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Choosing a Major

Learn the Past Perfect Tense

Date: Sep 21 2012

Themes: School, Work

Grammar: Past Perfect Tense

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Intro

1. Learn Vocabulary - Learn some new vocabulary before you start the lesson.

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2. Read and Prepare - Read the introduction and prepare to hear the audio.

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Before you can find your dream job, you have to pick a major. Your major is the main subject you choose to study in college. You might take some classes in other subjects, but most of your classes will relate to your major, and it will also be the subject you get your degree in.

For instance, a biology major might take a couple English and history courses. But by the time he graduates, he should have a broad understanding of the field of biology. He might go on to get a graduate degree in biology or a related area of study. Or he might start looking for a job in his field.

But getting a degree in a certain subject doesn’t guarantee that you will find a job you love. Some majors are more practical than others and have clearer career paths. For example, most pre-law majors go on to law school and eventually become lawyers. But a history or English major might have a harder time finding a job related to their studies. Find out what Devan and Jeff decided to major in.

Dialog

1. Listen and Read - Listen to the audio and read the dialog at the same time.

2. Study - Read the dialog again to see how the vocab words are used.

Devan

Jeff

Devan: What did you major in in college, Jeff?

Jeff: It was basically multimedia design.

Devan: So, seeing as what you are currently doing for a living isn’t related to your major, do you ever wish you had majored in something else?

Jeff: Well, sometimes, when I’m broke. But I always knew I wanted to do something creative with visual art. I actually was initially a fine arts major, but I figured I could do that in my own time.

Devan: Do you have a minor?

Jeff: Yeah, I went the complete opposite route, and I have a business minor, which I have never been interested in, but I figured it would be a good balance. What about you?

Devan: I majored in English, and I’m actually using my degree for that, so that’s nice. But sometimes I wish that I could go back and go for something different.

Jeff: Something more like economics, or an accounting kind of thing?

Devan: Yeah, something more practical, something that would look impressive on a resume and that would open the job market to me a little more.

Jeff: So you’re broke right now?

Devan: I’m always broke. English majors are always broke.

Grammar Point

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Quizzes

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Lesson MP3

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Discussion

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Devan asks Jeff what his major was in college. Jeff says that he studied multimedia design. This includes things like web design and video editing. Jeff’s current job does not relate to his major. But he is still happy he studied multimedia design, because he is passionate about visual art.

Devan was an English major. The job she has now does relate to her major. However, she sometimes wishes she had studied something else in college. She says English majors never earn very much money after they graduate.

What did you major in, or what would you like to major in? Do you have a job that relates to your major? How did you choose a subject to study in school?

Comments

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kotlesya

Belarus

Irene, tell me please ( if it is not a secret of course) where do you teach your students at your home, at their home or on the neutral area?

The wife of my husband’s friend is a private English teacher too. She has turned the living room of her flat into the classroom and she teaches her students there. Pupils are children from 3 till 10 years old.

She also adores her job like you do. Her students is also like her own children.:)

wannicho

China

in china you are not only have to compete to get into a colleage , u also have to compete to fight a major you want . so many times , it’s not what you want to be as your major. the current situiation in china is the majority can’t get a job related to their major. i bet ppl out side of china kind of hard to get that .after us finished school , everyone wants to find a stable and well-paid job , but it’s impossible to land one on your own withour family connections, so basically , u get the best job you can in the circle your family has

Irene Forever

Ukraine

My major has always been English. Now I work as a private teacher, and I adore my profession. My students are mostly children, because they are very constant in studying. I mean, I begin teaching them from the first grade, and have them as my students till finishing school. Besides they are like my own children, and I know many secrets which don’t even know their parents.

I have both a great job and my own school at home. Great, isn’t it? :)

Ngubo Sixtus

South Africa

i wish the young ones must get adivice earl when they start schooling about majors.

saowaros

Thailand

In my opinion, I prefer to have a job that I love even I would be broke.

kotlesya

Belarus

“Devan: I’m always broke. English majors are always broke.” – dear, Devan if you could know how well-paid the private English teachers are in my country you would not say that English majors are always broke :D

Specialities in the field of foreign languages were, are and will be prestigeful.

Chinese language is becoming very popular among students in my country :)

University of my country has recently run the new major – Turkish language. Students get the good job as in my country as in Turkey afterwards.