📙 Part 2: Describe a goal you would like to achieve

You should say: what the goal is, how you learned about this goal, when you would like to achieve it, and how you will achieve it.

This episode's vocabulary

To be pressed for time, money, space, etc. - to be in a difficult situation because you do not have enough time, money, space, etc.

Substantive (adj.) - important, serious, or related to real facts.

To put something off (phrasal verb) - to decide or arrange to delay an event or activity until a later time or date.

Ultimately (adverb) - finally, after a series of things have happened.

Take something with a pinch of salt (idiom) - to not completely believe something that you are told, because you think it is unlikely to be true.

Mercifully (adverb) - in a way that makes you grateful because it stops something unpleasant.

Reassuring (adj.) - making you feel less worried.

Forthcoming (adj.) - happening soon.

Questions and Answers

R: Well, I kind of achieved all my goals in life. So this took a lot of thinking about. If I'm really pressed though, I suppose I'd like to do my Delta Module 3 and get my full Delta qualification. This is like an advanced teacher training course that people do with the University of Cambridge. I think it's like a master's level qualification. So it's pretty up there in terms of difficulty. I've done the first two parts. And this part is the final element required before you get the whole thing. Basically, you have to design and explain the choices behind an English language course in about 5000 words, I think. You think it would be easy since I've written five books already. But actually, it's been proving rather difficult to find the time to get through it all. Plus, I've written and designed courses before, so at this point, it's kind of just doing something for the sake of doing it rather than anything substantive, which is probably why I keep putting it off, frankly. Ultimately, though, I think I'll do it by 2025, maybe. Though, I've been saying I'll do it every year since 2018. So we'll take that with a pinch of salt. Mercifully, it doesn't need to be done by any set time. So that's quite nice. If I had to do it by a fixed time then I probably would have failed the whole thing by now. So that's quite reassuring. It's a natural part of the Delta qualification, which is how I became aware of it and to achieve it I'll need a willing class to create the course for, which has also not been forthcoming so far, but I am hopeful. And I'll also need a bit of time to gather everything together for the course and the final essay. If I don't get it done, though, I doubt I'll be terribly upset about it. Like I said, it's just something that's nice to have. I already know I'm a decent teacher without that overly theoretical element behind me. A small part of me might be disappointed, but I'm sure I'll cope.

Discussion

M: So, dear listener, describe a goal you would like to achieve. So these stories should be in the future. So a goal you would like to achieve in the future. So I'd like to, I will, if I blah, I will, blah, blah. And Rory, our modest Rory, simple Rory just started off with, you know what, I kind of achieved all my goals in my life. Hey!

R: I have. I've done everything. I don't know what...

M: Aw... So cute. You see? Kind of you can do the same, you know what, I've done everything I wanted in life. So no goals, no problems.

R: Maybe I just have really low standards for myself.

M: So, dear listener, if you don't know what to talk about here, you can say that I have achieved all my goals. And this took a lot of thinking about. So this topic took a lot of thinking about. So I had to think about it for a long time. In the test, you have one minute to think about what you're going to say. So yeah. If I'm really pressed though. So if I'm pressed to give an answer.

R: If I have to give it an answer.

M: If I have to give an answer, if I'm really pressed, I suppose I'd like to do this. And here you have to have a clear goal that you can speak about. So Rory talked about a course, a teaching course, that he would like to do. And actually, this is like, one of the modules that he would like to do in his teaching career. So dear listener, what can you choose? You can, I don't know, I'd like to enter university. I'd like to set up my own business, but it should be some idea, a goal that you can explain, that you can kind of talk about. You can still Rory's idea, okay? And teach about the same course. But what else can we talk about here?

R: You could talk about anything, going to university, buying a house, having a family.

M: Yeah, have a family, buy a flat, buy a Gucci bag, fly a helicopter. Maybe it's a good idea, you know, like to choose one activity, or maybe like a travel destination.

R: I mean, we just have a look at common life goals people have on Google. Career, travel, financial, personal development, giving back to others, health, financial stability. That's a nice one to have. Developing empathy. So there you go. There are lots of things that can be connected to this. I spoke about University for a purpose, not everyone is going to do my course. But they can use some of the structures that I use to talk about their goals. So if we talk about describing the goal and difficulty, I can say it's pretty up there in terms of difficulty, as in it's pretty high level in terms of difficulty. And then if we don't want to describe the steps that you have to take to achieve the goal, basically, you have to explain what you have to do. And we can also talk about the difficulty, you'd think it would be easy because blah, blah, blah, or it's proving rather difficult, and why it's a difficult goal.

M: Yeah, yeah. Or like it's challenging to do. And also a good word is like a required. Like this is required. So this is needed before you do something. To get through it all. You can say like ooh, it could be rather difficult to find time to get through it all. Like to do it, to do all the things necessary to achieve a goal, to get through it all. And usually, kind of we don't have enough time or money to get through it all, to do everything. But you can talk about what you have done. So using the present perfect. I've already written, I've already done, I've already sent, I've already saved some money. And if you're not interested in the goal itself, you can say it's just doing things for the sake of doing things, not just like to achieve a certain goal, but I enjoy doing things, and I do things for the sake of doing things, which is actually the best approach in life.

