Reasons for studying a second language In the globalized world that we live speaking a second language is one of the most useful skills that we can acquire. Ever since we start school we hear remarks about the importance of learning a second language or even a third one and we attend foreign languages classes. There are many reasons for studying a second language; however I would like to focus on two of the most important reasons from my point of view: education and employment. On the one hand, it is highly recommended to learn a second language if we pretend to access to higher education. Nowadays universities use many academic papers and resources in foreign languages, especially in English. Therefore if you weren’t born in a country where English is spoken, having a good command of this language will help you outstanding in your university. On the other hand, once we finish university we have to seek jobs in a very competitive work market. As I said before globalization is playing a huge role in the work market and knowing a second language as English has become crucial if we want to apply for vacancies. Even if we try to get a job in our own country speaking a foreign language will help us outstanding among others and it will increase our opportunities to access to top jobs. In conclusion, learning a second language can have a huge impact in our careers. Either if we want to study a university degree or find a competitive job, knowing a second language will boost our opportunities.

Make decisions Dear Sir/Madam I am writing regarding your new TV series about how people make decisions. As a big fan of your television channel and since you have asked your viewers for their opinion on the topic, I would like to share my thoughts and views with you. Even though I am still in my early twenties, I think that I have had to make big decisions in my life and therefore my opinions could be useful in your series of programmes. Two of the biggest decisions that everybody makes in this life are what we study and what do we do for a living. The former is an easier decision in my opinion because we have got a long list of studies where we can choose from. The latter is a more difficult decision because it is not always clear that you are going to make it due to the increasing competitiveness in the work market and the amount of people with superior studies. These two decisions affect nearly to everybody and therefore it would be worthwhile focusing on both and help people gain insight in order to make these decisions more effectively. Some of the decision that we made during our life can change our future completely therefore it is highly recommended meditating consciously on decisions like these. I look forward to hearing from you. Yours faithfully Michael Jones

Public transport system Strengths on the public transport system available In general most citizens have a high level of satisfaction with the transport system of the area. Both the underground and the bus system are well-known for their good organization and the numbers of people that use public transport has increased in the last five years. Moreover, nearly all the buses have been changed and the city has been provided with brand new double-decker buses. These new transport facilities offer more comfort and space that the old buses. Recommendations Since the transport system in itself is well used and people have a good opinion about it, one of the biggest concerns about public transport is the schedule. The transport system in the local area has a daylight schedule which starts at 7 am in the morning and ends at 11 pm in the evening. However, many people would like to extend the working hours of the public transport, especially on weekends. On weekends people stays longer in the city center but they can’t take advantages of the public transport because it is closed. I would highly recommend to extend the availability of transport system hours on weekends and we could avoid the needed of private transport on those days. In addition, in the last years the town hall has received more suggestions than ever and nearly all of them emphasise the needed of an extended transport system schedule. These improvements are really required and at the same time this will generate income from ticket sales. Please let me know if you would like me to expand on these suggestions.

Reasons for learning English English language is known for being one of the most widely spoken languages in the world. Apart from the native speakers who use the language, many people speak English as a second language for various reasons. Some of them learn this language because they want to increase their work opportunities while others think that they can take advantages of learning it when travelling. I agree when people say that if you want to find a job abroad you should learn the language of Shakespeare. English is the language of business and when it comes to work abroad in an international company people usually speak English, because it works as a lingua franca among people from different origins. Even if you want to set up your own company in your country, it is highly recommended to learn English because you will increase your opportunities to success. On the other hand, some people just learn the basics of the language in order to travel and be able to communicate when they are visiting a foreign country. As I said before English language is the second language for many people, therefore you will find easier to manage on holidays if you are able to speak it. In conclusion, many are the reasons why people learn English. In my opinion in the globalized era that we live English has become a great tool to success. Once you have learnt English, opportunities await you all over the world.

