ASSIGNMENT REVIEW

NEC WRITING PART 3 - DISCUSSION

It is believed by some that students should be able to pick their own sets of subjects to study at school.
Those who disagree argue that all students had better study the full curriculum.

Discuss both options and give your opinion.

SAMPLE OUTLINE
Main idea 1: Students stand to benefit from choosing which subjects to learn at school

- Increased motivation to learn and make progress

+ Studying a set of subjects handpicked according to personal interests boosts student motivation and create
engagement in learning

→ self-sustaining motivation, long-term commitment, understanding of responsibility...

"When students have a hand in choosing their classes, they feel a sense of ownership over their education. This
sense of ownership can lead to increased motivation to succeed and a deeper level of engagement with the
material. Students are more likely to take responsibility for their learning outcomes when they have actively
chosen their academic path.

This empowerment can foster a positive attitude towards education and a genuine desire to learn and grow."

- www.educationalwave.com

- Performance growth

+ Allowing students to concentrate on subjects they are gifted in or harbour great interest for → More likely to
perform better academically

+ Example: those with exceptional skills in logical and analytical thinking, and are clever with calculations tend
to fare much better in Mathematics, Physics or Chemistry, while those...

Main idea 2: A standardised curriculum have an undeniable set of advantages

- Maintaining consistency:

+ A curriculum shared between all students, as well as all formal institutions creates and sustains a fixed
structure for teaching and learning making:

→ progress much easier to track

→ performance much easier to assess

→ exams better organized

+ Students switching between grades/classes or transferring between schools would benefit from the same
standard curriculum contents.
- A cornerstone of comprehensive education.

+ Making sure all students learn the same subjects means ensuring they do not miss out on any important or
must-know area of knowledge (give some examples)

(OPTIONAL) Personal suggestion

Note: both options are beneficial, cannot use both at the same time

→ Whether to utilise a standardised model or not should depend on the level of education

+ Primary or secondary/junior-high schools need students to become familiar with a wide range of disciplines
and should aim to encourage/facilitate self-exploration → better suited for a standard curriculum where all are
taught the same subjects

+ High schools and colleges/universities are places where students need to focus on their strength and pursue
skill specialisation (for further studies, research and ultimately employment) → benefit more from a
choice-based system.

Write an essay of 350 words on the following topic.

Artificial intelligence is said to have drastically changed human society and this is expected to continue well
into the future. Some people say that we are becoming overly dependent on machines to function in the
modern world and this is a negative development.

To what extent do you agree or disagree?

SAMPLE OUTLINE
Opinion: Dependence to a certain extent, but overall a positive development

Main idea 1: AI may cause humans to lose independence in various ways, including:

- A massive loss of skills and expertise

+ Relying on the input of artificial intelligence may lead to a deterioration of human abilities → AI can take on
an increasing number of roles and is becoming more and more effective (examples: composing written
content, editing photos and videos, programming, visual designing, etc)

→ The more humans rely on AI to fulfil tasks, the less incentive there is to learn new skills and improve
existing ones.

+ AI can only work mostly based on imitating human, rather than creating new ways of thinking or novel skills

→ Overuse of AI may stagger human innovation in the long term

- Loss in cognitive prowess

+ Cognitive functions like logical thinking, problem-solving or memory retention can be severely affected
through prolonged use of AI

→ Detrimental for learning processes

+ Relying on AI to solve problems detract from the human capability to think flexibly and adapt to changing
circumstances

→ Struggle in situations requiring creativity or thinking outside the box, due to lack of AI support.

→ More challenging and more risky decision-making

Main idea 2: The daily use of AI may not necessarily be threatening

- That AI is becoming more useful and applicable in jobs and businesses allows humans to relieve themselves
of menial, oversimplified tasks and devote more time to creative work

→ Give humans chances for personal development while saving time and effort

- A driving force for technological innovation

+ AI can help humans compile and analyse information, making research and development take less time and
more efficient

+ Businesses that make use of AI to expedite their work (generating plans, organizing data, managing human
resources) can gain a remarkable competitive edge over those who fail to do so.

