.

Basically, we here are Sports World have received numerous customer

complaints that the chains on our Go Cycles snap too quickly. As you can

imagine, this has done little to support our brand positioning as a supplier of

quality mountaineering goods.

After testing the chains, we realized that their defectiveness is due to their being

made of subpar steel. Thus from this day forward, we would like you to

manufacture Go Cycle chains using the highest grade of steel available to you.

We realize this will affect the price and accept any new quotation you provide

within reason. Thank you for your understanding.

Your professional partner,

Ryan

Head of Purchasing

Sports World

You are preparing an event in the countryside. Write a letter to your

friend and ask for help with the arrangements. In your letter include:

- what the event is

- why the event is being held

- what arrangements have already been made

- how your friend can help


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Model Answer

Dear Patrick,

I hope you and your wife have been enjoying you summer holiday. My wife and I

have started pulling together plans for this years company barbecue. I am

writing to share some details regarding the event and ask whether you would be

able to help with a few of the remaining tasks.

As you know, the barbecue has become a highly anticipated annual tradition for

everyone at our company. This year, the meet up is going to be held in Paxton

Park, behind the church on Gladsdale Avenue and Riverside Street. My wife has

reserved a rented canopy in case of rain and we are planning on getting the

Texan restaurant Bubbas to cater food and drinks. However, we feel a little

strapped for time considering we still have a handful of errands to finish before

the big day.

Thus, I was hoping you could find time to complete and distribute the invitations.

I think any basic invitation template on your computer should suit. I can email

you the guest list this evening. Please let me know as soon as you can whether

this would be possible or not.

Many thanks,

Ryan

Write a letter to your professor outlining why you are not satisfied with

their course.

In your letter:

- write the reasons why you are not satisfied with the course

- request to change your course

- indicate what course you want to take instead


Model Answer

Dear Sir,

I am one of your 101 Introduction to Economics students here at Homer

University. I am writing to you to request that I be allowed to skip this entry

course and study at the 201 Economic Theory level.


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You see, last year I transferred to Homer from Klassen University. Unfortunately,

despite having studied an economics course at Klassen (which covered all topics

present in your course), I was not allowed to apply this credit to my studies here

at Homer. Having now studied with you these past two weeks, it has become

blatantly apparent that I am not going to be learning anything new at the 101

level.

Thus, I would be most grateful if you would consider looking at my case and high

academic performance at Klassen. I am sure that following this you will feel

confident in graduating me to the 201 level. Please kindly let me know if we can

meet sometime next week to further discuss this matter.

Awaiting your reply,

Ryan

You successfully passed a job interview. You are expected to start on

November 15, but you will not be available on that date. Task: Write a

letter to your new boss, explaining your situation, expressing your

concern and suggesting solution.

Dear Sir/Madam,

I am Leonardo Gomes and I have recently passed a job interview for the Software

Engineer position at the Software Infrastructure group. I was expected to start on

November 15, as agreed, and am writing because unfortunately I will not be ableto present myself on that date.

During the interview I estimated fifteen days as the amount of time needed for

me to finish my activities at my current job and start at your company, but due

to fact that I got sick for the last whole week and was not able to work, I could

not finish my tasks and will need another week to do so. If necessary, I can give

you a copy of a letter from my doctor informing that I had to stay at home and

under medical care during that week.

I really apologize for the inconvenience and expect it not to affect our

relationship. Should I present any other form of proof or talk to someone else atthe company, please let me know.

Faithfully yours,

Leonardo


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This is how they grade your essay: you receive points for Task Response,

Coherence and Cohesion, Lexical Resource, Grammatical Range and Accuracy.

Looks heavy? Never mind, here comes the simple English version:

Task Response means that your essay shows that you understood and covered

the topic from all its sides, aspects, etc. Lets take this topic for example

Internet: connecting or isolating people?. Those who chose to write about how

Internet connects people loose marks, those who chose to write about how

Internet isolates people loose marks, those who compare and contrast both

sides of the Internet and give arguments for and against gain marks.

Coherence and Cohesion means how well you connected the paragraphs and

sentences inside each paragraph. You see, all of your paragraphs need to be

logically connected. For example, if paragraph 1 explains the advantages of the

Internet, and paragraph 2 explains its disadvantages, then paragraph 1 shouldhave last sentence saying something like this: In spite of Internet being such a

help in communication, its drawbacks cannot be overlooked. This sentence

creates the connection between 1st and 2nd paragraphs. If it wasnt there,

examiner could think that you jumped from advantages to disadvantages

without a reason. The same rule applies to sentences inside the paragraph.

Every sentence should lead to the next one.

