Warm-up
Answer a few quick questions before today's lesson about Careers & ambition.
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 — Who Do You Want to Become?
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 — Finding Your Future Self
Read the passage on the left, then answer the questions one by one.
Finding Your Future Self
Who do you want to become? This question might feel overwhelming, but it's one of the most important you can ask yourself right now. At sixteen, many teenagers think they need to have all the answers—but the truth is, your future self is still being shaped by the choices you make today.
Maya, a Year 10 student from London, didn't always know what she wanted. Three years ago, she was quiet and struggled with public speaking. Today, she's the captain of her debate team and plans to study law at university. "If I hadn't joined the debate club, I would never have found this confidence," she says. "By the time I leave school, I'm going to be someone completely different." Maya's values—courage and clear communication—are now central to who she is becoming. She's not just dreaming about her future; she's actively building it through deliberate choices.
Comparison can be useful too. You might want to become more patient than you are now, or as creative as your best friend. Perhaps you admire someone's work ethic or kindness. These aren't unrealistic wishes—they're directions for growth. If you had more time, what would you learn? If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be? These second conditional questions help you understand what really matters to you.
Your future self isn't something that happens to you—it's something you create. Start small: identify two or three core values, set one meaningful goal for this year, and take one action this week toward that goal. The person you're becoming is already here.
Vocabulary Practice
Practise the 12 key vocabulary items from this lesson through three exercises.
Vocabulary Practice — Unit 0: Who do you want to become?
Work through all three parts. Each part uses the same vocabulary in a different way.
Writing Task
Your school's student magazine is publishing a series called 'Future Me'. They want teenagers to write a short piece describing the person they want to become — what matters to you, what you hope to achieve, and how you might be different in the future. The editor has asked you to contribute.
You should address:
- Describe one or two values or qualities important to you (e.g. kindness, hard work, creativity).
- Say what you will do or are going to do to achieve your goals.
- Use 'if I could/had..., I would...' to express one hypothetical wish about yourself.
- Compare yourself now to the person you want to become using 'more/less than' or 'as...as'.
Speaking
Speaking task. Read the instructions, then complete the task.
After the Lesson
Reflect on what you learned and how confident you feel now.