English Lesson 43

Work and teamwork

Working and studying, a project you did with someone, and working together at school and between countries.

How to practise
  1. Listen to an answer two times. Read the text while you listen.
  2. Shadow it. Set the speed to 0.75×. Play it again and speak at the same time as the voice.
  3. Turn on practice mode. The answers are hidden. Read each question and answer it out loud.
  4. Make it yours. Use the same phrases, but say true things about your city, your job and your life.
  5. Practise with a partner. One person reads the questions. The other answers without looking.
Speed

Part 1 · Interview

Work and study

Short answers. About 20 to 30 seconds each. Answer, give a reason, add one detail.

Do you work or study?

Both, actually. I work as a junior web designer during the day, and I study for a master's degree in the evenings, twice a week. It's tiring, but I think it's a good investment in my future.

  • Both, actually.a natural short answer
  • a junior web designerjunior = with little experience
  • a master's degreea university degree after a bachelor's
  • a good investment in my futuresomething that will help me later

Is your profession popular in your country?

Yes, it's becoming very popular. Almost every business needs a website or an app now, so there's a lot of demand. Many young people are learning design online. Because of that, there's also a lot of competition for good jobs.

  • professiona job that needs special training
  • there's a lot of demandmany people need it
  • a lot of competitionmany people want the same thing

Do you find studying and working at the same time challenging?

Yes, definitely. The hardest part is time. After a full day of work, I'm tired, and I still need to study. I often study late at night or at the weekend. But I've learned to plan my week carefully, and that helps a lot.

  • challengingdifficult in a way that tests you
  • The hardest part is…the most difficult thing
  • I've learned to…I now know how to
  • that helps a lotit is very useful

What do you do besides your work and study?

I don't have much free time, but I try to go swimming twice a week. It helps me clear my head. I also like cooking on Fridays, and I usually see my family at the weekend.

  • besidesin addition to
  • I don't have much free time, but…a balanced answer
  • clear my headstop thinking about stress

Part 2 · Cue card

A project you did together with someone

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 project or a piece of work you did together with someone.

You should say:

  • what it was
  • what you did
  • why you chose this person to work with
  • and explain what you did to finish the project
Ready 1:00

Start

I'd like to talk about a website project I did with my friend Omid last year. It was the first time we worked together.

What it was

We built a website for a small family restaurant in our neighbourhood. The owner wanted people to see the menu online and book a table.

What you did

I designed how the website looked: the colours, the photos and the layout. Omid wrote the code to make everything work, like the booking system. We also took photos of the food together, which was the most delicious part of the job!

Why you chose him

I chose Omid because he's a very good programmer, and he's calm and organised. I'm more creative, but sometimes a bit messy, so we complemented each other well.

How you finished it

We met twice a week in a café to check our progress. We made a list of tasks, and we ticked them off one by one. When we had problems, we talked them through calmly. In the end, we finished on time, and the owner was so happy that he gave us free dinners for a month.

  • It was the first time we worked togethersay it was new
  • book a tablereserve a table
  • the layoutthe way things are arranged on a page
  • calm and organisedrelaxed and good at planning
  • we complemented each other wellour different skills worked well together
  • we ticked them off one by onemarked them as done, one after another

Part 3 · Discussion

Working together

Longer answers. About 30 to 45 seconds. Give your opinion, explain why, and give an example.

Is it important to do things together with other people?

Yes, I think so. When people work together, they share ideas and solve problems faster. It's also more fun. And many big projects, like building a bridge or making a film, are simply impossible for one person.

  • share ideastell each other ideas
  • solve problems fasterfind answers quickly
  • simply impossible for one personone person can't do it

Is it important for children to have school subjects where they work with other students?

Yes, very important. In adult life, almost every job needs teamwork. At school, children can learn to listen, share tasks and respect different opinions. Group projects also help shy children become more confident.

  • almost every job needs teamworkmost jobs need people to work together
  • share tasksdivide the work
  • respect different opinionsaccept other ideas politely
  • become more confidentbelieve in themselves more

Which subjects can bring young students together to work as a team?

Sports are the most obvious, like football or volleyball. Science is also good, because students can do experiments in groups. Art and drama are great too, for example when a class prepares a play together.

  • the most obviousthe clearest example
  • do experiments in groupsdo science tests together
  • prepares a playgets ready to perform a show

How can businesses and universities work together to help each other?

Businesses can offer internships, so students get real experience. They can also give money for research. In return, universities can help companies solve technical problems and train their workers. Both sides benefit.

  • offer internshipsgive short work experience to students
  • give money for researchpay for scientific studies
  • In return, …giving something back
  • Both sides benefitboth get something good

How can rich countries help poor countries?

Rich countries can help by building schools and hospitals, and by sharing technology. But I think the best help is to create jobs, for example by investing in local businesses. Giving money is useful in emergencies, but in the long term, jobs and education are more important.

  • sharing technologygiving their tools and knowledge
  • investing in local businessesputting money into small companies there
  • in emergenciesin very bad situations, like disasters
  • in the long termfor a long time in the future

How can countries work together to deal with climate change?

They can make international agreements to reduce pollution, and they should actually follow them. Rich countries can help poorer countries use clean energy, like solar power. They can also share research about new technology. No country can solve this problem alone.

  • deal withhandle, solve
  • international agreementsofficial deals between countries
  • clean energy, like solar powerenergy that doesn't pollute
  • No country can solve this problem aloneeveryone must work together

Audio: Microsoft neural voices. A British voice reads the examiner's questions, and an American voice reads the model answers.