Because of this,

As this shows,

As can clearly be seen from this example,

It is clear that

Thus, the idea that

To illustrate this,

After analysing both points of view,

To provide a summary,

Without a doubt, this causes

Lexical Resource means vocabulary and different types of sentences, simple

and complex. You should be able to use words and their synonyms.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy means spelling and grammar of sentences.

You should be able to spell the words correctly, do not forget articles a and

the, punctuations is also important, etc you get the picture, dont you?

One more important thing to know: the four criteria are equally weighted. It

means that if you forgot about Coherence and Cohesion in your essay, you willlose 1/4 of your essay points.


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Introduction paragraph

A background sentence giving some background information on the essay topic.

A more detailed sentence linking the background sentence to the thesis.

A thesis that presents your point of view on your given topic.

An outline sentence declaring the 2 points you are going to use to support your

thesis.

Supporting paragraph 1

A topic sentence illustrating the first point you will be presenting to support your

thesis (this point taken from your outline sentence).

A sentence showing a real-life example of this topic in action.

A discussion sentence that shows how your example links or proves your topic

sentence.

A conclusion sentence that links this entire paragraph back to your thesis.

Supporting paragraph 2

A topic sentence illustrating the second point you will be presenting to supportyour thesis (this point taken from your outline sentence).

A sentence showing a real-life example of this topic in action.

A discussion sentence that shows how your example links or proves your topic

sentence.

A conclusion sentence that links this entire paragraph back to your thesis.

Conclusion paragraph

A summary sentence that briefly states the 2 points you discussed in yoursupporting paragraphs.

A restatement of your thesis using different words.

A prediction or recommendation based on the topic you have been given.


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General Training Writing Task 2

You should spend about 40 minutes on this task.

Some people believe that universities are producing more graduates

than needed, and that less emphasis should be placed on university

education. Others are of a different opinion. Discuss both views and

include your own opinion.


Model Answer

As the world develops, the opportunity to achieve a tertiary education is

becoming more widespread. This has led many to question whether larger

numbers of university graduates is a positive trend. However, others counterthan university does more than simply provide employment opportunities. Both

of these arguments will be analysed before a reasoned conclusion is reached.

On the one hand, many feel the rising number of university graduates today

causes more harm than good. For example, graduates from Canadian

universities have to wait for employment simply because there are no working

opportunities for them to engage in. Despite this, Canadian labour-related job

openings are booming. This example shows a disparity that is common in many

parts of the world and makes clear that achieving a higher education can

actually be the precursor to unemployment. Thus, it is understandable why manysupport the argument that less emphasis should be put on garnering a university

education.

However, in contrast to this stance, there are those who believe higher education

provides more to people than simply job related skill sets. For instance, the

analytical skills honed by university graduates in the United States give them a

heightened perception and deeper understanding of the world. Although this

benefit does little by way of professional development, it gives people the

chance to develop and challenge themselves personally. This makes it is clear

why many do not agree with reducing the enthusiasm for higher education.

After analysing these stances on university, it is felt the argument to lessen

educational emphasis holds little water. It is hoped the world continues to push

its young people towards the challenges offered through higher learning.

In the past lecturers could teach a certain number of students in one

lecture hall. With the development of new technology its hard to justify

the reason to participate in the lecture physically and not via the

Internet. Do you agree or disagree with this statement? What is your

personal opinion?


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Model Answer

Traditionally, lectures were given in large rooms to accommodate equally large

audiences. With the advent of modern technology, this arrangement is being

challenged by the option for students to attend class online. However, it is felt

traditional lecture hall talks are beneficial to students and will never completely

be replaced by the Internet. This will be shown by looking at how both the

theatrical nature and possibility for face-to-face debate during an in-person

lesson cater to the learning experience of an individual in a way that technology

simply cannot.

Firstly, lectures provide students with an element of theatre, which can be

positive for their education. For example, while studying at university in Canada,

I was once involved in a course that was televised in my city. During the first

semester, I engaged in the classes solely by watching this broadcast from homeand found myself to become quite lethargic and unenthusiastic regarding the

content. However, during the second semester I was informed that as a

registered student I could attend the classroom sessions of the same course and

discovered this change revitalized my interest in the topics being discussed. As

my experience shows, being present for a lecture physically can have positive

effects on students.

In addition to this, classroom lectures allow students to strengthen their wit and

abilities as orators and this is not possible on the Internet. For example, although

university classes usually have an online forum to provide a context for debate,this medium does not completely replicate the challenge faced when presenting

and defending ideas in front of a live audience. Thus, the idea that traditional

lecture-styled learning is less effective for students than more modern methods

can be debunked.

After analysing how traditional in-class lessons benefit the academic process, it

is felt that this style of learning will never be replaced entirely by technology.

Many people believe that teachers should teach students how to judgeright from wrong and how to behave, while others think they should

just teach academic subjects. What is your opinion?


