[WR TASK2] #153 Nowadays many students have the opportunity to study for part or all of their courses in foreign countries.

You should spend about 40 minutes on this task.

Write about the following topic:

Nowadays many students have the opportunity to study for part or all of their courses in foreign countries.
While studying abroad brings many benefits to individual students, it also has a number of disadvantages.

Do you agree or disagree?

Write at least 250 words.

Which of these things should you include in your answer to this question?
Write YES, NO OR MAYBE next to each question.

1  What problems students may have studying abroad and what is good about it. ....................
2  What countries gain and lose from people going abroad to study. ....................
3  Whether governments should subsidise students’ studies abroad. ....................
4  Your personal experience of studying abroad, or the experience of people you know. ....................
5  What is wrong with your country’s education system. ....................

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Read the following sample answer. Complete the answer by filling the gaps with a word or phrase from the box below.

although	because	finally	firstly
in my opinion	such as	for example	moreover
secondly	furthermore	what is more	therefore
in contrast	due to	on the other hand

In recent years there has been a vast increase in the number of students choosing to study abroad. This is partly because people are more affluent and partly due to the variety of grants and scholarships which are available for overseas students nowadays. Although foreign study is not something which every student would choose, it is an attractive option for many people.

Studying overseas has a number of advantages. Firstly/For example, it may give students access to knowledge and facilities such as laboratories and libraries which are not available in their home country. Furthermore/Moreover/What is more/Secondly, by looking abroad students may find a wider range of courses than those offered in their country’s universities, and therefore one which fits more closely to their particular requirements.

on the other hand, studying abroad has a number of drawbacks. These may be divided into personal and professional. Firstly students have to leave their family and friends for a long period. Furthermore/Moreover/What is more/Secondly studying abroad is almost always more expensive that studying in one’s local university. Finally/Furthermore/Moreover/What is more, students often have to study in a foreign language, which may limit their performance and mean they do not attain their true level.

In my opinion/On the other hand, however, the disadvantages of studying abroad are usually temporary in nature. Students who study abroad generally become proficient in the language quite soon and they are only away from their family and friends for a year or two. Furthermore/What is more, many of the benefits last students all their lives and make them highly desirable to prospective employers.