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Childrenandfamilies
AboutTopic3
TheChildrenandfamiliestopicincludeschildpsychologyanddevelopment,waysof
bringingupchildren,familydiscipline,childcare,preschoollearning,parentalroles,family
structuresandroles(forexamplenuclearorextendedfamilies),adolescence,teenagersand
elderlyfamilymembers.
Important:PleaserememberthatthetopicsareusedindifferentwaysintheWritingand
SpeakingpartsoftheIELTStest.
IntheAcademicWritingtestTask2,youshouldpresentideasoropinionsaboutsocietyin
general,butnotaboutyourpersonallife.IntheSpeakingtest,theexaminerwillalwaysask
youbothaboutsocietyingeneral(inSpeakingpart3)andalsoaboutyourpersonallife,country
andbackground(inSpeakingparts1and2.)
Withcontroversialtopicssuchasfamiliesandhealth,somecandidatesbecomeconfused
aboutthisdifference,butitsabsolutelyessentialtorememberifyouwanttoachieveaveryhigh
Band!
Topic3exampleTask
Somepeoplebelievethatchildrenshouldspendalloftheirfreetimewiththeirfamilies.
Othersbelievethatthisisunnecessaryorevennegative.Discussthepossibleargumentson
bothsides,andsaywhichsideyoupersonallysupport.
ExplanationoftheTask
ThisisanotherOpinion>DiscussiontypeTask.Youshouldintroducethetopic,presenttwoor
threeideasoneachsideofthediscussion,andthengiveyouropinionintheconclusion.
RememberthattheseOpinion>DiscussionTasksmightbeexpressedindifferentwayslookfor
theinstructionkeyworddiscussanditssynonymssuchasdebate,considerandreview.
Band9modelessay
Nobodycandenythatparentalinfluenceisimportantforchildren,atleastincaseswhere
childrenlivewiththeirparents,fosterparentsorguardians.However,itisbynomeansclear
thatchildrenshouldspendtimeexclusivelyinthefamily,aswewillsee.
Ontheonehand,itmayappearadvisableforparentstoactasrolemodelsandto
establishgroundrulesforbehaviourbyspendingasmuchtimeaspossiblewiththeirchildren.
Thisallowstheyoungsterstoabsorbconventionsandcodesofconductwhichtheycanthen
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followthemselves,hopefullyleadingtoanabsenceofproblemssuchasbullying,
truancyanddelinquencylateron.Furthermore,beingwiththefamilyshouldreducetheriskof
childrenfallingvictimtocrimessuchasabduction,orcomingundertheinfluenceof
negativepeerpressure.
Ontheotherhand,wehavetoaskwhetherthisisapracticalproposition.Inasocietywhere
manyfamiliesaredualincome,orwhereoneparentsroleasbreadwinnermeanshe/sheis
awayfromthefamilyforlongperiods,itisinevitablethatchildrencannotspendalloftheirtime
withthefamily.Childmindingandafterschoolchildcareareoftenusedinthesecases,andif
managedproperly,thesecanbeperfectlyviablealternatives.Equally,itseemsthatchildrencan
insomecaseslearnaconsiderableamountfromtheirpeersinadditiontoadults,andallowing
themtoplaywithoutdirectsupervisionmaybeabenefit.
Toconclude,itappearsthat,whilefamilytimeisessentialforbondingandabsorbing
patternsofbehaviour,therearedefiniteadvantageswhenchildrenareoutsidethefamilytoo.
Thisisprovidedthattheyareinasafe,wellbehavedenvironmentwithpeerswhoare
themselvesreasonablywellbroughtup.
(287words)
ExplanationofthetopicvocabularyandexamplesinSpeaking
fosterparents=peoplewhohavechildrenlivingintheirexistingfamilyforafixedperiod,
withtheoriginalparentsagreement
Example=Beingafosterparentisadifficultandtiringrole,Icanimagine.
guardians=peoplewhoarelegallyappointedtoprotectachildsinterestsintheabsenceof
parents
Example=Insomecountries,thegovernmentappointsaguardianiftheparentsdieor
experiencesevere
difficulties.
rolemodels=peoplethatchildrenlooktoandrespectasgoodexamples
Example=Insomecountries,theroyalfamilyaregoodrolemodelsforyoungsters,althoughin
other
casesthisisnotthecase.
groundrules=basicrulesgoverningthewaypeoplecanbehaveinasituation
Example=Duringtheschoolholidays,myparentshadstrictgroundrulesforwhatwecoulddo
outside.
conventions=traditionsorsocialnormsthatmostpeoplefollow
Example=Itsaconventionforgrandparentstolivewiththeirchildreninmanycountries.
codesofconduct=voluntaryruleswhichpeopleacceptinasituation
Example=TheBoyScoutshaveafirmcodeofconduct,whichseemstobeapositive
influence.
bullying=whenchildrenattackandintimidateotherchildren
Example=Bullyingcouldbereducedthroughbetterawarenessandpositivepeerpressurein
schools.
truancy=whenapupilleavesschoolwithoutpermission(verb=toplaytruantfromschool)
Example=ImustconfessthatatsecondaryschoolIsometimesplayedtruantandwenttothe
parkwithmy
friends.
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delinquency=minorcrime(oftenbyyoungpeople)
Example=Delinquencyisahugeprobleminurbanareas,especiallywhenpolicingisminimal.
abduction=thecrimeoftakingorkidnappingpeopleforacriminalreason
Example=Childabductionisagreatconcernformanyparents,especiallyinSouthAmerica.
peerpressure=thepressurefrompeopleinthesamegrouptoactinacertainway
Example=Manychildrenstartsmokingduetopeerpressureorbadrolemodels.
dualincome=afamilywhereboththefatherandmotherwork
Example=Inmanycountries,thedualincomefamilyisthenormnowadays.
breadwinner=thepersonwhoearnsallormostofthemoneyinafamily
Example=Insomefamilies,thefatherisstilltheonlybreadwinner.
childminding=caringinformally(notinschools)forchildrenwhenparentsarebusyor
working
Example=Insomecountries,thestatesubsidisesthecostsofchildminding.
afterschoolchildcare=caringforchildreninaschoolsetting,asabove
Example=Manyfamiliesrelyonafterschoolchildcarebecausebothparentsworkand
commute.
viable=practicalandpossibletoachieve
Example=Itisnotreallyviabletoexpectallchildrentogetmaximumgradesinexams.
peers=peopleinthesamegrouporlevelasyourself
Example=Manyofmypeersfromschoolarenowworkingforcharities.
bonding=thedevelopmentofcloseemotionalconnectionsbetweenpeople
Example=Festivalsandpartiesareanidealtimeforfamiliestobond.
patternsofbehaviour=waysofactinganddoingthings(eitherpositiveornegative)
Example=Unfortunately,somechildrenabsorbdangerouspatternsofbehaviourwhenwatching
moviesorplayingcomputergames.
wellbroughtup(tobringupchildren=toraiseandeducatetheminyourownmoral,
behaviouralorreligiousconventions)
Example=Iwasbroughtupinaveryreligiousfamily,andIseemtohaveabsorbedtheirvalues.
***
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