Model Answer

Teaching is the art of transferring information from one human being to another.

A good teacher is someone who can make this process happens smoothly. It is

argued that instructors should make efforts to teach not only academic subjects

but also those pertaining to basic ethics and proper behaviour. To prove this, the


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heightened abilities of a teacher to instill ideas and the community-related

benefits of morality-based lessons will be analyzed.

Firstly, teachers are trained to communicate ideas effectively and applying these

skills to the areas of morality and behaviour is a positive thing. For example,

Canadian Catholic schools engage students in lessons that challenge them toclearly distinguish moral choices from immoral ones. As these sorts of lessons

are typically part of a spiritual studies program, they are not found in Canadian

public schools. Interestingly, Canadian public schools have much higher

incidences of youth hostility and drug use and much lower high school

graduation rates. Thus, when Canadian Catholic schools are compared to their

public counterparts, the effects of the moral and behavioural lessons teachers

impart to their students can be clearly seen as beneficial.

In addition to this, standardised classes instructing young people how to behave

can help to preserve the values of a community from one generation to the next.

Take China as an example. The Chinese education system to this day includes

the teachings of Confucius, which stress the honouring of ones parents. As

anyone who has been to China can attest, young people tend to obey the will of

their parents regardless of its nature. Thus, the teachings of behaviour by

classroom instructors are effective in ensuring the values of a community are

upheld from one generation to another.

After looking at how the teaching of behaviour and morality can be efficiently

accomplished by teachers and further how these teachings help prevent the

erosion of societal values, it is concluded that teachers should instruct students

how to judge right from wrong and how to behave. It is hoped global lessons onmorality grow increasingly similar in nature in the years to come.

Reducing global environmental damage should be handled by

governments rather than individuals. To what extent do you agree or

disagree? Give reasons for your answer and provide relevant examples

from your own experience.


Model Answer

The rate at which the Earth is being damaged through human activity is

alarming. As awareness of this disturbing situation grows, actions are

increasingly being taken to meet the challenge. Although world governments

play key roles in the question of environmental health, it is strongly disagreed

that their environmental efforts negate those of individuals. I will use both a

personal experience I have had as well as non-government inspired initiatives

undertaken in my country to illustrate this position.

Firstly, the sizeable contribution an individual can make in the worlds attempt tocleanse itself should not be underestimated. I feel the changes I have made to


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my own lifestyle act as a good example here. Four years ago, I made a conscious

effort to start taking the subway to work instead of driving after realizing I had

been burning an entire tank of gas every week. The effect of this small change

over the course of four years became magnified when I realized I had refrained

from burning more than two hundred full car tanks of gas! Thus, although there

are many things that governments can do to help fight environmental damage,

the individual still plays a huge role.

In addition to this, much non-government related entities have also been making

inroads in the battle for a cleaner world. For example, at many of the universities

in Canada, there are student groups that work to raise awareness of the lifestyle

changes people can make to better help the environment. These independent

groups help put a face to a message and really push people to alter themselves

for the benefit of the natural world. As this makes clear, projects aimed at

preserving the Earth do not have to be government-run to make a difference.

As my experiences show, the worlds governments should not solely handle the

issue of global environmental damage. It is hoped that the future sees more

people contribute to this cause in any way they can.

In most parts of the world people are living longer. What are the

possible causes of this situation? Is this a negative or positive

development?


Model Answer

Longevity in the world over has been increasing for a variety of reasons. Babies

born today enjoy much longer life spans than those of their parents. It is argued

that this increase is a positive phenomenon and that the main causes of it are

both the deepening of medical understanding and the sharing of such

information between people via tools like the Internet. These causes will be

examined in detail to prove their value in the lengthening of worldwide life

spans.

Firstly, medical advancements over the last century have allowed people to

postpone death. Among the more significant discoveries that made this possibleis the development of antibiotics. Antibiotics, now available to most people the

world over, dramatically lower incidences of infection and have thus greatly

curbed the number of people the world over who die due to diseases once

thought incurable. Thus, advancements in science can be seen as one of the

more major contributors to the extending of worldwide life spans.

Secondly, the Internet and the information shared across it has made the

debunking of ineffective medical practices much easier. For example, medical

folklore in countries like Ghana and rural China dictate new mothers avoid

washing themselves for a month after giving birth. Before tools like the Internet,

ridiculous and unsanitary practices such as this were widely believed to be in the

best interests of the mothers health. Today, few people in either country would


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argue in favour of this postnatal tradition. Thus, the Internet has allowed people

to share life-promoting information the world over.

In conclusion, human life is precious and the global extending of life spans

should be seen as positive. It is hoped medical discoveries continue to increase

in number and that access to the Internet continues to grow, allowing longevityto be a pleasure enjoyed everywhere.