- A helpful tool for education and research

+ AI have been exceptionally useful for students and those learning a new skill or area of knowledge (by
helping with collecting, summarising and explaining massive bodies of information)

REVIEW
I wish I could make more detailed corrections and suggestions for your essays, but I could not afford myself the
time to do so. Instead, I saved some of the best paragraphs that you wrote. (There are some others which are
really good as well but including them would make this a whole lot longer, my apologies.) These may not be
exactly what is written in your original essays. For our purposes, I made a few tweaks here and there to make
your wording better or more appropriate.

Openings:

● The question of whether students ought to be permitted to select their subsets of subjects or adhere
to a comprehensive curriculum in the contentious issue in education. Proponents of both approaches
present compelling arguments, each emphasising different educational philosophies and expectations.
This piece of writing is going to elaborate on both points of view and articulate my personal stance.
● The debate over whether students should have the autonomy to select their subjects in school or
follow a prescribed curriculum has become contentious over the past decades. Proponents of subject
selection argue that it caters to individual interests and strengths, while opponents believe that a full
curriculum is essential for a well-rounded education. This essay explores both perspectives and
presents my opinion on the matter.
● In the ever-evolving educational landscape, the debate around student choice in curriculum selection is
a polarising one. While some reckon that students should have the autonomy to opt for their own set
of subjects, others claim that they should adhere to a standardised curriculum. This essay will examine
both perspectives and articulate my opinion.
Body paragraphs:

● On the one hand, a full curriculum has an undeniable set of advantages. The first one is that it can
maintain consistency. A shared curriculum among all students sustains a fixed structure for teaching
and learning, which could prove useful for instructors and learners in tracking progress and assessing
performance. Moreover, students switching between classes or transferring between schools would
not find difficulty in continuing their curriculum contents, which all follow the same standard. The
second advantage is that a standardised curriculum is a cornerstone for comprehensive education.
Making sure all students learn the same subjects means ensuring they do not miss out on any
important area of knowledge. For example, a fixed set of subjects involving maths and literature
provides students with adequate knowledge and skills related to critical thinking and good manners.
● On the one hand, a number of reasons can be put forward for studying a set of subjects handpicked
according to personal interest. As a matter of fact, some children are endowed with impeccable taste
in music, artistic abilities, or athletic skills, all of which the standardised curriculum is inclined to
downplay. Also, admittedly, there exist those who only have a head for figures, mental arithmetic or
analytical thinking, whereas others show a natural aptitude for language and literature. Thus, being
confined to a full curriculum may not only mount stiff resistance among such students, but more
seriously, slow down their individual development plan. In contrast, affording students the chance to
concentrate on subjects they harbour great interest for and to proactively decide their future help
boost their self-motivation and create a sense of engagement in learning.
● On the one hand, an all inclusive curriculum endows students with several benefits. First of all, they
have a chance to get access to well-rounded education. A broad knowledge foundation gained from a
diverse range of subjects facilitates a comprehensive perspective of the world and appreciation of
different academic disciplines. Furthermore, those who follow this method obtain numerous skills
varying from problem solving in mathematics to critical thinking in literature. Altogether, these serve to
make students brilliant future members of society who are well equipped with both knowledge and
practical capabilities. Second, more job opportunities are opened when students study a broad range
of subjects. As the employment market becomes increasingly unpredictable, employers are looking for
those with great versatility, flexibility, and the ability to adapt to constant changes, virtues which are
strongly associated with an all-subjects curriculum. In addition, these individuals could work in various
sectors during the course of their professional career, thereby earning higher incomes.
● Students stand to benefit from choosing which subjects to learn at school. First, a personalised
curriculum can increase motivation to learn and make progress. This is because the sense of ownership
over the students' education can lead to a deeper level of engagement with the material. Therefore,
learners will foster a positive attitude towards education and a genuine desire to learn and grow.
Secondly, allowing students to concentrate on subjects they are gifted in or harbour great interest for
can boost academic performance. For example, those with exceptional skills in logical and analytical
thinking tend to fare much better in science subjects, while others can perform better in social subjects
or art, in other words, choice-based education can facilitate self-sustaining motivation and
performance growth.
● Above all, the choice between a standardised curriculum and a choice based system should be
determined by the educational level of a school or institution. At the primary and secondary levels, the
standardised curriculum is beneficial as it offers students comprehensive baseline knowledge and
promotes exploration of various disciplines at the same time. Meanwhile, at the high school and
 college levels, the choice-based one would be more suitable as it enables students to concentrate on
their strengths and preferred skills, which match their career aspirations.

