Warm-up
Answer a few quick questions before today’s lesson about Skills & qualifications.
Listening
Listen to the recording and answer the questions in each part. You can replay the audio as many times as you need — click anywhere on the progress bar to jump to a specific moment. Read the questions in each part first, then submit when you are ready; your answers will be marked together at the end of each part.
Listening — Unit 0: How have you changed? — Teacher-Student Reflection
This listening task is split into parts. The audio player stays at the top of the page so you can replay it freely — click anywhere on the progress bar to jump to a specific moment. For each part, read the questions first, then listen and answer. You can change your answers until you click Submit; feedback appears once you submit each part.
Reading
Read the passage on the left, then work through the questions on the right.
Reading — A Year of Growing Up
Read the passage on the left, then answer the questions one by one.
A Year of Growing Up
Starting secondary school was a big step, and over the past year, many Year 8 students have experienced remarkable changes. Some have moved to new cities with their families, others have discovered new talents, and many have become more confident in social situations. One student, Marco, has moved twice since starting secondary school — first when he was twelve to a different part of the country, and then again six months ago when his family relocated for his parents’ work. He has been living in his current city for only half a year, but he has already made three close friends and joined the school basketball team. Meanwhile, Aisha has been studying English for five years, but her attitude toward the subject has changed dramatically this year. She used to find grammar boring, but after her teacher introduced creative writing projects, she has become genuinely interested in storytelling. Over the past six months, she has been writing short stories every weekend and has already completed two full stories. Her confidence has grown noticeably — she is far more willing to speak in class now than she was last September. These changes show that Year 8 is a time of real personal growth. Whether through new experiences, supportive teachers, or simply spending more time with friends, students are discovering who they are and what they enjoy. The question now is: what will change for you in the year ahead?Vocabulary Practice
Practise the 12 key vocabulary items from this lesson through three exercises.
Vocabulary Practice — How have you changed?
Work through all three parts. Each part uses the same vocabulary in a different way.
Writing Task
- Name three specific changes (skills, habits, or personality) you have made.
- Use present perfect simple or continuous for each change with detail.
- Compare yourself now to a year ago with at least one comparative structure.
- Give a reason or explanation for at least one of your changes.
Speaking
Speaking task. Read the instructions, then complete the task.
After the Lesson
Reflect on what you learned and how confident you feel now.
Teacher Guide
Practise with
- developmentnoun
the process of growing or becoming more advanced
- diplomanoun
an official paper showing you finished school or a course
- inexperiencenoun
lack of experience, knowledge, or skill.
- intelligencenoun
the ability to learn and understand
- masterverb
to gain expert knowledge of something
- qualifyverb
to meet the requirements for something
- talentnoun
a natural ability to do something well
- talentedadjective
having a natural ability to do something well