In today’s lesson, you will go over these questions. Use them as a guideline to your conversation, but you’re welcome to deviate if any other interesting topics come up.
- What are you planning to do tomorrow? What about next week?
- Do you usually follow through on your plans? Are you flexible about making plans?
- Antoine de Saint-Exupery expressed this idea: “A goal without a plan is just a wish.” Do you agree? What are the differences between goals, plans, and wishes?
- to follow through (verb): to complete an action or process; to fulfill a promise or commitment
- flexible (adj.): willing to change or to try different things
- goal (noun): something that you are trying to do or achieve
- plan (noun): a set of actions that have been thought of as a way to do or achieve something
- wish (noun): a desire for something to happen or be done
Useful expressions: Here are some sample answers with useful expressions. Read the sentences out loud and go over the meaning with your tutor. Then try to make sentences using each expression.
Tomorrow, I’m planning to learn more about my new job so that I can catch up on the knowledge I am missing. Next week, I hope to view some apartments so that I can move into a new place three weeks from now.
- to catch up (verb): to acquire the latest information
- [time] from now: [time] after this moment e.g. Three weeks from now = In three weeks. If today is Feb. 1, then three weeks from now is February 22. In 3 weeks, it will be February 22.
I do my best to follow through on plans. I don’t like to confirm a plan unless I am sure that I can come. I think it is better to avoid overcommitting, or saying “yes” to too many things! I am flexible about making plans, up to a point. I understand when my friends’ have to change a meeting, but I prefer to get a heads up as soon as possible when things change.
- to do my best (verb): to do something as well, skillfully, or accurately as one can
- to confirm (verb): to tell someone that something has definitely happened or is going to happen
- to overcommit (verb): to agree to do too many things
- up to a point: used to indicate that a statement is partly but not completely true
- heads up (noun): a warning that something may or may not happen
I do agree with this statement. For example, one of my immediate goals is to find a new apartment. If I didn’t develop a smart plan to research and view my options, I would never actually find a new place! I could dream about my new apartment and my new bed and my new neighborhood, but I have to put in some effort to make that dream a reality!
- immediate (adj.): important right now
- to develop (verb): to create something over a period of time
- to put in some effort (verb): to seriously attempt to do something