Also, I would like to suggest adding a mini-conclusion to the end of a paragraph, to signal an end to a body
paragraph and make it feel a bit more complete.

This is how it should work (the paragraph is from above):

● On the one hand, a full curriculum has an undeniable set of advantages. The first one is that it can
maintain consistency. A shared curriculum among all students sustains a fixed structure for teaching
and learning, which could prove useful for instructors and learners in tracking progress and assessing
performance. Moreover, students switching between classes or transferring between schools would
not find difficulty in continuing their curriculum contents, which all follow the same standard. The
second advantage is that a standardised curriculum is a cornerstone for comprehensive education.
Making sure all students learn the same subjects means ensuring they do not miss out on any
important area of knowledge. For example, a fixed set of subjects involving maths and literature
provides students with adequate knowledge and skills related to critical thinking and good manners.

→ On the one hand, a full curriculum has an undeniable set of advantages. The first one is that it can
maintain consistency. A shared curriculum among all students sustains a fixed structure for teaching
and learning, which could prove useful for instructors and learners in tracking progress and assessing
performance. Moreover, students switching between classes or transferring between schools would
not find difficulty in continuing their curriculum contents, which all follow the same standard. The
second advantage is that a standardised curriculum is a cornerstone for comprehensive education.
Making sure all students learn the same subjects means ensuring they do not miss out on any
important area of knowledge. For example, a fixed set of subjects involving maths and literature
provides students with adequate knowledge and skills related to critical thinking and good manners. In
other words, a full curriculum creates consistency in learning and makes it more comprehensive.

Here is another example from unrelated essays:

● In the first place, coming into contact with public commercials for medications and supplements may
result in consumers damaging their own health. Recently, the rising number of patients suffering from
various health conditions and desperate for a quick remedy has prompted medical advertising to surge
to the media with attractive imagery and celebrity endorsements to entice potential buyers.
Consequently, consumers with insufficient medical knowledge may be tempted to purchase the
products and use them without professional consultation, leading to complications due to misuse,
overuse or allergic effects. Therefore, rather than successfully treating themselves, patients might
damage their body and create problems for treatment by blindly trusting advertisements.

● In the first place, the awareness of events, trends and occurrences on a global level may allow
individuals to make their contributions to resolving global issues. Nowadays, despite rapid and
revolutionary developments in multiple fields such as finance, medicine or education, there exist
 communities and nations across the continents that still battle against their own existential threats.
Some people amongst those suffer from social issues such as racism, wealth segregation or internal
conflicts, while some others are fighting violent wars and living with famine. Being aware of such issues
can instil a sense of sympathy amongst different populations and prompt those capable of providing
support to take action. Some may choose to organize charities to gather donations for helping those in
need, while some others go out on the streets protesting against violence and social evils. This is a
testament to the fact that actively showing attention to international issues is a great step towards
ameliorating the world.

This is a very minor addition and not required. However, it can make your body paragraphs more structured
and sound more professional.
 NEC WRITING PART 1 - SUMMARY
Ex. 1

Summarise each of the following extracts using between 120 and 140 words.

Leatherback turtles follow the general sea turtle body plan of having a large, flattened, round body with two
pairs of very large flippers and a short tail. Like other sea turtles, the leatherback's flattened forelimbs are
adapted for swimming in the open ocean. Claws are absent from both pairs of flippers. The Leatherback's
flippers are the largest in proportion to its body among extant sea turtles. Leatherback's front flippers can
grow up to 2.7 metres (9 ft) in large specimens, the largest flippers (even in comparison to its body) of any sea
turtle. As the last surviving member of its family, the leatherback turtle has several distinguishing
characteristics that differentiate it from other sea turtles. Its most notable feature is that it lacks the bony shell
of the other extant sea turtles.

