Deanna: My name is Deanna, and I'm a university lecturer. I teach English literature and English language.

James: My name is James, I am a video director and editor.

Tapa Koz: My name is Tapa Koz, I'm an educational trainer in schools, and I teach finance and enterprise for a charity called My Bank.

Question: Why did you choose your career?

Deanna: Well, I've always been passionate about literature and language. I think I was very lucky because I had a very good teacher when I was at school, and he really gave me the passion for the subject. I love research, and reading books is very much about researching.

James: The reason that I decided to become a video director and editor is because I love films.

Tapa Koz: I chose this job because I did like the idea of teaching, but I felt that I wouldn't be able to handle the workload of a teacher, and I just wanted a bit more flexibility within my job role.

Question: What do you like about your job?

Deanna: I think what I love about my job is that it's varied. There are many things that I have to do during the day. So on the one hand, I am teaching, so I see my students. I work also as a personal tutor, so I actually help students with their problems, not just in relation to their studies but also everyday life. I also research, and I write articles and write books. So it is very, very different, and every day is a challenge to me, and I think this is what I love.

James: The things I like about my job are that I'm constantly learning, constantly feeling like I'm developing my skills. There's also a lot of variety in what I do, so whether I'm on set or I'm in the edit room. And also, I enjoy that there's a lot of creativity involved.

Tapa Koz: Some of the things I really enjoy about my job are the way young people respond to what we teach them. We teach finance, which at times can seem quite boring, but at the end of the day, they learn about things that they're going to learn about in adulthood, they're gonna experience. They come back and say, "It's worse that... Wow, how come nobody taught us this stuff? We should be learning this in schools." And so that alone, seeing them taking knowledge and seeing that knowledge is worth... and you see that knowledge is something they need. That is such a joy to me because it means they're learning, actually learning, not just for the classroom but for life.

Question: What skills do you need?

Deanna: Well, first and foremost, you need to be patient because, dealing with students and their questions, you really need to have a lot of patience. Of course, you need to be knowledgeable about what you're talking about. You have to be a good communicator; you have to be able to explain ideas, very difficult concepts, in simple terms. And you have to be a good listener. You have to be a psychologist and, most importantly, you have to love what you do.

James: The skills you would need to be able to do my particular job: firstly, a good eye for detail; secondly, patience; and thirdly, a little bit of creativity.

Tapa Koz: The kind of skills you need to do my job: first would be presentation skills, being able to present big concepts in a simple manner that young people can understand. Secondly, I would definitely say a dynamic personality to gain the interest of the young people because you're bringing sometimes a topic that is maybe a bit boring to them. They're often not used to learning about finances and payslips and taxes, so it has to be interesting to them. And then finally, being able to think on the spot. Sometimes we enter a classroom, and the projector's not working, the computer's not working, and immediately we need to switch on our minds to think, "How else can we present this information in a fun and entertaining manner?"

Question: Would you change your career?

Deanna: I wouldn't change my career at all. I love what I do, and this is what I always wanted to do in my life.

James: I would most likely be either in the army or a carpenter. The army appealed to me because you get to work outdoors and you're part of a bigger team, and carpentry appealed to me because you get to make things with your hands. I then realized that film could provide me with all those things in one job.

Tapa Koz: If I wasn't doing this job, I would be working in advertising as a copywriter. A copywriter... we would have someone who deals with the pictures for an advert, but I would deal with all the text and the writing. I love words, and I guess I love the English language. I knew I wanted to do that in year 8 or so when I was a young child, and then I just don't know what happened—the path just went off. But I love advertising and marketing, so I'd definitely go into that.

Three professionals discuss their career paths, daily work, required skills, and whether they would change professions.

Deanna is a university lecturer in English literature and language. She chose her career due to a lifelong passion for the subject, inspired by a great school teacher. She loves the variety in her role, which includes teaching, personal tutoring, and academic research. Key skills needed are patience, deep knowledge, strong communication, listening skills, and a genuine love for the work. She would not change her career.

James is a video director and editor who was drawn to the field by a love of films. He enjoys the constant learning, skill development, variety (from being on set to editing), and creativity his job offers. The essential skills are a good eye for detail, patience, and creativity. If not in film, he would have pursued a career in the army or carpentry, valuing teamwork, outdoor work, and hands-on creation.

Tapa Koz is an educational trainer who teaches finance and enterprise for a charity in schools. He chose this path for the flexibility it offered compared to traditional teaching. His greatest joy is seeing young people grasp essential life skills and understand the value of financial literacy. Necessary skills are dynamic presentation, the ability to simplify complex topics, engaging a young audience, and quick problem-solving when technical issues arise. An alternative career for him would be in advertising as a copywriter, leveraging his love for words and the English language.

Overall Theme: All three find deep satisfaction in their careers, which align with their core passions—be it literature, visual storytelling, or practical education. They highlight the importance of soft skills like communication, patience, and adaptability, alongside their specialized knowledge.

Gateway B2 - Unit 2 - Life Skills - Discussing Our Careers

gateway-b2-unit-2-life-skills-discussing-our-careers

Let's do English ESL general vocabulary practice. Deanna: My name is Deanna, and I'm a university lecturer. I teach English literature and English language.

Ja…