Talking point: work

This week's talking point revolves around work. Before getting together with the members of your conversation group, go over the questions below, so that you can work out vocabulary problems beforehand and ideas flow more easily.

What do you do?  Where do you work?
Do you have a part-time or full-time job? Have you ever had a split-shift job?
What are the best things about your job?  And the worst things?
What did you dream of doing as a child? Is your job a dream job? Why (not)?
Are you ambitious? If so, in what way(s)?
Have you ever worked overtime? Do you ever work at home? Are you ever on call?
Do you have any social life with your colleagues?
Did you use to have a summer job? What was your first job?
Talk about a serious problem you’ve had at work. 10 Talk about a job interview you have had.
Did your family influence your choice of job?
What jobs are usually done by men/women (stereotypes)?
How is your work-life balance?
How has technology changed your job?
How has the economic recession affected you/family?
Would you be willing to emigrate to work?

You can also use the Speakout video below as a springboard for the topic.



You can read the transcript for the video here.

Speakout Pre-intermediate: Fame

Would you like to be famous?
What would you like to be famous for?
Which famous person would you most like to meet?

These are the questions the people interviewed on the street answer in a new installment of Speakout Pre-intermediate, Longman Publishers.

Watch the video clip below and note down the different answers each of the speakers give.



Now it's over to you. If possible, get together with an English-speaking friend of the same level as you, and answer the same questions about yourself. Try and use some of the expressions you heard on the video.

You can read the transcript here.

Speakout Pre-intermediate: Technology in our lives

How do you feel about technology?
What items of technology do you have with you at the moment?
Are there any items of technology you couldn't live without?

These are the questions that people on the street answer in a new installment of Speakout pre-intermediate, Longman.

Watch the video and make of note of the answers the speakers give.



Now it's over to you. If possible, get together with an English-speaking friend or relative and answer the questions above about yourself.

You can read the transcript here.

Speakout Pre-intermdiate: Nature

Do you enjoy city life?
Do you like wildlife?
Are there any animals you are frightened of?

These are the questions the people interviewed answer in a new installment of Speakout, the video podcasts from Longman. Today's video is suitable for Básico 2 and Intermediate 1 students.

Listen to what the speakers say and make a note of their answers.



Now it's over to you. Get together with an English-speaking friend or relative and answer the same questions about yourself. If possible, use some of the expressions you heard the native speakers use.

You can read the transcript here.

Speakout Pre-intermediate: Changes

Are you happy with your life?
Is there anything you would like to change?
How has your life changed in the last few years?

These are the questions some pedestrians answer on a new videocast from Speakout Pre-intermediate, Longman.

Watch the video and try to understand the answers the speakers give.



Now it's over to you. If possible, get together with an English-speaking friend and discuss the questions above. Try and use some of the expressions you heard on the video.

You can read the transcript here.

Speakout Pre-intermediate: How do you keep fit?

What do you do to keep fit?
What other things would you like to do to keep fit?
Do you do anything that isn’t very healthy?

Watch this new Speakout video from Longman and listen to some native speakers of English answer the questions above.



Now it's over to you. Get together with some English-speaking friend or relative and answer the same questions for yourself. Try and use some of the vocabulary and expressions you heard on the video.

You can read the transcript here.

Speakout Pre-intermediate: Travel

Travel is a new installment in the Longman's Speakout series of podcasts. Today's video is suitable for Básico 2 and Intermediate 1 students.

Self-study activity:
Watch the video clip and note down the answers people give to the following questions.

Do you like travelling?
What do you like about travelling?
What don’t you like?



Now it's over to you. If possible, get together with an English-speaking friend or relative and answer the questions above about travelling. Try and use some of the expressions you heard in the interviews.

You can read the transcript here.

Speakout Pre-intermediate: Learning new things (great minds)

Are you learning to do new things?
What’s the most difficult thing you’ve ever learnt?

These are the two questions people answer in this new instalment of the Speakout videos, Longman.

Self-study activity:
Note down the answers people give to the two questions above. Then answer the questions for yourself.



You can read the transcript here.

Speakout Pre-intermediate: Time out

Watch this video from the Longman Speakout series and note down the answers people give to these two questions:

What do you like doing in your free time?
What are you going to do this weekend?



Now answer the questions for yourself.

You can read the transcript here.

Speakout Pre-intermediate: Friends (life)

How many close friends do you have?
What does a friend mean to you?
How do you keep in touch with your friends?
What do you look for in a friend?

Watch this video clip from Speakout Pre-intermediate and note down the answers the interviewees give to the questions above.



You can read the transcript here.

Speakout Pre-intermediate: Do you enjoy city life? (society)

Self-study activity:
Get together with an English speaking friend or relative and discuss these questions:

Do you enjoy city life?
What are the good things about living in the city?
What are the main problems in cities?

Now listen to some native speakers answer the same questions above. Try and note down the answer each speaker gives.



The video clip is part of a new textbook published by Longman, Speak Out, which stresses the importance of authentic materials in language learning.

You can read a transcript of the video here.