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Posts Tagged ‘topics’
ESL Debate – Age Discrimination
Should age discrimination be made illegal in the workplace?
CONTEXT
Age discrimination occurs when a decision is made on the basis of a person’s age. In the workplace these are most often decisions about recruitment, promotion and dismissal. Although such discrimination could be seen in the reluctance to hire workers who were perceived to be too young and immature for the job, in practice it refers to a bias against older workers. In societies that celebrates youthfulness above almost all else, it can be very difficult for even highly qualified professionals to find new positions after the age of 50. For most older workers there appears little they can do to resist being swept aside in favour of younger replacements. European Union states have recently had to introduce an anti-age discrimination law, which makes it unlawful to discriminate against employees and job seekers because of their age. But around the world the issue remains a controversial one, both in general and in particular over the practice of setting mandatory retirement ages. read more
ESL Debate – Genetically Modified Food
Are there environmental, moral, or health issues associated with genetically modified food?
CONTEXT
For the last year genetically modified (GM) food has been in the news almost every day! There are an enormous number of changes that can be made to organisms with genetic modification. These range from the introduction of fish genes into plants to lead to better frost resistance to modifications leading to rice plants producing more vitamin A. One of the most controversial additions is the 'terminator' gene, a stretch of DNA that renders the seeds produced by the plant infertile; this makes the plant unable to reproduce (and is used by seed companies to force farmers to buy new supplies of the seed each year). In the past varieties of crops and their seeds have not been owned by anyone. There is an increasing trend for biotechnology companies to patent GM crop varieties and thus own the exclusive right to produce and sell their seeds. This means that farmers in developing (and developed) countries will become dependent on these multinational seed-producing firms who will be able to charge high prices for patented varieties. read more
New Resources Added – IELTS Speaking Topics
IELTS Speaking Topics
The International English Language Testing System (IELTS) is designed to assess the language ability of candidates who want to study or work where English is the language of communication. It is recognised by over 6,000 organisations worldwide, including universities, employers, professional bodies, immigration authorities and other government agencies.
The IELTS is designed to assess English language skills at all levels, including Reading, Writing, Listening and Speaking. Even if your English is at an acceptable level to perform well in the IELTS exam, it is important to familiarise yourself with the format of the test.
ESL Debate – Compulsory Vaccinations
Should countries make vaccination compulsory?
CONTEXT
Vaccines supposedly represent one of the most successful and effective interventions in medicine. By vaccinating people, society has been able to eradicate numerous diseases that caused millions of deaths before. A dramatic example is smallpox, which was responsible for some of the most formidable epidemics of humankind. In 1967 it was the cause of 2 million deaths; a decade later it was totally eradicated from the planet and many claim this was due to the global vaccination program. Many countries have thus made it compulsory for people to be vaccinated against various diseases. However, together with vaccination rose also anti-vaccination movements. Nowadays pharmaceutical companies are getting enormous profits from vaccination and different interest groups promote either the option of free choice or of compulsory vaccination.