2. INSTRUCTION OF IELTS WRITING TASK 2
2.1. REVIEW
Sau mỗi buổi học, các em về nhà nên tự xem lại các topics, ôn lại dạng bài, học thuộc từ vựng đã highlight và các cấu trúc hay. Việc này giúp các em hiểu kỹ và nhớ bài tốt hơn.
2.2. WRITE AND SUBMIT ESSAYS
Những essay được chọn để viết và nộp là những essay có dạng bài điển hình và chứa các từ vựng căn bản của chủ đề. Các bài trong phần này đã được giáo viên hướng dẫn kĩ càng hoặc có sẵn giàn bài, từ vựng trong sách.
Hướng dẫn:
B1: Xem lại để hiểu → suy nghĩ thêm ý → lên outline → tự viết 1 bài hoàn chỉnh.
B2: Mở phần Sample Essay, đọc qua bài mẫu của essay đó, xem có ý, từ vựng, cách diễn đạt, ngữ pháp nào hay → bổ sung vào bài của mình.
Lưu ý:
Không chép nguyên văn từ 2 câu trở lên trong bài mẫu vào bài của mình. Nếu muốn học hỏi các câu như vậy thì phải paraphrase (xem lại phần Grammar → Paraphrase).
B3: Kiểm tra lại bài thật kĩ trước khi nộp để tránh bị mất điểm đáng tiếc (có thể dựa vào phần Common Mistakes).
2.3. PRACTICE BY YOURSELF
3.1. Practice Writing Essays
Hai bước ở trên là căn bản để em nắm bài, nhưng để viết tốt thì cần phải tự luyện tập thêm nhiều.
Cách tự luyện:
B1: Đọc đề, gạch chân từ khóa, xác định dạng bài → suy nghĩ các ý cho bài → lên outline → suy nghĩ và liệt kê các từ vựng để viết bài.
Đối với các từ em gạch chân trong đề, tìm ít nhất 3 từ đồng nghĩa.
B2: Tìm thêm ý, từ vựng và cấu trúc hay ở trong phần Ideas and Vocabulary, từ điển và báo (*).
B3: Tự viết và kiểm tra lại bài. Các em nên dùng writing answer sheet để viết cho quen và đủ số chữ cần thiết.
B4: Mở phần Sample Essay, đọc qua bài mẫu, xem có ý, từ vựng, cách diễn đạt, ngữ pháp nào hay → bổ sung vào bài của mình → tự kiểm tra lại bài.
3.2. Practice Reading Sample Essays
Muốn viết giỏi thì cách duy nhất là đọc nhiều và viết nhiều.
Cách đọc:
B1: Đọc đề, gạch chân từ khóa, xác định dạng bài → suy nghĩ các ý và từ vựng cho bài.
B2: Đọc bài mẫu nhiều lần và highlight ý, từ vựng, câu, ngữ pháp hay mà em muốn học → ghi chú vào một quyển sổ tay → học và luyện viết theo.
Ở đây có khá nhiều đề để luyện tập từ bây giờ cho tới ngày thi. Những bài chưa luyện được có thể dùng làm Practice Test trong những ngày gần thi.
Dùng Báo để Viết IELTS Writing Task 2
B1: Gõ idea cần tìm thêm thông tin vào Google.
Ví dụ: “children study finance in school news” → đọc các bài báo hoặc mẫu tin đáng tin cậy.
B2: Đọc, ghi lại ý hay và từ vựng để dùng cho essay của mình.
Newspaper Sources:
| Chủ đề | Nguồn gợi ý |
|---|---|
| All Topics | BBC News, CNN News, The New York Times, Forbes, NPR News, Telegraph, The Independent, Guardian |
| Health | Livestrong.com |
| Culture | NPR News, Vietnam Heritage |
| Environment & Technology | Science News (Science News for Students) |
| Jobs | Business Insider, Financial Times |
2.4. PREPARE FOR THE NEXT SESSION
Bài đầy đủ và nội dung đa dạng, tất cả chỉ được học trong 3 tiếng.
Để đảm bảo nắm được lý thuyết và thực hành sau 3 tiếng, đồng thời tiết kiệm thời gian ôn bài sau buổi học và đặc biệt là trước ngày thi → luôn xem bài trước ở nhà.
3. SESSION 1
ESSENTIAL TECHNIQUES FOR WRITING TASK 2
I. TECHNIQUE 1: BRAINSTORMING IDEAS
1. Brainstorming and Grouping the Ideas
Topic: Some students take a year off between school and university, to work or to travel. Do the advantages of this outweigh the disadvantages?
| Advantages | Disadvantages |
|---|---|
2. Using PESTE in Brainstorming Ideas
Topic: Many people move to cities to work and live. What are the advantages and disadvantages of this trend?
| Category | Advantages | Disadvantages |
|---|---|---|
| Politics | The government has difficulty allocating budget and human resources due to the imbalance between urban and rural workers. | |
| Economy | ||
| Society (People) | Overpopulation leads to a high crime rate in cities. | |
| Technology, Transport | ||
| Environment, Health | ||
| Education | Children in cities benefit from good facilities, study in prestigious schools, and have a chance to study abroad. |
Topic: Financial education should be a mandatory component of the school program. To what extent do you agree or disagree with this statement?
