Scribd
Upload
174 views

The Big Issue

The document discusses the growing trend of gap years among Irish students. It outlines the arguments both for and against gap years. Supporters argue that gap years help students mature and gain independence before college by experiencing the real world. Critics see gap years as simply an extended holiday paid for by parents. The document notes some Irish students are following the example of Prince William in doing volunteer work abroad during their gap year. However, others are said to just lounge on beaches. It provides advice from a career counselor on the benefits of a properly planned gap year, but warns of the risk that some students may not continue their education. It also cautions students to carefully vet any gap year programs to ensure the work helps communities and is not just

Uploaded by

maricotta
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
174 views

The Big Issue

The document discusses the growing trend of gap years among Irish students. It outlines the arguments both for and against gap years. Supporters argue that gap years help students mature and gain independence before college by experiencing the real world. Critics see gap years as simply an extended holiday paid for by parents. The document notes some Irish students are following the example of Prince William in doing volunteer work abroad during their gap year. However, others are said to just lounge on beaches. It provides advice from a career counselor on the benefits of a properly planned gap year, but warns of the risk that some students may not continue their education. It also cautions students to carefully vet any gap year programs to ensure the work helps communities and is not just

Uploaded by

maricotta
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 3

The big issue: Mind the gap year

Critics suggest that it is simply a doss year, an extended holiday which is usually paid for by
the bank of Mum and Dad. Its advocates, on the other hand, argue that it makes students more mature,
giving them a sense of independence and a chance to see something f the real world before they go on
to third-level education. Although the gap year is not nearly as popular here as in Britain, where up to a fifth
of college-goers take one, there are signs that it is now becoming a fashionable option for Irish school
leavers.
A growing number of Irish teenagers, particularly in affluent areas, are following the example of
Prince William, who was famously pictured cleaning toilets in a remote place of Chile on his gap year [].
As a volunteer for the charity Raleigh International, William helped build new walk-ways in the mountainous
area and taught English in a local village.
Some gap-years students, or gappies as they have become known, are much less diligent,
spending much of their time lolling about on beaches in places such as Thailand. Others spend their time
working and saving for college.
Career guidance counselor Andree Harpur says the gap year is growing in popularity in Ireland
because parents see that many of the voluntary schemes available are now well-organized. Its not just a
matter of a teenager heading off on a train to Marrakech any more. Parents feel reassured when they see a
programme that has been put together carefully, she says. I know of students who have got enormous
benefits from a gap year. They might not have decided what they wanted to do. Say, for example, if they
were considering social work, some kind of voluntary work could help them to make a decision.
As a careers advisor, Andree Harpur believes gap years are often looked upon positively by
employers. If you are prepared to get on a plane to go to work somewhere on the other side of the world,
you are showing that you are adaptable. You are open to new ways of doing things.
But it has to be planned properly and it should be clear that it will only last a year. There is a danger
that students with wanderlust will not continue with their education at all. Gap-year students who want to
do voluntary work should check carefully the credentials of the organizers of the scheme. Is the work
genuinely helpful, or is it just a profit-making venture?
The huge growth in the gap-year market has given rise to some spurious schemes that can do more
harm than good, according to Voluntary Service Overseas, an international development charity. VSO
recently warned that badly planned, so-called voluntourism schemes could have a negative impact on
young people and the communities they worked with.
In one case, reported by the Guardian, a group of villagers in South America returned home from
work to find that their houses had been painted by volunteers without their permission. [] There are a
number of more reputable gapyear voluntary schemes that are non-profit making.
Lattitude, formerly known as Gap Activity Projects, is a well- established British charity which has taken a
number of Irish volunteers abroad. We ensure that we only offer voluntary work that is going to be
worthwhile, says
Lattitude spokesman Ben Clifton. It has to be suitable work that improves the quality of life of the
people concerned. The European Voluntary Service (EVS), funded by the European Commission, offers
young people the opportunity to do voluntary work in other European countries. Unlike many other gap-year
schemes, the scheme does not require volunteers to pay a fee. Gap-year students can also stay in Ireland
and do voluntary work here. Others take on paid jobs in order to get work experience and to make
themselves financially secure before going into college.
By Kim Bielenberg
The Irish Independent, March 5th, 2008

I.

General comprehension.

1
Introduce the document (type, source, author, date and main topic). What can you guess
about the text from reading the title: Big Issues: Mind the gap years?
II.
1.

Detailed comprehension.
Vocabulary: find the equivalents in the text.

Une anne pour flemmarder:

la mode:

Riche :

Isol, recul (lieu) :

Sentier :

Assidu/appliqu :

Se prlasser :

Economiser :

Un conseiller lemploi :

Systme / procd :

Disponible :

Partir :

Correctement :

Envie de voyager :

Vrifier :

Sincrement :

Faux / fallacieux :

Qui en vaut la peine :

Appropri:

Frais (dinscription):

2.

List the benefits of a gap year.

3.

In what ways can a gap year be dangerous?

4.

What advice would you give to someone considering a gap year?

If I were you, I would....


If I were in your shoes, I would....
What about + V-ING
Why don't you + V
I advise you too
I recommend you to

You might also like