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Material On My Own Two Feet PDF
Material On My Own Two Feet PDF
Material On My Own Two Feet PDF
Fuente: SENA
“Character - the willingness to accept responsibility for one’s own life - is the source
from which self-respect springs”.
Joan Didion
Introductory material
Dear learner,
This material will help you study the topics related to learning activity 1.
The third conditional is a structure we use to talk about unreal situations in the
past; conditions in the past that did not happen. It is also like a dream with no
possibility of coming true.
Don’t worry if this seems confusing. The example below will help you
understand:
Situation:
Last week you bought a lottery ticket, but you didn’t win.
Today, you are on the bus, looking through the window, fantasizing with the idea
of winning the lottery. You need the third conditional to express those fantasies:
Fantasies
B. Structure
A third conditional sentence has two parts. An “if” clause and a main clause:
If clause Main clause
If I had won the lottery, I would have bought a house for my parents.
Explanation: I didn’t buy a house for my parents because I didn't win the lottery.
If the “if” clause comes first, you have to use a comma. If the “if” clause comes
second, no comma is necessary:
Main clause Subject + would (or could, or might) have + past participle
C. Usage:
You can also use the third conditional to express wishes, desires, and even regrets
about the past. Take a look at the following examples:
Interpretation: Her sister didn’t get a raise and financial stability that it would have
brought.
Now let’s see the structure you should use when expressing wishes about the past:
“Learning is more effective when learners are active in the learning process,
assuming responsibility for their learning and participating in the decisions which
affect it”.
Susan Sheerin
Fuente: SENA
Are you satisfied with the way you have learned things so far? Do you have any
regrets about not learning something as well as you wanted? Do you think your
instructor is the most important person in your process? Do you regret giving up
something you wanted to learn because you didn’t know how to do it? Do you
know you can learn to learn better?
Fuente: SENA
It’s never too late to learn how to perform better in any area. In this part of learning
activity 1, you will get familiar with some effective strategies that, if applied, will
help you achieve any goal you set for yourself.
Now you will learn about concepts such as initiative and self-direction that will allow
you to improve your performance at any level.
In its broadest meaning, self-direction is to come to terms with the idea that you are
the engine of your learning process and agree to do something about it. Once you
decide to be responsible for your own learning, you enter the realm of self-directed
learning.
Notice how initiative is one of the crucial elements in self-directed learning. Do you
know what initiative is?
Initiative
Initiative is that first step towards action. It means doing something on your own,
without waiting for someone to tell you what to do. Initiative can also mean being
proactive.
If you don’t use your initiative, your goals are like a horse without legs. Without that
initial energy and action, you won’t advance an inch. Initiative is the energy that
pushes you to go after your goals.
b. Standing out
It is not a secret that if you show initiative, people will notice you. In a work context,
you are more likely to get a promotion or to get a raise if you are proactive.
c. Creating opportunities
The more initiative you take, the more chances you have to show your talents.
Even if you are not given opportunities by other people, you will see them yourself.
You are now familiar with the importance initiative has in self-directed learning. In
order to learn more about how to increase your initiative, we are going to learn how
to set effective learning goals.
“Would you tell me, please, which way I ought to go from here?"
"That depends a good deal on where you want to get to."
"I don't much care where"
"Then it doesn't matter which way you go.”
Lewis Carroll, Alice in Wonderland
If you don’t know what you want to accomplish, it is difficult to take a first step, to
focus your effort, to know you are advancing. Setting goals can help with all this. It
is like traveling. If you are going to travel, you need to have a destination. This
destination will help you use your energy more efficiently. It will be a kind of map
that will show you how much you have advanced, how much you have learned,
what other tools you need, and how close you are to your objective.
In order to set effective goals, we will use a strategy from the world of management
called S.M.A.R.T goals. S.M.A.R.T is an acronym that outlines the way goals and
objectives should be created in order to increase the likelihood of success. Let’s
see what each letter stands for:
S: Specific.
M: Measurable.
A: Attainable.
R: Relevant.
T: Time-specific.