The impact of technology on employment opportunities Technology has developed extremely in the last years. When I was born internet wasn’t a well-known platform and usually few ones use to have it at home. However in the last years we have witnessed a huge evolution in technology. This evolution has affected many parts of our lives including employment opportunities. Nowadays the impact of technology on employment it is clearer than ever and I think that technology affects our working situation in two main ways. On the one hand, are many who claim that technology is destroying labour opportunities. Due to technology we can see how in factories machines are replacing people and creating therefore unemployment. Big companies want to reduce as much as they can their costs and technology has helped them a lot in this commitment. Even though technology is creating new employment opportunities as well, I think that are more the employees destructed rather than the created ones. On the other hand, technology is growing so fast that people have to improve their skills constantly if they want to be in the running. A few years ago people used to acquire a certain skills and they managed to work using the same skills all their life. Currently however, people live in a constant adaptation process where you have to improve every day. In conclusion, I think that technology is a big deal nowadays for our society. One of my biggest concerns as I said before is the substitution of the workforce for machines. Even though some people have managed to adapt to the new situation, I think that technology it is going to have a negative impact in this aspect.

Informal letter to a friend Hi Robert, It’s nice hearing from you. It has been a while since we haven’t talked. How is everything going in Germany? I spoke with your parents last week and they told me that you have just found a job as a Spanish teacher. That’s great mate! I hope you all the best with this new project. I’ve been pretty busy last two months due to my new job. I’ve got a rare schedule and I work a lot but it’s alright. As you know a while ago I started working as a waiter in a restaurant and I am also preparing my Cambridge advanced exam. Even though before I had never worked as a waiter it is going well so far and it gives me the opportunity to make a living until I find a better job. As I said before I am learning English as well. I am using a book called Objective Advanced and it seems that it works because I am making good progress, sometimes it’s hard though. In my hometown everything is as usual, we still meet in the pub for some beers every weekend and I have started playing rugby again. We have got a new manager, who is French, and he’s got a deep knowledge of the sport. We are going to start the season next week but I don’t know if I will be able to play due to work shifts. Are you still living in the city center, or have you moved to another place? When I went to visit you I liked a lot the vibes of your neighborhood. It would be great to have the chance to visit you again. I’m looking forward to hearing from you mate. Write back as soon as you have the opportunity! Good bye, Anthony

Letter to the website director Dear Sir or Madam, My name is Richard Forester and I am a third year student at your college. Concerning the notice that you have posted in our college newsletter I would like to contribute with feedback that may be useful in order to improve the college website. As far as I am concern the biggest lack of our website is the advice section for new students. Even if I am in my third year, I have got some tips that I would like to share and which may be helpful for new students. Firstly, in my opinion it would be really interesting provide new students enough information about the city where the college is located. Such as public transport, libraries, maps and so on. Because many students come from different cities. Secondly, from my point of view new students would appreciate more accurate data about the degrees, master's degrees and different courses available at the college. Because sometimes it seems that we do not have enough information about our own studies, especially when you have just began university. Finally, if you would like to welcome properly new students, then you should help them socialise. When I started college one of my biggest fears was not knowing anybody. Therefore, I would recommend to create activities and social events to help new students socialise and make new friends. I hope you find useful my advices. It has been a pleasure to contribute with my feedback and try to construct a better community spirit in our college. Your sincerely, Richard

Writing Dear Ms Bryant, First of all thank you for accepting me as part of your hotel staff for summer. About my work experience, I have experience of working in hotels. Last year I spent two months working in a prestigious hotel. In those two months I gained insight in a variety of different roles, such a receptionist duties, customer care and finance. When it comes to my studies I have a university degree in tourism, therefore I have an important background that I need to put in practise. Also I would like to point out that I am fluent in spanish and I can maintain a basic conversation in french, very useful attributes in a hotel. I am really looking forward to put in practise the knowledge I have acquired either in the university and my last job. Reception is an area that particularly interests me. Human interaction is one of my strongest qualities as well as the ability to communicate with people using different languages. So that's why I think reception duties suit me. However as I said before I am hoping to play different roles, as I believe a good hotel worker should be able to execute a variety of different jobs. I was wondering if I could ask some questions. Will I have accommodation in the hotel where I am going to work in or should I rent a room on my own? Can I assume that meals will be provided by the hotel? I very much look forward to be part of your team. Yours sincerely, Robert Forester

Is it any difference between beneath and below? Hi everyone! I would like to know if it is any difference between the words BENEATH and BELOW. Are they just synonyms?