Lesson Focus

This final unit is about making important life choices, especially regarding education and careers. It covers O/L and A/L subject streams, setting goals, and the issue of "brain drain." This is a very important revision unit for the O/L exam.

Key Vocabulary to Master

• Education/Career: ambition, goal, vision, aptitude test, compulsory, self-employment, technician, vocational.

• Social Issues: brain drain, emigration, instability, opportunities, phenomenon.

Grammar Focuses

1. All Future Tenses (Revision):

• Simple Future (will): For predictions or decisions ("I will have to follow the Arts Stream.").

• Future Continuous (will be + -ing): For an action in progress at a future time ("We will be answering our English paper at this time tomorrow.").

• Future Perfect (will have + V3): For an action completed before a future time ("Our train will have left by then.").

1. Conditional Clauses (Types 1, 2, and 3 - Revision): This is one of the most important grammar points for the O/L exam.

• Type 1 (Real): If you work hard, you will pass.

• Type 2 (Unreal/Imaginary): If I won the lottery, I would travel.

• Type 3 (Impossible Past): If you had run faster, you would have won.

Important Points for the O/L Exam

• Paper I (Writing):

  • Essay: "My Future Ambition" or "How I Plan to Serve My Country" are classic O/L essay topics. This unit provides all the necessary ideas and vocabulary.

  • Speech: You could be asked to write a speech on setting goals.

• Paper II (Grammar & Reading):

  • Conditionals: You will almost certainly get questions on 'If' clauses. You need to know all three types perfectly.

  • Verb Forms: Fill-in-the-blanks questions will test your knowledge of all the future tenses.

Study Tips & Tricks

• Goal Setting Chart: Create your own personal goal-setting chart like the one in the textbook. Write down your main goal and the smaller steps needed to achieve it. This is both an English exercise and useful life planning!

• Conditional Scenarios: Write one sentence for each of the three conditional types based on your own life.

  • Type 1: "If I pass my O/Ls well, I..."

  • Type 2: "If I were the school principal, I..."

  • Type 3: "If I had studied more last term, I..."

Debate on Brain Drain: This is a great topic for discussion. Think about one reason why a professional might leave Sri Lanka and one reason why they should stay. This is excellent practice for argumentative essays.