Unit 4 A2 My Job
You can listen to this lesson here
What will you learn in this lesson?
-
- Exam skill: You will learn how to do the Speaking exercise, part 1. How to answer questions about yourself
- Grammar: You will learn the Simple Past Tense of the verb TO BE and the pronouns
- Vocabulary: You will learn vocabulary to work (professions, schedules, office, holidays)
- Pronunciation: You will learn the schwa sound
1)Exam skill: Speaking
What’s the Speaking about?
The Speaking is paper 2 and has 2 parts. There are two candidates and two examiners. In the first part of the Speaking, the examiner will ask you questions about yourself, in the second part you’ll be given some material to help you ask and answer questions. In this lesson you will learn how to do Part 1 of the Speaking.
Parte | Tarea | Tiempo | Formato de pregunta |
Speaking Part 1 | El examinador hace algunas preguntas a ambos candidatos | 5-6 minutos | Debes dar información sobre ti mismo/a. |
Speaking Part 2 | Los candidatos hablan entre ellos para encontrar información | 3-4 minutos | Se te dará material para ayudarte a preguntar y contestar preguntas. |
Remember: In part 1, the examiner is going to ask questions about yourself.
What kind of questions are they going to ask you?
They will ask you questions like these:
- What’s your name? ¿Cómo te llamas?
- How do you spell your surname? ¿Cómo se deletrea tu apellido?
How are you supposed to do this?
Follow these steps:
1.Review verb tenses, especially, Simple Present tense verb to be and DO/DOES (Unit 1 and 2). Also include Simple Past Tense, Present Perfect and Future with “Going to” and “Will” . (We will study these tenses in future lessons). Repasa los tiempos verbales, especialmente el Simple Present Tense del Verb To BE y DO/DOES. También incluye el Simple Past Tense, Present Perfect and Futuro con “Going to” y “Will”. (Estudiaremos estos tiempos verbales en lecciones futuras).
Take into account that you probably write these tenses correctly, but you don’t know how to use them when you speak, that’s why it’s important to repeat aloud the same sentences hundreds of times. That’s the only way you’ll end up feeling confident. Ten en cuenta que probablemente escribes estos tiempos correctamente, pero no sabes utilizarlos cuando hablas, por eso es importante que repitas en voz alta las mismas frases cientos de veces. Es la única manera de que acabes sintiéndote seguro/a.
2. Learn to make simple and correct sentences that are easy to translate in your head. Aprende a construir oraciones sencillas, correctas y fáciles de traducir en tu cabeza.
Take into account that what your mind always does (even if they tell you not to do it) is to translate from Spanish to English. That translation is usually incorrect. Ten en cuenta que lo que tu mente hace siempre (aunque te digan que no pienses en español) es traducir del español al inglés. Generalmente, esa traducción literal es incorrecta.
Example:
-Nací en Madrid el 20 de junio de 1980.
You will say something like this. Dirás algo así: I born in Madrid twenty June of nineteen eighty.
When it should be. Cuando debería ser: I was born in Madrid on the twentieth of June nineteen eighty.
That’s why it’s important to learn “already made sentences”. Por eso es importante aprender “frases hechas “.
It’s also important to think about simple sentences in Spanish, almost like the ones a child would say. Y también es muy importante pensar en frases sencillas en español, casi como las de un niño.
Example:
Sentence too complex to translate:
Χ: Nací en Madrid en primavera en el hospital de La Paz el 20 de junio de 1980.
Easy sentence to translate:
✔ Nací en Madrid, el 20 de junio de 1980.
******
3.Do not answer “yes” or “no” only, and do not stammer. No contestes con “sí” o “no” simplemente, ni titubees.
Always try to elaborate your answer a little bit.
Example: Do you like your studies?
Χ: Yes
✔ : Yes, I do. I’m studying computer science because I love coding. Sí. Estudio informática porque siempre me ha encantado la programación.
