Part 1
Future
What job would you like to have ten years from now? [Why?]
At the moment I work as a Forestry and Conservation Science Teacher, in Postsecondary, so I’m not sure, but maybe something like being the head of a department or even a project coordinator.It would be nice to stay in the same field as I’m very passionate about it. But I’d expect to advance with more experience and probably further studies.
How useful will English be for your future? [Why/Why not?]
For me personally, English is and will be essential for what I want to do.My plan is to emigrate to Canada and pursue my career there because there are more opportunities to take advantage of in my field of expertise.
How much traveling do you hope to do in the future?
Well, apart from traveling to Canada, I would also like to see Europe in the future and Asia too.I don’t have any firm travel plans at the moment. My main goal is to get to Canada and establish a new life there.
Once I’ve settled and saved some money, I’ll probably begin to plan some travel adventures during my summer vacations from school.
How do you think your life will change in the future? [Why?]
A lot! I’m quite young still and there are a lot of things I would like to achieve. But eventually, I would like to settle down, have children, and be a mother.I think moving to another country will be a big change, but I’m sure it won’t be the last big change in my life.
The way that technology is impacting everyday life nowadays is impressive, and education, which is my field, has seen many changes I the way we teach and the resources at our disposal.
I can only imagine what another ten years of technology innovation will produce. Maybe students will have holographic teachers in the classroom so that the same teacher can teach many different students in various locations at the same time.
You should say:and explain why you enjoyed reading this book.
- what this book was
- why you decided to read it
- what reading this book made you think about
Sample Answer
I recently read a book called “12 Rules for Life” written by Jordan Peterson. He’s a clinical psychologist and a psychology professor in Toronto.The reason I read the book was that it became Amazon’s best-selling book this year. I found it extremely interesting because it really made me think about my own life, what I was doing, and what I really wanted to achieve.
Some of the things I learned included the need to maintain better posture and be more confident. This helps produce serotonin in your brain, which will help you feel energized and full of life.
Then there was a chapter about how you deal with or treat yourself. I found this part really fascinating because it really made me think about how I see myself and my life. The book emphasized the importance of establishing values and direction in life, and to treat yourself as if you were helping another person.
Also, the book explained the importance of friends, and why you should surround yourself with people who are only interested in the best for you. Be friends with people who will make you a better individual in life.
Another important lesson I learned from reading this book was to not compare myself to other people but to compare myself to the person I was yesterday, or last week, or last month. It’s easy to become jealous of other people when you superficially compare yourself to the, but you are unique, and it’s pointless to make such a comparison.
The importance of leading a meaningful life was also discussed. As opposed to simply doing whatever is expedient, or easy, or simply pursuing pleasure or fun all the time. It’s better to have a deeper meaning to what you do and why you do it. This part made me really think about my own life and what motivates me to do what I do and also why I want to move to another country and build a new life.
There were many other points discussed too, as I said the book is called “12 Rules for life” but there’s not enough time to tell you about all of them here.
Anyway, I enjoyed it a lot because it was one of the most engrossing reads I’ve ever experienced. It really made me analyze myself and my life and I think if I put into practice some of the lessons, I’ll become a better person.
Part 3
Discussion topics:
Children and reading
What are the most popular types of children's books in your country?
There are lots of them depending on the age of the children. Some of the best loved and most read ones include “The very Hungry Caterpillar”, “There’s a Wocket in my Pocket”, and “Diary of a Wimpy Kid”, as well as many others.
Children like good stories with interesting characters and adventures. They also like fun books which have rhymes or puzzles and things, you know, not a traditional story book.
When children get older, they tend to read more novels and of course, there are some of the literary classics taught in school, so children get broad exposure to many different kinds of books from when they are a small infant to the time that they become an adolescent.
What are the benefits of parents reading books to their children?
I guess there are quite a few I could mention. The most obvious one is that when parents read to their children, they are spending time with them and this helps build a strong bond between them. Being close to your child can have many benefits when the children are older, and usually more problematic.
Then, there’s the fact that reading is empowering. A child who loves reading will become inquisitive about things and reading allows them to learn and discover things for themselves.
Reading is an essential life skill, possibly one of the most important you will ever learn.
Parents reading to their children helps form their personality, values, and outlook on the world. Stories can provide children with valuable lessons about what’s right and wrong, overcoming challenges, and many other life lessons.
Should parents always let children choose the books they read?
No, not always. While children choosing their own books allows them to be more engaged maybe, sometimes a parent might want to choose a specific book to teach their child something in particular.
Or they may want to simply try and provide more variety in the material their child reads, so they can experience different types of books, stories, rhymes, etc.
But allowing a child to choose their own books can help indicate to parents what their child is interested in, so it can be a way of learning more about their developing personality, which is a good thing.
It’s probably best if choosing a book is a collaborative effort. For example, a young child may be attracted by the cover of a book, but the book might not be age appropriate, so the parent should find a way to help their child choose an appropriate book for their age.
Electronic books
How popular are electronic books in your country?
I don’t really know. I mean I haven’t seen any research data on that. Personally, I usually read most books on my tablet simply because I find it easy to carry around.
Many of my friends also use their device or e-readers to read books, but not all of them. And my older relatives still buy hard copy books, like they always did.
I guess maybe about 60% of my friends and the people I know regularly read an e-book, but I’m not sure if that can be generalized to the bigger population.
With all the technology we use daily, I think it’s safe to say that most young people use e-books on a regular basis, and I think that more and more people will in the future.
It seems such a simple way to distribute reading material rather than having to go to a physical store to buy a book.
I think that the fact you can download it instantly and not have to wait for a book to be delivered to your home is a great advantage.
No doubt, as more people will buy things online in the future, the idea of e-books will also grow in popularity.
What are the advantages of parents reading electronic books (compared to printed books)?
The advantages are the same as for everyone else. It’s cheaper and quicker to get the reading material.
You can carry a huge selection of books on your tablet or e-reader, so you always have something interesting to read.
If they’re reading an electronic book with their children, it may be an interactive one, which they can help their children engage with, and develop their reading and comprehension skills.
And for older people, the ability to resize the text, or font, on the screen can help avoid eye strain. Resizing text when reading a book means you have to move the whole book closer to or further from your eyes, which might then put your arm in an uncomfortable position for reading.
E-readers are more versatile overall, although I do sometimes miss the smell of a new book. I still remember that from my childhood.
Will electronic books ever completely replace printed books in the future?
There’s a strong possibility that they will, yes. I mean, books need paper to make them and paper comes from trees.
Why should we waste such natural resources when you can have thousands of books to read on your tablet or other digital devices?
Digital reading material makes much more sense in the long run. And another advantage is that book publishers don’t have to transport books to a warehouse and then onto individual stores for distribution.
So, again, it’s better for the environment and saves wasting, time, fuel, and effort, when you can deliver the same reading material digitally instead.