Writing Task 2: Children are often told they can achieve anything if they try hard enough

Writing Task 2

In some cultures, children are often told they can achieve anything if they try hard enough. What are the advantages and disadvantages of giving children this message?

Sample Answer:

In some countries, children are taught that hard work will help them achieve their goals. In my opinion, this message can inspire and motivate them to overcome hardships, but at the same time, it can cause delusion and disappointment.

On the one hand, teaching children that hard work can guarantee success has several advantages. To start with, this message can motivate children, especially those who believe that innate talents determine success. For example, when learning a second language, which is a challenging and time- consuming process, children need to truly understand that hard work, and not talents, is conducive to enhancing proficiency. That way, they could stay motivated and keep on learning when they encounter setbacks. More importantly, the role of valuing hard work goes beyond being a mere source of motivation. It can also help children to develop a positive mentality and improve their resilience, all of which are necessary for their adult life.

On the other hand, the biggest disadvantage of the notion that diligence ensures success is that it may mislead children into spending too much time and effort on the tasks in which hard work plays little role. For example, a child wanting to be a professional singer may waste time on voice training without considering their lack of musical talents but still hope that they may achieve success one day. Similarly, most painters need to have a great and unique sense of aesthetics, which is considered as a rare talent and therefore cannot be acquired through hard work. Believing that hard work alone is enough can breed frustration, delusion, or even mental illness.

In conclusion, teaching children that hard work will always result in success is a great way to motivate them through hardships. Nevertheless, such teaching may produce undesirable outcomes in situations where hard work is not the key.

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