*******
Exercise 1
Repeat aloud the sentences of the table below. Di en voz alta las frases de la tabla de abajo.
Sample questions and answers
Question | Spanish | Approx. Pronunciation | Phonetics |
What’s your name? | ¿Cómo te llamas? | wuats ior neim? |
| ˈwɒts jɔː neɪm | |
Answer | |||
My name is Pedro González | Me llamo Pedro Gonzalez | mai neim iss pedro gonzalez |
| maɪ neɪm iz …..| |
Question | Spanish | Approx. Pronunciation | Phonetics |
Where are you from? | ¿De dónde eres? | wuer ar iu from? |
| weər ə juː frəm | |
Answer | |||
I’m from Malaga, Spain. | Soy de Málaga, España | aim from Malaga, spein |
| aɪm frəm ˈmæləɡə speɪn | |
Question | Spanish | Approx. Pronunciation | Phonetics |
What do you do on weekends? | ¿Qué haces los fines de semana? | wuat du iu du on wikends? |
| wɒt du: juː du: on wiːkˈendz | |
Answer | |||
I go out with my friends and watch series on Netflix | Salgo con mis amigos y miro series en Netflix | ai gou aut wuiz mai frends and watch siriess on netflix |
| i ˈɡəʊ aʊt wɪð maɪ frendz ənd ˈwɒtʃ ˈsɪəriːz ˈɒn netflix | |
Question | Spanish | Approx. Pronunciation | Phonetics |
Have you been to other countries? | ¿Has estado en otros países? | hav iu bin yu ader kantris? | | həv juː bi:n tu ˈʌðə ˌkʌntriz | |
Answer | |||
Yes, I have been to France and Portugal. | Sí, he estado en Francia y Portugal. | ies, I hav bin tu frans and portiugal | | jes | ˈaɪ həv bi:n tu frɑːns ənd ˈpɔːtʃʊɡl̩ | |
Question | Spanish | Approx. Pronunciation | Phonetics |
Can you spell your surname? | ¿Puedes deletrear tu apellido? | kan iu spel ior serneim? | | ˈkæn juː spel jɔː ˈsɜːneɪm | |
Answer | |||
Yes, G-O-N-Z-A-L-E-Z | Sí | ies, yi-ou-en-ssed-el-i- ssed | |
Question | Spanish | Approx. Pronunciation | Phonetics |
What are you going to do tomorrow? | ¿Qué vas a hacer mañana? | uat are iu going tu du tumourou? | | wɒt ə juː ˌgəʊɪŋ tu du: təˈmɒrəʊ | |
Answer | |||
I’m going to work and then I’m going to relax at home | Voy a ir a trabajar y luego me iré a descansar a casa | aim going tu wuork and den aim going tu rilax at hom |
| aɪm ˌgəʊɪŋ tu ˈwɜ:k ənd ðen aɪm ˌgəʊɪŋ tu rɪˈlæks ət həʊm | |
Question | Spanish | Approx. Pronunciation | Phonetics |
What kind of music do you like the best? | ¿Qué tipo de música te gusta más? | wuat kaind of miusik du iu laik de best? |
| wɒt kaɪnd əv ˈmju:zɪk du: juː laɪk ðə best | |
Answer | |||
My favourite music is pop music | Mi música preferida es la música pop | mai feivorit miusik is pop miusik |
| maɪ ˈfeɪvərɪt ˈmju:zɪk s pɒp ˈmjuːzɪk | |
Exercise 2
Translate the following sentences and then repeat them aloud until you say them right. Traduce las siguientes frases y repítelas en voz alta hasta que lo hagas correctamente.
- ¿Dónde vives?
- Vivo en Valencia, en un pueblo llamado….
- ¿De dónde eres?
- Soy de Málaga
- ¿Dónde está Malaga?
- Málaga está al sur de España
- ¿A qué te dedicas?
- Estudio Química/ Ingeniería Informática/ Derecho.