| Aspect | Agree | Disagree |
|---|---|---|
| Politics, Crime | ||
| Economy | Involve theory, practice and require teachers’ experience → the government has to allocate more budget for education → affect other sectors. | |
| Society (People) | Understand the value of money → treasure labour and property. | |
| Technology, Transport | ||
| Environment, Health | ||
| Education | Expose themselves to figures, operations, and business → enhance mathematical skills, critical thinking, and creativity. |
II. STRUCTURE OF A BODY PARAGRAPH
Topic sentence (at the beginning or end of the paragraph)
Supporting idea 1: Explanation and Example
Supporting idea 2: Explanation and Example
III. ANALYZING SAMPLE ESSAYS
Topic: Financial education should be a mandatory component of the school program. To what extent do you agree or disagree with this statement?
Essay 1: Totally Agree
(Bài viết đầy đủ như trong tài liệu, giữ nguyên cấu trúc và từ vựng học thuật, không thay đổi – giữ định dạng đoạn văn, xuống dòng chuẩn, có phần từ vựng ghi chú ở cuối).
Essay 2: Balanced (50/50)
(Tương tự, trình bày gọn gàng, không thêm ký hiệu, giữ nguyên bản dịch Anh, có chú giải cuối bài).
IV. TECHNIQUES TO WRITE AND DEVELOP A BODY PARAGRAPH
Gồm 6 mục:
- Giving reasons or causes
- Giving results or consequences
- Giving further explanation
- Unreal condition (If 2)
- Giving examples based on knowledge
- Giving examples academically based on newspapers/journals
III. ANALYZING SAMPLE ESSAYS
Topic: Financial education should be a mandatory component of the school program.
To what extent do you agree or disagree with this statement?
Essay 1: Totally Agree
Nowadays, it is argued that finance should be taught as a compulsory subject in school. I strongly believe that the incorporation of this subject in the curriculum is beneficial due to following reasons.
It is undeniable that financial literacy provides students with many life skills including avoidance of swindle and investment. Initially, due to lacking knowledge and experience in transaction, many adults were defrauded by criminals. For example, customers of some banks were swindled out of thousands of dollars when they revealed their passwords in the bank website. In addition, after learning monetary management in school, many teenagers are able to establish their own business, namely lemonade stands or school supplies stores, thus earning money to support themselves and creating business foundation for future success.
Besides, young learners, who understand finance, tend to treasure labor and property. As the economy thrives, numerous children and young adults from affluent families, who are indulged with foods and toys, often squander money on video-games, bars and extravagant outfits. If they were taught finance at early age, they would be less likely to spend money on such frivolous pastimes. Furthermore, financially literate students often understand that their parents have to work assiduously to make money; therefore, they have a tendency to save money and take responsibility for their belongings more than their peer friends.
In conclusion, it is advisable to make financial education an obligatory component of the school program. This preparation is a cornerstone for students’ future achievements.
(279 words – IELTS band 8)
Vocabulary Notes:
- Defraud sb of sth (v): lừa đảo
- Swindle sb out of sth / swindle sth out of sb: lừa lấy vật gì của ai
- Reveal password: để lộ mật khẩu
- Affluent families: gia đình giàu có
- Indulge sb with sth: nuông chiều ai với điều gì
- Work assiduously: làm việc chăm chỉ, cần cù
Essay 2: Balanced (50/50)
The idea that finance should be taught as a compulsory subject in school remains a source of controversy. While I accept that students had better be compelled to learn monetary management, downsides of this policy cannot be overlooked.
On the one hand, there are significant advantages of financial education for learners at an early stage of life. Firstly, children can learn and understand concepts of money, which leads to appropriate solutions to future crises. For instance, instruction on saving at school enables many single mothers to better control their expense after divorce. In addition, financial education helps children understand that their parents have to work assiduously to make money. As a result, it reminds them to spend money reasonably and plan future expenditure wisely. This subject, accordingly, can be taught in a school program to provide a strong background and deep knowledge for the youth in terms of preparing for their future.
On the other hand, when children are taught about money too early, they might be affected negatively. Initially, the subjects of finance are fairly complicated and challenging for young students compared to mainstream subjects such as mathematics and history. This is mainly because most financial courses are practical, requiring experience along with theory. Moreover, people who expose themselves to money matters at early age may measure everything from a profit-oriented perspective. In other words, children are probably obsessed with money, having an inclination to prioritize materials over relationship or even health.
In conclusion, though finance literacy is crucial to students due to some upsides, it seems inappropriate to them considering its difficulty and negative impact.
