I Was Wondering

Lead-in

  • In what situations do you speak in a formal way? 
  • What about informal?
  • What behavior is only acceptable among friends? Why?
  • How do you speak in a formal situation? Give some examples.
  • How are formality and politeness related?

Presentation

Pre

  • How often do you listen to the radio?
  • How often do you watch vlogs?
  • How often do you listen to podcasts?

Top Down

  • The interview is a part of what type of audio content? Read it and find out.
  1. Audiogram
  2. Internet Radio
  1. Podcast
  2. Audiobook
  1. Audiogram
  2. Internet Radio
  1. Podcast
  2. Audiobook

Joseph: Good morning, Rina. Welcome to Career Relaunch.

Rina: Good morning. Thank you for having me.

Joseph: You are our very first former professional athlete on the podcast, Rina. I’m very excited to hear all about your time as a professional tennis player and also your time as a finance professional. I was wondering if you could get us started by just telling us a little bit about what you’re up to right now in your life and career.

Rina: Right now, I work at Textyle International in Textyle Asia. It’s a family-owned company that we run. What we do is produce outerwear, coats, and jackets in Asia for clients all over the world. My involvement is more in the finance side of the company as well as some strategy and innovation at the moment. I’m based in Brussels most of the time. Obviously, I travel to Asia a lot.

Joseph: I know that you haven’t always been a Director at Textyle International. I was wondering if we could go back in time to your days as a professional athlete, which is something I didn’t even actually know about the first time we crossed paths. I was wondering if you could take us back to the days before you shifted into working in the world of corporate finance and strategy and take us all the way back to the age of eight, which I think is when you started playing tennis. Can you just explain how did tennis enter your life and how did it start to become such a big part of your life growing up?

Rina: Yes, it was around eight, nine, maybe something like that. I was living in India at the time. My father worked there, and we were based there. I went to school there in Kolkata. I think my mom sort of wanted to find something for us to do after school to keep us occupied and took us to the tennis club. That’s basically how it started. It was something that I found that I enjoyed and that I could do. Very soon, I started playing local tournaments, traveling around India, and playing junior tournaments and national tournaments. That was the very beginning.

It was great because I got to travel a bit. I missed a lot of school, and it was just something. I was extremely competitive, and I really enjoyed the matches. That’s how tennis started.

When I was around 13, I think, we moved to the UK, and that was when I started playing a lot more tournaments, traveling around the UK and playing nationals, and really enjoying my tennis. It was a lot of fun.

Modified from source

Bottom Up

  • True or False?

Example: Two people are interviewed. False

  1. Rina started her career as an athlete and now she’s a finance professional.
  2. Rina works in a family-owned company that is run by the same family.
  3. Rina was a tennis and soccer player.
  4. She started her sports life because her mom sort of wanted to find something for her to do after school.
  5. It took her a while before she could play in local tournaments.
  1. Rina started her career as an athlete and now she’s a finance professional. True
  2. Rina works in a family-owned company that is run by the same family. False
  3. Rina was a tennis and soccer player. False
  4. She started her sports life because her mom sort of wanted to find something for her to do after school. True
  5. It took her a while before she could play in local tournaments. False

Post

  • If you started a podcast, who would you interview first? Why?
  • What are 3 questions you would ask this person? 

Target Language

Second Conditional

The Second Conditional is used to talk about unreal situations. It is formed by if + past tense and would + infinitive without to.

  • I would buy a Ferrari if I won the lottery.
  • If I won the lottery, I‘d buy a Ferrari.
  • Sorry I can’t make it to your party tonight, Sue. If I didn’t have so much work to do, I‘d definitely show up.
  • I would definitely show up if I didn’t have so much work to do.

The if clause can appear in the beginning or at the end of a statement, but we have to use a comma if we begin the sentence with it.

  • If I were an animal, I’d be an eagle.
  • I’d be an eagle if I were an animal.

Indirect Questions

In order to be more formal and polite we can ask indirect questions.

  • What time is it?
  • Could you tell me what time it is?

Bare in mind that the verb in indirect questions is used in the same order as in a positive statement. 

  • I was wondering if you could take me to the mall tonight.
  • Do you have any idea how long it will take you to finish?
  • I’d like to know how much these shoes cost.
  • Do you mind telling me how long it takes for the bus to get there?
  • Do you know if I can return this book? I got it for my birthday, but I don’t really like reading.

Controlled Practice

  • Create sentences according to the second conditional.

Example: Travel. Go to Germany. > If I traveled, I would go to Germany.

  1. Be hungry. Eat stroganoff.
  2. Watch TV. Watch Cartoon Network.
  3. Study. Graduate.
  4. Like Rock’n’roll. Go to the “The killers” concert.
  5. Have time. Go to her birthday party.
  1. Be hungry. Eat stroganoff. > If I was hungry, I would eat stroganoff.
  2. Watch TV. Watch Cartoon Network. > If I watched TV, I would watch Cartoon Network.
  3. Study. Graduate. > If I studied, I would graduate.
  4. Like Rock’n’roll. Go to the “The killers” concert. > If I liked rock’n’roll, I would go to “The killers” concert.
  5. Have time. Go to her birthday party. > If I had time, I would go to her birthday party.

