A business interview
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.
Hi, I agree with some of the guys, my favourite tool to learn English is AI apps too, they can really be useful. Although there are lots of learning English apps that take advantage of the power of Ai and charge you Monthly payment, you don’t need them because you can use a Major Ai app like Grok to learn English easily. Using a Great prompt is everything.
I might be walking into the lion's den for this, but being completely honest, I find AI to be the best app for learning. Some may consider this perspective as cheating, but I believe that when we use it the right way, AI can be a great teacher. The best part is that it offers unlimited responses, and you can ask anytime and anywhere, also, it helps with your pronunciation. I can't decide which AI tool is best, but it's between ChatGPT or gemini.
I do not have a favorite app for learning languages. But I used a lot of apps, such as Duolingo, Aleem, even an Ielts prepatation apps etc.. Now I am trying to learn with useful websites British Council, Engnovate and study with Grammar books
While I wouldn’t designate a single application as my definitive favorite, I rely heavily on a specialized ecosystem of digital tools to enhance my linguistic proficiency. Specifically, I leverage AI-driven platforms such as Gemini alongside Cambridge’s 'Write & Improve' and 'Speak & Improve' suites. Despite certain functional constraints within the basic tier of Gemini, its utility in providing real-time feedback remains indispensable for my professional development.
It depend, for vocabulary i use Noji/Anki. It is very helpful to remember all the new word i discovered based on space repetition learning, I also used to talk with people on tandem but now because I have english class everyday I have occasion to discuss with people. And this website is very usefull too. It is very organize something very important for me
I just have used to web sites to learn english, my english lab and british council. Both web sites are very useful for students who wants to improve their levels of english.
i truly recommend those web sites, it has helped me a lot, I have learn more about the grammar and I included more words to my vocabulary.
I do not have a favourite app for leaning English. In fact, I do not use any of it. To learn English, I have classes one time a week with a native teacher and listen to podcasts and acess this site that I like so much.
I DON'T HAVE A FAVORITE APP EITHER.I TOTALLY PREFER BOOKS AND CLASSES YOU KNOW THE CLASSIC WAY.:)
What's your favourite app for learning and why?
Youtube its my favorite because there's a video of almost everything you need, the only thing needed is using the search bar and find a video that you may think its gonna be useful.
Actually, I don’t have a favorite app. I’ve been exploring some websites and apps to study English, and the British Council has had the best content so far.
I used to practice on Duolingo, but I’ve been trying to stay away from smartphones — especially when I need to study. They break my concentration, so I prefer studying through other media.
By the way, I’d like to know what you think about AI tools for speaking practice. Are they a good way to improve English speaking skills?