Subject: Volunteering

Task 2: Some people think that young people should be required to do unpaid work helping people in the community.

Are disadvantages of this requirement greater than the benefits for the community and individuals?

OUTLINE

INTRODUCTION (2 sentences)

S1. Topic + Background

- Topic: Volunteering

- Background: Today, in many parts of the world, great values

S2. Thesis + Outline

- Thesis: I think

- Outline: Not compulsory

BODY 1  (5 sentences)

S1. Topic sentence: Young individuals: High pressure of study and social skill improvement  

S2. Explanation 1: Being very busy with their education programs at school

S3. Example 1: In Vietnam: Many minitests, some monthly evaluation tests, 12 midterm tests, and 12 final tests in a semester

S4. Explanation 2: Spending their spare time doing leisure activities with their family and friends to have a balanced life

S5. Example 2: In Vietnam: Some gifted high school students’ suicide due to extreme learning-related stress       

BODY 2 (5 sentences)

S1. Topic sentence: The society: Negligible materialistic benefits from the students’ unpaid work   

S2. Explanation 1: Young people: Lack of experience and limited knowledge  

S3. Example 1: Most State schools in Vietnam: General subjects with highly theoretical curricula  

S4. Explanation 2:  Child labor: Immoral and illegal (International Convention on the Rights of the Child)

S5. Specific explanation: Possible side effects: Children’s indignation and exhaustion        

CONCLUSION (1 sentence)

Restate the Introduction

FULL ESSAY

Today, a rising number of the young would prefer to do volunteer work, which obviously brings out some great values to both the individuals and the whole society. Therefore, it is often argued that young people should be forced to volunteer, but I think it should not be a compulsory duty.       

It’s undoubted that students have been put higher pressure of study and social skill improvement, so it’s tough for many of them to work on a voluntary basis with a tight schedule. In Vietnam, each student learns twelve subjects, and they have to swot up on for many minitests, some monthly evaluation tests, 12 midterm tests, and 12 final tests in a semester. To have a balanced life, they are encouraged to spend their spare time on leisure activities with their family and friends. Some gifted high school Vietnamese students’ suicide due to extreme learning-related stress is a striking example against adults’ excessive force of academic performance or unpaid work arrangements.    

In the meantime, I suppose that materialistic benefits the society receives from young individuals’ voluntary activities are negligible. It is mainly because they lack practical experience and have limited knowledge. One good illustration is that students from most State schools in Vietnam learn many general subjects with highly theoretical curricula, and this is not very helpful in practice, even such community service. In addition, requiring children to work is believed to be immoral and illegal since it goes against the International Convention on the Rights of the Child. That therefore possibly causes several side effects such as some children’s indignation and exhaustion.

In short, I am convinced that youngsters should be let to make their own decision on joining voluntary groups to help the vulnerable; however, I am opposed to the proposal of making it become obligatory.       

Band 9.0

(298 words)

VOCABULARY

- do volunteer work: làm từ thiện

- brings out some great values to both the individuals and the whole society: mang lại một số giá trị to lớn cho cả cá nhân và toàn xã hội

- be forced to volunteer: bị ép làm từ thiện

- a compulsory duty: nhiệm vụ bắt buộc

- put higher pressure: đặt áp lực cao hơn

- work on a voluntary basis: làm từ thiện

- a tight schedule: lịch trình dày đặc

- swot up on: ôn thi vất vả

- have a balanced life: có cuộc sống cân bằng

- be encouraged to spend their spare time on leisure activities with their family and friends: được khuyến khích dành thời gian rảnh rỗi vào các hoạt động giải trí cùng gia đình và bè bạn

-  extreme learning-related stress: căng thẳng cực độ liên quan đến học hành

- a striking example: một ví dụ điển hình

- adults’ excessive force of academic performance or unpaid work arrangements: sự áp đặt quá lớn từ người lớn về học lực và sự sắp xếp các công việc từ thiện

- negligible materialistic benefits: những lợi ích vật chất quá nhỏ nhặt

- voluntary activities: các hoạt động thiện nguyện

- lack practical experience: thiếu kinh nghiệm thực tiễn

- have limited knowledge: có kiến thức còn hạn chế

- highly theoretical curricula: các chương trình học nặng lý thuyết

- community service: dịch vụ cộng đồng, lao động công ích

- immoral and illegal: trái với đạo đức và pháp luật

- International Convention on the Rights of the Child: Công ước Quốc tế về Quyền Trẻ em

- cause several side effects: gây ra một số hiệu ứng tiêu cực

- indignation and exhaustion: sự phẫn nộ và kiệt sức

- be let to make their own decision: được để tự quyết định

- join voluntary groups: tham gia vào các nhóm thiện nguyện

- the vulnerable: những đối tượng bị tổn thương trong xã hội

- obligatory (adj) bắt buộc