You should spend about 40 minutes on this task.
Some people think that it is good for a country’s culture to import foreign movies and TV programmes. Others think that it is better to produce these locally. Discuss both views and give your opinion.
Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.
Write at least 250 words.
Sample Answer
It is true that some people favour importing movies and TV shows from overseas, rather than attempting to produce these within their own country. While many people suppose consider that such imports make a valuable contribution to national culture, I would argue that it is necessary to promote a local entertainment industry.
On the one hand, local movies and TV programmes benefit national culture in two important ways. From an educational perspective, the young can learn about their country’s past, stimulating their interest and national pride. For instance, instead of studying history from boring textbooks, students nowadays are able to learn about their nation’s history by watching locally- made documentaries or movies. From an entertainment perspective, local TV shows and films are relevant to everyday experiences and a familiar way of life. Even when copyright ideas from other countries are used, local producers can adapt these to make shows such as a Vietnamese version of The Voice or The Next Top Model.
On the other hand, I believe that international movies and TV programmes can also benefit the cultural life of a country. Firstly, people are able to understand something of the life and culture of other countries, which they can simply enjoy as entertainment or adventure. The American film ‘Titanic’ for example, is not only a disaster movie, but also gives an idea about the history of emigration from Europe to the USA. Secondly, foreign movies and TV shows help many people to improve their language skills, combining learning and enjoyment. Many Vietnamese students, for example, have benefited from watching TV series such as Friends.
In conclusion, although international movies and TV programmes contribute to the diversity of a country’s culture, it seems to me that local film and TV industries should also be supported owing to their roles as education and entertainment providers.
289 words
Vocab Highlights
overseas [adverb]: to or in another country, especially a country separated from your country by the sea or ocean.
perspective [noun]: a particular way of thinking about something.
stimulating [verb]: making someone interested and excited about something.
documentaries [noun]: movies or TV programmes giving information about something.
copyright [adjective]: not allowed to
be copied without permission.
adapt [verb]: to change something so that it is suitable to use in a new way or in a new situation.
disaster movie [noun]: a movie about an unexpected event which may cause a lot of damage and kill many people.
emigration [noun]: the act of leaving your own country to go and live in another country.
combining [verb]: putting two or more different things together.