Oral anglais spaces and exchanges.

 Spaces and exchanges    

The notion I m going to deal with is spaces and exchanges.

Firstable, I would like to give a definition of the notion.

An exchange is an act of giving and receiving something else in return.

It can also be seen as a continuous movement or circulation.

There is different kind of exchanges: media, people (immigration, student exchanges, gap years), economics.

I have chosen to talk about gap year.

We may wonder if a gap year can be a rewarding experience?

A gap year is a break that student sometimes takes between high school and university. They go overseas for a few weeks until a year.

I/ Advantages to do a Gap year.

There is a lot of advantages to do a gap year

Firstly, this is a great experience because it is an opportunity to broaden one’s horizons far away from his routine.

Gap year travel is an opportunity to do something new and challenging. By stepping outside of your comfort zone and living and working in an different environment, climate, religion and currency, you’ll quickly become a much more independent person. Thanks to this experience, gappers could learn a new language, which is very important in our society and for their future.

This is also a time where student could discover a new culture, new people and a time to open their minds. They could also increase in maturity.

People who did a gap year have generally a greater clarity with career ambitions because they had time to think about it. Gap year travel can make a big difference to both your university enter and future employment. Of course, it depends on what you do, but if you work or if you do some volunteering it really will help you because you will gain new skills and confidence that show your maturity and commitment. Spending your gap year doing something related to your future career or university course, can give you a good start who will makes all the difference!

It’s probably the longest 'holiday' you will ever be able to take in your life

During a gap-year, student can also get involved in a rewarding project as volunteering.

Volunteering gives you the opportunity to help people

II/ Disadvantages to do a gap year.

However, there are also problems you should consider when deciding to have a gap year. One of the major problems is money. If you want to travel or take part in an organized gap year programme, it could be very expensive. For example, organized gap year programs for students who travel or volunteer can cost up to $10,000 or more for a three-month trip, according to "The New York Times” in 2013

In fact, at the beginning they could have integration difficulties with the new social code, languages and sometimes with the climate.

Returning to college after a gap year can feel awkward. Your high school friends will be a year ahead of you in their studies and one year closer to graduation.  Sometimes they may seem immature.

And after a gap year it could be hard to get back into the study habit.

According to me the biggest disadvantages of taking a gap year is to be homesick.

To conclude, I think a gap year can be a rewarding experience for students. Even if a gap year cost a lot of money. The experience you got and the people you meet during your travel can teach you something that you won't learn in lessons, indeed you can comeback a better person and become open minded.

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