Band 7+: Write about the following topic: There is no doubt that globalisation has benefited the world by bringing together people, business and nations. People who criticise it stand in the way of progress. To what extent do you agree or disagree? Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge and experience.

Globalisation has become a major part of the world we live in today and has undoubtedly shaped our various nations and lives in several ways. For some, it has brought about many postitve effects while critics disagree.

The interconnectedness of our various nations has been a major contributing factor to the development and economic growth of most countries. Globalisation has created a mutual platform for nations with clearly distinct cultures and histories to foster their various potentials via strategic partnerships benefitting the involved parties and overall leading to noticeable improvements in their economic value. The domain of infrastructure development exemplifies this, whereby nations with limited technical expertise turn to more advanced counterparts for execution, improving their infrastructure quality and resulting in financial benefits for the service providers. Even though disparities between nations sometimes stand as a flaw, benefitting one more than the other.

Another important aspect of globalisation is the strong competitive spirit in international relations. If not for globalisation, several regions would be far less advanced than they are today, hence people who criticise it stand in the way of progress. As a result of this competition among themselves, nations constantly upgrade the quality of their offerings, significantly increasing living standards of citizens. For example, the opening up of nations such as China to foreign investments has led to the creation of more jobs for citizens, resulting in more cash flow and an increase in living standards. Additionally, this drive to stand out leads to the advent of pertinent technological breakthroughs, benefiting the specific region and spreading across the globe serving other territories as well. This is the case of the internet and several internet apps. Nevertheless, globalisation can cause alienation from original cultural values like the disappearance of some languages or practices.

In all, Globalisation has shaped the way our nations, people, and businesses interract a great deal. Though having many benefits, it has come along with its own share of negative effects as well.