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C2 Sample Essay 39 (School or family shapes one's personality)

In the minds of ESL exam candidates, e ssay writing is one of the most daunting tasks they are required to complete, regardless of the level of the exam, the administering body or the ease with which they themselves use the language. The same applies to students who are asked to write an essay by their teachers at school.  In the previous sample essays posted on the blog, the main point I stress is the need to become acquainted with this form of writing (as opposed to writing a letter, review or report, for instance), to get a feel of what authorial voice is and how to organize and progressively express the arguments you wish to make in a coherent manner.  Unfortunately, the best way to prepare for exam writing or learn how to write good essays for school is to read as many essays from as many sources as possible, then write as

C2 Sample Essay 24 (Teacher Qualities)

Writing at C2 level (Proficient User) on English language examinations is the same no matter the awarding body when it comes to writing essays. If you are a candidate giving an exam in English, make sure you read my earlier post What do I do with the sample writing found on this blog? to get the most out of the sample essays provided on this blog.  If you are not taking an exam but need ideas on what qualities an effective teacher should have, then read on and note down what you deem useful. If you intend to use this essay as part of an assignment, remember to paraphrase so as not to plagiarize.

Essay Topics List 2

The following are topics teachers and students can use to practice writing for exams, as homework assignments, longer research projects, even as discussion topics or debates.

C2 Sample Essay 20 (Internet Research in Education)

Writing at C2 level (Proficient User) on English language examinations is the same no matter the awarding body when it comes to writing essays. If you are a candidate giving an exam in English, make sure you read my earlier post What do I do with the sample writing found on this blog? to get the most out of the sample essays provided on this blog.  If you are not taking an exam but need ideas on whether the internet is dumbing students down or enriching their learning experience, then read on and note down what you deem useful. If you intend on using this essay as part of an assignment, remember to paraphrase so as not to plagiarize.

C2 Sample Essay 19 (Teacher Responsibility)

Writing at C2 level (Proficient User) on English language examinations is the same no matter the awarding body when it comes to writing essays. If you are a candidate giving an exam in English, make sure you read my earlier post What do I do with the sample writing found on this blog? to get the most out of the sample essays provided on this blog.  If you are not taking an exam but need ideas on teacher responsibilities (academic or social), then read on and note down what you deem useful. If you intend on using this essay as part of an assignment, remember to paraphrase so as not to plagiarize. The following topic was taken from a Michigan State University English Language Examinations publication ( Go For MSU - CELP (C2) , Super Course System). As you will notice, the topic is similar to what candidates would expect in any other C2 level examination in that examiners want to see a well-organized, coherent and cohesive discussion of the issue with argume...

C2 Sample Essay 18 (Immersion schools)

Writing at C2 level (Proficient User) on English language examinations is the same no matter the awarding body when it comes to writing essays. If you are a candidate giving an exam in English, make sure you read my blog post What do I do with the sample writing found on this blog? to get the most out of the sample essays provided by yours truly.  If you are not taking an exam but need ideas on the topic of attending an immersion school, then read on and note down what you deem useful. Don't forget: paraphrase to avoid plagiarism! The following topic was taken from a Michigan State University English Language Examinations publication ( Go For MSU - CELP (C2) , Super Course System). As you will notice, the topic is similar to what candidates would expect in any other C2 level examination in that examiners want to see a well-organized, coherent and cohesive discussion of the issue with arguments, explanations and examples. 

C2 Sample Essay 17 (Teen Unhealthy Eating Habits & Disorders)

Writing at C2 level (Proficient User) on English language examinations is the same no matter the awarding body when it comes to writing essays. If you are a candidate giving an exam in English, make sure you read my blog post What do I do with the sample writing found on this blog? to get the most out of the sample essays provided by yours truly.  The following topic was taken from a Michigan State University English Language Examinations publication ( Go For MSU - CELP (C2) , Super Course System). As you will notice, the topic is similar to what candidates would expect in any other C2 level examination in that examiners expect a well-organized, coherent and cohesive discussion of the issue with arguments, explanations and examples.  If you are not taking an exam but need ideas on the topic of eating disorders and unhealthy eating habits, then read on and note down what you deem useful. Don't forget: paraphrase to avoid plagiarism!

MUN Resources - Where Do I Start?

As the saying goes, the beginning is always the hardest part - ask any writer and they'll show you their fingernails, or whatever's left of them. Well, starting off with your grand Model United Nations endeavor is not unlike writing in that you need to get your facts straight before you can begin to put your ducks in order . I n this case your ducks are your ideas and overall opinion vis-à-vis the issue. The reason why most of you are reading this right now is because you've signed up for the MUN team, or you've been asked to join it, or have heard that you'll travel abroad to attend it, and hey, any opportunity to get away from your regular routine is welcome. Believe me, few people say "No!" to road trips. However, beyond the point of accepting to attend, you have little idea what it is that you'll be doing. If you know of someone who's going at it a second time, ask them. First-hand accounts are always the best. If you're part of ...

What do I do with the sample writing found on this blog?

This blog contains a number of sample pieces of writing for a variety of exams because throughout the years, I've seen that the writing section of English language assessment examinations is most likely the area candidates, regardless of age, find the most daunting. Let's be honest -- many students hate writing assignments given as homework, so writing under exam conditions with the image of a scrupulous marker hovering in their mind is not what I'd call their cup of tea. Hence the sample essays, letters, reports, proposals and the like that have been uploaded. Exam candidates need to read something someone else has written to get ideas, and not just get back a marked assignment of their own with a few comments interspersed here and there among the monstrous red ink corrections.

What is Literature and why is it a science?

When I first started teaching students in preparation for university studies, I felt the need to explain to them why Literature isn't just a course you could do in the library, like some story-hour session with a kindergarten teacher. Many students had already seen what a Literature course was like in their mother tongue, and unfortunately next to no one saw the value of studying texts. That may have had to do with the way public and private school teachers had been directed to cover the subject matter since they were preparing students for nation-wide college admission examinations, but I'm digressing.  Whatever the case may have been, I was surprised to find that none of the students I'd had, had been asked to ponder the question of why anyone would add Literature to the list of 'scientific' university courses offered and why, in spite of all contradictory opinions regarding its worth, someone would choose to major in this field of knowledge. This last ques...

Grace Paley - Mother (Overview)

When you read Paley's "Mother" for the first time, you think, "Okay, so why would anyone give this to students to read when there's so much more that can be squeezed out of other short pieces of writing?" Why not give them Lawrence or Joyce to help analyze 159 facets of human relationships? Slap them with some Chopin or Woolf, both of whom produced slightly longer short stories through which you'd be able to demonstrate how a short story works and get a nice discussion going about relationships to boot. Meanwhile, after reading "Mother" for the first time, the main aspect that stays with readers is an overwhelming sensation of nostalgia and sadness bordering on melancholy. Whyever would any author write something this condensed to simply express despondency over a deceased parent? Can this story be that over-simplified? And then you re-read Paley's piece (because you have to give students some information on it so they don...

Literary Terminology List

The following is a list of terms used in Literature along with definitions. The list is by no means comprehensive.