A report on working abroad

Learn how to write a report on working abroad.

Do the preparation task first. Then read the text and tips and do the exercises.

Preparation

Reading text

The principal of a local college has asked you to write a report on the advantages and disadvantages of working abroad in the summer holidays. She would like to know if the college should recommend 'working holidays' to its students.

A report on students' experiences of working abroad

Introduction

Currently, approximately 25 per cent of Hawthorne College students work abroad during the summer break. This report aims to show the benefits and drawbacks of working overseas in order to decide whether the college should recommend the experience to its students.

To prepare for this report, a sample of 100 students were interviewed, 23 of whom had worked abroad. This is a summary of their comments.

Benefits

According to the students interviewed, working overseas during the summer holidays can bring several benefits. Most of all, students can improve their foreign language skills by working in a non-English speaking country. This may help them get a better job in the future. Additionally, learning about a different culture and way of life makes people more open-minded. A further advantage is that students may become more confident when they learn practical skills to help them live independently later in life, for example, finding accommodation and cooking for themselves.

Drawbacks

However, a large number of interviewees mentioned drawbacks as well. Students who need to study over the summer will find it difficult to do so while working abroad. Most significant of all are finance issues: only a minority of students are able to afford travel expenses, accommodation and visas. In addition, students may have to take low-income jobs if they are not fluent in the local language, so they may struggle to cover their expenses.

Conclusion and recommendation

Working abroad may improve students' language skills and confidence. However, students often need to earn money during the holidays to support their studies and working abroad may not provide the opportunity to save. Also, the cost of travel means that only students who are able to afford it have the chance to do this. Therefore, the college should only recommend working abroad if there is financial support from the college for students that need it.

Tips

The basic structure of a report is usually the same:
- Introduction (including the purpose of the report and how the data was collected)
- Findings (including benefits and drawbacks if appropriate)
- Conclusion and recommendations.
Use headings for each section.
Use formal vocabulary (e.g. Currently, ... / in order to ... / Therefore, ...) to give the report a formal style.
The ideas and conclusions should be objective. Use non-personal subjects (e.g. This report aims to … ) and passive structures (e.g. 100 students were interviewed).
You can also use may to show that something is not certain (e.g. This may help them get a better job in the future).

Discussion

Would you like to work abroad during your holidays?

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Language level

B2 Upper intermediate

yes, sure I would like to experience various conditions.

Sounds interesting! ;)

I have some questions, why does the report use the gerund in "working overseas" and "learning about"? Could the tense be changed to infinitive and write "to work overseas" and "to learn about"?

Hello paola_K,

The gerund is a verb form which function as a noun in the sentence. Most frequently, it is a subject or an object of a verb or a preposition.

In the report, working overseas is the object of a preposition (of working overseas). Learning about is the subject in the sentence (learning about a different culture and way of life makes people...).

We would not use to-infinitive in either of these sentences.

You can read more about the uses of these form here:

https://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/english-grammar-reference/to-infinitives

https://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/english-grammar-reference/ing-forms

Peter

The LearnEnglish Team

I would love to work or study abroad, especially if I need to use my english, which is not my native language, but as the report says it could involve some challenges and the financial ones I think are the bigger ones. However I believe most of the visas that allow you to work or study require you to travel with a certain amount of money, just in case of an emergency. But surely it may not be easy to live in a different country on your own, leaving a place you already know how it works for another one totally unfamiliar.

Hi! Yes, i'd like to work abroad. The advantages are speaking practice, different atmosphere, another people. I will agree to work overseas if the employer will provide Expenses to live there: accomodation, eating, taxes, insuranse and etc. I'm married so i have to be confidebt in reliable future for my family in a New place.

I would like work abroad during my holidays, because when i go in other countries i like very much meet local people. Probably it's more easy to do that in a work. When i'm only a tourist i meet only touristic people like Air BNB owner or others travellers but not often really local people of my generation. I usually take my sleep place in airbnb or bed and breakfast to speak with local people about their work, their hobbies or better their favourite bar or restaurant. My partner for my travels has the same mind so we check all the local good places before our departure and ask the people we meet for advising. Probably if we work abroad we could know a lot of good places like this.

Well, I'd like to work abroad if I get a chance. In my opinion, working abroad will bring self-confidence to you at least and provide lots of experiences which are crucial in the future in fact.

I think working abroad is a good chance to become better. You can look at other people: how they live, work of spend their free time. You can compare that with your own country and decide what do you like or dislike, what you can change at home. You also may have a chance to know something new about others culture. That can expand your imagination, you will can look at your problems from other point of view. In addition, multinational communication helps us to know each other better, to grow understanding and respect, to prevent conflicts and even wars. I like to go abroad and I've already visited many European countries. I've even worked in one of them. I'm sure that experience help me to grow in many ways.