Mini Lesson: IELTS Vocabulary and Collocation
Lesson objective: how to use IELTS vocabulary and collocation effectively.
Some universities offer online courses to students.
Do you think this is a positive or negative development?
There is a growing trend for universities to provide access to online courses of students instead of or as well as traditional classroom lessons. I believe this is a positive development and this essay shall outline reasons supporting this particular point of view.
Virtual learning environments provided by some universities allow students from all over the world to study at the university of their choice without the expense of leaving home and being there in person. Imagine the cost of moving from Shanghai to Cambridge in the UK, there are not only the university fees but also the high cost of rent and day to day living costs associated with life in an expensive developed country to be considered. Over 200,000 students from China do this each year spending a small fortune when the reality is they could learn the same material without moving away from their family support network.
Furthermore, many jobs of the future will be based online and so it makes sense that prior learning is therefore also done online. What is the point of developing excellent note taking ability during lectures when you will never utilize that skill again in future life. If you learn online however, you may well enhance your typing skills and general knowledge of computer software, this is likely to make you far more employable than the ability to sit and take notes during a lecture.
In summary, being able to study remotely provides many cost savings and also enhances skills relevant to the work place. These are the main reasons why I strongly believe online learning is a positive movement.
268 words
Teaching Point: Try to use vocabulary in the same way that native speakers do. That means that you have to try and use the same combinations of words. Do not just learn a list of new words and definitions but notice which words they are often used alongside. For example, if you say ‘What is the university tuition price?’ everyone will know what you mean but it does not sound as natural as ‘what is the university tuition fee?’. The two words collocate together and sound better together. Look at the other examples in the essay.
Now, go back to the IELTS Writing Task 2 Essay main page here for more lessons.
IELTS Writing Task 1 (Academic)
Discover how to describe all types of visual data that you may see in this part of the test.
Sshhhhh! Listen closely, here are some valuable tips, techniques and strategies for maximising your listening band score.
IELTS Writing Task 1 (General)
Discover how to write in the correct format and tone for this part of the test.
Learn 'what' to say and 'how' to say it in each part of the test to impress the examiner.
