My life has changed so much since I arrived in Australia from Korea a year ago. I am a widow and I have lived alone in Seoul since my daughter and her husband left for Australia 10 years ago. Although I lived alone, I had a very busy life - I’m a violinist and I played regularly in a well known orchestra, as well as giving music lessons to about ten pupils each week. Then my daughter had her first baby and she persuaded me to join her in Australia.
The first two months passed very quickly, because I was so happy to see my family again. But after a while I started to feel lonely – my daughter was back at work part time, I had no friends to visit and although I could read and write English quite well, I couldn’t speak it at all. I started to study English by myself at home, but this didn’t help my speaking – I needed conversation so that I could meet people and make new friends. So I started an English class at Flagstaff AMES . I go to my class in the evening, so I can still look after my granddaughter while my daughter is at work. I really enjoy my English class because there are people here from many different countries and we have a lot of fun learning and speaking English together.
But my English class is only four hours a week which is not long enough. I want to learn English faster, so I’ve enrolled in a Distance Learning course at the same time. I use the Distance Learning books and cassettes at home and every two weeks I send exercises to my teacher who corrects them and sends them back to me. I also talk to the teacher on the phone about my work and practise conversation with her.
Last month something very special happened to me. I got a part time job in a school teaching music to young children. I can’t believe that I have my first paid job at the age of 63!
Exercise 1 - Comprehension
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In Korea, Yun Suk lived |
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In Korea she was |
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Yun Suk wanted to improve her |
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She enrolled in a Distance Learning course so that she could |
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When Yun Suk was 63, |
In Korea, Yun Suk lived by herself.
In Korea she was a music teacher.
Yun Suk wanted to improve her speaking.
She enrolled in a Distance Learning course so that she could learn more English at home.
When Yun Suk was 63, she got her first paid job.
Exercise 2 - Past tense verbs
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Yun Suk lived alone in Korea until she arrived in Australia a year ago, after her granddaughter was born. In Seoul she taught music, and played the violin in a well-known orchestra.
She was so happy to see her family again! But then she got lonely because she had no friends in Australia. She went to English classes in the evening at Flagstaff AMES. At the same time she studied at home with the Distance Learning books and cassettes. Last month she started a part-time job teaching music in a school.