Specific:
Your goal should be clear and explicit. To make goals specific, they must describe
exactly what's expected, why it's important, who’s involved, where it's going to
happen and which attributes are important.
A good way to know if your goal is specific is to check if it answers the following
questions:
Measurable:
You should be able to measure your progress. If you don’t know whether you are
advancing towards it or not, you won’t be able to take corrective actions to
experience the sense of accomplishment that comes when you see the fruit of your
efforts.
Depending on your goal, the measuring tools may vary, but the following questions
will help you see if you are objectively evaluating your progress.
Attainable:
Your goal should be realistic and attainable. Your goal should not be too difficult
because you can get frustrated. It shouldn’t be too easy either because you can
get bored. It should be challenging enough to motivate you to keep on going and
make you feel that your determination brings results.
A good way to know if your goal is attainable is to see if it answers the following
questions:
Realistically, can I accomplish this goal with the time and resources I have now? If
so, how?
Relevant:
Your goal should be something that matters. Your goal should drive you forward
professionally and/or personally.
A good way to assess the relevance of your goal is by answering the following
questions:
Time-specific:
You should give your goal a target date. To have a deadline helps you to be more
committed and focus your efforts more efficiently. A deadline will keep you on
track.
Contextualization
A flood destroyed Miguel’s town. Read his reflections about how things could have
been better if different actions had been taken.
The flood
Fuente: SENA
If Miguel had known about the dangers, he would have left the town.
If the government had warned the citizens, then many people wouldn’t have lost
all their belongings.
If the government had listened to the warnings of the meteorologists, the town
could have taken more precautions.
If the town had had a better emergency plan, the losses wouldn’t have been so
severe.
If Miguel had been warned, he could have bought emergency supplies of food
and water.
If the government had provided buses and helicopters, then everyone could have
been evacuated.
Comprehension
Read the text again and complete the following sentences by choosing the correct
letter:
Practice 1
A. Read the following true situations in the past and complete each sentence about
what might have been different.
Example:
I got wet in the rain yesterday because I left the house without an umbrella.
If I had not left the house without an umbrella, I would not have gotten wet.
1. Laura crashed her motorcycle because she fell asleep while driving.
2. They couldn't go to the party because they didn't have enough money.
4. The current in the river was so strong that the horses drowned.
If the river’s current ___________ so strong, the horses __________.
5. She couldn't call her brother because she had lost his number.
B. Choose the correct option to complete the following sentences in the third
conditional.
a. would pass
c. will pass
d. would passed
a. went
b. have gone
c. had gone
d. go
4. If I __________ eggs for breakfast at the store last night, I wouldn’t have had
to go to the store this morning.
a. had buy
b. had bought
c. have bought
d. have buy
a. has
b. had
c. have had
d. had had
a. knew
b. know
c. have known
d. had known
a. bring
b. brought
c. would bring
a. has taken
b. had taken
c. has took
d. took
b. Had you
d. Would you
D. For each question, read the situation and choose the corresponding third
conditional which describes how the situation could have changed.
2. I didn't know Anthony and Cristina were in town. I didn't call them.
b. If I would have known this article was important, I had read it.
4. I walked home from the disco. My friend was too drunk to drive.
6. I ate the yoghurt in the fridge. I thought it was mine, not yours.
b. If I had known the yoghurt was yours, I wouldn't have eaten it.
F. Read Carla’s diary entry for today. Based on the entry, answer the questions
below:
A hectic hiking day
Fuente: SENA
Dear journal,
You’ll never believe my weekend. Today, I planned on going on a hiking trip, but
I forgot and I got up late. If I had remembered I had paid for a hiking trip, I would
have arrived on time. But, I got there almost 30 minutes late! When I walked up
to the bus that would take us, my boyfriend was already there and he looked
embarrassed. I am pretty sure that if I had arrived on time, my boyfriend
wouldn’t have been annoyed with me. As the morning went on, he eventually
stopped being mad at me and we really started to enjoy the hike. Then, in the
middle of the day, we were walking downhill and I twisted my ankle! If I had worn
my hiking boots instead of tennis shoes, I wouldn’t have hurt myself. I really
need to work on better planning! After that, we were sitting down to have lunch
and my boyfriend took out some sandwiches he made. I took a bite and it was
peanut butter!!! He forgot that I was allergic! If he hadn’t brought peanut butter
sandwiches, I wouldn’t have had an allergic reaction. We ended up spending the
afternoon in the hospital. I bet that if he hadn’t meditated in the morning, he
would have freaked out and we probably wouldn’t be together any more.
