📙 Part 2: Describe a long-term goal or ambition you'd like to achieve

This episode's vocabulary

A work in progress (idiom) – a project that is not yet finished. → Example sentence: My new novel is still a work in progress, but it should be ready by next year.

Task-oriented (adj.) – focused on getting a job done efficiently. → Example sentence: She has a very task-oriented approach to management.

Knuckle down (phrasal verb) – to start working or studying hard. → Example sentence: I need to knuckle down and finish my essay this weekend.

Procrastinate (verb) – to delay doing something that you should do, usually because you do not want to do it. → Example sentence: I know I have to start my project, but I always procrastinate.

Done and dusted (idiom) – completely finished or dealt with. → Example sentence: Once this exam is done and dusted, I can finally relax.

Cater to (phrasal verb) – to provide what is wanted or needed by a particular person or group. → Example sentence: The course is designed to cater to students with no prior experience.

Faff about (phrasal verb) – to spend your time doing things that are not important instead of doing what you are supposed to be doing. → Example sentence: Stop faffing about and get on with your homework.

Get on with something (phrasal verb) – to start or continue doing something, especially work. → Example sentence: I need to stop talking and get on with my report.

Drum up (phrasal verb) – to try to increase interest or support for something. → Example sentence: It was hard to drum up the motivation to go for a run in the rain.

Plan ahead (phrasal verb) – to make arrangements for a future situation in advance. → Example sentence: It's always a good idea to plan ahead for retirement.

Get around to something (phrasal verb) – to do something that you have intended to do for a long time. → Example sentence: I still haven't gotten around to fixing that broken chair.

Put something off (phrasal verb) – to delay or move an activity to a later time. → Example sentence: The meeting has been put off for a week.

Questions and Answers

Maria: IELTS Speaking part two, describe a long-term goal or ambition you'd like to achieve. You should say how long you've had this goal or ambition, what it is, how you will achieve it, and explain why you set it. Rory, give us your story.

Rory: Well, I think I've done pretty much everything I wanted to do in terms of my goals, though, apart from one thing that comes to mind, which has been a work in progress for a while, and that is finishing my Delta 3 diploma. Speaking about how long I've been trying to get it done, this has been in the works for about seven years now, which is so unlike me, because I'm usually very task oriented. But there never seems to be a good time to just knuckle down and do it. I say that, I also procrastinate a lot around it too, which is not helpful. If we consider exactly what it is, it's a teaching qualification offered by Cambridge University's ESOL division. There are three parts to it, and I've got the first two done and dusted, but the final part is an essay of about 5,000 words on a teaching specialism and a course that's been designed to cater to that specialism. If that sounds unappealing, that's because it is, at least in my opinion, which is why I keep faffing about instead of just getting on with it. I'm sure I will eventually, though. And when I think about how I'll go about it, I'll have to read a fair amount of literature around my topic and then go through a step-by-step process of writing the various sections and redrafting and editing them before ultimately submitting them to the university on one of their acceptance dates. It seems pretty straightforward, but I just haven't been able to sort of drum up the motivation to do it yet. Perhaps I will this year after the summer. I need a project to work on. As for why I have to do it, well, I don't have to do it. It's not mandatory or anything. I just feel like having it would open up new opportunities for me in terms of work. Even though I'm not exactly struggling at the moment, I still think it's good to plan ahead for things. So, this is a good step in that direction. Or it will be when I get around to it.