Myself and My Ambitions
Senior 6 · English
Myself and My Ambitions
Lesson 2 of 4
25 min
Let's begin
An ambition is the start of a plan, not the plan itself. In this lesson you listen to a mentor helping a student turn a vague dream into goals she can act on this week, then practise the conversation where ambitions meet reality: the job interview. Finally you report the interview afterwards, using the reporting verbs from unit 2.
Complete the sentence in your exercise book: "In ten years I would like to …". Then ask yourself: what would I have to do this month to move towards it?
Important
Listening script: for two readers
Only the readers open the script; everyone else keeps it closed until the tasks are finished. About three minutes. Mrs Mukamana, a civil engineer who studied at the school, and Ishimwe, an S6 student, are imagined.
Mrs Mukamana: So, Ishimwe, your teacher tells me you want to be successful.
Ishimwe: Yes! I want a good career, a good salary … I want to make my parents proud.
Mrs Mukamana: Those are wonderful reasons. But "successful" isn't a goal; it's a feeling. Nobody can plan a feeling. What would success look like on an ordinary Tuesday, ten years from now?
Ishimwe: (pause) I'd be on a construction site, I think. Checking that a bridge or a school is being built properly. I love physics, and I love seeing something real at the end of the day.
Mrs Mukamana: Now we're getting somewhere. That's civil engineering. So let's make it a proper goal. Have you heard of SMART goals? Specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and time-bound.
Ishimwe: I think so. So instead of "be an engineer", I'd say … "gain a place to study civil engineering after S6"?
Mrs Mukamana: Better. Now break it down. What must happen first?
Ishimwe: I need strong results in mathematics and physics in the national examination.
Mrs Mukamana: Then that's your goal for this year, and it needs weekly steps. How many past papers could you do each week, honestly?
Ishimwe: Two. One in maths, one in physics, every weekend.
Mrs Mukamana: Good: that's measurable. You'll know by Sunday night whether you've done it. And in the holidays, why not ask a local contractor if you can spend a week watching the work? You'll learn whether you love the site as much as the idea of the site.
Ishimwe: What if I don't get the grades?
Mrs Mukamana: Then you'll have a plan B, and you'll write it down now, not in a panic in July. A technical diploma in construction is a serious route into the same work. I've worked with brilliant engineers who started that way.
Ishimwe: That makes me feel less frightened, actually.
Mrs Mukamana: Remember: you live in the land of a thousand hills. Nobody climbs a mountain in one step, but anyone can climb the next hill. A goal without a date is just a wish. Write your date on it.
Definition
Work in pairs. One of you is the interviewer; the other applies for one of these holiday jobs: (a) assistant at a public library; (b) customer care assistant at a mobile phone shop; (c) volunteer guide at a museum; (d) junior sales assistant at a bookshop. The interviewer asks at least five of the questions below; then change roles.
| Common question | What the interviewer wants to know | Useful ways to start |
|---|---|---|
| Tell me about yourself. | A short, relevant summary, not your life story | I'm an S6 student at …, studying … I'm particularly interested in … |
| Why do you want this job? | That you know the job and have a reason | I'd like to develop my … · I've always enjoyed … · This role would let me … |
| What are your strengths? | Evidence, not adjectives alone | I'd say I'm reliable: for example, … |
| What is one weakness? | Honesty and self-awareness | I used to …, so now I … |
| Tell me about a time you solved a problem. | A real example (use STAR) | Last term, in our science club, … |
| Where do you see yourself in five years? | Ambition that fits the job | I hope to have completed … and to be working towards … |
| Do you have any questions for us? | Real interest | What would a typical day involve? · How will my work be assessed? |
Worked example
Answering with STAR. Question: "Tell me about a time you solved a problem."
Why it works: it is specific (a real place and role), it shows the applicant's own actions ("I designed", "I trained"), and it ends with a measurable result.
Tip
Adjective + evidence. "I'm hard-working" is a claim; "I'm hard-working: I revised every weekend and raised my physics mark from 48 to 71" is proof. Prepare one example for each strength you intend to mention.
Warning
When you tell a friend or a parent about an interview, you use reported speech (unit 2, lesson 3).
| What was said | Reported |
|---|---|
| "Why do you want this job?" | She asked me why I wanted the job. |
| "Have you worked with customers before?" | He asked whether I had worked with customers before. |
| "We'll contact you next week." | They promised to contact me the following week. |
| "You should read about our company before the next round." | She advised me to read about the company before the next round. |
| "I'm sorry, I didn't understand the question." | I apologised for not understanding the question. |
Answering interview questions, episode 2 of English at Work, from BBC Learning English (about 4 minutes). Listen for the phrases the characters use to answer questions about themselves, and note one mistake the nervous candidate makes.
Practice
Sources and credits
