Working Remotely From Another Country

The task

Do you think employers should allow employees to work remotely from another country for part of the year?

• Decide yes or no and give your opinion.
• Explain your reasons.

Original CELPIP-style practice question, not an official CELPIP test item. This site is not affiliated with or endorsed by Paragon Testing Enterprises. The CLB level of each sample answer was reviewed by a TESOL-certified instructor. It is not an official CELPIP score.

Preparation

30 seconds

Speaking time

90 seconds

Question

4 of 10

Yes, I think employers should allow, maybe for a few weeks in the year. Like me, my parents live in India, very far. If I can work from there some weeks, I see them more and I don't use all my vacation. Last year I went only two weeks, was too short, my mother was crying at the airport. Another reason, happy workers do better job. My manager worked from Brazil one winter, and nobody complain about it. Of course the time is different, uh, the meetings maybe will be at night for them. But if the work is done, where is the problem? So for me, yes.

Why this answer works

• Content/Coherence: two plain reasons (family, happier staff) with a personal example; the problem raised is dismissed with a question.
• Vocabulary: "do better job" and "the time is different" show a limited range.
• Listenability: a filler ("uh"), a missing object and subject ("employers should allow", "was too short") and odd word order ("the meetings maybe will be"); still easy to follow.
• Task Fulfillment: answers the question; the conclusion is very short ("So for me, yes.").

I think employers should allow it, as long as there's a clear limit, maybe four weeks a year. First, it helps companies keep good people. A colleague of mine spent three weeks working from Portugal last winter while her sister had a baby, and she told me it's the main reason she hasn't looked for another job. I'm sure replacing her would cost the company far more than that. Second, for a lot of office work, the job is already done on a laptop, so the location doesn't change much, as long as you show up to meetings. She joined our morning calls in her afternoon, and nobody noticed a difference. And third, it can help with holiday coverage, because someone abroad might happily work days others want off. There might be issues with security, but I think a written policy could deal with that, for example by requiring a company laptop.

Why this answer works

• Content/Coherence: three reasons, a specific example used twice to support different points, and a short counterpoint.
• Vocabulary: "keep good people", "holiday coverage" and "a written policy" are accurate and natural.
• Listenability: the Portugal example comes back in the second reason ("She joined our morning calls in her afternoon"), which ties the answer together for the listener.
• Task Fulfillment: a clear yes with a limit, fully developed.

I'd say yes, but only for roles where it actually works, and employers should be honest about that rather than pretend it's for everyone. The fairest objection is about fairness itself. If the accountants can spend a month with family overseas while the warehouse staff can't, that creates resentment. Fairly or not, people notice who gets which perks. I saw it at my last job: when two people in marketing worked from Mexico for a few weeks, the people at the front desk joked about it all month, and it wasn't really a joke. Still, I don't think the answer is to refuse everyone. That just makes everyone equally unhappy, and the company loses the benefit. A better answer is to give people who can't work remotely something of equal value, like extra flexible days or first pick of summer holidays. With that balance, and a cap of a few weeks, I think it's a perk that keeps people loyal without costing much.

Why this answer works

• Content/Coherence: weighs a strong counterargument (fairness), supports it with a precise example and qualifies the answer.
• Vocabulary: "resentment", "something of equal value" and "a cap of a few weeks" are precise.
• Listenability: "Still, I don't think the answer is to refuse everyone" marks the turn from the objection to the solution, and "it wasn't really a joke" lands as a short aside.
• Task Fulfillment: a qualified yes that stays on the question throughout.