English Lesson 32
Learning English and competitions
Learning and using English, a competition you took part in, and competition at school and work.
How to practise
- Listen to an answer two times. Read the text while you listen.
- Shadow it. Set the speed to 0.75×. Play it again and speak at the same time as the voice.
- Turn on practice mode. The answers are hidden. Read each question and answer it out loud.
- Make it yours. Use the same phrases, but say true things about your city, your job and your life.
- Practise with a partner. One person reads the questions. The other answers without looking.
Part 1 · Interview
Studying English
Short answers. About 20 to 30 seconds each. Answer, give a reason, add one detail.
Do you work or study?
I'm a student. I'm in my third year of a bachelor's degree in architecture. It's a hard course, with lots of projects and late nights, but I enjoy it because it's creative.
- I'm in my third year of…say where you are in your studies
- a bachelor's degreea first university degree
- late nightsworking until late at night
What do you like about learning English?
I like that it opens a lot of doors. With English, I can read articles about architecture from all over the world, and watch films without subtitles. I also enjoy the feeling of progress. Every month, I understand a bit more.
- it opens a lot of doorsit gives many opportunities
- from all over the worldfrom every country
- the feeling of progressfeeling that you are getting better
- a bit morea little more
How often do you use English?
I use it almost every day, but mostly for reading and listening. I read articles for my university projects, and I watch YouTube videos in English. I don't speak it very often, so that's why I'm practising speaking now.
- almost every daynearly every day
- mostly for reading and listeningthe main ways I use it
- that's why…show the result
What part of your country do you come from?
I come from the west of my country, from a city called Kermanshah. It's in a mountain area, and it has a lot of ancient stone carvings. People there are known for being very friendly and generous.
- I come from the west of…describe the area
- ancient stone carvingsvery old pictures cut into rock
- are known for being…people know them for
Part 2 · Cue card
A competition you took part in
You get 1 minute to prepare and then speak for 1 to 2 minutes. Follow the four points on the card in order.
Candidate task card
Describe a competition or contest that you took part in.
You should say:
- when the competition took place
- what you had to do
- how well you did in the competition
- and explain how you felt about taking part in it
Start
I'd like to talk about a design competition I took part in at university. It was my first real competition.
When it took place
It took place last year, in the spring. The university organised it for all architecture students, and more than fifty teams took part.
What you had to do
We worked in teams of three. We had two weeks to design a small public library for a park. At the end, we had to make a model and present our design to a group of judges, who were professors and real architects.
How well you did
We didn't win, but we came fourth, which was a good result for our first time. The judges said our idea was very creative, but our model wasn't detailed enough.
How you felt
I felt very nervous at the start, especially when we had to present in front of the judges. But in the end, I really enjoyed it. I learned a lot about teamwork and about working under pressure. Now I can't wait for this year's competition.
- I took part in…take part in = join an activity
- more than fifty teamsa large number
- present our designshow and explain our idea
- we came fourthcame + position in a race or competition
- working under pressureworking with stress and little time
- I can't wait for…I'm very excited about
Part 3 · Discussion
Competition
Longer answers. About 30 to 45 seconds. Give your opinion, explain why, and give an example.
Why do some teachers use competitions as class activities?
Competitions make lessons more exciting. Students try harder when they want to win. For example, a quick quiz between two teams can make even a boring topic fun. Competitions also help shy students take part, because they're part of a team.
- more excitingmore interesting and fun
- try harderput in more effort
- a quick quiza short test with questions
- take partjoin in
Should we teach children both competition and cooperation? Why?
Yes, I think children need both. Competition teaches them to work hard and to accept losing. Cooperation teaches them to share and to work with others. In adult life, we need both skills. For example, at work, you compete for a promotion, but you also need to work in a team.
- cooperationworking together
- accept losingbe okay when you don't win
- we need both skillsboth are useful
- compete for a promotiontry to get a better job position
Is competition good in the workplace? Why?
A little competition is good, because it motivates people to do their best. But too much competition can be harmful. People may stop helping each other, or even hide information from colleagues. So I think companies should reward both good results and good teamwork.
- A little competition is gooda balanced start
- motivates people to do their bestmakes people want to work well
- harmfulcausing damage
- rewardgive something for good work
What kinds of competitions do people in your country like to take part in?
Sports competitions are the most popular, especially football and wrestling. Students also take part in science olympiads and quiz competitions. And recently, online competitions, like gaming tournaments, have become popular among young people.
- are the most popularmost people like them
- science olympiadsbig science competitions for students
- gaming tournamentscompetitions for video games
What kinds of people are competitive?
Competitive people usually have strong ambitions. They want to be the best, and they don't like losing. Many athletes and business people are like that. I think some people are born competitive, but family and school also play a role.
- competitivewanting very much to win or be the best
- strong ambitionsbig goals for the future
- they don't like losingthey hate not winning
- play a rolehave an effect
Are there many competition programmes on TV these days? Why?
Yes, there are a lot, like cooking shows, talent shows and quiz programmes. People love them because they're exciting, and viewers want to know who will win. They're also cheap to make, because the TV channel doesn't need famous actors.
- talent showsTV shows where people show a special skill
- viewerspeople who watch TV
- cheap to makethey don't cost much to produce
Audio: Microsoft neural voices. A British voice reads the examiner's questions, and an American voice reads the model answers.