INT English Podcast #04 – Work Study

1. Do you work or are you a student?

Well, actually, I suppose I’m both right now because I work as an English teacher at IELTS Nhung Tran English center, and I’m also doing a short course online at Coursera, which is a massive open online course provider.

2. Why did you choose this kind of work and studies?

Well, if we talk about work, for example, then I picked it because, first of all, it’s quite well-paid, and then I fall in love with this profession because I feel like I can use my knowledge to help people and make a difference to their lives. Speaking of my study, I’m doing a course called ‘learning how to learn’ because I want to gain an insight into how people learn things and the methods to make us learn more effectively. It helps a lot with my work really, because I can now understand my students better and know the struggles that they have to deal with during the learning process. 

3. Do you like the job and your studies?

I love my job. It’s very rewarding seeing my students improving every day. Each class teaches me something new about the English language and teaching methodologies, and I also make a lot of good friends along the way. I’m still friends with many of my former students and sometimes we hang out at weekends. It’s great fun. As for the course itself, I like some of the ideas taught by the professor in the videos as I can apply them to my work such as the Pomodoro method. However, other parts are a little bit repetitive and slow, and to be honest, it can be quite boring and sleepy to study online by yourself sometimes. 

4. What’s the most interesting part in your work?

Well, it’s never boring. For example, every day I have different experiences with my students and it’s really amazing because we share the moment and have a good laugh together during the class. You know, that’s something that motivates me to keep pursuing this career and I guess my only regret is not doing it sooner, to be honest with you. 

5. What’s the most difficult parts in your work and studies?

Well, if we talk about my job, then I suppose the most frustrating aspect is the marking. It’s very time-consuming. Sometimes, my students make the same mistakes over and over again. It’s quite annoying and disappointing really because it shows that they haven’t read my comments and study them carefully. It just makes me feel like all of my effort has gone to waste. If we talk about what I study, then I think the most difficult thing for me is to find time to study the course. I’m quite busy with work and family.

6. What was your dream job when you were a child?

Well, it may sound funny but I wanted to be a singer. I thought that was a really cool profession to have, you know to be famous and have a huge following. However, I’ve realized that I have a terrible voice and no one wants to listen to my singing so, I guess, it’s just not for me though, but that’s okie. I’m glad that I didn’t pursue that career, otherwise, I would be a disaster in the music industry.

7. What kind of work would you like to do in the future?

Well, If I had a chance, maybe I would have a crack at being a podcaster. It sounds like a great idea. I can still teach people English through podcast, but I can make a much bigger impact on the English language learning community compared to just being a teacher.

• To work as a + job – eg: to work as a banker/ to work as waitor

To work for a + company – eg: to work for a bank/ to work for a hospital

To work in + industry – eg: to work in the music industry/ to work in the hospitality industry

• To do a course

To be a first/second/third/final-year student at ABC university

Eg: I’m a first year student at Danang University of foreign languages

• To be a grade … student at … school

Eg: I’m a grade 12 student at FPT high school.

• To fall in love with sth
• A profession (n) 
• To make a difference to someone’s life
• To make friends
• To hang out with sb
• To have a good laugh together
• To pursue a career/ a passion
• Frustrating (adj): if sth is frustrating, it causes you to feel annoyed and impatient because you cannot do or achieve what you want
• Annoying (adj): if sth is annoying, it makes you feel slightly angry
• To go to waste
• To find time to do sth
• To have a crack at sth = to try sth new

Adjectives to describe a job
Positive	Negative
Well-paid Rewarding Creative glamorous	Low-paid Challenging/demanding mundane stressful

• • 2nd conditional – If I had a chance, I would …