Full course (only speaking)

These days, there is an observable trend towards seeking immediate gratifications in many facets of our lives. While this behavior can largely be attributed to the consumer culture and the widespread popularity of the internet, this development is a negative one.

Consumerism is one of the contributing factors to such a turn of events. Most marketing and advertising strategies are designed to create a sense of urgency and persuade individuals to make instant purchasing decisions. Some of these tactics include an emphasis on limited-time sales and discounts as well as marketing products or service with claims of providing quick results. For example, the weight loss industry heavily promotes lose-weight products promising rapid results. As appealing as it may sound, the desire for quick fix and transformation creates a culture, in which people want to be instantly gratified.

The internet also has a fair share in fostering the desire for immediate results. From communication to shopping, to receiving news, the internet penetrated almost every aspect of our lives. One of the effects it brought is immediacy. People now can connect friends or family, order clothing, reserve a table in a restaurant, or watch events unfold from other sides of the world in a matter of seconds.

When people become accustomed to instantly satisfying themselves, this can have several implications for the other aspects of their lives in the long term. To start, people may become less motivated to work towards goals that require sustained effort and patience. For instance, building a career requires years of dedication and hard work. Those who lack these qualities because they are used to what they want immediately may find it challenging to devote time and effort to patiently develop a career.

Additionally, personal relationships may also suffer. In a culture that values quick rewards and instant satisfaction, people may prioritize instant pleasure and short-term desires over investing time and effort to build and maintain meaningful relationships with others. This approach to relationships can lead to a lack of intimacy and emotional depth in relationships, leaving individuals unfulfilled and disconnected in the long run.

In conclusion, the main reasons behind people wanting almost everything instantly are consumer-driven society and the rise of the internet. This development, however, brings about several long-term negative consequences, making individuals less patient in achieving their long-term goals and affecting relationships.

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Art and Music Vocabulary: Common Words and Collocations

1. Creative expression: The use of art, music, or other forms to convey emotions, ideas, or identity.
Ex: Creative expression through painting and composing music is a cornerstone of human culture.

2. Cultural significance: The importance of art or music in representing and preserving cultural identity.
Ex: Traditional folk songs have deep cultural significance, reflecting a society's history and values.

3. Artistic inspiration: The source of ideas or motivation for creating art or music.
Ex: Many artists draw artistic inspiration from nature, historical events, or personal experiences.

4. Musical composition: The process of creating or arranging a piece of music.
Ex: The composer's latest musical composition blends classical and modern styles.

5. Visual arts: Forms of art that are primarily visual, such as painting, sculpture, and photography.
Ex: Exhibitions of visual arts attract thousands of visitors to galleries each year.

6. Performing arts: Art forms such as music, dance, and theater performed live for an audience.
Ex: The performing arts play a vital role in fostering creativity and community engagement.

7. Abstract art: Art that does not attempt to represent reality but instead uses shapes, colors, and forms to convey meaning.
Ex: Abstract art allows viewers to interpret the work based on their emotions and perceptions.

8. Cultural heritage in art: The preservation of traditions and historical elements through artistic forms.
Ex: Indigenous art often reflects the cultural heritage of a community, preserving stories and values.

9. Musical genres: Categories of music defined by specific characteristics, such as jazz, classical, or rock.
Ex: The festival featured a diverse range of musical genres, appealing to all age groups.

10. Aesthetic appreciation: The ability to recognize and enjoy the beauty or meaning in art and music.
Ex: Aesthetic appreciation of art and music enhances our understanding of different cultures and perspectives.

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The table presents a comparison of teachers' earnings in five different countries, along with the time it takes them to reach the maximum salary. Overall, while Luxembourg stood out as the highest paying country, teachers in the remaining countries earned far less. In addition, Korea, Luxembourg and Japan exhibit a more pronounced discrepancy between the starting and maximum salaries, and achieving the top salary also requires the longest time in these counties.

Looking first of all at Asian countries, teachers in Korea earned an annual salary of $30.500 upon starting their careers, which was considerably more than their Japanese counterparts, who made $28.000. After 15 years of experience, both figures rose to $52.600 and $49.000 respectively. When it comes to the maximum salary, the disparity became even more noticeable, as Korean teachers would obtain an income of $84.500 after 37 years of experience as opposed to teachers from Japan who would make $62.400 after working as a teacher for 34 years.