- ¿Cuál es tu horario?
- Me levanto a los 7.30 todos los días, empiezo a trabajar a las 9am y acabo a las 6pm.
- ¿A qué horas comes generalmente?
- Como a eso de las 2pm.
- ¿Cuál es tu comida favorita?
- Me encanta la pizza, y los huevos fritos con chorizo
- ¿Dónde irás de vacaciones este año?
- Iré unos días a mi pueblo, y luego a la playa
- ¿Qué tipo de música te gusta más?
- Me gusta sobre todo la música pop y el jazz.
- ¿Qué te gusta hacer en tu tiempo libre?
- Me gusta ir al cine, ver series en Netflix y salir con mis amigos.
- Dime algo acerca de tu familia.
- Mi familia no es muy grande. Somos 4. Mi padre es ingeniero y mi madre periodista. Mi hermana está buscando trabajo. Vivimos en Madrid.
Exercise 3
Watch this video of the KET exam Part 1, and try to spot the mistakes they make. Intenta ver qué errores cometen.
2) Grammar
Simple Past Tense verb TO BE
2.1 When do we use the Simple Past Tense?
Note: You can read and listen to the verb TO BE in Simple Past Tense here.
To talk about past professions, states or circumstances
Para hablar de profesiones, estados o circunstancias pasadas.
Examples:
- I was an actor. Yo era/ fui actor
- They were tired. Ellos estaban
- We were excited. Estábamos emocionados.
2.2. How do we form the Simple Past Tense of the verb TO BE?
There are 4 basic forms that you must learn:
- Affirmative sentence
- Negative sentence
- Questions
- Answers
1.Affirmative sentence
- Subject + WAS or WERE + object.
Examples:
-He WAS sick. Él estaba enfermo
-They WERE firemen. Eran bomberos
-It WAS funny. Fue gracioso
2. Negative sentence
- Subject + WAS or WERE+ NOT+ object .
Examples:
-He WAS NOT (WASN’T) an employee. Él no era un empleado.
-We WERE NOT (WEREN’T) sick. No estábamos enfermos.
-I WAS NOT (WASN’T) worried. Yo no estaba preocupado/a
3. Questions
- WAS or WERE + subject + object +?
Examples:
-WAS he a doctor? ¿Era él profesor?
-WERE they at home? ¿Estaban ellos en casa?
– WAS I tired? ¿Estaba yo cansada?
Negative question:
- WASN’T or WEREN’T + subject + object+? Note: Always make a contraction when asking negative questions.
Examples:
-WASN’T she worried? ¿No estaba ella preocupada?
-WEREN’T you a teacher? ¿No eras profesor/a?
-WASN’T it necessary? ¿No era necesario?
4. Answers
- Yes + subject + WAS or WERE
- No + subject +WAS or WERE not.
Examples:
-WAS he a policeman? Yes, he WAS.
-WERE you tired? Yes, you WERE.
-No, I WASN’T / No, you WEREN’T.
To Remember:
To form the Simple Past Tense of the verb TO BE you need to put either WAS (for I, he, she and it) or WERE (for you, they and we) after the subject. Example: I WAS hungry. Yo tenía hambre. They WERE hungry. Ellos tenían hambre.
|
Note: You can read, listen and practise saying the verb TO BE in Simple Past Tense here.
************
Exercise 4
Complete the sentences with the right word
************
Here you have a video to practise more with WAS and WERE:
*****************
Pronouns
What are pronouns?
Pronouns are words that replace nouns and noun phrases .
For example: He, her, them.
Pronouns can have different functions in a phrase.
Here you have a table with pronouns categorised in accordance with the function that they have in a phrase.
What’s important about these pronouns?
You should practise saying them in phrases because it’s quite common to get them mixed up. This is especially true with the possessive adjectives as in Spanish we only have one possessive adjective for 6 persons. In English, instead, there are 5 different possessive pronouns for “su”.
