Activity 3: Đọc transcript và nghe đoạn hội thoại dưới đây.

Candidate: A language I would like to learn is Spanish. It’s used not only in Spain but also in many other countries, and I believe it’s one of the most widely-spoken languages in the world. So it’s a language that is definitely worth knowing. It would be useful to me for business purposes. Also, Spanish culture is becoming more and more influential internationally. It is, for example, overtaking English as the most widely-spoken language in certain parts of the USA. It is influencing music and art. So, all in all, I think it’s a handy language to know.

I doubt it would be too challenging for me to learn Spanish because it is a Latin language, just like my mother tongue, French. I think Spanish vocabulary would be easier for me to acquire than Spanish grammar. I understand the grammar is one of the most difficult things about the Spanish language.

I would use Spanish primarily when going on holiday. I’ve been to Spain many times, and I always find that if you go off the beaten track it’s difficult to find people who speak English. You get very good at speaking with your hands! And it’s difficult to really engage with people and understand the culture if you don’t speak the language. Speaking Spanish would undoubtedly make my holidays a lot easier and more enjoyable. On top of that, the company I work for has an office in Madrid and it would also be very interesting to be able to work there. I would enjoy the challenge and the exposure to a new culture. It would be such an exciting opportunity. To make the move, though, I’d obviously need to be able to speak Spanish. Luckily, my company would most likely sponsor me to have Spanish lessons.

Examiner: Where have you been in Spain?
Candidate: I’ve been to Spain many times and each time I did a road trip. One trip was in the north of Spain, travelling from France across the Pyrenees, through the Basque country and all the way down to Madrid.