This week, you will practise speaking about an event that had a positive impact upon your life.
Step 1: Listen to this week’s sample to familiarise yourself with the target language:
Step 2: Below is this week’s podcast episode, where you can attempt the first few sentences of the exercise. Remember to push yourself to sound as much like the model as possible!
Step 3: Work your way through the full exercise below. (If you do not yet have access, you can sign up by clicking this link.)
Step 4:Ā Read through the below transcript and be sure to note any new language you come across in your journal. Actively try to use this language in your own day-to-day speaking.
Describe an event in your life that changed it in a positive way. You should say:
-what the event was
-when it happened
-how it changed your life
and explain why this change was positive for you
Well, I would have to say my decision to learn a new language changed my life in a positive way.
This significant turning point occurred around three years ago during my summer break. I had always been intrigued by the different cultures of Spanish-speaking people, so deciding to study Spanish was a natural choice for me. The journey began with enrolling in an intensive language course and immersing myself in Spanish literature and media. Doing these two things helped me to improve my understanding and abilities rapidly.
I’ll now speak about the multifaceted ways in which studying Spanish impacted my life. Firstly, the mental challenge of mastering a new language stimulated my cognitive abilities and significantly improved my memory and problem-solving skills. Moreover, the decision to learn Spanish opened up a world of cultural richness – exciting literature, films and music. I also found myself connecting both in-person and online with a global community of language learners, and this was extremely rewarding.
The most significant change, however, was the unexpected boost it gave to my career. The ability to speak Spanish fluently became a valuable skill, and it opened up new job opportunities for me in Europe, the Americas and even Asia. Today, my work involves facilitating trade between my country and Spanish speaking countries. It’s an extremely rewarding role that I wouldn’t have been capable of doing otherwise.
In summary, the decision to learn a new language, Spanish in particular, was a transformative event that positively influenced various aspects of my life.