The costs of international travel are decreasing and tourism is growing.

What are the advantages and disadvantages of increasing tourism

activity in different countries?


Model Answer

Tourism is often touted as an industry that will never shrink in size. In other

words, as the world develops, more and more people will be able to travel.

Although many may see this as a positive phenomenon, it is not a trend without

drawbacks. Both the advantages and disadvantages of this topic will be analyzed

before a reasoned conclusion is reached.

On the one hand, the reduction in travel fare and the increasing of global tourism

can be seen as a positive event as it promotes intercultural understanding and

global harmony. For example, many Middle Eastern states have opened their

doors and embraced tourism over the last twenty years and this has helped shedprejudiced views internationally that all Middle Eastern countries are dangerous.

This development clearly shows the benefits of an increasing international

tourism industry.

In addition to this, tourism creates new opportunities for trade. For example,

many Chinese tourists are bringing back products from foreign countries that are

currently unavailable in China. These new trade ties are great for the health of

the entire global economy and can be seen as yet another positive ramification

resulting from increased tourism.

On the other hand, the international tourism industry does pose somedisadvantages. For one, money travelling into countries through tourism can lead

to the establishment of some morally questionable activity. To name a few,

tourist hotspots in developing countries are often rife with theft problems,

maimed beggars and prostitution. The inflaming of these issues as a result of

increased tourism is an obvious disadvantage to the growing global travel

industry.

Following this analysis of the advantages and disadvantages of tourism and the

falling travel prices that are making it more possible, it is felt tourism has more

benefits than drawbacks. It is hoped the growth in global interculturalunderstanding continues uninterrupted as tourism increases.


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Popular events like the football World Cup and other international

sporting occasions are essential in easing international tensions and

releasing patriotic emotions in a safe way.

Every four years, the whole world stops to watch international sporting events

such as the Olympics and the Football World Cup in which athletes show their

best performance to make their country proud of them. These sporting occasions

have proved to be helpful in easing international tensions in difficult times when

powerful leaders were trying to control the worlds economy and other

governments were fighting over land.

The Olympic Games are one of the best examples which prove how sporting

events can bring nations together, at least temporarily. From ancient History,

when Greeks and Romans would interrupt battles to participate in the games, to

the more recent international disputes, when athletes from Palestine and Israelwould forget their differences, compete pacifically and even embrace each other

after an event. Moreover, these popular events have called the worlds attention

to the terrible consequences of wars; thus some leaders have tried to accept

agreements to end their dispute and live peacefully.

Similarly, international sporting events show benefits in some developing

countries which live in a daily internal civil war. For example, Brazil has a high

rate of unemployment, lack of education, hunger, crime, poverty and corruption

which leads to an immense embarrassment of being Brazilian and a low self-

esteem. However, when the Football World Cup starts, the Brazilian squad, whichis considered the best team in the world, provokes an amazing feeling of pride in

their country. Most people seem to forget all their problems and even the

criminal activity decreases. They paint roads with the national colours, use wear

the Brazilian team shirt and buy national flags. Moreover, the competition brings

families and neighbours together and even rival gangs watch the games and

celebrate peacefully.

In conclusion, popular sporting events play an important role in decreasing

international tensions and liberating patriotic feelings as History has shown.

Several languages die every year. Many people feel this is a positive

trend and that a world with fewer languages promotes harmony and

understanding between people. Analyze both sides of this argument

and provide your opinion.


Model Answer

Many languages around the world die every year, often replaced with morewidely spoken dialects. Opinions as to whether this is a positive or negative


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trend are mixed. On one hand, people feel sharing a common language may help

to encourage economic development in the world. However on the other hand,

many feel the losing of languages is a negative trend that makes it increasingly

difficult to trace humanitys heritage. Both of these accounts will be examined

before a conclusion is reached.

As many attest, the global adoption of a single language can do a lot in

promoting economic development. For example, all export companies in China

hire English speaking people to help them communicate with foreign buyers. The

growth in trade that comes as a result of this effort to speak the worlds

language does a lot to create jobs and industries around the world. Thus it can

be understood why many people support this point of view.

However, other people would argue that the rapid reduction of the worlds

languages is making it increasingly hard to trace where and how people evolved.

For example, during colonial times many lesser spoken African languages were

replaced with English, French and Dutch. This phenomenon has understandably

caused major problems for modern day historians, as these old and forgotten

languages render many of the recovered historical records and artefacts

indecipherable.

After analyzing both sides of this argument, it is felt that more good comes from

the global adoption of a single language than the preservation and practice of

older languages. Thus, it is hope the world continues to move towards a single,

standardized linguistic system.

general training writing task 2

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