Describe a course that impressed you

Band 6

I would like to talk about a course that really impressed me. It was a graphic design course that I takeTense slip: should be “took” two years ago at a small training centre in Nairobi. It lasted six weeks, and I went there three evenings a week after my work in a shop. Before that I didn’t knewForm error: should be “didn’t know” anything about design, so I was, erHesitation filler, a bit nervous on the first day. The teacher, Mr Otieno, showed us how to use the software and how to choose colours and letters, and he giveTense slip: should be “gave” us a small project almost every week, for example a logo, a menu and a poster. Every lesson started with a short demonstration, and then we had one hour to try the same thing on our own work while he walked around and helped us. My last project was a poster for my aunt’s bakery. I worked on it for many evenings, and when it was finished my aunt put it in the window of her shop. Some customers asked her who makeTense slip: should be “made” it, and she was very proud of me. The course impressed me because it was very practicalBasic phrase; limits Lexical Resource and we did not only listen, we did real work from the first week. Also, I thought that I am notTense slip: should be “I was not” a creative person, but now I know that I can make good thingsVague wording; limits Lexical Resource if I practise. Now, you knowFiller used as a hesitation marker, I design flyers for my friends at weekends, and I am thinking about studying design more seriously because the course changed how I see my future.

Band 7

I’d like to talk about a graphic design course that really impressed me. I took it two years ago at a small training centre in Nairobi. It ran for six weeks, and I went three evenings a week after finishing my shift at a shop. I’d never done any design before, so I was rather apprehensivePrecise adjective, slightly more formal than “nervous” on the first day. Our teacher, Mr Otieno, showed us how to use the software and how to combine colours and lettering, and he set us a small project almost every week: a logo, a menu and a poster. Every session began with a short demonstration, and then we had about an hour to try the same technique on our own work while he walked around the room and answered questions. My final project was a poster for my aunt’s bakery. I spent many evenings on it, and when it was ready she hung it in the shop window. A few customers asked her who had designed it, and she was really proud with mePreposition error: should be “proud of me”. The course impressed me because it was so hands-on: we didn’t just sit and listen, we got stuck inIdiomatic phrasal verb used naturally from the first week. I’d always assumed I wasn’t a creative person, but it showed me that I could produce something useful if I kept practisingReported thought followed by an accurate conditional. Nowadays I design flyers for friends at weekends, and I’m seriously considering studying design further, because that course have changedAgreement slip: should be “has changed” how I see my future.

Band 8

I’d like to talk about a graphic design course I took two years ago at a small training centre in Nairobi, which impressed me far more than I’d expected. It ran for six weeks, and I attended three evenings a week after finishing my shift at a shop. I’d never done any design before, so I was rather apprehensive on the first day. Our teacher, Mr Otieno, showed us how to use the software and how to combine colours and lettering, and he set us a small project nearly every week: a logo, a menu and a poster. Every session began with a short demonstration, and then we had about an hour to try the same technique on our own work while he walked around the room and answered questions. My final project was a poster for my aunt’s bakery. I spent many evenings on it, and when it was ready she hung it in the shop window, and a few customers asked who had designed it, which made her immensely proud. What impressed me most was how hands-on the course was: rather than sitting through lectures, we were thrown in at the deep endContrastive participle phrase followed by an idiom, handled accurately from the first week. I’d always assumed I simply wasn’t a creative person, but the course showed me that, with enough practiceNatural, concise condition, I could turn a blank screen into something people actually wanted. Nowadays I design flyers for friends at weekends, and I’m seriously weighing up a career in design, because that course has completely changed the way I picture my futurePrecise, natural phrasing for a personal change.