True False
1. Carla paid for a hiking trip.
Fuente: SENA
I had been looking for a new job for a long time. I was really bored at my present
one. I didn’t get along with my supervisor and the pay was not that good. I had
tried to make things work, but I knew the situation was hopeless. My mom had
emailed me a link to a job offer that sounded perfect. I decided to read the ad
and, to my surprise, I found it really appealing. I designed a new CV following
the advice of one of my colleagues. I had always thought my CV looked
professional, but things had changed a lot since the last time I wrote my first CV.
Anyway, the new CV worked and I got an interview.
On the day of the interview, I got up late. I had forgotten to set my alarm clock. I
jumped out of bed, took a quick shower, put some clothes on, and ran to the
nearest bus stop. You can guess what happened: the bus stop was crowded;
there was a very long line. Since I was running late, I decided to take a taxi. It
was rush hour, so it was not easy to get one. When I finally was able to get it, I
noticed the taxi driver was looking at me strangely. I knew then that there was
something wrong with my outfit. I looked down at my feet. I was not wearing my
dress shoes; I was still wearing a pair of old sneakers I like to wear when I get
up. If I hadn’t left my apartment is such a rush, I wouldn’t have forgotten to wear
the right kind of shoes. What a disaster! I was sure the interviewer was not going
to take me seriously. He would think I was not professional enough.
My dad has always said that people should try to get what they want no matter
what. If I hadn’t remembered that, I would have given up. Even without wearing
my dress shoes, I decided to carry on. As you might imagine, the traffic was as
heavy as ever. After being stuck in traffic for an hour, I decided to get out of the
taxi and run. If I hadn’t been in good shape, I wouldn’t have been able to run for
half an hour to the place I was going to be interviewed.
There I was, exhausted, sweaty, and looking very sloppy. A man wearing an
impeccable suit was looking at me. He looked puzzled. I waved hello while I
tried to catch my breath. He put out his cigarette and started to walk towards
me. Now, I was puzzled. He asked me why I looked like that. I told him I didn’t
want to be late for my job interview. You won’t believe what happened next. He
told me he was the interviewer! He said that the kind of interest and spirit I had
shown was one of the most important features he was looking for. I handed him
my CV and he said that regardless of my profile, I was now part of the selected
group that had the chance to go to the second round of interviews. If I hadn’t
forgotten to set my alarm clock, this would have never happened. I guess that
disasters sometimes are just blessings in disguise.
1. Read the following sentences and decide if they are true or false according to
the context:
True False
a. Luke liked his present job.
h. Luke didn’t like the way the man in the suit was looking at him.
4. If he hadn’t forgotten to set his alarm clock, what would have happened?
5. If there hadn’t been a long line at the bus stop, what would have he done?
Practice 2
A. Match the idea on the left with the proactive behavior on the right.
B. Read each of the following general goals. Read to five people describe a
specific goal. Match the general goal with its corresponding specific goal.
1. I want to 2. I want a 3. I want to 4. I want to 5. I want to
get a raise. have a lot of lose some write a
higher money. weight. book.
education.
a. b. c. d. e.
By January I want to write By January 1st I want to make I want to lose
21st of 2015, a novel about of 2015, I will one million 10 pounds by
my salary the love life of have within 3 years May 10th,
will be 10% pirates that is researched by providing life 2015. I will run
higher than at least 600 three colleges coaching for half and
now. I will pages in and applied to consultancy hour 5 times a
achieve that length and two colleges and conducting week and I
by increasing complete it by that I want to live seminars. won’t eat any
my October 1st, attend. sugar or bread.
department’s 2016. I will
sales by write at least 2
10%. pages every
weekday until
I complete the
book.