During the past month, four turtles have washed up along Irish coasts from Wexford to Kerry. These turtles are
more typical of warmer waters and only occur in Irish waters when they stray off course. It is likely that they
may have originated from Florida, America. Actually, there has been extensive research conducted regarding
the sea turtles’ abilities to return to their nesting regions and sometimes exact locations from hundreds of
miles away. In the water, their path is greatly affected by powerful currents. Despite their limited vision, and
lack of landmarks in the open water, turtles are able to retrace their migratory paths. Some explanations of
this phenomenon have found that sea turtles can detect the angle and intensity of the earth’s magnetic fields.
However, Loggerhead turtles are not normally found in Irish waters, because water temperatures here are far
too cold for their survival. Instead, adult loggerheads prefer the warmer waters of the Mediterranean, the
Caribbean and North America's east coast.

Leatherbacks are in imminent danger of extinction. A critical factor (among others) is the harvesting of eggs
from nests. Valued as a food delicacy, Leatherback eggs are falsely touted to have aphrodisiacal properties in
some cultures. The leatherback, unlike the Green Sea turtle, is not often killed for its meat; however, the
increase in human populations coupled with the growing black-market trade has escalated their egg depletion.
Other critical factors causing the leatherbacks’ decline are pollution such as plastics (leatherbacks eat this
debris thinking it is jellyfish) fishing practices such as longline fishing and gill nets, and development on habitat
areas. Scientists have estimated that there are only about 35,000 Leatherback turtles in the world.

We are often unable to understand the critical impact a species has on the environment—that is, until that
species becomes extinct. Even if we do not know the role a creature plays in the health of the environment,
past lessons have taught US enough to know that every animal and plant is one important link in the integral
chain of nature. Since the Leatherback consumes its weight in jellyfish per day, it helps to keep Jellyfish
populations in check. Jellyfish consume large quantities of fish larvae. The rapid decline in Leatherback
populations over the last 50 years has been accompanied by a significant increase in jellyfish and a marked
decrease in fish in our oceans. Saving sea turtles is an international endeavour.

SUMMARY:

The extract explains the characteristics of the leatherback turtle and its conservation status. The leatherback
possesses typical characteristics of sea turtles, albeit with larger flipper-limbs and a flatter, less bony shell than
that of related species. Research suggests that leatherbacks have great path-tracing abilities that enable them
to find their way to nesting grounds across the sea. However, some individuals have strayed from their usual
path and washed up in a region with dangerously low temperatures. The survival of leatherbacks against the
threat of extinction, as discussed, is in peril due to increased egg harvesting for human consumption, aside
from habitat invasion, plastic waste problems, and destructive fishing methods. Saving the species from such
threats is a global goal, as evidenced by their role in sustaining fish populations in the oceans by keeping
fish-eating jellyfish in check.

Ex. 2

Summarise each of the following extracts using between 120 and 140 words.

Nicholas Ostler makes the point that no language's triumph is permanent and unassailable. Like empires (and
often with them), languages rise and fall, and English, Ostler contends, will be no exception.

English is the first truly global lingua franca, if by 'global' we mean 'used on every inhabited continent'. But in
the smaller and less densely interconnected world of the past, many other languages had similar functions
and enjoyed comparable prestige. Modern lingua francas include French, German, Latin, Portuguese, Russian
and Spanish. Yet these once-mighty languages are now largely confined to those territories where their
modern forms are spoken natively. Though at the height of their power some acquired - and have kept - large
numbers of native speakers outside their original homelands (as with Spanish and Portuguese in South
America), few retain their old status.

To understand why the mighty fall, Ostler suggests we must look to the factors that enabled them to rise: most
commonly these are conquest, commerce and conversion. Conquered or subordinated peoples learn (or are
obliged to learn) the languages of their overlords; traders acquire the languages that give them access to
markets; converts adopt the languages of their new religion. But these ways of recruiting speakers are not
conducive to permanent attachment. The learned language is not valued for its own sake, but only for the
benefits that are seen to flow from it, and only for as long as those benefits outweigh the costs. When new
conquerors arrive, their subjects switch to new lingua francas. Old empires break up and their lingua francas
are abandoned, while the spread of a new religion may advance a language or conversely weaken it. And
always there is the resentment generated by dependence on a language which has to be learned, and
therefore favours elites over those without access to schooling. Prestigious lingua francas are socially divisive,
and therefore unstable.

