Unit 1: English Proficiency: A Key to Personal and Professional Growth PDF

## Unit 1: English Proficiency: A Key to Personal and Professional Growth ### Warm Up Answer the following questions: 1. When did you start learning English and what encouraged you to do so? 2. In what ways can learning English create new opportunities for people? 3. Can you share a memorable e...

## Unit 1: English Proficiency: A Key to Personal and Professional Growth ### Warm Up Answer the following questions: 1. When did you start learning English and what encouraged you to do so? 2. In what ways can learning English create new opportunities for people? 3. Can you share a memorable experience from your English language learning journey? 4. Can you think of any creative method to make learning English more enjoyable and successful? ### Vocabulary - **Proficiency (n):** ability, skill, capability - **Prerequisite (n):** sth that must exist before sth else can exist - **Multinational (adj):** involving more than two nations, global interaction - **Seek (v):** look for, search, explore - **Facilitate (v):** to make something easier - **Access (n):** opportunity or right to use sth - **Wealth (n):** a large amount of sth - **Foster (v):** encourage, help sth to develop - **Discouraged (adj):** having lost hope - **Efficient (adj):** doing something in a good way - **Realistic (adj):** what it is actually possible to do, practical - **Achieve (v):** to succeed in reaching a goal - **Motivated (adj):** wanting to do sth - **Preferred (adj):** liked more than anything else - **Various (adj):** different - **Likely (adj):** probable - **Immerse (v):** to become completely involved in sth, deepen - **Fluency (n):** ability to speak or write - **Numerous (adj):** many, countless, abundant - **Interactive (adj):** involving communication between people - **Engaged (adj):** involved in sth - **Consistent (adj):** always behaving in the same way, stable - **Dedicate (v):** to give a lot of your time and effort to an activity ### Benefits of Learning English - **Improved Communication Skills:** English is the global language, learning it allows individuals to communicate with people from different countries. - **Job Opportunities:** English language is often a prerequisite for many careers and many multinational organizations seek employees who can communicate in English. - **Access to Quality Education:** English is used in many universities worldwide, learning it allows individuals to have more academic resources, scholarship programs, and educational opportunities globally. - **Access to Knowledge:** English proficiency also gives individuals the ability to access a wealth of knowledge on the Internet. - **Cultural Experiences:** It also develops social and cultural experiences, through connecting learners with people around the world and fostering a deeper understanding of literary works, music, movies, and different cultures. - **Travel Opportunities:** English language increases travel opportunities since it is the main language used in the tourism industry. - **Personal Development:** Learning English enhances personal development by improving memory, problem-solving abilities, and self-confidence. ### Tips for Learning English - **Set realistic goals.** Don't try to learn everything at once. - **Be patient.** Learning a new language requires time and effort. - **Discover your preferred learning style.** Some people are great at reading, while others perform better in listening and speaking activities. - **Make it fun.** Learning a new language should be enjoyable. - **Immerse yourself in the language.** Surround yourself with English as much as you can. - **Practice speaking with native speakers.** Join conversation groups or make online friends who are native English speakers. - **Regular conversation practice.** - **Practice reading and writing.** Read English books, newspapers, blogs, and articles to enhance your reading comprehension and expand your vocabulary. - **Don't be afraid to make mistakes.** It's normal to make mistakes when learning a new language. - **Take formal classes or hire a tutor.** - **Use online resources and mobile apps.** There are numerous websites, language learning platforms, and mobile apps that offer interactive lessons, exercises, and language practice. ### Popular English Learning Resources - **Apps:** Drops, Mondly, Zabanshenas, Tandem, Learnit, WorldUp, B-amooz, and Monkey Junior. - **Websites:** BBC Learning English, TED, VOA Learning English, Cambridge English, News in Levels, and British Council. ### Learning Strategies - **Use various learning materials.** - **Be consistent and practice regularly.** - **Track your progress.** - **Reward yourself.** ### Comprehension **Answer the following questions with short answers:** 1. How does learning English facilitate access to high-quality education? 2. What challenges might learners face while learning English and how can they overcome them? 3. What suggestions are provided in the text for learning English efficiently? 4. How can learners discover their preferred learning style for English language learning? 5. Why is it suggested to reward oneself when reaching language learning goals? **According to the text, write T for true, F for false, and N for not mentioned statements on the lines. Then justify your decision.** 1. English is not the most spoken language in the world. 2. The best method of learning English is different for learners. 3. Mistakes should not be made when learning a new language. 4. Learning a new language requires understanding its culture too. 5. Online resources and mobile apps cannot help learners to learn English efficiently. ### Fill in the Blanks Fill in the blanks with the correct form of the words in the list: - realistic - foster - access - facilitate - proficiency - seeking - prerequisite - discourage - dedicated - immerse 1. The job ad said they wanted ______ in at least two languages. 2. Passing a written test is a(n) ______ for taking the advanced course. 3. I'm trying to ______ an interest in classical music in my children. 4. He ______ his life to helping the poor. 5. You should not be ______ by the first failure - try again! 6. Structured teaching ______ learning. 7. Police are not ______ anyone else in connection with the deaths. 8. You need to be ______ about the amount you can do in a day. 9. She was far too ______ in her studies. 10. The only ______ to the village is by boat. ### Recognizing Word Meaning Match the words with their meanings. Write the letters on the line, as in the example. 1. ______ Numerous (adj.) - a. involved in sth, busy doing sth 2. ______ Consistent (adj.) - b. many 3. ______ Achieve (v) - c. to succeed in finishing something or reaching an aim 4. ______ Wealth (n) - d. always behaving in the same way 5. ______ Engaged (adj.) - e. very probable 6. ______ Prefer (v) - f. of, relating to, or involving more than two nations 7. ______ Multinational (adj.) - g. a large amount of something 8. ______ Likely (adj.) - h. to choose one thing rather than something ### Parts of Speech Look over the following table. Find the missing word(s) for each box. Then complete the sentences following the table: | Noun | Verb | Adjective | Adverb | |---|---|---|---| | 1 | | motivated | efficiently | | 2 | fluency | | | | 3 | | varied | | | 4 | | interactive | interactively | | 5 | | | | 1. What was your ______ for becoming a teacher? 2. Students must show ______ in a foreign language to earn a degree. 3. Lighting is now more energy ______. 4. The jacket is available in ______ colors. 5. From our first effort to work ______, we encountered disagreement. ### Grammar: Present Simple **Form:**(simple form of the verb, “third person s”) **Examples:** I work in a bank./ Does she work in a bank?/ We don’t work in a bank. **Functions:** a. To talk about facts: Water boils at 100 degrees. b. To talk about actions that happen repeatedly (usually with an adverb of frequency such as always, sometimes, three times a month, every morning, on Sundays, every other day, etc.): I go to the gym twice a week. c. To talk about permanent situations (usually with state verbs*): She believes in her abilities. *Note: State verbs (vs. action verbs) are the verbs which cannot be used in ing-form. Some examples include love, like, have, own, want, seem, believe, know, etc. **Exercise:** Complete these sentences with the correct form of the following verbs: - set - have - live - play - rise - not seem 1. Sara ______ the piano twice a day. 2. ______ they ______ in the same building? 3. ______ it ______ to be easy to fix this machine? Let's ask her to help us. 4. The sun ______ from the east and ______ in the west. 5. How many classes ______ he ______ on Mondays? ### Reading Skill (1): Skimming The reading skill of skimming involves quickly looking at a text to get a general idea of its content, without reading every word or focusing on every detail. Skimming is commonly used when you want to find out if an article, book, or document is useful for you before reading it completely. The goal of skimming is to understand the main points, important ideas, and general structure of the text. Here are some techniques for effective skimming: - **Read the title:** The title often provides a clue about the topic and purpose of the text. - **Read headings and subheadings:** These give you an overview of the organization and main points of the text. - **Read the opening and closing paragraphs:** They typically contain a summary or conclusion. - **Pay attention to the first and last sentence of each paragraph:** These sentences usually contain the main ideas or topic sentences. - **Search for keywords and phrases:** Look for bold, italicized, or underlined words, as they may indicate important points. - **Look at bullet points, lists, and highlighted information:** These elements often summarize key points or highlight important details. - **Focus on visuals:** Images, charts, graphs, and tables can convey information quickly. - **Skip over irrelevant or less important sections:** It is not necessary to read every word; instead, prioritize the parts that seem most relevant to your purpose. **Exercise:** Skim the text of the next unit “How to write a resume”. Try to get some idea about what the text is about. Don’t worry about the words you don’t know. The main idea of the next text is: ______ ### Monologue Learning English since childhood has been a big adventure for me. It all began when I was a kid and started to learn the English alphabet and some basic words. Learning English wasn't always easy though, especially pronouncing words correctly was a challenge. But, I never gave up! I truly admired the beauty of the English language. So, I worked hard to improve my language skills and never lost my motivation for learning. As I grew older, my love for English deepened. I immersed myself in English songs, movies, and books. I also started conversing in English with friends and joined language groups to practice. Through these activities, I could improve my English language skills and enhance my confidence. Gradually, English language opened up new opportunities and brought positive changes to my life. Of course, there were challenges along the way, but with determination and a desire to connect with the world, I kept on going. Learning English, from childhood to adulthood, was an exciting experience for me. It brought laughter, struggles, and growth. Even now, as an adult, I continue to develop my English skills through watching TV series, listening to music, and using English whenever possible. This language has provided me with opportunities, both in my personal and professional life. I’m grateful for the English language learning journey and excited to see where it takes me next! **How do you describe the problems and the enjoyment you might have while learning English?** You can do this activity ______ .