C. Read to six people talk about the way their ideas about success, relevance,
priority and competence affected their sense of satisfaction with life.
Below each recording, you will find three statements about what you heard.
Choose true or false accordingly.
Jorge, Colombia
I don't really have many regrets. All my life I have basically had a few dreams
that I have achieved, but there’s one I didn’t. My first dream was going to the
United States on exchange, but I didn’t feel very confident about my English. I
should have taken more classes and studied more.
True False
1. If he had studied more, he might have gone to the United States.
I have a couple of regrets. One is that I spent too much time playing video
games when I was in school and I never learned to play any instrument. I would
have liked to play in a band. Another regret is that I'm monolingual. I only speak
one language and I would have liked to learn another language when I was
young.
True False
4. She could have become a recognized musician if she had
learned to play an instrument.
Alaina, France
Something that I regret a lot is not accepting a job offer that I was given a few
years ago. It was at a multinational company. I took another offer because it was
a couple of blocks away from my house. I don’t like to get up early because just
to sit on public transportation for an hour to get to a job that is far from my
house. Even though I'm fine right now, I know life could have been better if I had
taken the other offer.
True False
7. She would had accepted the other offer if the job had been out
of town.
9. Her life would have been better if she had found work near her
place.
Chester, England
About seven or eight years ago, I decided that making as much money as
possible was a goal that would bring the most happiness in my life. I closed my
online business and apply for a job at an insurance company. When I had my
own company, I was able to exercise my creativity on a daily basis. I was
making decent money and I knew I could make my business grow. Even though,
I make more money now, I feel there’s more to this life than accumulating things.
True False
13. If he hadn’t arriving at a new conclusion about money, he
wouldn’t have closed his online business.
Rebecca, Italy
One of my regrets is that I never traveled abroad. I really wish that I had traveled
overseas after college as my parents suggested. I decided to enroll in a Ph.D.
program instead. After I finished, I was offered a job doing research. It is a well-
paid job and I have two kids, so it makes it impossible for me to travel now.
True False
16. She had the chance to travel abroad before enrolling in a
Ph.D. program.
17. She had to look for a job after graduation because she has
two kids.
18. Even though she doesn’t have a good salary, she has the
chance to travel abroad.
D. Read the following opinions about unattainable goals and answer the questions
below.
1. “We have goals because our nature is to advance; it’s the motivation that gets
us going. We’re always after something. This is not wrong and we cannot be
blamed for worrying about shelter, food, family, health, education and money
to live on. We must have it all to sustain ourselves”.
Janet.
Choose the option that best answers the following question about the
quotation above:
2. “We simply act upon goals imposed on us by society. We cannot escape the
influence of society. Even if they are not our goals, we go on enacting other
people’s expectations for us because it gives some meaning to our lives. It is
very important to think about our true purpose in life if we want to bring real
meaning to our lives”.
Michelle.
Choose the option that best answers the following question about the
quotation above:
3. “How do we know what is ‘unattainable’ in the first place? Some would say
that traveling in outer space is not practical at this time because there are still
many challenges on planet Earth that need to be resolved, but who can say it
won't be a worthy goal at some point? I think ‘unattainable’ goals are what
make us expand, what makes us push the limits of our imagination and
society. People often call innovative ideas unattainable at first.”
Johnny.
Choose the option that best answers the following question about the
quotation above:
4. “Goals are things you work towards. You don't always have to reach them.
But you have to try. It isn't about always achieving them. It's about knowing
you tried. Some goals are high and that's why they are considered
'unattainable'. They imply more work than a simpler goal. Some people shy
away from hard work, that is why the disregard lofty goals as unattainable”.
Sam.
Choose the option that best answers the following question about the
quotation above:
5. “Unattainable goals lead to frustration when you try to achieve them, but it is
also true that in order to achieve great things in life we have to dream big. It’s
a tricky situation. How do we know that a goal is attainable or not? How do
we know if we are aiming too high?”
