IELTS Writing Task 2: Communication between Young and Old People
In some places, young people find it difficult to communicate with older people.
Why is this?
What are the solutions?
In many countries, there is a communication rift between the older and younger generations. This is a natural phenomenon and the solution is for both sides to compromise.
The old and young often cannot communicate well because of major differences in perspective. It is natural that older people will have a more mature outlook and younger people be more radical in their views. A good example of this would be in Vietnam where the older generation holds very conservative, traditional views related to familial structures, careers, and social values that conflict with the more modern, progressive positions of the younger generation. Young people have heard the traditional arguments for years and want to rebel, often out of naivety. Older people have the benefit of experience and and feel young people should follow their advice. This basic antagonism underlies poor communication between the generations.
The best solutions all rely on compromise. Young people ought to accept that their lack of life experience puts them at a disadvantage in understanding the world. Many of their opinions are premature and will evolve over time. This implies that they should make greater efforts to understand the counsel of their elders. Their elders, in turn, must realise that their experiences are a small sample size from a unique time period. If, for example, they had to struggle to earn a living and raise a family, they must concede this only a single instance that cannot be simplistically generalised. Moreover, times have changed and what was sound advice in the past, may be largely irrelevant today.
In conclusion, the old and young are in different life stages and naturally have contrasting mindsets and the best solutions require a self-reflective modesty from both demographics. In this way, they will be able to learn more from each other.
VOCABULARY
- communication rift breakdowns in talking to each other
- natural phenomenon happens normally
- compromise meet in the middle
- major differences in perspective contrasting viewpoints
- mature outlook more reasonable viewpoints
- radical extreme
- views opinions
- holds very conservative have traditional opinions
- traditional views conservative opinions
- familial structures family types
- conflict with disagree with
- modern new
- progressive positions modern views
- rebel fight against
- naivety inexperienced
- benefit of experience can lean on past experiences
- follow their advice listen to
- basic antagonism underlies conflict at the base of
- accept concede
- lack of life experience puts them at a disadvantage not having many experiences makes their positions weaker
- premature young, not ready
- evolve change and get better
- implies means
- make greater efforts try more
- realise understand
- small sample size didn’t happen many times
- unique time period that time in history
- struggle to earn a living have a tough time making money
- concede accept
- simplistically generalised reductively applied to everyone
- sound advice good advice
- largely irrelevant today mostly doesn’t apply today
- different life stages different times in your life
- contrasting mindsets differing outlooks
- self-reflective modesty able to be self-critical
- demographics age groups
