Listening & Reading: Globalization

Listen to the conversation and take notes on what you can/ cannot understand.

Then listen with the script and check.

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Defining Globalization

   Globalization is the process that makes economies and societies from all around the world become more and more connected. This means that people, ideas, technology, money, services, and many other things are moving between countries and changing the way people think and act.

Good or Bad?

   Not everyone thinks the same way about globalization. Some people think it is good, some people think it is bad. Some believe that globalization helps rich people get richer and makes poor people poorer. These people say that globalization helps big companies like Coca-Cola and McDonald's destroy local businesses. The people who think globalization is a good thing argue that globalization helps poorer people to become richer. They also think that it doesn't damage local cultures. These people also believe globalization helps prevent conflicts like wars. This is because countries that have economic connections will try hard to maintain good relationships with each other so their economies aren't damaged.

Effects

   Despite whether you think globalization is good or bad, it affects the world in two important areas: jobs and culture.

Globalization has had a very strong effect on employment and jobs throughout the world. For some workers, such as engineers, lawyers, and bankers, globalization has been a good development. These workers are able to successfully compete globally and have seen an increase in their salaries. But for those who work in factories or in the service industry (at hotels, shops and restaurants), it has not been good. These types of jobs have been exposed to increasing competition from workers from poorer countries. A worker from a poorer country will do the same job for less money. This decreases the salaries for that job, so people get paid less to do it.

Cultures have also been effected by globalization. Foods such as Japanese noodles, Indian curry and French cheeses have spread around the world. We can also see an increase in the use of Chinese characters in tattoos. Some people get these tattoos without actually knowing what the characters mean. Another area effected by globalization is the film industry. Most people have seen American movies. But due to globalization, Korean, Indian and Japanese movies have become more popular worldwide.

No one knows the future of globalization. Most experts agree that it will continue to grow and have an increasingly larger impact on people's lives in the future.

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