エッセイライティング問題分析と攻略法
今回のエッセイライティング問題、”Do the benefits of free trade outweigh the disadvantages?”は、初めてのパターンで戸惑った人かもしれません。このトピックでは,prosかconsかだけを書いても比較がでず,アーギュメントとしては不十分です。またprosとconsの完全に相対する概念が無い場合があり、それぞれの比較が難しいので,サンプル1のような構成で,prosとconsを別々に書いて、prosをconsよりを引き立たせるようにするやり方と、サンプル2のように、様々な見地から、proがconsより勝っていることを証明するやり方があります。後者の方が説得力がありますが、それをこなせるようになるには、エッセイライティングやディベート力UPトレーニングが要ります。工業英検で重視されているtechnical writingの3C(clear, correct, concise[特に句を用いての引締め])の原則に基づいて、そのサンプルを作ってみました。
(サンプル1)
There have been often public discussions and debates about whether free trade is beneficial to the whole world. Some argue that trade liberalization has a damaging effect on our society, but personally, I think that its benefits outweigh its disadvantages by putting this issue into perspective.
The first advantage is promotion of economic growth by increased global trade and investment that create huge job opportunities. The second advantage is strengthening of international relations by promotion of global economic interdependence, which discourages countries from attacking their trading partners despite political conflicts. The third advantage is great consumer benefits brought by cheaper products and wider varieties of imported foreign products through keener global competition.
On the other hand, the first disadvantage is concerns about environmental degradation through global economic growth that increases CO2 emissions. The second disadvantage is damage to some domestic industries that cannot survive global competition. The third disadvantage is an occasional erosion of tradition and culture through free trade. For example, traditional rice-planting culture can be undermined by damage to rice-producing industries in Japan.
All in all, I think that the three benefits: promotion of economic growth, strengthening of international relations, and great consumer benefits outweigh the three disadvantages: concerns about environmental degradation, damage to some domestic industries, and occasional erosion of tradition and culture. (216 words)
(サンプル2)
There have been often public discussions about whether free trade is beneficial to the whole world. Some argue that trade liberalization has a damaging effect on our society, but personally, I think that its benefits outweigh its disadvantages from the following socioeconomic and political perspective.
First, from the economic perspective, free trade promotes economic growth through increased global trade and investment and creates huge job opportunities, which outweighs damage to uncompetitive domestic industries. Free trade brings huge benefits to consumers through keener competition in global business, which allows them to enjoy a wider variety of imported foreign products at lower prices.
Second, from the political perspective, free trade strengthens international relations by promoting global economic interdependence. These symbiotic relationships discourage countries from attacking their trading partners even if there are huge political and ideological differences between them.
Third, from the environmental perspective, concerns about environmental degradation due to industrial growth in global competition can be alleviated by an increasing environmental awareness and a growing shift toward renewable power generation.
In conclusion, free trade will contribute to the world economy and international relations. These benefits outweigh possible erosion of tradition and culture, exemplified by potential damage to traditional rice-planting culture in Japan through trade liberalization.
(204 words)
さて皆さんいかがでしたでしょうか。社会問題のエッセイライティングとディベートトレーニングは,本当に奥が深くてやりがいがあるでしょう。それでは皆さん、明日に向かって英悟の道を Let’s enjoy the process!(陽は必ず昇る)