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Future Goals and Plans
Lesson
24
Level 4
IELTS Speaking Test Preperation
Lesson Target
In this lesson, you'll talk about your hopes for the future, career goals, and personal dreams. You’ll learn to speak confidently using future tenses and purpose statements.
Warm-Up
Discuss the warm-up words with your tutor.
goal
plan
dream
Vocabulary
Practice saying these words with your tutor. If you don’t know one, ask your tutor to explain it.
Word
Definition
Definition
goal
noun
focused
adjective
improving
verb, adj.
challenge
noun, verb
motivated
adjective
failure
noun
skills
noun (plural)
bored
adjective
method
noun
meaningful
adjective
Use these words in sentences with your tutor to check that you fully understand their meaning and how to use them correctly.
Useful Phrases
In the future, I want to...
My goal is to...
I’m planning to...
One of my dreams is...
I stay focused by...
Response Structure
Begin with a clear answer or opinion. Then support it with details or examples using who, what, when, where, why, or how.
1
Give your main idea directly and briefly.
I’m planning to...
2
Add details or examples to explain your main idea.
Someday, I would like to...
3
If you have a second idea, repeat steps 1 and 2.
Another thing I want to do is...
Practice 1
Read the dialogue with your tutor. Then, work together to analyze the student's responses. Try to understand the speaker’s purpose and find useful words or phrases you can use in your own answers. Finally, practice responding to the same questions with your tutor.
Examiner
What is one goal you have for the future?
Alex
One goal I have for the future is to become a flight instructor. After many years of flying, I want to help young pilots learn and build their skills. Teaching others would be a new challenge for me. It also allows me to stay in aviation but work a bit less.
Examine the Response
-
Why is this a good response?
-
What's the main idea?
-
Key details: Find the who, what, where, when, why, or how in the response.
-
Which words or phrases can you use from these responses?
Examiner
How do you plan to reach your goal?
Alex
I plan to take a special training course for flight instructors. I also need to study more about teaching methods and flight safety. After that, I can apply for the instructor license. My experience as a pilot will help me teach new students better.
Examiner
Why is it important to have goals?
Alex
Goals are important because they give you something to work for. They help you stay focused and motivated. Without goals, it’s easy to feel lost or bored. Having a goal makes life more meaningful and helps you keep improving.
Practice 2
Read the dialogue with your tutor. Each sentence is missing either the main idea or a key detail. Use the dialogue to fill in the missing parts and complete the sentences.
Examiner
Who inspires you to work toward your goals?
Alex
My father inspires me to work hard.
________________________________________. (fill in the supporting details)
Examiner
What steps are you taking to reach your goals?
Alex
I feel proud that I finished my university degree.
________________________________________. (fill in the supporting details)
Examiner
How do goals affect your daily life?
Alex
________________________________________. (fill in the main idea)
I practice by watching English shows and speaking with my friends. Little by little, I feel more comfortable using English.
Practice 3
Answer each question clearly and completely. Start with the main idea, then support it with key details or examples.
Examiner
Should people set goals from a young age?
How can failure help people reach their goals?
What kinds of goals are most important: career, family, or personal?
Presented by
BEL-English provides interactive online lessons to help students confidently learn English. While these materials can be useful for self-study, they are designed to be most effective when used alongside a certified BEL-English teacher.
To book a personalized lesson or speak with one of our instructors, please visit bel-english.com. If you would like to request permission to use our lesson materials for commercial purposes, please contact us.
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