Young People Volunteering in Poorer Countries

More and more young people from wealthy countries are spending a short time doing unpaid work, such as teaching and building houses for communities in poorer countries. What are the reasons for this? Who benefits more from this, the communities or these young people?

Annotated response

5 correction notes

Showing 5 correction notes.

There has been an ongoing trend of many young people from prosperous nations deciding to spend their time doing voluntary work in underprivileged countries. Some of the prominent reasons for this phenomenon will be discussed before the benefits of both individuals and developing countries are analyzed.

There are several convincing reasons associated with this practice. The most significant factor is that doing such unpaid work in poor countries would be a for the young when applying for a job in the future. In other words, in this fierce and competitive job market, a candidate possessing an application file accompanied by only great scores could not be the ideal one that a ; therefore, he or she needs outstanding volunteering experience to be able to compete with other rivals. Another reason that is worth mentioning is that young generations could when participating in unpaid work. Their voluntary efforts help to give prominence to the value of sharing and the sense of social responsibility to and international awareness about disadvantaged places.

It is undoubted that both the young volunteers and underdeveloped or developing countries could equally gain from this phenomenon. Regarding the young, it is apparent that the aforementioned meaningful work not only brings the volunteers unforgettable life lessons, gives them hands–on experience but also helps expand their network of relationships. As a result, they gradually grow more mature and confident, realizing the diversity of life by getting to know . In regard to poorer countries, they may have a chance to raise the living standards of their dwellers. For instance, knowledge related to environmental protection or health care which they have acquired from overseas volunteers possibly improves their living conditions afterwards.

To sum up, the requirement of a more competitive profile and the determination to support financially disadvantaged countries are the two principal elements that make young people join a wide range of voluntary activities. I would contend that both the volunteers and the community are the beneficiaries of the practice above.

Overall assessment

Why this response received Band 7.0

The strongest aspect is the complete, well-organized coverage of both questions, with reasons developed and a direct, balanced conclusion on who benefits more. The main limitation is occasional unnatural or strained wording, such as awkward collocations, that slightly reduces the precision of otherwise fluent writing.

IELTS criteria

How each score was decided

Task Response

7.0

The response addresses both the reasons and the comparative benefit question, develops main ideas with explanation and examples, and states a clear position that both parties benefit.

Coherence and Cohesion

7.0

Ideas progress logically across clear paragraphs with effective cohesive devices, though some linking and transitions are slightly mechanical or formulaic.

Lexical Resource

7.0

There is a good range of topic-related vocabulary used with awareness of style, but occasional unnatural collocations and forced phrases reduce precision.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy

7.0

A variety of complex sentence structures is used with generally good control, and the few minor grammatical slips do not impede communication.