Nick.
Choose the option that best answers the following question about the
quotation above:
E. When people talk about initiative, self-direction, and goal setting, they usually
use synonyms to refer to the components of S.M.A.R.T goals. Read the words in
the box. Write each of them into one of the categories below the box. Use a
dictionary if necessary.
Fuente: SENA
“The only thing standing between you and your goal is the story you keep telling
yourself as to why you can't achieve it”.
Jordan Belfort.
Following your passion can mean different things to different people, but no
matter your definition, it seems people always have a excuse not to do it. I’m
going to describe the most common reasons why people don’t pursue their
dreams and some suggestions on how to avoid them.
What you should do is to step out of your comfort zone and experience new
things. This can help you discover what you love.
If you are always thinking and saying you’re busy, you are convincing yourself it
is impossible to find a few minutes each day to do what you want to do. Set
attainable monthly, weekly, and daily goals for yourself and reward yourself.
If you don’t want to use your free time to do what you love, maybe your passion
is not as big as you imagine. Your free time is the best time to cultivate what you
are really passionate about. Time is precious; don’t waste it.
Number 4. I don’t want to fail.
If your dream seems too big, you need to break it down into smaller goals. Make
each goal a step in the right direction. You might want to consider creating
S.M.AR.T goals.
There are many obstacles that get in the way, but it’s OK to ask for help. Just be
honest with the people in your life about your project and why you need their
support.
No. If you keep postponing things, you know you will never do them. Yes, your
goal requires effort. Everything that matters requires an effort. Take a small step
now, build momentum and keep on going.
Part A.
Read the following questions about the tips above and select the correct
answer:
a. Lack of clarity.
b. Lack of time.
c. Lack of money.
a. Lack of passion.
b. Lack of time.
c. Lack of interest.
a. Lack of passion.
b. Lack of confidence.
c. Lack of time.
a. Lack of discipline.
b. Lack of interest.
c. Lack of confidence.
a. Lack of discipline.
b. Lack of clarity.
c. Lack of interest.
a. Lack of support.
b. Lack of confidence.
c. Lack of money.
a. Lack of discipline.
b. Lack of money.
c. Lack of clarity.
Part B.
Part C.
2. You should quit your job to have time to pursue your dream.
5. You should divide a goal that is too big into smaller goals.
7. You should postpone things for when you have more time.
Pronunciation practice
Note: This practice must be completed using the multimedia version of the
study material. There you will find the corresponding sound files.
A. T-Voicing
ˈwɑt̬·ər
Water
ˈkwɔr·t̬ərˌbæk
Quaterback
ˈpɑr·t̬i
Party
ˈbet̬ər
Better
At the end of a word, before a vowel and after either a vowel or /r/, as in:
get away ˈɡet̬ əˌweɪ
forty ˈfɔr·t̬ i
winter ˈwɪn·t̬ ər
ˈæt̬·əm əˈ·tom·ic
atom atomic
a. Faculty.
Create.
Letter.
b. Hectic.
Monitor.
Incomplete.
c. Question.
Fantasy.
Activity.
d. Abduction.
Stand.
Creative.
e. Get a rise.
Act upon.
Speculate.
f. Motivate.
Regret.
Nasty.
g. Beauty.
Tap.
Guilty.
h. Hot.
Hotter.
Natural.
i. Butter.
Quite.
Football.
j. Actual.
Tuesday.
Duty.
B. In the following words, there is one t that has been pronounced as a voiced t̬.
Select the letter or combination of letters that represents the voiced sound.
a. Resistivity.
b. Important.
c. Initiative.
d. Petit (borrowed from French).
e. Watercraft.
f. Demonstrator.
g. Lethality.
h. Mitigation.
i. Hospitality.
j. Attitude.
Document control
Centro
Copy editor –
Rachman Agroindustrial. October
Adaptation Línea de
Bustillo Martínez Regional 2015
producción
Quindío