Reader's Response (Final Draft)

Before reading Nayan Chanda’s work on “The Double Edge of Globalisation”, I always thought that globalisation brought about many benefits to this world. From what I learnt in geography, globalisation is the process that increases world-wide exchanges of world views, products, ideas and other aspects of culture.

According to Chanda (2007), globalisation has an overwhelming negative effect on the environment. However, it could help increase world-wide exchanges through new advances in technology.

I agree with Chanda’s view on this matter. In the example given on China’s increasing demand for soybeans, the country turned to Brazil for help to meet their demand. As a result, more than 2.5 million acres of tropical forest were cleared. However, traditional agricultural methods contribute to the loss of forestland too. In the recent Sumatra haze, these practices caused severe air pollution to many neighbouring countries in addition to the loss of forestland.

Through new advances in technology, the Internet enables people to be connected all around the world. I am able to communicate with my cousins in America through Skype even though we are miles apart from each other. It is through this way that we are aware of the latest happenings around the world such as natural disasters and political and economical situations in various countries.

After reading this article, I found out I was wrong. My expectations were for the author to focus more on the benefits rather than the harm that globalisation brought to this world. Now I am more aware of the current situation that the world is facing and I do hope that things will get better.

Reader's Response

Before reading Nayan Chanda’s work on “The Double Edge of Globalisation”, I always thought that globalisation brought about many benefits to this world. From what I learnt in geography, globalisation is the process that increases world-wide exchanges of world views, products, ideas and other aspects of culture.

According to Chanda (2007), globalisation has an overwhelming negative effect on the environment. However, it could help increase world-wide exchanges through new advances in technology.

I agree with Chandra’s view on this matter. In the example given on China’s increasing demand for soybeans, the country turned to Brazil for help to meet their demand. As a result, more than 2.5 million acres of tropical forest were cleared. However, traditional agricultural methods contribute to the loss of forestland too. In the recent Sumatra haze, these practices caused severe air pollution to many neighbouring countries in addition to the loss of forestland.

Through new advances in technology, the Internet enables people to be connected all around the world. I am able to communicate with my cousins in America through Skype even though we are miles apart from each other. It is through this way that we are aware of the latest happenings around the world such as natural disasters and political and economical situations in various countries.

After reading this article, I found out I was wrong. My expectations were for the author to focus more on the benefits rather than the harm that globalisation brought to this world. Now I am more aware of the current situation that the world is facing and I do hope that things will get better.

Revised Summary

In “The Double Edge of Globalisation”, (Chanda, 2007), the main ideas include the global challenges that the world is currently facing due to globalisation as well as the importance of political power to help tackle these issues.

Globalisation spurred trading among countries and this led to an increase in fishing, destroying of the forests and pollution. One example is China. The use of chemicals and burning of coal to run the export machines which supply cheap goods around the world caused both air and water pollution.

Global warming is another issue of globalisation. It can threaten to shrink the global economy by 20 percent and force migrants to leave their homes in the event of a flood.

However, the benefit of globalisation can be seen through the advances in technology in an effort to connect people around the world. Everyone can have easy access to the latest happenings in the world. This helps garner the sympathy and support for the people who are suffering because of the natural disasters.

Therefore, the governments and the activists should work together to efficiently tackle these issues.

Thesis Statement on "The Double Edge of Globalisation"

According to Chanda (2007), globalisation has an overwhelming negative effect on the environment. However, it could help increase world-wide exchanges through new advances in technology.

Summary on "The Double Edge of Globalisation" (Draft Two)

In “The Double Edge of Globalisation”, (Chanda, 2007), the main ideas is on the global challenges that the world is currently facing due to globalization as well as the importance of political power to help tackle these issues.

Globalisation spurred trading among countries and this lead to an increase in fishing, destroying of the forests and pollution. In China, the use of chemicals and burning of coal to run the export machines, which supply cheap goods around the world, have caused both air and water pollution.

Global warming is another issue of globalization. It can threaten to shrink the global economy by 20 percent and force migrants to leave their homes in an event of a flood.

However, the benefit of globalization can be seen through the advances in technology in an effort to connect people around the world. 

Therefore, the governments and the activists should work together to tackle these issues efficiently.

Summary on "The Double Edge of Globalisation"

In “The Double Edge of Globalisation”, (Chanda, 2007), the main idea is on the global challenges that the world is currently facing due to globalization as well as the importance of political power to help tackle these issues.

Globalisation spurred trading among countries and this lead to an increase in fishing, destroying of the forests and pollution. One example is China. The use of chemicals and burning of coal to run the export machines which supply cheap goods around the world caused both air and water pollution.

Global warming is another issue of globalization. It can threaten to shrink the global economy by 20 percent and force migrants to leave their homes in an event of a flood.

However, the benefit of globalization can be seen through the advances in technology in an effort to connect people around the world. 

Therefore, the governments and the activists should work together to efficiently tackle these issues.

English Language Experience (Draft Two)

One meaningful experience I had with the English language was studying literature in secondary school. I was brought up in an English speaking environment whereby English was the first language that I was exposed to. It started from the first words that my parents taught me to say, to simple words and numbers in pre-school and watching television shows in the language. Thus, I never knew that English could be expressed in a different way when I first took up literature.

There are many forms of Literature, ranging from poems to plays and short stories. Literature not only represents the language but also the culture and history behind these works. In school, we were exposed to poetry, short stories and plays. The teachers taught us how to interpret the authors’ message behind these works through the way they were written. Moreover, these works can be interpreted in many ways depending on how an individual studies it.

The book that I loved was “Chinese Cinderella”. The author, Adeline Yen Mah, wrote about her experiences growing up in China during the Second World War. She further elaborated on her tough life growing up in a family who regarded her as bad luck, due to the fact that her mother died while giving birth to her.

In my opinion, this book was easy to read and engaging as well. It was interesting to get an insight on China during the war period, as well as the culture. It was also saddening to read how her stepmother abused her, and how she seen as a thorn in the family. The heroes in the book were her grandfather and her Aunt Baba who tried their best to protect her in every way that they can.

This experience made me realized that English is not just a language to communicate or write in. English can be used in literature, which can help an individual express his feelings through creative imagination. Thus, I feel that this is one meaningful experience I had with the language.