English in the global age is often portrayed as an exceptional case. Writers who take this view point out that
English differs from previous lingua francas in two important ways: first, it has no serious competition, and
second, although it was originally spread by conquest, commerce and missionaries, its influence no longer
depends on coercion. Because of this, the argument runs, it will not suffer the fate of its predecessors.
However, for millennia we have been willing to compromise our linguistic loyalties in exchange for various
rewards; if the rewards could be had without the compromise, we would gladly lay our burden down. Ostler
believes that we will soon be able to do that. English, he suggests, will be the last lingua franca. As
Anglo-American hegemony withers, the influence of English will decline; but what succeeds it will not be any
other single language. Rather we will see a technologically-enabled return to a state of Babel. Thanks to
advances in computer translation, 'everyone will speak and write in whatever language they choose, and the
world will understand'.

SUMMARY:
The extract presents a discussion on global languages and the status of English as a special case. Specifically,
historically dominant lingua francas were spread through trade, religion and invasion, and acquired their
status thanks to the merits they endowed upon contemporary speakers. As such, this status was transitory,
highly dependent on changing socio-economic factors and contributed to the segregation of speakers and
non-speakers. This accounts for the reality that few of the lingua francas that once had global influence retain
their scale and power as of today, leaving English as the sole true global language. The case of English can be
seen as exceptional due to its lack of competition and coercive means of spreading. However, modern
technology may undermine the need for a global language and thus, English will lose its influence.

Ex. 3

Summarise each of the following extracts using between 120 and 140 words.

We didn't need an in-depth research project into students' eating habits to tell us that a fair percentage of the
student population eat too few vegetables. Fortunately, the UK's first study of the dietary changes brought
about by going to university delves into more wide-ranging issues. And it has already unearthed a less
predictable trend.

Dr Farzad Amirabdollahian, whose field is dietetics and human nutrition, and one of his colleagues have so far
carried out around 130 in-depth interviews with undergraduates of both sexes. One university likely to be
chosen for the study is Hertfordshire, where Amirabdollahian used to work; the other is in North Wales, where
Costa did research while also working as a dietician elsewhere. ‘The more I looked into the obesity epidemic,
the more it became clear that there was a lot of evidence about the dietary habits of children and adults, but
very little in between.’

As many as 50% of male students who have taken part in the survey seem to share with contemporaries from
all walks of life a susceptibility to the blandishments of men's magazines. ‘They’re very focused on their body
image and not just to meet sporting needs,' says Costa. Does he mean that they want to get rid of the
burgeoning paunch and put on muscle to look good for women? 'Yes, that's what the trend suggests. But
instead of trying to achieve it through a balanced diet as well as exercise, they’re going for disordered eating -
outside the norm, in other words. They're spending their money on dietary supplements such as protein
powders and amino acids.' Any food to go with that? 'They tend to go for a lot of high-protein, low-fat meat,
such as chicken or turkey breast from the economy or frozen ranges. Fish and chips are also one of the
fast-food options for students who aren't in the habit of cooking healthy food. Oh yes, and egg whites, without
the yolks. ‘Fruit and veg? Very little.'

This may, of course, be a phase that many of these young men will grow out of. But if it continues, the
consequences for their health could be serious. 'The liver and kidneys eventually struggle to break down an
excess of protein.’ Costa warns, so liver and kidney failure is a distinct possibility in the long term. We've
already seen that phenomenon among bodybuilders. They’re also going to have a deficiency in good-quality
fats. That can ultimately lead to cardiac problems. And don't forget the mental issues that will arise for those
who fail to meet this idealised body image. He would dearly love to involve psychologists as the project
expands and spreads. Not only to work with young men worried about their lack of muscle, but also to find
new ways of spreading the healthy-eating message across campuses. 'Posters don't seem to work,' he says.

