Espace et échange, oral d'anglais

                                                                       Oral English

                                                              Spaces and exhanges

First document : Web article : The Pros and Cons of a Gap Year)

Second document : Web article : « 5 Unconventional ways to travel the world ».

Third document : a cartoon

                                                             Introduction

 I’m going to talk about the notion of spaces and exchanges. First of all I’d like to give a definition of this. An exchange is when we give in return for something received, it can be anything: money, gifts, ideas or financilal aid. Interactions and exchanges across the borders have become easier and faster. I would like to illustrate this notion through the theme of cultural interaction. What are the advantages and disadvantages of a gap year ? First of all I will concentrate on the drawbacks of such an experience, then I will analyse positive aspects of it. To my mind, the documents that best illustrate the notion are :

- The web article from students.com in 2013 which deals with the pros and cons of a gap year.

- Another web article about unconventional ways to travel the world by Ashly Perez in August 2013.

Other possibility : I’m going to talk about « spaces and exchanges ». The theme is about travelling, meeting new people, discovering new places and cultures. In class, we read articles about the advantages and disadvantages of a gap year. A gap year is when you take a year off after high school to get experience abroad. Is it a good idea to take a break before college to travel the world? What are the drawbacks of such an experience ? What are the advantages ?

To discuss this issue, I have chosen two web articles read in class, and I have added a personal document :

- The first article is from the website students.com. It was posted in 2013, which is not very recent but the arguments about the pros and cons of a gap year are still relevant.

- The second web article is about unconventional ways to travel the world. It was written by Ashly Perez and also posted in 2013. It gives original ideas to do something useful during a gap year abroad.

                                                           Devolpement

Initially a gap year is a year off after high school and before entering university. In England, the gap year is a long-lasting tradition that has inspired many other countries. After high school, many young people don’t go directly to university : they would rather  get experience around the world first. You can get  involved in environnemental programs or humanitarian projects.

In the first article it says that it is a chance to take a year-off because « after being in school for several years, you can feel burnt out ». Working hard for tests and learning through books can be exhausting, so when you have passed your final exams, students can use some time to relax and enjoy free time with friends and family and also think more thoroughly about your future goals.

But most students take their year off to travel and it’s a good option to discover different cultures, customs, beliefs and languages. You can exchange and interact with people from different countries, and learn about other ways of life; thanks to that « you will end your gap year with several stories and memories that will last a lifetime » . You will also becoming more mature.

A gap year is also a time to pursue other passions. If you have the mind of a businessman, you can « create a start-up company in your garage » and « it’s a chance to get involved in something you really believe in » says the first document. But in reality you need money to do all these things and there are pros and cons in every project. So let’s talk about the risks of a gap year now.

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