(303 words – IELTS band 8)
Vocabulary Notes:
- Crisis → crises (pl.): khủng hoảng
- Reasonably: hợp lý
- Instill sth into sb: truyền đạt điều gì cho ai
- Mainstream subject: môn học chính thống
- Profit-oriented perspective: quan điểm định hướng lợi nhuận
- Obsess (v): ám ảnh
IV. TECHNIQUES TO WRITE AND DEVELOP A BODY PARAGRAPH
1. Giving Reasons or Causes
| Phrases / Words | Examples |
|---|---|
| This is mainly/fundamentally/simply because + S-V | This is fundamentally because mothers mostly stay at home, they have a greater responsibility in upbringing children. |
| The major/primary/main reason is that + S-V | – |
| Since/Because/As + S-V | Since the developing countries have adopted technology in their agriculture sector, their yearly productions have increased significantly. |
| Because of / Due to / Owing to / On account of + N/V-ing | Due to the widespread corruption in these less developed countries, the fund should be directly handled and utilized by the authority of the developed countries. Owing to: The new factory would have many negative effects and would destroy the serenity of our community owing to its location in the middle of our area. |
Example 1:
People should follow the customs and traditions when people start to live in a new country. To what extent do you agree or disagree?
→ Agree: Newcomers should obey conventions and lifestyle in the host country. The major reason is that when they follow local customs and behavior, they can live in harmony with the locals. As well as that, they can broaden their horizons about culture.
Example 2:
Financial education should be a mandatory component of the school program.
→ When children are taught about money too early, they might be affected negatively. Firstly, the subjects of finance are fairly complicated and challenging for young students compared to mainstream subjects such as mathematics and history. This is mainly because…
2. Giving Results or Consequences
| Phrases | Examples |
|---|---|
| As a result, + clause | As a result, lessons learned from our experiences have better effects in our life. |
| Hence, + clause | Hence, I completely disagree that the factory would be a good place for new jobs for the community people. |
| Clause, thereby/thus + N/V-ing | Many factories deliberately emitted smoke into the air and discharged sewage into rivers, thus/thereby polluting the local area. |
| Therefore, + clause | Therefore, television is the most popular media for entertainment in most of the countries in the world. |
| Thus, + clause | Thus, overreliance on technology can bring dreadful events in the upcoming future. |
| Consequently/As a consequence, + clause | Consequently, we remember such gifts and revere the good wishes that were conveyed through those gifts. |
| For this reason, + clause | For this reason, I would like to own a private car than always relying on public transportation. |
| Clause, resulting in + N/V-ing | Sea level rises rapidly, resulting in top-soil erosion and accommodation loss to dwellers. |
Example 1:
It is more important for schoolchildren to learn about local history than world history.
→ Agree: Knowing about the past of their region or country will foster a sense of belonging and pride in each child. As a result, children treasure their life and country, thus making an effort to contribute to their nation.
Example 2:
Financial education should be a mandatory component of the school program.
→ When students learn finance in school, they tend to treasure labor and property. Financially literate students often understand that their parents have to work assiduously to make money; therefore,…
3. Giving Further Explanation
- In other words, …
- That is to say, …
- …, meaning that …
- In fact / Indeed, …
Example 1:
It is more important for schoolchildren to learn about local history than world history.
→ From another angle, learning about world history shares equal importance just as local one. Acquiring knowledge about the world’s past events equips students with a more well-rounded perspective of life. In other words, they are able to compare what happened in their region with the similar event on an international scale at the same time. World War II is a case in point.
Example 2:
Financial education should be a mandatory component of the school program.
→ People who expose themselves to money matters at early age may measure everything from a profit-oriented perspective. In other words,…
4. Unreal Condition (If 2)
Example 1:
It is more important for schoolchildren to learn about local history than world history.
→ From another angle, learning about world history shares equal importance just as local one. There is a concrete association of history and other socio-economic fields. If students stopped learning this subject on an international scale, they would not understand trading, political and educational activities in their own region in relation to neighboring countries.
Example 2:
Financial education should be a mandatory component of the school program.
→ It is undeniable that financial literacy provides students with many life skills including avoidance of swindle and investment. If…
5. Giving Examples Based on Your Knowledge
- To cite an example:
- For example:
- For instance:
- To take sth/sb as an example:
- To illustrate:
- … is a case in point.
- Such as …
Examples:
- To cite an example: I started learning a second language at my primary school and that did not increase my study pressure at all.
- For example: Most of the companies want their employees to enhance their skills so that they can better perform over time.
- For instance: Many developing countries are trying to improve their GDP through their export activities.
- To take Japan as an example: However scarce the natural resources are, citizens make an unremitting effort in developing technology and service.
- To illustrate: Universities, these days, offer a wider range of subjects than they used to do in the past.
- Cancer is a case in point: While many Western medicines fail to treat this serious disease, alternative medicine resorted by patients indicates a gradual recovery.
- Such as: Chemicals discharged from industrial sites such as factories cause water contamination.
6. Giving Examples Academically Based on Information from Newspapers or Journals
- According to (recent) newspapers/articles/research/scientists,…
- (Recent) newspapers/articles/researches/scientists indicate/reveal that…
Example:
According to recent articles, approximately thirty percent of children in underdeveloped and developing countries suffer from malnutrition.