Now, prepare to talk about your student life at our University

UNIT V

PLANS AND AMITIONS

Vocabulary

change one’s mind

to make up one’s mind

Well-paid job

To be going to do something

To make the right choice

In a year

To be successful

To own a house

To earn quite a lot of money

for the rest of one’s life

to do a course (a foreign language / a driving course)

In the nearest future

I’d like / I’d love to

I am looking forward to…(V-ing)

I hope to

I’m thinking of…(V-ing)

Employer, employee

Ex. 1 Complete the sentences with ideas about you.

1. One day I want to…

2. On Sundays I love…

3. Right now I’d like to…

4. This weekend I’m going to…

5. I enjoy …because I like…

Ex. 2 Ask and answer the questions with a partner.

1. What do you enjoy doing in the evenings?

2. What are you thinking of doing next weekend?

3. Do you like learning English?

4. Would you like to learn another foreign language?

5. Do you want to get married one day?

6. How many children do you hope to have?

7. Are you thinking of buying a car?

Ex. 3 Read about Derek’s plans. He is 18 years old now. What will he be like in 10 years’? How will his life be different then?

Complete the sentences with “will / won’t”.

1. I hope / have a job in 10 years’ time. - I hope I’ll have a job in 10 years’ time.

2. Perhaps I / have a good job.

3. I probably / not / be very rich.

4. I / not /look the same as I do now.

5. I think I / be married.

6. I / probably / have children.

7. I / perhaps / buy a house.

8. I / spend / much time in my garden.

Ex. 4 Work with a partner and write B’s questions. Continue the conversations using your own ideas.

1.A. I hope to go to University.

B. (What / want /study)……………………………….?

2. A. One of my favourite hobbies is cooking.

B. (What / like /make)…………………………………?

3. A. I’m thinking of taking an English course.

B. (When / start /)………………………….?

4. A. We’re planning our summer holidays at the moment.

B. (Where / think / go)………………………………….?

5. A. I’m bored.

B. (What / like / do / tonight)…………………………..?

Ex. 5 Read the text and get ready to speak about your plans and ambitions using the underlined phrases.

Plans and ambitions

It is very exciting to make plans for the future. Everyone likes planning the future. Now I am going to tell you about some of my plans and ambitions. I began making plans for the future when I was still at school. In those days I changed my mind a lot of times. Now I have already made up my mind. I am going to find an interesting and well-paid job. I would like to work for a big company. It is not easy to make the right choice of a job. I expect to try more than one job before I find the right one.

Nowadays it is very important to know a foreign language to get a good job, so I am learning English. I am going to speak it very well in a year.

I want to be successful so I am going to work hard. I want to make more money than my parents. I think that rich people are happier. I am very ambitious and I want to be famous. One day I am going to make a film or write a book or…

In ten years, I hope to be married. I hope to find the right partner and marry for love. I would like to own a house with a garage and a swimming pool so I am going to earn quite a lot of money. I would like to have a car so I am going to learn to drive.

I have always liked dancing so I am going to do a ballet course.

I have always wanted to see different countries and people. Soon I am going to travel all over the world. I am going to climb the highest mountains and walk on the sea bed. In the nearest future I am going to Egypt to see the pyramids (I am going to Holland to see the tulips, etc.). I hope that all my dreams will come true.

Ex. 6 These phrases (1-6) all include the word “career”. Match each of them to its correct meaning (a-f). Use a dictionary to help you.

1 career move a) chances to start / improve you career

2 career break b) ideas you have for your future career

3 career plan c) an action you take to progress in your career

4 career opportunities d) a period of time away from your job

5 career ladder e) a series of levels or steps in your working life

6 career path f) the direction your working life takes

Ex. 7 Discuss the following questions using the phrases from Ex. 6.

1. How ambitious are you?

2. Do you have a career plan? Where do you want to be in 10 years’ time?

3. Which of the following would you prefer to do:

a) work for one company during your career,

b) work for several different companies,

c) work for yourself?

4. What career opportunities do big companies offer?

Ex. 8 Complete the sentences below with the verbs in the box.

climb decide have make offer take

1. Employees in large companies …. excellent career opportunities if they are willing to travel.

2. Some people….a career break to do something adventurous things like sailing round the world or going trekking in India.

3. One way to … a career move is to join a small but rapidly growing company.

4. Certain companies …career opportunities to the long-term unemployed or to people without formal qualifications.

5. Ambitious people often … on a career plan while they are still at university.

6. In some industries, it can take a long time to…..the career ladder.

Ex. 9 Make your own sentences using the phrases from Ex. 8.

Ex. 10 There are three candidates for the position of Sales and Marketing Director in a big company in Mexico. Discuss the strengths and weaknesses of each candidate. Decide who is most suitable for the vacant position.

The successful candidate will:

- have a strong personality with leadership qualities

- be energetic, dynamic and enthusiastic

- have organizational and interpersonal skills

- have a good academic background and work experience

- have good linguistic ability

Juana Ramos

Mexican, aged 30, married, two children

Education – University degree in Economics

Experience – has worked for the company since leaving university, has a good knowledge of computing.

Languages – fluent Spanish and Italian, good standard of English.

Character – a strong charismatic personality, very competitive. Not afraid to speak her mind. A good sense of humour. Wants to advance in her career as quickly as possible.

Chantal Lefevre

Swiss, aged 41, divorced, one child

Education – University degree in Business, diploma in Marketing

Experience – seven years’ market research including one year in Spain and six years in Portugal.

Languages – fluent Portuguese, intermediate Spanish, excellent English

Character – a quiet, modest person, but very eager to progress in her career. Direct and honest. A sociable person. Believes that the new director should involve staff in all decisions. Decisive.

Jeff Sanderson

American, aged 54, single

Education – University degree in Sociology, Master’s in Business Administration from Harvard Business School

Experience – has always worked in sales. Sales manager.

Languages – fluent English and Portuguese, Spanish, good reading skills.

Character – a serious person, respected by his staff. Has a strong sense of responsibility. Not very creative. Believes that new ideas should come from staff. A workaholic and difficult to get to know. Energetic.