UNIT 6 · LESSON 3

Discuss Skills, Abilities, and Qualifications

Interactive English lesson about talents, skills, experience, knowledge, qualifications, and preparing for an interview.

By the end of this lesson, students can:

  • understand the meaning of talent, skill, experience, knowledge, and qualifications.
  • discuss personal abilities and qualifications for work or study.
  • listen for details in a job-fair interview task.
  • talk about interests, experience, and special skills in an interview.
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Lesson Page

Use this page as your visual guide. The interactive lesson below explains and practices the same language in a student-friendly way.

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Lesson page: Discuss skills, abilities, and qualifications
1

Warm-up: What kind of ability is it?

Before we study the lesson, let’s review the key ideas. Remember:

talent = something you are naturally good atskill = something you learn and developexperience = time spent doing a job or activityknowledge = understanding gained from study or experience

Activity 1 · Choose the best word

A student has played the piano for six years and improved through practice. This is mainly a ...
A child can draw beautifully without any lessons. This is mainly a ...

Activity 2 · Read the situation

“I worked as a receptionist for two years.” This sentence gives information about ...
“I understand how a hospital works because I studied nursing.” This is mostly ...
2

Vocabulary: Qualifications for Work or Study

talents abilities in art, music, mathematics, etc. that you are born with.
skills abilities that you learn, such as cooking, speaking a language, or driving.
experience time spent working at a job or doing an activity.
knowledge understanding or familiarity with a subject gained from study or experience.
qualifications the talents, skills, experience, and knowledge that make a person a good candidate for a job.

Check your understanding

Which word means “time spent working at a job”?
Which word means “abilities you learn”?
Which word means “understanding gained from study or experience”?
Which word includes talents, skills, experience, and knowledge for a job?

Think and Explain

The textbook asks students to explain these differences. Try the questions below.

Which example best shows the difference between a talent and a skill?
Which sentence best shows experience rather than knowledge?
3

Listening Comprehension

In the textbook, students listen to nine people being interviewed at an international job fair. The task is to match each interviewee with a qualification.

Listening Audio

Listen carefully, then answer the questions below.

IntervieweesQualifications in the task
Sonia Espinoza · Silvano Lucastro · Ivan Martinovic · Agnes Lukins · Elena Burgess · Karen Trent · Ed Snodgrass · Akiko Uzawa · Mia Kima good memory · artistic ability · mathematical ability · logical thinking · compassion · manual dexterity · common sense · athletic ability · leadership skills

Listening check

How many people are interviewed in this listening task?
What should students do while listening?
Which of the following is one of the qualifications listed in the task?

Pair-work idea from the lesson

After the listening, students classify the qualifications and discuss opinions. For example, the book asks whether athletic ability is a talent or a skill.

What is the main purpose of the pair work after the listening?
4

Preparing for an Interview

Interview inventory

Interviewers often ask about your interests, qualifications, and experience. Think about what you can say.

Interests
Qualifications
More qualifications

Choose the best qualification

A nurse works kindly with sick people. Which qualification fits best?
A person solves difficult number problems quickly. Which qualification fits best?
A surgeon needs careful hand control. Which qualification fits best?
A team captain can organize and guide others. Which qualification fits best?
5

Practice: Interview Language

Now use the vocabulary in an interview context. Complete the practice items and check your answers.

Practice A · Choose the best response

Interviewer: “Tell me something about your skills.”
Applicant: ...
Interviewer: “What work experience do you have?”
Applicant: ...

Practice B · Complete the sentence

A dentist needsto work carefully with tools.
Studying science gives youabout the subject.
Your talents, skills, experience, and knowledge are yourfor a job.
6

Final Quiz: 5 Important Questions

Answer these key questions to review the lesson.

1. Which word means abilities you are born with?
2. Which word means abilities you learn and develop?
3. “I worked in a hospital for three years” gives information about ...
4. Which qualification best fits a class leader who guides others well?
5. What are qualifications?

You’ve completed the third lesson. Wonderful!

Keep practicing how to talk about your skills, abilities, and qualifications with confidence.