SUMMARY:
The extract reveals some issues with the eating habits of university students in the UK. In conducting a
research into dietary changes among those entering university, researchers interviewed undergraduates and
found that up to 50% of male students are under the commonly observed influence of men's magazines,
focusing on body image. In pursuit of an ideal physical appearance, instead of balanced diets and exercise,
they turn to disordered eating and dietary supplements like protein powders. High-protein, low-fat meats, fast
food, but minimal amounts of fruits and vegetables constitute the general makeup of the average student's
diet. If this trend persists, it could lead to health issues like liver and kidney problems, cardiac risks, and
mental health challenges. It is suggested that there need to be new, more effective ways to promote healthy
eating on campuses.

Ex. 4

Summarise each of the following extracts using between 120 and 140 words.

One of the biggest temptations for someone new to the travel game is to look at everything through
rose-tinted glasses, and this typically comes out in their writing. They paint everything to be magical and
perfect, and their stories are laid out in romantic, flowery language. But the reality is that over time the road
will lose its lustre, and any reader who knows that is going to see right through your prose. Not to mention
that the harsh realities of a place are often just as interesting as the poetry used to describe it - probably even
more interesting. Look over what you've written, and if it seems as if you’ve just written a brochure, you might
want to have another look.

Although getting off the beaten track is always a good idea when travelling, travel writers nonetheless feel
they need to capture the biggest sites that everyone comes to a specific country to see. So, even if they are
the more adventurous type, they end up going to the same places that everyone else goes to. It may depend
on what audience you're writing for, but the best advice is always to head in the opposite direction to
everyone else and just see what happens. In another country, the seemingly mundane often creates the most
interesting, humorous and exciting moments. If you are stuck to the biggest attractions by assignment, always
look for another angle and point out things that others miss. Rolf Potts' story about trying (and failing) to crash
the set of The Beach when it was being filmed in Thailand (featured in his book Marco Polo Didn't Go There)
was far better than many other travel stories I've ever read.

Writers always want to seem like an authority on their subject, but when you are a travel writer, always
experiencing new places and new things, you will never be the complete authority on anything. Don’t be
afraid to reveal your awkward moments, your embarrassments and your mishaps. These are the things that
other readers who have travelled can relate to and it makes you seem more human.

Finally, if you want to produce good content on the road, you should be willing to take risks - if your idea of
world travel is sitting in world-class resorts with a bottle of sunblock in one hand and a cold ice tea in the
other, you will be waiting a long time for anything interesting to happen. Hop on the backs of motorbike taxis
where death on the road seems a certainty. Eat eyeballs, barbecued rats, giant fried beetles and anything else
they throw on your plate. Sample that homemade whisky from the dusty bottle some farmer hands you while
touring through the middle of nowhere. Go hang-gliding in the Swiss Alps. In short, get out there and live on
the road. Bad things will happen here and there, but the same would be true if you never left your home. And
all the other adventures you have in between, well, those are the dreams that good travel writing (and life) are
made of.
SUMMARY:

The extract covers some advice for travel writers on their journeys. New travel writers often fall into the trap
of romanticising their experiences on the road, crafting colourful but superficial tales. However, the raw,
unfiltered realities of a place can be equally captivating, if not more so, than its poetic descriptions. To stand
out, travel writers should avoid the well-trodden paths and seek out the unexpected. Whether by assignment
or choice, they should always look for alternative perspectives and easily missable attractions. Authenticity is
key, and sharing vulnerabilities and mishaps connects with readers on a deeper level. To truly capture the
essence of travel, one needs to embrace risk and immerse in local cultures. From riding motorbike taxis to
sampling exotic cuisines, these experiences, though sometimes challenging, are the raw materials for
compelling stories and a fulfilling life on the road.

That's about it. I wish I could spend more time with you and introduce more interesting essay prompts,
graph/table description and summary exercises. Nonetheless, I enjoyed your company during our short time
together and I hope I didn't make it stressful for you.

Try your very best for the coming months, but don't forget to have fun and take it easy whenever you can. I
wish you the best of luck.

Feel free to contact me any time.