Tom needs a bio for a course website. His first version is a list: name, job, company and city. The facts are there, but it doesn't sound like him. He reads the other students' bios. Most are short and friendly. They explain who the person is and include a detail that makes conversation easier. Tom tries again: “I'm Tom, and I'm from Bristol. I'm a sales manager at a small food company, and I'm based in Manchester. I'm responsible for a team of six people. Outside work, I'm interested in cooking, especially Italian food. I'm on this course because English is useful for my work.” Before he posts it, Tom reads his bio aloud. One sentence feels too long, so he makes it shorter. Now the text sounds like something he would say when meeting someone. It gives his classmates a clear picture of his work, his interests and his reason for joining.

You are joining an online course and the first task is to introduce yourself out loud to the group. Your first version was a list: name, job, company, city. It was correct, but it did not sound like you. Apresenta-te explicando o que fazes por palavras tuas e por que gostas disso. Acrescenta a razão de estares neste curso. Outra pessoa do grupo diz que faz o mesmo trabalho que tu. Responde a isso e encontra o que é diferente na tua experiência.

You are updating your professional profile. The first version was a list of jobs: it said where you had worked, but not who you are now. The profile will be read by clients who do not know your company. Escreve 3 a 6 frases em inglês. Explica o que fazes em linguagem simples, diz a quem és útil e porquê, e liga o teu percurso anterior ao trabalho de agora. Termina com um detalhe pessoal que torne a conversa mais fácil.