The idea that long road trips offer valuable, formative experiences is widely accepted. Until recently, though, these were generally seen as...
The idea that long road trips offer valuable, formative experiences is widely accepted. Until recently, though, these were generally seen as for younger adults before they “settled down”, or older adults who had raised their children. But now more families take to the road.
For Joel Young, 38, it’s the idea of gifting his children with heightened cultural awareness along with a different kind of learning experience. A remote worker, Joel spends up to six months of the year travelling around the US with wife and their three home-schooled sons. “Jenna and I both grew up in farming communities. I didn’t go on an airplane until I was 17,” Young says. “We want our kids to have the benefit of seeing it all… It just leads to a better level of decision making.”
“The families I know who could function nomadically were fewer pre-pandemic,” says Sarah Stocking, editor of Lonely Planet Traveller Magazine. But two key changes have moved the needle: many more people can work flexibly now, plus parents have greater experience of non-traditional learning. “The pandemic showed a lot of parents what remote learning could look like, both good and bad, and how homeschooling could function,” says Stocking. “It also showed people how they could use tools differently to support their families.”
Yet while the Youngs paint a picture of an idyllic lifestyle where cultural exploration meets adventure, experts suggest the experience comes with possible downsides. “A lack of routine and a wider support network can be detrimental to children, even as they’re immersed in culturally diverse experiences,” says child development expert Dr Jody LeVos.
“Young children especially typically crave a sense of familiarity. Creating that can be a challenge if time zones, physical environment and social contacts are changing,” he adds.
(MaryLou Costa. www.bbc.com, 16.06.2022. Adapted.)
ALBERT EINSTEIN 2023: Answer the following questions, in Portuguese. Be concise and direct, and do not repeat the question in your answer.
a) Read the first two paragraphs. Identify the experience which is the topic of the text and one positive aspect of it.
b) As to the experience described in the text, mention one change in society which has contributed to its recent expansion, and one aspect — according to Dr Jody LeVos — in which this experience can affect children negatively.
GABARITO:
a) Longas viagens de carro com a família. Poder aliar aventura à maior consciência cultural, juntamente com uma forma diferente de aprendizagem, é um dos aspectos positivos, de acordo com o texto.
b) Duas importantes mudanças contribuíram para a expansão da experiência citada no texto.
O candidato deveria mencionar uma delas:
– muito mais pessoas podem, atualmente, trabalhar com maior flexibilidade se compararmos com o período pré-pandêmico;
– os pais têm agora mais experiência em relação ao ensino não tradicional (remoto);
– Dr. Jody LeVos afirma que a falta de rotina e de uma rede de apoio mais ampla pode ser prejudicial às crianças mesmo se elas estiverem imersas em experiências culturalmente diversas.
QUESTÃO DISPONÍVEL EM:
