Author Archives: Ryan

Lesson 73: Sharing details about your workplace👨‍💼

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This is one of the most common topics in IELTS Speaking Part 1: your workplace! Use this week’s lesson to train for this critical exam topic.

Step 1: Tune in to this week’s podcast episode (audio and video version available below).

Where are you from?
Do you work or study?
How do you feel at work?
What do you usually do at your workplace?
Would you change anything about your workplace?
Do you prefer to call a colleague on the phone or send them an email?
🧑‍🎓Target language:

when it rains it pours
-something that happens in small amounts and then unexpectedly in large amounts

“I would change the pace of the work. For some reason, when it rains it pours.”

Step 2: Listen to the sample a few times to get more familiar with the language.

Step 3: Engage this week’s full speech shadowing lesson.

Step 4: Below is Monday’s speech exercise. Post yourself saying this excerpt to your Whatsapp group. Exercises for Tuesday to Friday will be posted in the group by your instructor.

Post yourself saying this into your Whatsapp group!🗣️📲

“I am from a lovely seaside town about two hours from here.”
Chat on WhatsApp

Step 5: It’s very important that you note any new language items or pronunciation points from this week’s lesson in your journal to help you chronicle your improvement.📝

Transcript

Where are you from?

I am from a lovely seaside town about two hours from here.

Do you work or study?

I work as a lawyer in a large law firm.

How do you feel at work?

Usually, I feel very stressed. It’s a demanding job and when you know that someone’s freedom is at stake it can be very overwhelming.

What do you usually do at your workplace?

I spend a considerable amount of time on the computer, writing briefs, researching laws, precedents – anything that is relevant to the case I am representing. I also have meetings with clients and other lawyers. 

Would you change anything about your workplace?

I would change the pace of the work. For some reason, when it rains it pours. By that I mean that some periods are very slow and during other periods the workload seems insurmountable. 

Do you prefer to call a colleague on the phone or send them an email?

For work-related issues, I do both. I call the colleague to discuss and then I follow up with an email so that there is written documentation of our conversation. It is a bit tedious but absolutely necessary in my line of work.

Lesson 72: Sources of information📰

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This week’s IELTS Speaking Part 3 lesson examines information sources. Use this lesson as a form of speech therapy to help correct any deeply engrained speech habits you might have when speaking English.

Step 1: Tune in to this week’s podcast episode (audio and video version available below).

Part 3 Questions

Will you continue to follow this person on social media?
Is social media important?
Where do people get most of their information from nowadays? 
Do older people get information from different sources?
Do you think you will continue to get information from the same sources in the future?
🧑‍🎓Target language:

You’d be hard pressed to find
-a phrase used to talk about something very difficult to find

“You’d be hard pressed to find a young adult reading a newspaper unless it was for the novelty value of it.”

Step 2: Listen to the sample a few times to get more familiar with the language.

Step 3: Engage this week’s full speech shadowing lesson.

Step 4: Below is Monday’s speech exercise. Post yourself saying this excerpt to your Whatsapp group. Exercises for Tuesday to Friday will be posted in the group by your instructor.

Post yourself saying this into your Whatsapp group!🗣️📲

“Yes, I think I will continue to follow her as her content is interesting, informative and appealing.”
Chat on WhatsApp

Step 5: It’s very important that you note any new language items or pronunciation points from this week’s lesson in your journal to help you chronicle your improvement.📝

Transcript

Will you continue to follow this person on social media?

Yes, I think I will continue to follow her as her content is interesting, informative and appealing. 

Is social media important?

If you had asked me fifteen years ago I would have said no, that it’s just a way to keep in touch with friends but now social media is unavoidable. It has become something far greater than a means to keep in touch with loved ones and has expanded to become a source of all information. For companies, it is a whole new vehicle for them – to be seen and to communicate with customers and potential customers. So much so, in fact, that companies hire staff that focus just on their social media presence. 

Where do people get most of their information from nowadays?

I think many people still use the TV and radio for information but the importance of the internet as a source of news cannot be overstated. Personally speaking, I use the internet exclusively for information because I can learn about events from multiple sources instantaneously. I would say that I am not alone in this and the sheer number of news websites or publications that have a web presence can attest to that. 

Do older people get information from different sources?

I think older people feel more comfortable with more traditional sources of information like the TV, radio or newspaper. You’d be hard pressed to find a young adult reading a newspaper unless it was for the novelty value of it. 

Do you think you will continue to get information from the same sources in the future?

I hesitate to say yes because I fear that one day soon those of us that get news from the internet will be deemed dinosaurs. I think just like with the TV, something new will eventually come up to replace the internet as a source of information and I wouldn’t be surprised if someone then said to me quote unquote “keep up with the times”.

Thank you.

Lesson 71: Someone you follow on social media📱

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This week

Step 1: Tune in to this week’s podcast episode (audio and video version available below).

🧑‍🎓Target language:

distilled it
-break something down into its basic parts

“She has taken the best of our cuisine and distilled it.”
Talk about someone you follow on social media. Please say
-who the person is
-why you follow him/her
-what content he/she posts on social media
-and explain why you find him/her interesting

Step 2: Listen to the sample a few times to get more familiar with the language.

Step 3: Engage this week’s full speech shadowing lesson.

Step 4: Below is Monday’s speech exercise. Post yourself saying this excerpt to your Whatsapp group. Exercises for Tuesday to Friday will be posted in the group by your instructor.

Post yourself saying this into your Whatsapp group!🗣️📲

“I have only recently started following celebrities and other public figures on social media. Up until now I reserved ‘following’ and ‘friending’ only for people I actually knew.”
Chat on WhatsApp

Step 5: It’s very important that you note any new language items or pronunciation points from this week’s lesson in your journal to help you chronicle your improvement.📝

Transcript

Talk about someone you follow on social media. Please say
-who the person is
-why you follow him/her
-what content he/she posts on social media
-and explain why you find him/her interesting

I have only recently started following celebrities and other public figures on social media. Up until now I reserved “following” and “friending” only for people I actually knew. However, I learned of an American woman who moved to this country some years ago and I have begun following her. Her name is Mary and she is a chef. I have been told she has a cooking show in the US which features cuisine from this country, Greece. I have never seen the show, but on social media she posts dishes she prepares with fresh, local produce, delicious cheeses, fish and meat. It intrigues me that a woman from across the pond has learned everything she can about our cuisine here and then presents it to her audience thousands of miles away. She generally advocates a healthy diet and lifestyle and through her foods, takes us back to simpler times when people prepared and enjoyed traditional food together. 

She also features various small, high-quality producers from Greece, which is both informative and helpful to me as a customer but also a great service to the producer since their products get known to a much wider audience. I find her and her social media presence interesting because she has taken the best of our cuisine and distilled it, keeping it pure and genuine while introducing it to the world.

Thank you.

Lesson 70: A favourite area in your home🏡

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This week focuses on a very common topic in IELTS: your home! (For more training about common topics like this, this English shadowing website lets you view lessons by category. Click here to try it out!)

Step 1: Tune in to this week’s podcast episode (audio and video version available below).

Part 1 Questions

Where are you from?
Describe the house or apartment you are living in now.
Do you have a favourite room?
Is there anything you would change about your home?
Let’s talk about your hometown. Are there any old buildings in your hometown?
Can you describe any old buildings in your hometown?
🧑‍🎓Target language:

near and dear to my heart
-something you treasure and consider very important

“It also houses my collection of vinyl records which is near and dear to my heart.”

Step 2: Listen to the sample a few times to get more familiar with the language.

Step 3: Engage this week’s full speech shadowing lesson.

Step 4: Below is Monday’s speech exercise. Post yourself saying this excerpt to your Whatsapp group. Exercises for Tuesday to Friday will be posted in the group by your instructor.

Post yourself saying this into your Whatsapp group!🗣️📲

“I live in a relatively small flat. It has two bedrooms, a bath, a living area and a kitchen. There is a park in front of the building, so I get to enjoy the view of trees and flowers from the window.”
Chat on WhatsApp

Step 5: It’s very important that you note any new language items or pronunciation points from this week’s lesson in your journal to help you chronicle your improvement.📝

Transcript

Where are you from?

I am originally from a city two hours away from here, but for the last 20 years I have called this city home.

Describe the house or apartment you are living in now.

I live in a relatively small flat. It has two bedrooms, a bath, a living area and a kitchen. There is a park in front of the building, so I get to enjoy the view of trees and flowers from the window.

Do you have a favourite room?

I would say the second bedroom is my favourite because that is where my computer is and where I play video games, listen to music – it is where I go to unwind. It also houses my collection of vinyl records which is near and dear to my heart.

Is there anything you would change about your home?

I do enjoy my view but I have always wanted a house along the sea, so I would probably change the location of my home, if anything. Fortunately, the sea is only a few minutes away from my flat, so I’ve managed to make do.

Let’s talk about your hometown. Are there any old buildings in your hometown?

There are quite a few actually, and they are recognised by UNESCO as having historical significance. Some of these buildings date back to Roman times. I guess you could say my hometown is an open museum and tourists from all over the world flock to the city to see its sites.

Can you describe any old buildings in your hometown?

Well, the famous walls of the city are some of the oldest structures where I live. There used to be seven kilometers of stone wall, but now only four remain. Soldiers would watch from the fortresses to warn of any invaders coming from either land or sea. Nowadays, locals and tourists visit the walls to see the site but also to enjoy breathtaking views of the city and the sea below.

Thank you.

Lesson 69: New places and travel trends🚆

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This week, you will train to speak about new places and the subject of ‘travel’. Use the shadow technique in the below exercises to practise speaking about these topics.

Step 1: Tune in to this week’s podcast episode (video version available below).

Part 3 Questions

What part of the festival did you most enjoy?
What is another new place you would like to visit?
Is there anything that would discourage you from visiting a new place?
Do people travel differently now compared to the past?
🧑‍🎓Target language:

chum around
-hang out with; do friendly things with

“We chum around together regularly, and yet I never grow tired of her company.”

Step 2: Listen to the sample a few times to get more familiar with the language.

Step 3: Engage this week’s full speech shadowing lesson.

Step 4: Below is Monday’s speech exercise. Post yourself saying this excerpt to your Whatsapp group. Exercises for Tuesday to Friday will be posted in the group by your instructor.

Post yourself saying this into your Whatsapp group!🗣️📲

“I liked the foods and the relaxed atmosphere of the festival, but I think what I enjoyed most of all was being able to experience it with my friend. We chum around together regularly, and yet I never grow tired of her company. At the festival, we shared a few good laughs and talked about the foods that were on offer. We also reminisced about old times.”
Chat on WhatsApp

Step 5: It’s very important that you note any new language items or pronunciation points from this week’s lesson in your journal to help you chronicle your improvement.📝

Transcript

We’ve been talking about visiting a new place, and I would like to ask you a few more questions about this topic. What part of the festival did you most enjoy?

I liked the foods and the relaxed atmosphere of the festival, but I think what I enjoyed most of all was being able to experience it with my friend. We chum around together regularly, and yet I never grow tired of her company. At the festival, we shared a few good laughs and talked about the foods that were on offer. We also reminisced about old times.

What is another new place you would like to visit?

There are many new places I would like to visit. I suppose I would most like to see old historical sites in the UK, such as Hadrian’s Wall or Stonehenge. We have ancient sites like these in Vietnam too, but the past few years I have been especially interested in learning about British history and culture, and I’d really appreciate the opportunity to see such historic places first hand.

Is there anything that would discourage you from visiting a new place?

I suppose if I read online reviews that questioned the safety of an area…or its accessibility I might think twice about going. I’m pretty adventurous, but I would never sacrifice my sense of security for a new experience. Some things are just not worth the risk.

I’m also not interested in visiting places that are known for being excessively pricey. I don’t feel that expensive travel plans necessarily mean you’re going to have a more rewarding trip. In fact, some of my greatest memories are from times when I travelled on a shoestring and had to eat locally, try to interact in a foreign language, and walk instead of taking a taxi.

Do people travel differently now compared to the past?

Yes, there are many differences. International travel infrastructure has spread to even the most remote corners of the planet, and this means more people are travelling and they are travelling further than ever before. Airports have grown to phenomenal sizes too, and with this has come ‘duty free’ commercial culture, where people associate international travel with the opportunity to pick up goods that aren’t taxed. These characteristics are a relatively recent phenomenon and not part of travel experiences of the past.

Thank you.

Episode 68: Talking about photography and cars🚗

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This week’s topics jump around quite a bit – from photos to cars to car trips. Repeat after me in English to practise speaking about these topics.

Step 1: Tune in to this week’s podcast episode (audio version available below).

Part 1 Questions

Where are you from?
Do you like taking photos?
What do you like to photograph, people or nature?
Let’s talk about cars. Do you think the colour of a car is important?
What kind of car would you like to have in the future?
Do you enjoy car trips?
Do you prefer being a driver or a passenger?
🧑‍🎓Target language:

relive
-remember something vividly

“It also helps me remember what we were doing or how we were feeling when the picture was taken, which is a pleasant way to relive the experience.”

Step 2: Listen to the sample a few times to get more familiar with the language.

Step 3: Engage this week’s full speech shadowing lesson. (If you do not yet have access, click here to sign up for full lessons.)

Step 4: Below is Monday’s speech exercise. Post yourself saying this excerpt to your Whatsapp group. Exercises for Tuesday to Friday will be posted in the group by your instructor.

Post yourself saying this into your Whatsapp group!🗣️📲

“I love taking photos. I don’t have any professional photography equipment, but I have a few apps on my phone that allow me to capture colours and movement accurately and without blurriness.”
Chat on WhatsApp

Step 5: It’s very important that you note any new language items or pronunciation points from this week’s lesson in your journal to help you chronicle your improvement.📝

Transcript

Where are you from?

I am from a suburb of Hanoi. It’s in the north of the city.

Do you like taking photos?

I love taking photos. I don’t have any professional photography equipment, but I have a few apps on my phone that allow me to capture colours and movement accurately and without blurriness.

What do you like to photograph, people or nature?

I would say people. When I’m travelling, I like to take pictures of interesting places and objects, but I find these photos are more personal when they include my friends or people I care about. It also helps me remember what we were doing or how we were feeling when the picture was taken, which is a pleasant way to relive the experience.

Let’s talk about cars. Do you think the colour of a car is important?

I’m not super interested in cars, so to me personally the colour is not that important. However, certain colours, like mustard yellow or gold, look awful in my opinion, and I would imagine these colours would make reselling the car difficult. That’s about the extent to which I worry about the colour of a car.

What kind of car would you like to have in the future?

I’m mostly concerned with reliability – how long can I use the car before it starts breaking down? My brother bought a Mitsubishi Pajero a few years ago and has had no trouble with it, so were I to buy a new car I think I would probably follow suit. I like camping, so the larger frame of this model would make it easy for me to pack in all my things.

Do you enjoy car trips?

As I mentioned, I like camping but I’m not crazy about the long drive to get to the campground. I’m quite tall, so my legs often don’t fit comfortably in a car. Also, I sometimes find the motion of the car can make me feel a bit queasy.

Do you prefer being a driver or a passenger?

Neither I guess! But if I had to choose I would say the driver only because being in control of the car can help me with my motion sickness. It’s nice to have something to do on a long journey as well. If I’m the passenger, I’m more likely to get bored.

Thank you.

Lesson 67: A new place🌁

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This week, you will train to speak about a new place you visited.

Note: Some of you were asking for synonyms for ‘very’ last week. At one point in today’s model, the speaker uses ‘rather’ as a synonym for ‘very’. Listen closely to the sample to pinpoint where this is!

Step 1: Tune in to this week’s podcast episode (audio and video version available below).

Part 2 Cue Card

Talk about a time when you visited a new place. Please say
-where you were
-why you went there
-what you did
-and explain how you felt in that place
🧑‍🎓Target language:

busker
-a person who performs in the street for monetary donations

“There were a few buskers performing funny skits.”

Step 2: Listen to the sample a few times to get more familiar with the language.

Step 3: Engage this week’s full speech shadowing lesson. (If you do not yet have access, click here to sign up for full lessons.)

Step 4: Below is Monday’s speech exercise. Post yourself saying this excerpt to your Whatsapp group. Exercises for Tuesday to Friday will be posted in the group by your instructor.

Post yourself saying this into your Whatsapp group!🗣️📲

“About a year ago, my friend and I took a train across our city to visit a public park we had never been to before. We were a bit on the fence about going because the weather forecast called for rain, but the park was hosting a ‘food festival’ on that day only so we decided to chance it.”
Chat on WhatsApp

Step 5: It’s very important that you note any new language items or pronunciation points from this week’s lesson in your journal to help you chronicle your improvement.📝

Transcript

Talk about a time when you visited a new place. Please say
-where you were
-why you went there
-what you did
-and explain how you felt in that place

About a year ago, my friend and I took a train across our city to visit a public park we had never been to before. We were a bit on the fence about going because the weather forecast called for rain, but the park was hosting a ‘food festival’ on that day only so we decided to chance it. Luckily, not only did the rain stay away but it actually turned out to be a rather pleasant afternoon and we even got some sunshine!

The festival featured numerous stalls where people from across the country cooked traditional foods from their region. My friend and I are both from Hanoi, so we were already familiar with most dishes, but it was nevertheless enjoyable to find grilled items and sauces that we hadn’t eaten in a long time. I remember having some traditional pastries with spicy dipping sauce and a little later in the day we both enjoyed a selection of barbecued seafood and meats. Some of the flavours brought me right back to my childhood. I think we both found it hard not to feel a little nostalgic!

The park is really beautiful and has many scenic walkways, and this gave us the opportunity to stroll around leisurely and stop at times to admire the pond or just watch what other people were doing. We didn’t really do much aside from this, but I found the whole experience calming and refreshing. There were a few buskers performing funny skits and I recall some people practising softly on musical instruments, which gave the afternoon an even more relaxing aura.

Thank you.

Lesson 66: Product quality⭐

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This week, you will train to speak about product quality. These demonstrated answers are in response to real IELTS Speaking questions asked in Part 3 of a 2022 exam.

Step 1: Tune in to this week’s podcast episode (audio and video version available below).

Part 3 Questions
(Note: The candidate spoke about a repaired bicycle tyre in Part 2 of this exam. The examiner asks follow-up questions about this topic here.)
Does it still work?
Why do people neglect things and don’t repair them?
Do you think that in the past product quality was higher?
Do you think that expensive products last longer?
🧑‍🎓Target language:

knock on wood
-said to wish yourself or others good luck

“Does is still work?”
“Knock on wood, yes it does!”

Step 2: Listen to the sample a few times to get more familiar with the language.

Step 3: Engage this week’s full speech shadowing lesson. (If you do not yet have access, click here to sign up for full lessons.)

Step 4: Below is Monday’s speech exercise. Post yourself saying this excerpt to your Whatsapp group. Exercises for Tuesday to Friday will be posted in the group by your instructor. (If you have not yet been added to a group, click here to sign up – select ‘Join a Whatsapp group’.)

Post yourself saying this into your Whatsapp group!🗣️📲

“Knock on wood, yes it does! Whatever adhesive the repairperson used to seal the patch over the hole really did the trick. I’ve been riding my bicycle for months since the repair and haven’t had any trouble at all. The tyre is as good as new, so I’m certainly glad I didn’t go with my first instinct which was to replace the whole tyre!”
Chat on WhatsApp

Step 5: It’s very important that you note any new language items or pronunciation points from this week’s lesson in your journal to help you chronicle your improvement.📝

Transcript

We’ve been talking about restoring a broken item, and I would like to ask you a few more questions about this topic. Does it still work?

Knock on wood, yes it does! Whatever adhesive the repairperson used to seal the patch over the hole really did the trick. I’ve been riding my bicycle for months since the repair and haven’t had any trouble at all. The tyre is as good as new, so I’m certainly glad I didn’t go with my first instinct which was to replace the whole tyre!

Why do people neglect things and don’t repair them?

I feel people do this for many reasons. In some instances, repairing an item might be costly or involve tracking down specialised parts, such as rare engine parts for a vintage sports car. In other situations, it might actually be cheaper and more desirable to buy a newer version of the broken item. When my brother’s Playstation video game console broke down after several years of use, he didn’t bother repairing it and instead put the money towards upgrading his console to the newer Playstation 2 model!

Do you think that in the past product quality was higher?

It definitely was. My grandmother still uses a sewing machine she bought in the 1970s. In fact, I can think of multiple products she has in her home that are several decades old and still work perfectly fine. I think the problem is that modern products are designed to be replaced after only a few years of use. These shorter product lifecycles mean consumers make repeat purchases of the same item, and this translates to more money for the business. I mean, look at mobile phones. People just expect to replace them after two or three years of use! This sort of consumer behaviour was uncommon in the past because people’s expectations of quality and longevity were different.

Do you think that expensive products last longer?

I suppose in some cases they do, but it really depends on the product. In my experience, expensive kitchen appliances typically last longer than cheaper alternatives. I bought an inexpensive microwave when I was in university and I barely got two years out of it, but the more expensive microwave I bought after I got married is eight years old and still going strong. Cars, however, are a different story. My wife’s reasonably priced Toyota has had only a fraction of the problems of my more expensive Ford!

Thank you. That is the end of the speaking exam.

Lesson 65: Something broken and then repaired🔧

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This week you will train for Part 2 of the exam. The cue card prompts you to speak about something broken that you then had repaired.

Step 1: Tune in to this week’s podcast episode (audio and video version available below).

Talk about something in your home that was broken and then repaired. Please say
-what it was
-when it broke
-why it broke
-and explain how it was repaired
🧑‍🎓Target language:

cram
-completely fill a place

“My basement is small, so I have to cram my bicycle in among my other things.”

Step 2: Listen to the sample a few times to get more familiar with the language.

Step 3: Engage this week’s full speech shadowing lesson. (If you do not yet have access, click here to sign up for full lessons.)

Step 4: Below is Monday’s speech exercise. Post yourself saying this excerpt to your Whatsapp group. Exercises for Tuesday to Friday will be posted in the group by your instructor. (If you have not yet been added to a group, click here to sign up – select ‘Join a Whatsapp group’.)

Post yourself saying this into your Whatsapp group!🗣️📲

“Earlier this year, at the start of spring, I pulled my bicycle out of my basement. I store it there during the winter. When I went to ride it, I realised the back tyre was completely flat, and I couldn’t seem to reinflate it with my bicycle pump, so I knew it had been punctured either when I was putting it into storage or taking it out.”
Chat on WhatsApp

Step 5: It’s very important that you note any new language items or pronunciation points from this week’s lesson in your journal to help you chronicle your improvement.📝

Transcript

Talk about something in your home that was broken and then repaired. Please say
-what it was
-when it broke
-why it broke
-and explain how it was repaired

Earlier this year, at the start of spring, I pulled my bicycle out of my basement. I store it there during the winter. When I went to ride it, I realised the back tyre was completely flat, and I couldn’t seem to reinflate it with my bicycle pump, so I knew it had been punctured either when I was putting it into storage or taking it out. My basement is small, so I have to cram my bicycle in among my other things. There are all sorts of random bits and bobs down there, so I’m pretty sure one of these other items caused the hole in the tyre.

To fix it, I took it to a bicycle repair shop. The repairperson removed the flat tyre’s rubber inner tube and submerged it in water to locate the hole. By squeezing this part of the tyre while it is underwater, the punctured area emits bubbles and the repairperson can see precisely where the hole is.

The repairperson fused a rubber patch over the hole using an adhesive and then submerged the tubing again underwater to ensure the leak had been fixed. They then reassembled the tyre, reattached it to my bicycle and I was on my way. Amazingly, the whole process took maybe 15 minutes and was very reasonably priced.

Lesson 64: A special talent🤹

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Do you have a special talent? This week’s Part 1 speech shadowing exercise pushes you to practise speaking about this topic, as well as the topic of watches.

Step 1: Tune in to this week’s podcast episode (audio and video version available below).

Part 1 Questions

Do you live in a house or an apartment?
What is your favourite room?
Do you usually use a watch?
What do you think about people who wear expensive watches?
Let’s talk about talents. Do you have a talent?
Were you especially good at something when you were a child?
Does your talent help you at work?
🧑‍🎓Target language:

lateral thinking
-a person’s ability to solve problems using thoughtful solutions

“My job also demands creativity and lateral thinking.”

Step 2: Listen to the sample a few times to get more familiar with the language.

Step 3: Engage this week’s full speech shadowing lesson. (If you do not yet have access, click here to sign up for full lessons.)

Step 4: Below is Monday’s speech exercise. Post yourself saying this excerpt to your Whatsapp group. Exercises for Tuesday to Friday will be posted in the group by your instructor. (If you have not yet been added to a group, click here to sign up – select ‘Join a Whatsapp group’.)

Post yourself saying this into your Whatsapp group!🗣️📲

“I would have to say my bedroom. It’s cozy and decorated in relaxing pastel colours. It also has a double-paned window and blackout curtains, so I almost always sleep well.”
Chat on WhatsApp

Step 5: It’s very important that you note any new language items or pronunciation points from this week’s lesson in your journal to help you chronicle your improvement.📝

Transcript

Do you live in a house or an apartment?

I live in a house in the eastern part of Shiraz.

What is your favourite room?

I would have to say my bedroom. It’s cozy and decorated in relaxing pastel colours. It also has a double-paned window and blackout curtains, so I almost always sleep well.

Do you usually use a watch?

I don’t, actually. I own a nice watch that my father gave me, but it’s more of a family heirloom than something I regularly wear. I think the last time I wore it was to a wedding last year.

What do you think about people who wear expensive watches?

I think people should have the freedom to wear whatever jewellery they want. I don’t feel that people who wear expensive watches are necessarily doing it to show off or be pretentious. If they own a nice watch and enjoy wearing it then more power to them.

Let’s talk about talents. Do you have a talent?

Hmm I need a moment to think of one. I suppose I could say I’m a talented chess player. A few years ago, I competed in my city for a chance to join our national team. I didn’t qualify, but just playing in this tournament put me among the top 10 chess players in Shiraz.

Were you especially good at something when you were a child?

Well, I was also good at chess as a child, but aside from this I had an especially good memory. At the age of 8, I could recite pi to 100 digits. A few years later, I could examine a Rubik’s Cube and then solve it from memory while blindfolded. My strong memory was an abnormal talent but one that came in handy during my schooling days.

Does your talent help you at work?

My memory is still good, but it isn’t nearly as strong as it used to be. I am an engineer, and I work with numbers a lot and I suppose my memory does help me do calculations in my head very quickly…but my job also demands creativity and lateral thinking, so unfortunately my talent doesn’t help much with this.

Thank you.