Essay 54 (Changing Places Frequently)

IELTS Essay Question in Qutar on 6th Dec.

In the past people used to live in one place in their whole life. Nowadays people live in several different places during their life. What are the reasons for this change? Is it a positive or a negative trend?

Unlike in the past, there is an increasing tendency among many people to change their place of residence frequently for various reasons.  This, in my opinion, is advantageous to people in many ways.

One of the major reasons for this shift is the frequent transfers of employees in large business organisations on account of promotions or for other reasons.  For example, multinational software companies like Microsoft and Google have development centres in different parts of the world and employees are often asked to relocate to different cities or even countries depending on the requirements in various projects.

Another important reason for people's periodic movement, is their desire to enjoy better economic prospects.  This would mean that they move to different parts of the same country or even other nations for superior salaries or business opportunities.  An ideal example would be, the movement of unskilled labourers from the northern Indian states of West Bengal, Orissa and Assam to southern states of Kerala and Karnataka.  They often shift from cities to cities for better wages and favourable working conditions.  Similarly, many Indian professionals travel to and live in the different Arabian Gulf nations due to higher salaries offered by companies in this region.

Positively, many people have been greatly benefitted by frequent relocation, in terms of improving their economic status and lifestyle.  Moreover, they have been able to enjoy the experience of meeting new people, cultures and opportunities.  Finally, it has made individuals more self-reliant, open-minded and bold.  However, some feel that those who relocate often, need to deal with problems like unfamiliar languages, unfriendly climate and racism.  Nonetheless, the experience of majority of people prove that it generally has a positive impact on the lives of people.

In summary, many factors have influenced people to live in different places during their lifetime.  Despite certain drawbacks, it definitely has been advantageous to majority of them both economically and socially.