Model Essay 1: Technology and Teachers
Question type: opinion. The instruction is to what extent, and that phrase is an invitation to agree partly - provided you say exactly how far.
Unofficial original RCF practice material
Original question and essay written by RCF English. Not endorsed by the British Council, IDP: IELTS Australia or Cambridge University Press & Assessment.
The question
Some people believe that developments in technology will make teachers unnecessary within a few decades.
To what extent do you agree or disagree?
Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.
Write at least 250 words.
The plan
| Paragraph | Content |
|---|---|
| Introduction | Rephrase the claim. Position: largely disagree, but concede that one part of teaching genuinely is being replaced. |
| Body 1 | The concession. Delivery of information is being automated, and well. Say so honestly and in detail - this earns credibility. |
| Body 2 | The main argument. What teaching actually consists of: diagnosing a specific misunderstanding, and supplying motivation. Neither is information delivery. |
| Body 3 (short) | The evidence from the last two decades: enormous investment, and the teacher-to-student ratio has barely moved. |
| Conclusion | Restate the position with the qualification intact. The role changes; it does not disappear. |
The model essay
Question: Some people believe that developments in technology will make teachers unnecessary within a few decades. To what extent do you agree or disagree?
Some people believe that technology will soon make teachers unnecessary. I disagree with this view, although I accept that one part of it is true.
The part that is true concerns information. A recorded lesson by an excellent teacher can be paused, repeated and watched by thousands of students. Software can also mark exercises and change their difficulty, and it does this faster and more patiently than any person. If teaching were only about explaining content and setting practice, the prediction would probably be correct.
However, this is not what most of a teacher's work involves. The hardest part of teaching is working out why a particular student is stuck. Students often cannot explain the problem themselves, and sometimes they do not know what it is. A good teacher notices it from a wrong answer, a long pause, or a question that shows a gap from an earlier topic. Software can see which question was answered wrongly, but it is much weaker at seeing why.
The second thing technology cannot replace is motivation. Most students work because someone they respect is expecting the work from them. No program has yet created that kind of relationship, and I do not think one will do so soon.
It is also worth looking at the evidence of recent years. Governments and schools have spent very large sums on educational technology, and yet the number of teachers employed has not fallen.
In my opinion, therefore, technology will keep taking over the parts of teaching that can be made routine. This will change what teachers do each day, but it will not remove the need for them.
Why this answer works
- The position is clear from the second sentence - I disagree with this view, although I accept that one part of it is true. That is a precise answer to to what extent, not a fence-sit.
- The concession comes first and is generous. The second paragraph argues the opposing case properly and ends with a conditional that grants it everything: If teaching were only about explaining content and setting practice, the prediction would probably be correct. Granting the other side its strongest form is what lifts an essay above Band 6.
- The central paragraph makes one distinction and develops it - between passing on information and working out why a student is stuck - and then shows the mechanism: a wrong answer, a long pause, or a question that shows a gap from an earlier topic.
- The fourth paragraph is deliberately short. A brief paragraph after three longer ones varies the rhythm and reads as control. It also supplies evidence without inventing a statistic.
- No invented data. Very large sums and has not fallen are honest and cost nothing. A figure like $13 billion would earn no extra marks and might be wrong.
- The conclusion moves the position forward rather than repeating it: the job changes rather than disappears. Conclusions that restate the introduction in synonyms read as padding.
- 272 words, and sentences of about fifteen words on average. This is deliberately a Band 7 to 7.5 model, not a Band 9 one. Long sentences and rare vocabulary are not what moves you up; answering the exact question, conceding fairly and developing two ideas properly are.
Language worth borrowing
- I disagree with this view, although I accept that one part of it is true.
- The standard shape for a partial position. It answers to what extent exactly, and it is easy to reuse.
- If teaching were only about X, the prediction would probably be correct.
- A second conditional used to concede. It shows a complex structure and generosity at the same time.
- However, this is not what most of a teacher's work involves.
- A clean pivot from the concession back to your own case.
- It is also worth looking at the evidence of recent years.
- Introduces supporting evidence without the heaviness of Furthermore, it is important to note that.
- In my opinion, therefore,
- Signals the conclusion and the opinion together. Examiners look for the opinion to be unmistakable.
Check your own attempt
- Did you state how far you agree, not just that you agree?
- Did you argue the opposing view properly before answering it?
- Do your body paragraphs make genuinely different points, or the same point twice?
- Did you avoid inventing figures?
- Is your conclusion different in content from your introduction, not just in wording?
- Are you between 260 and 300 words?
Now try this variation
Some people think that online learning will eventually replace attending school in person. To what extent do you agree or disagree?
The topic is close but the answer is not the same, because this question is about the place of learning rather than the person teaching. If you reuse the essay above, you will answer the wrong question - which is exactly the danger of memorising.
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Essay 2: Free university education
Discussion type: both views and your opinion.
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