Guide to English Writing

Approaches to Studying: Theory vs. Practical Training
Arts/Humanities vs. STEM (science, technology, engineering, math); School vs. Internship/
Apprenticeship
Theory
: general knowledge, base/foundation, essence of a topic, deeper understanding of 
how things work, abstract thinking, develop critical thinking and imagination, learn to adapt 
to new ideas, potential for new discoveries, broaden one’s horizons, brain development, 
transcends cultural differences, humanistic approach, gain transferable skills, necessary for some 
professions—medicine, law, engineering, architecture, arts
actica T a n n
: gain employable skills, start working right away, gain advantages in workplace 
competition, specialization/expertise in particular fields, can train others, limited knowledge but 
deeper, less flexible employment opportunities, more narrow-minded, dependence on industry 
for employability, more hands-on and accessible to more people
Best Approach
: a combination of above—theory reinforced with practical skills and vice versa, 
university students often go to other school to gain employable skills and training, theory allows 
flexibility to adapt to context-specific training
A
Hu an ti
: builds imagination, stimulates innovation through out-of-the-box thinking, 
human element, helps with preservation of culture (language, society, history), cross-cultural 
tolerance and communication, wider perspective (social, global), do not repeat mistakes of past 
(history), can be utilized in many fields including marketing, advertising, journalism, etc.
@IELTS_Council

---

THE WRITE IDEA - Education
22
WritetoTop.com
STEM
: necessary for today’s digital world and its advancing technology, automated workplace, 
can deliver greater benefits to greater numbers, concrete applications (water desalination, 
building, agriculture, internet, education, etc.), high demand in workplace, often lacks in artistic 
creativity but can lead to interesting and useful inventions 
School
: set curriculum, peers and fellows, guidance, knowledgeable and trained teachers, 
standard pedagogy, socialization, strict rules, group mentality, too much theory