The difference between teachers’ salaries in the two European countries was staggering. Teachers from Luxembourg were offered $80.000 as a starting salary, well above Danish teachers who made $47.000. Having worked for 15 years, teachers in Luxembourg would generate an income of $112,000, which would then rise to a whopping $139,000 after another 15 years. By contrast, the maximum salary offered to teachers in Denmark was $54,000, which would take only 8 years to reach. This means that teachers with 15-year experience would make the same $54.000.

In Australia, a similar pattern to that of Denmark was observed. The starting salary of teachers was $34.600, and only after 9 years they would reach the maximum salary of $48.000. This remains the same even after 15 years of experience.

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Topic: Feeling confident

1. Why do so many people lack confidence these days?
Many people lack confidence due to societal pressures, unrealistic comparisons, and fear of failure. Social media, for example, often creates unrealistic standards that make individuals doubt themselves. Additionally, lack of support and past failures can contribute to self-doubt. Building confidence requires overcoming these external and internal challenges.

2. How can a person become more confident?
A person can build confidence by setting achievable goals, practicing self-acceptance, and seeking constructive feedback. For instance, achieving small milestones boosts self-belief. Engaging in activities that highlight strengths, such as public speaking or sports, can also improve confidence over time.


15 Selected Words with Definitions:

1. 🌍 Societal - Relating to society or social structures.
Example: Societal pressures often impact people's confidence.
2. 🪞 Comparison - The act of evaluating oneself against others.
Example: Constant comparisons can lead to self-doubt.
3. ⚡️ Unrealistic - Not practical or based on reality.
Example: Social media promotes unrealistic beauty standards.
4. 🤯 Failure - The lack of success in achieving a goal.
Example: Fear of failure prevents many from trying new things.
5. 💭 Self-doubt - Lack of confidence in one's abilities or decisions.
Example: Negative experiences can lead to persistent self-doubt.
6. 🌟 Overcoming - Successfully dealing with a problem or difficulty.
Example: Overcoming fears is crucial for building confidence.
7. ✅ Achievable - Realistic and possible to accomplish.
Example: Setting achievable goals is essential for gaining confidence.
8. 🤗 Self-acceptance - Recognizing and embracing one's strengths and weaknesses.
Example: Self-acceptance is a key step toward confidence.
9. 🎯 Milestone - An important stage or achievement in development.
Example: Each milestone builds a person's self-belief.
10. 🗣 Public speaking - Delivering a speech to an audience.
Example: Practicing public speaking can improve confidence significantly.
11. 🏋️ Strengths - Positive qualities or abilities.
Example: Focusing on strengths helps people feel more confident.
12. 🏅 Constructive feedback - Helpful advice aimed at improving performance.
Example: Receiving constructive feedback can guide self-improvement.
13. 🔄 Persistence - Continuing an effort despite challenges.
Example: Persistence is necessary to build confidence over time.
14. 🧠 Mindset - A fixed attitude or way of thinking.
Example: A positive mindset supports confidence development.
15. 🏆 Self-belief - Confidence in one's abilities and decisions.
Example: Small achievements strengthen self-belief.

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Negative developments such as crime, natural disasters, or terrorist attacks often receive a disproportionate amount of media attention compared to positive news. This has created a concern among the public, who express that this has harmful effects on people and society as a whole. While I understand the concern, I believe it might be an overreaction.

One of the proclaimed negative effects of the media coverage of bad news is that it can create an unnecessary fear among the public. As media can have a significant impact on people’s perceptions and emotions, the constant exposure to negative news can distort the reality for many people. The recent COVID-19 pandemic showed us how vulnerable people are to negative news, even it comes from an unreliable source, as it can create panic among the population.

However, in my opinion, these perceived dangers of media focusing more on negative news are an exaggeration. Firstly, this has been going on for so long that people have come to realize focusing too much on bad news is nothing more than a media stunt. As media outlets are well aware of the intrinsic interest of people in negativity, they tend to sensationalize bad news for attention.

In addition, with the widespread adaptation of smartphones and the internet, people now have a greater control over what news they consume. Some mobile apps and websites allow users to subscribe to specific topics of interest and follow more credible sources. This ability of people to filter news goes to show that they are not as adversely affected by the reports of negative news as some people make it out to be.

In conclusion, the concern regarding the effects of bad news on the media mainly stems from the argument that it can lead to reality distortion. However, this seems to me an overstatement as people now possess awareness of tactics used by the mainstream media and they also have more control over their news consumption.


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