Studying Abroad
Some claim that studying abroad has great benefits for a student’s home country.
To what extent do you agree or disagree?
A school of thought holds that studying overseas brings about significant benefits for students’ home countries. Though this is true to a certain extent, I disagree with this sentiment because of the following reasons.
Proponents of studying abroad point to two major advantages. The first merit is a more well-developed education system in first-world countries. By sending students abroad, policymakers in third-world nations can later benefit from more advanced economies to further domestic schooling systems, among other aspects. Another compelling profit is that overseas students serve as ambassadors of their home countries. This means that the concomitant exchanges of knowledge, cultures, and merchandise foster growth in all countries involved.
Nonetheless, I would argue that overseas studying is a negative overall for two main reasons. First and foremost, studying overseas is usually associated with outsized costs, leaving many families of students in debt later in life. This amount dedicated to overseas studying could have been better used to secure a place in a top-quality institution in a student’s home country. In addition, many students decide to study abroad for the prospect of residency, and later citizenship. This brain drain phenomenon will likely lead to a host of issues, including talent scarcity and labour shortages, which could set developing nations back economically.
In conclusion, despite the tangible benefits of learning from developed nations, I am against studying abroad for the costs involved and the prospects of brain drain. Other than providing students with studying-abroad scholarships, governments should invest more in national education systems to nurture and retain talents.
Essay Breakdown
Structure:
Introduction
[1] A school of thought holds that studying overseas brings about significant benefits for students’ home countries. [2] Though this is true to a certain extent, I disagree with this sentiment because of the following reasons.
1. Paraphrase the topic
2. State my opinion by answering the question directly
Body
Paragraph 1
[1] Proponents of studying abroad rightly point to two major advantages. [2] The first merit is a more well-developed education system in first-world countries. [3] By sending students abroad, policymakers in third-world nations can later benefit from more advanced economies to better domestic schooling systems, among other aspects. Another compelling profit is that overseas students serve as ambassadors of their home countries. This means that the concomitant exchanges of knowledge, cultures, and merchandise foster growth in all countries involved.
1. A topic sentence to address the main idea – what people agreeing with the viewpoint might say
2. State the first benefit
3. Explain it with further detail
4. Provide the second advantage
5. Give a detailed explanation
Paragraph 2
[1] Nonetheless, I would argue that overseas studying is a negative overall for two main reasons. [2] First and foremost, studying overseas is usually associated with outsized costs, leaving many families of students in debt later in life. [3] This amount dedicated to overseas studying could have been better used to secure a place in a top-quality institution in a student’s home country. [4] In addition, many students decide to study abroad for the prospect of residency, and later citizenship. [5] This brain drain phenomenon will likely lead to a host of issues, including talent scarcity and labour shortages, which could set developing nations back economically.
1. A topic sentence to show my preferred viewpoint
2. State the first drawback
3. Develop it by giving a hypothetical situation
4. Provide the second disadvantage
5. Conclude by showing several consequences
Conclusion
[1] In conclusion, despite the tangible benefits of learning from developed nations, I am against studying abroad for the costs involved and the prospects of brain drain. [2] Other than providing students with studying-abroad scholarships, governments should invest more in national education systems to nurture and retain talents.
1. Restate my opinion
2. Extend my point of view by giving a final thought
Vocabulary
A school of thought holds that studying overseas brings about significant benefits for students’ home countries. Though this is true to a certain extent, I disagree with this sentiment because of the following reasons.
Proponents of studying abroad rightly point to two major advantages. The first merit is a more well-developed education system in first-world countries. By sending students abroad, policymakers in third-world nations can later benefit from more advanced economies to better domestic schooling systems, among other aspects. Another compelling profit is that overseas students serve as ambassadors of their home countries. This means that the concomitant exchanges of knowledge, cultures, and merchandise foster growth in all countries involved.
Nonetheless, I would argue that overseas studying is a negative overall for two main reasons. First and foremost, studying overseas is usually associated with outsized costs, leaving many families of students in debt later in life. This amount dedicated to overseas studying could have been better used to secure a place in a top-quality institution in a student’s home country. In addition, many students decide to study abroad for the prospect of residency, and later citizenship. This brain drain phenomenon will likely lead to a host of issues, including talent scarcity and labour shortages, which could set developing nations back economically.
In conclusion, despite the tangible benefits of learning from developed nations, I am against studying abroad for the costs involved and the prospects of brain drain. Other than providing students with studying-abroad scholarships, governments should invest more in national education systems to nurture and retain talents.
Vocabulary Highlight
- School of thought: a particular way of thinking
- Proponent (n): a person who supports an idea or course of action
- First-world countries (n): developed nations
- Third-world countries (n): developing nations
- primarily (adv): mainly
- concomitant (adj): happening at the same time as something else, especially because one thing is related to or causes the other
- institution (n): a large important organization that has a particular purpose, for example, a university or bank
- residency (n): permission to live in a country that is not your own
- brain drain – the emigration of highly trained or intelligent people from a particular country.
- scarcity (n): if there is a scarcity of something, there is not enough of it and it is difficult to obtain it
- nurture (v): to care for and protect somebody/something while they are growing and developing
- retain (v): to keep something; to continue to have something
Reading
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Listening
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