Freer Practice

  • Complete the sentences according to your own ideas.
    • If I could do everything I want, I would…
    • Could you tell me what…
    • If I woke up early every day I…
    • I’m not keen on changes, but if I…
    • I was wondering if…
    • I don’t know what would I do if… but I definitely would not…
    • If I won a lot of money I’d…
    • Do you have any idea…

Production

  • Imagine you interviewed someone at a podcast and write a dialogue using as much of the target language as possible.

Example: Interviewer: We welcome here today our guest: Emilia, who wrote the bestseller…

Homework

Connect the words from the first column with the words from the second

Example: Mean it > Mean it as

  1. Open to
  2. Put someone
  3. Take something
  4. Think someone
  5. Walk away
  • from the debate
  • to the heart
  • criticism
  • down
  • has a point
  1. Open to
  2. Put someone
  3. Take something
  4. Think someone
  5. Walk away
  1. criticism
  2.  down
  3. to heart
  4. has a point
  5. the debate

Match the collocations with their respective definitions.

  1. To be open to criticism
  2. To be under attack
  3. To mean it 
  4. To mean it as
  5. To put someone down
  6. To take something to heart
  7. To think someone has a point
  8. To walk away from (a debate)
  • To agree with a person’s specific argument
  • To avoid a situation because it’s difficult to deal with or does not give you any advantages
  • To feel upset about something someone said about you
  • To say something seriously
  • To criticize people in public to make them feel stupid or inferior
  • To be strongly criticized
  • To say or write something with a specific intention
  • To be prepared to listen to people’s negative opinions
  1. To be open to criticism
  2. To be under attack
  3. To mean it 
  4. To mean it as
  5. To put someone down
  6. To take something to heart
  7. To think someone has a point
  8. To walk away from (a debate)
  1. To be prepared to listen to people’s negative opinions
  2. To be strongly criticized
  3. To say something seriously
  4. To say or write something with a specific intention
  5. To criticize people in public to make them feel stupid or inferior
  6. To feel upset about something someone said about you
  7. To agree with a person’s specific argument
  8. To avoid a situation because it’s difficult to deal with or does not give you any advantages

Using the expressions from the previous exercise, complete the sentences.

Example: When I said I loved him I meant it as platonic love.

  1. She told me she was crazy to express her point, that’s why I couldn’t understand when she ______________.
  2. I’ll never understand why people insist on __________________. It is so embarrassing passing through this kind of situation.
  3. Marie needs therapy! Every little thing someone says to her she ___________________.
  4. Did you warn the employees about the feedback session today? They need to be ______________.
  5. Chris told Kevin yesterday he changed his mind. Maybe he _____________________.
  1. She told me she was crazy to express her point, that’s why I couldn’t understand when she walked away from the debate.
  2. I’ll never understand why people insist on put others down. It is so embarrassing passing through this kind of situation.
  3. Marie needs therapy! Every little thing someone says to her she takes it to heart.
  4. Did you warn the employees about the feedback session today? They need to be open for criticism.
  5. Chris told Kevin yesterday he changed his mind. Maybe he thinks someone has a point.

Put the words in the correct order to make sentences.

Example: very / Dave / to / criticism / doesn’t be / open / seem / to > Dave doesn’t seem to be very open to criticism.

  1. on / we / usually / each / don’t / other / Mondays / see
  2. might / In / you / try / future / to / the / more / little / a / polite / be
  3. shouldn’t / you / offended / be / mean / it / compliment / a / they / as
  4. feel / am / when / I / stand / honest / people / they / because / being / under / can’t / are / just / I / attack.
  5. down / their / It’s / put / not / to / because / people / nice / looks / of
  1. We don’t usually see each other on Mondays.
  2. In the future you might try to be a little more polite.
  3. You shouldn’t be offended. They mean it as a compliment.
  4. I can’t stand when people feel they are under attack just because I am being honest.
  5. It’s not nice to put people down because of their looks.

Which sentences are wrong?

  1. Why you always take what he says for heart?

  2. I mean what I say last night.

  3. Euclides mean that he said as a serious statement, not a joke.

  4. If things get loud, just walks away from the debate.

  5. It’s hard to admit this, but I think you have valid point.

  1. Why do you always take what he says to heart?

  2. I meant what I said last night.

  3. Euclides meant what he said as a serious statement, not a joke.

  4. If things get loud, just walk away from the debate.

  5. It’s hard to admit this, but I think you have a valid point.

Writing

Write a letter to a friend who needs the tips on taking criticism gracefully. Remember to use as much of the Target Language as possible.