This week, we’re looking at a Part 2 cue card that requires you speak about a device you used for important work. Here is the cue card:

Describe a time when you used an electronic device for some important work. You should say
– what you did
– when you did it
– why you had to use your electronic device
– and explain how you felt about this experience.

Step 1: Listen to the full sample.

Step 2: Listen to this week’s podcast episode and work through the free sample exercise.

Step 3: Below is this week’s full exercise. Work through the exercise and remember to redo sections if the language is completely new or challenging.

Step 4: Included below is the full transcript for this lesson. Read through it and note language items that you found challenging. Remember to attempt to include these noted items in your own day-to-day speaking.

Step 5: You will be given five short speech exercises in your Whatsapp group. Submit your speech samples promptly and wait for feedback from your instructor.

Transcript

Describe a time when you used an electronic device for some important work. You should say
– what you did
– when you did it
– why you had to use your electronic device
– and explain how you felt about this experience.

I’d like to talk about a time when I used my laptop for an important task. About six months ago, I had to prepare a crucial presentation for my workplace. I work as a marketing manager in a multinational company, and this presentation was a key component of a pitch we were making to a potential client.

I performed this task a day before the scheduled presentation. I remember it was a Sunday, and the presentation was to be held on Monday morning. I had known about the presentation for about a week in advance, but the busy nature of my job made it difficult to find time to work on the task.

The reason I had to use my laptop was primarily for gathering data and creating visual aids. I relied heavily on my laptop to research the client’s industry trends and their competitors’ strategies, and to glean statistical data that could support our proposal. Additionally, I used presentation software on the device to design slides that would be both informative and visually appealing.

Reflecting on this experience, I can say I felt a mixture of pressure, determination and gratitude. On one hand, I was aware of the significance of the presentation: it could potentially secure a lucrative deal for our company. On the other hand, the time constraint added an extra layer of stress that was honestly rather unpleasant. However, I embraced the challenge and saw it as an opportunity to showcase my skills and dedication. By the time I completed the presentation late into the night, I was not only proud of the outcome but also amazed at how much my device had helped to accelerate the task. I can’t imagine how long a task like this would take without the support of a laptop!

Thank you.