R: Or it's not just for the sake of doing. You might need to achieve this goal for a specific purpose. Like I need to pass my IELTS exam to get to university.

M: Exactly.

R: That's not just for the sake of doing it, I'm taking this test.

M: But some people take IELTS and prepare for IELTS for the sake of doing it.

R: Because they're crazy.

M: I know. Yeah. They just enjoy developing their language skills. And then, well, they prepare for the exam and they just, I don't know, enjoy taking the test perhaps. Says no one ever.

R: And if you have the goal, you might need to achieve it by a time. So you could say it needs to be done by and when it needs to be done, or when you need to finish it. But for me, I don't have that time. So I said it doesn't need to be done by any set time, which is nice. But you could say it needs to be done by tomorrow, which is stressful.

M: And if you don't have a deadline, you can say that I keep putting it off. So put something off? To delay something. Kind of like procrastinating. Like, don't do it now. But like, okay, wait till later. I'll do it tomorrow. So I keep putting it off. Or I've been putting it off for a very long time. And now I decided to do it, for example. Or I'll do it, yeah, by 2000 something. Rory, you've used a nice idiom. Take that with a pinch of salt.

R: Yes. So because I said, oh, I think I'll do it by 2025. But I've been saying I gotta do this every year for the last seven years, or however many years it's been. So what I'm saying is take it with a pinch of salt. Don't believe the whole thing completely, because it might not happen.

M: Yeah, so you can say like, oh, yeah, I have this goal. I want to do this. Probably, next year I'll do it. But I would take that with a pinch of salt because maybe I won't do it, you know? Kind of like don't believe everything you hear on the news, because some stories are not true. So take the news with a pinch of salt. Rory, you've used "ultimately", which is a nice one. Like finally. And you've used mercifully, which is also a nice one. Nice adverb.

R: I do like an adverb.

M: What does it mean?

R: Ultimately means "in the end" or "the endpoint" and mercifully means "it's a good thing". And then explaining why it's a good thing.

M: Is it like luckily in this context?

R: Very similar. Yeah.

M: For example, like his speech was mercifully brief, like was luckily brief.

R: Yes, but mercifully means... It's to do with having mercy which is saving someone from discomfort or bad things happening. I had to explain how I became aware of this, and I said it's part of this qualification. So you could say that or you could say it's part of my university course, it's part of my plan for a more satisfying life.

M: So the goal doesn't need to be achieved by any set time. Yeah. This is a nice one. To achieve this goal, I'll need blah, and blah. What is forthcoming?

R: Oh, it forthcoming is something that is on its way or in progress. But this class, it's not forthcoming. I don't see it anywhere on the horizon. All of my students have very specific needs. And it's not fair for me to say, yeah, now we're gonna do this thing that's going to help me, not you. That's not very responsible.

M: Yeah, like forthcoming, coming soon, happening soon. For example, the forthcoming conference. Like the conference, which will happen soon. Ad how did you use it in a sentence about your goal?

R: Well, I said, I'll need a willing class to create the course for, which has not been forthcoming so far. Or I will need a million pounds to achieve my goal, which has not been forthcoming so far.

M: I will also need a bit of time to gather everything together. Okay? I'll need this, I'll need that, I'll need a bit of time. Lots of money.

R: I'll meet a miracle.

M: If I don't get it done soon. Or if I don't get it done. So get it done. So to achieve my goal in this context. If I don't get done, I'll be upset. Sad. Or I won't be upset. A small part of me might be disappointed. But I'm sure I'll cope with it. Yeah. Cope? Like I'll deal with it, I'll be fine.

R: Yeah. Might be for the modal that we need to avoid generalizing. But I'm sure I'll cope, I'll, I will. That's a contraction for the high pronunciation score. Yay.

M: Yeah, dear listener. So you can talk about a small goal. For example, I like to learn how to dance, or read, I don't know, like 50 books a year, or go camping, go to a concert. You know? It couldn't be like this massive goal of, I don't know, becoming the president of the world. It could be something like small. Like have a picnic could be a goal if you're very busy, and, you don't have time for a picnic. You know? Go wine tasting. Like choose an interesting activity, dear listener, that you haven't done before.

R: Choose your own goal from late-stage capitalism.

M: Yeah, like get a tattoo, for example. You know? Start a business, make a savings plan, or plan a birthday party. There you go. Or declutter your digital life. How about that? When you delete all the emails in your inbox to zero, when you kind of delete everything from your digital life, declutter, kind of like clear. You know? Purify it.. Excellent. Thank you very much for listening! And we'll get back to you our...

R: See you next time! Bye!

M: Speaking part 3. Bye!

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