Compare:
- “Su” in Spanish is : Su de él, de ella, de usted, de ello (cosa), de ellos y de ellas.
- “Su” in English is: His, Her, Your, Its, and Their (de ellos/ellas).
Students usually get confused with “Your”. For example, they say: I went to YOUR house. Fui a SU casa. When they really want to say: I went to HER or HIS house.
Exercise 5
Translate the following sentences:
- Su (de él) hermano es ingeniero
- Mis cosas están en la mesa
- Su (de ella) piel es blanca
- Tú casa es pequeña
- Su (de ellos) país es grande.
- Dámelo a mí
- No es mío
- Díselo a él
- Entreganóslo
- Su (de ello) motor no funciona
- No es su (de ellas) problema
- Nuestra vida
- La película de ellos
- Dilo
- Envíaselos (a ellos)
*****************
3) VOCABULARY
Exercise 6
Translate the following sentences:
- Trabajo de informático
- ¿Cuánto tardas en ir al trabajo?
- Tardo media hora
- ¿Cómo vas al trabajo?
- Voy en metro (transporte público)
- ¿Qué horario tienes?
- Mi horario es de 9am a 6pm con una hora para comer
- Mi hermana es auxiliar de vuelo
- Tengo un amigo dentista
- Mi amigo es camarero
- Y mi amiga camarera
- Tengo un tío granjero
- Y yo una tía enfermera
- ¿Conoces a algún periodista?
- Necesito a un médico
**********
4) PRONUNCIATION
The schwa sound
It’s a pity that most English teachers don’t always mention “the schwa sound” because it’s the most common English sound and if you learn to pronounce it your accent will improve tremendously. Es una lástima que la mayoría de los profesores de inglés no siempre mencionan “el sonido schwa” porque es el sonido más común en inglés y se aprendes a pronunciarla su acento mejorará enormemente..
What is the schwa sound?
The schwa sound is a vowel sound very short and relaxed. It’s phonemic symbol is an inverted Ә. Watch this video to hear the schwa sound.
This sound appears because when we speak in English we try to shorten the sounds so that we can speak faster. Este sonido aparece porque cuando hablamos inglés acortamos los sonidos para poder hablar más rápido.
As we cannot shorten all the sounds, we choose to shorten words that are not so important in a phrase. These words are usually: auxiliary verbs, pronouns, articles, prepositions and linkers. Is in these words where we use the “schwa sound”. Como no podemos acortar todos los sonidos, escogemos acortar las palabras que no son tan importantes en una frase. Estas palabras son generalmente: verbos auxiliares, pronombres, artículos, preposiciones y conectores. Es en estas palabras donde usamos el sonido schwa.
One way to learn the schwa sound is by listening to native English speakers speak Spanish. If you notice carefully, they pronounce the Spanish vowel sounds with a short sound and that’s one of the reasons you can tell their mother tongue is English. Una manera de aprender este sonido es escuchando a los nativos hablar castellano. Si te fijas bien, pronuncian los sonidos vocálicos del castellano de forma muy corta y por esta razón te das cuenta de que su lengua materna es el inglés.
For example: casa – pronounced by an English speaker would be something like: “kesa.” That Spanish “e” is similar to the schwa sound.
What should you do with the schwa sound?
First, you should try saying it aloud. Just listen and repeat “Ә” (watch the video above).
Then, you should try pronouncing words with the schwa sound such as these ones:
- The /ðə/
- reallyˈ /rɪəli/
- of /əv/
- many /məni/
- and /ənd/
- For /fər/
- errorˈ/erər /
- sisterˈ/sɪstə/
- present /prɛzənt/
How do you know when a word has a schwa sound?
Whenever you look up a word in a dictionary you can see the phonetic transcription. If you find the inverted “Ә” in the word, then it has the schwa sound. Note: The usage of the schwa sound varies in the different types of English, so British schwa sound may not coincide with the American or Australian schwa sounds.
Mónica
Follow me on: