Maria Transcript
E = Examiner M = Maria
E: Good afternoon Maria.
M: Hello
E: Let's talk about what you do. Do you work or are you a student?
M: I work.
E: Mm-mm. And what's your job?
M: I work in the IT department of a bank, and I'm a project leader.
E: OK. And how long have you done this job?
M: I've been working here in the bank, for the last, during the last 14 years, and previous...previous, I work in a service company during 4 years.
E: Mm-mm. And what do you like about your job?
M: Well, if, if the pressure was not so high as it was, er, I like the analysis side, to take requirements from business areas, from other departments in general. And to try to find the best solution, for the, this requirements.
E: Mm-mm. And, what job do you hope to be doing in ten years time?
M: I'm not sure. Er, perhaps, for sure, I will be in the IT department, but I'm thinking to go out from Spain and to live in another countries, (mm-mm) because I think in this company I will have the opportunity to move to another countries.
E: Any country in particular?
M: Well, in fact, I think a, an English-speaker country (uh-huh) would be better, in order to increase my English level. (uh-huh, a good opportunity) But, I think perhaps this is an inconvenient too, because it's difficult to communicate if you don't have the, the, a good level (but when you live somewhere) if you live there you need to increase this level.
E: And you will do it much more easily. OK. Let's talk about free time. How much free time do you have?
M: I don't have enough free time, I'm afraid. (uh-huh) Because, from Monday to Friday I think I only work. I don't have time to do anything ... (mm-mm)...except to work.
E: And at the weekend, what do you usually do, in your free time then?
M: Well, one important thing to do is to rest, (of course) because you arrive to the weekend very tired. But, I spend a lot of time playing and training with my dogs (uh-huh) or going to the countryside, walking in the mountain. And the cinema, it's another activity that I like to go to the cinema.
E: OK. Do you think people these days should have more free time then?
M: I think in general people lives with not enough free time. I suppose it depends of the company you work or the kind of job do you do, but in general, I think people don't have enough time.
E: OK. Let's move on to talk about learning languages. What languages can you speak?
M: I speak Spanish and I speak Catalan. And, I'm trying to speak in English (you're doing very well)
E: How much do you enjoy learning English?
M: In fact, I like a lot to study English, because, not only for the fact to study. I like thinking what kind of things I could do if I speak English, if I can understand, with travel for example, or watching films in the original version. These can be interesting things you can do if you speak, understand English very well.
E: So what activities do you find most useful for learning English, you mentioned watching films, anything else?
M: Yes, for example, watching films in original version, with subtitles of course, because it's very difficult to understand some kind of accents. Er, now, I have, I have discovered the websites you can hear, in the BBC site for example, in the BBC web sorry, you can hear news, or pieces of news. I think this can be very helpful.
E: Mmm. OK good. And what do you find most difficult about learning English?
M: Well, erm, the listening for me it's um, very, it's one of the worst, or most difficult parts and the vocabulary. (mm-mm) I think it's very difficult to increase. I suppose this is related with your, how old are you. If you are a child you have more facilities to (uh-huh) increase your vocabulary or the pronunciation, but at same, some age, it's difficult. (it's more difficult to remember yes). Yes.
E: And it depends on how much contact you have with English.
M: Yes, I suppose if you have to use everyday, or frequently, it can help you.
E: OK. Good. Next, I'm going to give you a topic Maria, and I'd like you to talk about it for about one to two minutes. Before you talk you have one minute to think about what you are going to say. You can make notes if you wish. Do you understand?
M: Yes.
E: Here's some paper and a pencil and I'd like you to describe an interesting
city you have visited. OK, I'm handing Maria the task card which says:
Describe an interesting city you have visited. You should say
Where it is
How you went there
What you did there
And explain why you found it so interesting. All right. Remember, you have one to two minutes so
don't worry if I stop you. Can you start please?
M: Yes, well, one of my favourite cities is Paris. I went there six or seven years ago, during the Easter holidays and well, I think all the, all the holidays were interesting because, for example, I went there by train, and, well, it's a long trip, but it was very funny, well, with my friends, and we, we enjoyed with the trip. Er, in Paris, we enjoyed a lot with the city; with people; with buildings; with museums; with the food; er, with the weather too, because in fact it was cold because it was in Easter, but it was sunny all days and we can go to all places we decide to go. For example, I recommend to use the public transport in Paris because you can go everywhere by, using the underground. It's, the frequency is very good and all the city has very good communication. For example, er, thinking of what parts of the city I like more, I think that, well, the typical, the historical centre, Sacre Coeur, Torre Eiffel, Arc de Triumph, the typical, but the new side of the city, the new neighbourhood, the Refennes, where the business neighbourhood, with modern buildings, for me it was incredible.
E: OK. Thank you. Do you expect to go there again?
M: Well, why not? If I had time, I would like to go again.
E: In your free time that you don't have.
M: Yes, in my free time.
E: OK. We've been talking about an interesting city you have visited and now I'd like to ask you one or two more general questions related to this. Let's consider first of all, cities and the countryside. What are the main advantages of living in cities?
M: Well, I suppose that the main advantage is the services you have if you live in the big city, because you have hospitals, er, schools, a lot of activities for the free time, cultural activities in general, mmm, libraries. This are things that make, I think make your life more, more easy for example.
E: More interesting, um, do you think some things are better in the countryside?
M: Well, for me, to live in the countryside is to have a more quiet life, in general. But, I'm not sure if there are another positive facts. (no) I suppose, well the price of the, of the flats, it could be a good argument to move to live there, out of the cities.
E: Why do you think so many people choose to live in cities? You've already mentioned some (yes) of the advantages.
M: Yes, I suppose, for example, if you work in the city, it's better for you to live near, to live there in the city because the transport is better if you move to the city. This, and the services I mentioned before, for example, schools for children, or hospitals, of kind of services you need, it would be better in the city.
E: Um, what impact on the rest of the country does its capital city have?
M: Well, for example, here in Spain, um, in the last years, there has been a con, a very big concentration of er, power, of political power and economical power in the capital city that has made that the economical power or influence that there were, there were, there was in the past, in Catalunya for example, has been lost in favour of, of Madrid and this, these area.
E: What measures could governments take to ensure cities successful development?
M: Invest. Invest is the ... I think it's the only option (mm-mm) for the cities to improve their quality of life or your, of their situation in general.
E: OK. Thank you. That is the end of the speaking test.
