A business interview

A business interview

Listen to the business interview to practise and improve your listening skills.

Do the preparation task first. Then listen to the audio and do the exercises.

Preparation

Transcript

Presenter: Welcome to today's show. We're very happy to have Anna Oliveira as our guest today. Anna is the creator and founder of HomeworX – spelled with an 'x' we should note – an app which helps teenagers with their homework. Thanks for coming in, Anna.

Anna: Thanks for having me.

Presenter: So, tell us about your app. How does it work?

Anna: Well, teenagers and their parents have numerous challenges when it comes to homework these days. In many families both parents work and don't have much available time to help their kids with their homework. And even if they do have time to help, they may not be able to offer support with the content. What I mean is, they may not know, or at least remember, enough in any given subject to support.

Presenter: You mean they might not be able to remember complex maths or might have never studied certain subjects, such as biology or economics, themselves?

Anna: Exactly. So they might want to support their children with their homework, but have neither the time nor the knowledge to do so.

Presenter: I see. So the app helps solve this problem?

Anna: Yes, and more. The next issue is that tutors can be expensive, and there may be long waiting lists for specialist tutors in the town or region you live in. Our HomeworX app brings students and tutors together online. Students can search a database of pre-approved tutors and sign up for live online support. They don't need to be in the same town or city.

Presenter: That sounds really great.

Anna: It is. And this approach also enables us to offer the tutoring services at lower prices because there's no travelling time involved for the tutor to get to the student's home. And tutors who live in remote areas are happy to get access to more students, and be able to work from home, even at lower rates.

Presenter: This all sounds great. So, how did you come up with the idea?

Anna: Well, as you might guess, I was one of those parents I described earlier. I really wanted to help my son with his homework, but I was either too busy with work or I didn't actually know anything about the subjects he was having difficulty with. Also, we live in an area where there aren't many tutors and the ones that are there are either very expensive or have long waiting lists.

Presenter: Yes. I can understand your predicament. Well, it sounds like a very useful app that is clearly meeting a need. And its popularity obviously speaks for itself.

Anna: Thank you.

Presenter: So, do you have plans for the future?

Anna: We've just secured some funding and hope to expand the range of services we offer using the app.

Presenter: We wish you the best of luck. Thanks again for coming in. That was Anna Oliveira, founder of the tutoring app HomeworX (with an 'x', don't forget!), which is available for both Apple and Android devices. Join us again next week for another business interview. Have a great week, everyone. 

Task 1

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Discussion

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Average: 4.5 (268 votes)

Submitted by samtawil on Tue, 28/11/2023 - 10:36

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My favourite app for learning is Busuu .
Because it 's to clear , easy to use ,and I don't need to spend lots of time on it 5 minuets is enough every day .

Profile picture for user Jlengerke

Submitted by Jlengerke on Mon, 27/11/2023 - 22:44

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Recently, I've been immersed in using the IELTS practice app to enhance my English skills. This application has proven invaluable in helping me learn and memorize new, useful words, thus expanding my vocabulary. When it comes to honing my listening and speaking abilities, I turn to the HelloTalk App. This platform is exceptionally beneficial because it allows me to connect and socialize with other language learners, providing a valuable opportunity to learn from diverse perspectives.

Submitted by Anna1315 on Fri, 10/11/2023 - 18:50

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I don't have favourite app. But I can use social network such as Telegram, Instargam or Facebook. In these website I can find people or group that help me to learn foreign languages or find interesting materials for learning.

Submitted by amjad19728666 on Thu, 19/10/2023 - 17:04

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My favourite app is BBC learneglish podcast. It has wide range of topics.

Submitted by Rkhamees on Wed, 11/10/2023 - 16:40

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This is the best learning English website so far.

Submitted by VCHHL on Sun, 08/10/2023 - 18:27

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I love learning English with British Council. The lecture structure is clear, and I can find a lot of learning resources here. Because of British Council, I believe that I can improve my English efficiently.

Submitted by Nasriina28 on Tue, 03/10/2023 - 19:45

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My favorite app is British english council.
I really likes the way it organized and gives you a moral to go forward. Thanks for having you.

Submitted by Eleung on Wed, 27/09/2023 - 13:10

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The British Council is my favourite app. I could find a lot of learning materials and can understand my English level. It gives me a clear picture of progress in my English learning.

Hi Eleung,

Thanks for your kind comment! We are very glad to know that you find the website useful. :)

Jonathan

LearnEnglish team