Band 9 essay sample: Should students participate in international student exchange programs?
IELTS essay
Some teachers think that international student exchange would be beneficial for all teenage school students. Do you think its advantages will outweigh the disadvantages?
Band 9 essay sample
Students who participate in international student exchange programs gain rich benefits. They return as more confident individuals with a wider perspective on life and international affairs. Needless to say many parents and teachers support these programs. In my opinion, international student exchange programs have more advantages than disadvantages.
Student exchange programs force students to leave their comfort zone and explore a foreign territory totally unknown to them. This helps them discover their hidden talents and leadership qualities. They also learn to adapt to unfamiliar surroundings and living conditions. As a result, they become bolder and more confident.
In countries like India, children are overly dependent on their parents. In fact, it is not uncommon for Indian parents to take decisions on their children’s behalf even after they turn adults. When these teens participate in exchange programs they learn to live on their own.
Also, when students get to study in another country and mingle with students of another culture, their perspective on life broadens. They learn to tolerate differences. They also understand that the world is big enough to accommodate people of all faiths, customs and religions. This makes them better individuals.
Cultural exchange is another benefit. When students live abroad as part of an exchange program, they learn to appreciate another culture. They also bring their culture with them. This allows their hosts to become familiar with their culture.
Student exchange programs also improve the career prospects of the participants. Because of their broader perspective and their exposure to international communities, they are sought after by companies that operate in different parts of the world.
To conclude, there are several benefits to participating in international student exchange programs. These programs boost the confidence levels of the participants and make them more tolerant.
International exchange visits as part of the school curriculum, are considered beneficial to youngsters by experts in this area. As per my opinion, despite some obvious disadvantages, the benefits of this program significantly outweigh the drawbacks.
On the one hand, there is a widely held belief that student exchange programs offer numerous benefits. Firstly, when children spend some part of their semester in another country, they can connect with other people with varied cultures and backgrounds. This helps them to become more sensitized to different racial, and socio-economic groups and communities. Secondly, they become acquainted with diverse thoughts and beliefs which helps them expand their horizons and leads to better cognitive and psychosocial development. Moreover, there is ample scientific research carried out by eminent scholars in this area, to bolster the unequivocal and irrefutable argument that children who spend time with mixed racial and economic groups during their adolescence, have a more holistic approach towards life, which ultimately leads to a better overall development.
On the other hand, there is a bevy of people who opine that international exchange visits have few drawbacks. These people vehemently contend that children can become more self-conscious and their focus tends to shift away from academic pursuits. Furthermore, there have been cases of bullying, and children, especially from Asian countries, have been victims of racial abuse by other pupils. This directly impacts the morale and self-esteem of students.
To conclude, professionals in the area of child development, contend that spending few semesters at another location as part of educational curriculum, allows adolescents to be more sensitive to other cultures, and have a holistic approach towards life, whereas others believe that children can be subjugated to bullying and harassment resulting in lower self- esteem. I believe that the advantages of the former significantly outweigh the disadvantages.
This is close to band 7.