Hey friends, welcome back to English Unleashed.
In this episode, I will speak only using past tense and present perfect tense.
I'm going to talk about my own life.
I want you to hear and feel how we use these two tenses in real conversation.
I will talk about five big parts of my life.
I will start with my work and my travel.
Then, after briefly explaining the rule for you, I will continue to talk about my health, my hobbies and my dreams in the past.
You will hear what I did in the past and what I have done in my life until now.
So, just relax and listen.
If you want to improve faster, shadow my voice.
Repeat everything I say and try to copy the rhythm and tone.
Ready?
Let's begin with my work life.
I started working when I was quite young.
My first job was in a small coffee shop.
It was near my school.
I cleaned tables, I made simple drinks, and I talked to customers.
I only worked there for six months, but it taught me a lot about life.
When I finished university, I looked for something more serious.
I went to several interviews.
Finally, I found a job teaching English in a language center.
I taught small groups of students.
I felt very nervous at the beginning.
My first lesson was a disaster.
It was very bad.
I forgot half of my plan and the students looked confused.
But after a few weeks, I became more confident.
I understood that teaching was something I really loved.
Over the next few years, I worked in three different schools.
I moved to a bigger city.
I met students from many different countries.
I taught children, teenagers and adults.
I designed new lesson plans and created my own materials.
I organized speaking clubs.
I ran conversation classes on weekends.
Every class taught me something new about communication and culture.
I have learned a lot about my students.
They have told me about their goals and their challenges.
They have taught me about their cultures and traditions.
Because of them, I have become not just a better teacher, but also a better person.
Teaching has given me many beautiful memories.
I have watched students grow and change.
I have seen shy people become confident speakers.
I have read hundreds of messages from people who say English has changed their lives.
Those messages always make me smile.
Now I want to talk about my travel stories.
Travel has played a big part in my life.
My first trip abroad was to France.
I was 19.
I went with a friend from school.
We took a night train to Paris.
We stayed in a cheap hotel.
We visited museums.
We walked by the river.
That trip opened my eyes to the beauty of travel.
Two years later, I spent three weeks in Spain.
I studied Spanish and lived with the host family.
They taught me how to cook Spanish food.
They introduced me to their friends.
I danced at local festivals.
I watched football matches in small bars.
I loved every moment.
In 2015, I flew to Japan for the first time.
I spent almost a month there.
I walked through quiet temples.
I climbed Mount Fuji and even though it was hard, I felt proud.
Over the years, I have visited more than 30 countries.
I have stood under the northern lights in Iceland.
I have watched the sunrise in desert.
I have eaten street food in Thailand.
I have sailed on a small boat in Greece.
I have met people who have invited me into their homes.
I have made friends I still talk to today.
I have learned something from every trip.
I have learned how to be patient when things go wrong.
I have learned how to find joy in simple moments.
A meal, a sunset, a conversation with a stranger.
Travel has taught me more than any classroom ever could, but there are still places I haven't visited.
I haven't seen South Africa yet, and I haven't explored South America properly.
Okay, my friend, let's stop for a moment and review what we have learned.
We use past simple to talk about actions in the past.
It means something happened before now.
It happened at a clear time in the past, like yesterday, last year, or in 2010.
Or, the action is finished.
It started and ended in the past.
Or the action is about a past situation, not the present.
Here are three examples.
I visited Japan in 2015.
So, this is a clear time in the past.
I worked in London for five years.
So this action started and ended in the past, okay?
I ran a race last year.
So this one is about a past situation, a past action.
It's not connected to the present.
All right.
We use present perfect to talk about things that are connected to now.
For example, they happened at some time in the past, but we don't say when.
We talk about experience.
Or they started in the past and are still true now.
Or they have a result or effect in the present.
The past action is important now.
That's why we call it present perfect.
Here are three examples.
I have visited Japan many times.
So this has happened at some point in the past, but we don't say when.
I'm just talking about experience.
I have visited Japan many times.
Or I have worked as a teacher for 15 years.
So this means that I have started teaching in the past and I am still a teacher.
I have worked as a teacher for 15 years, okay?
I am still a teacher.
Finally, I have run many races.
This is something from the past, but it has a result or effect in the present.
It is important now.
I brag about it.
I tell my friends about it, okay?
So, before I move on to the next part, I want you to practice speaking about your life using both tenses.
Try these examples.
I visited Spain last summer.
I visited Spain last summer.
OK I have visited Spain many times.
Good I started my job in 2020.
Perfect I have worked here for five years.
Very good.
I ate sushi in Japan.
Great.
And finally, I have eaten sushi before.
Great, you can practice these two tenses talking about yourself.
The more you practice changing between past tense and present perfect tense, the more natural it will feel.
OK, now I want to talk about my health and lifestyle.
Health wasn't something I thought about much when I was younger.
I ate a lot of fast food.
I drank too many fizzy drinks.
I played video games late into the night.
I slept only a few hours.
I felt tired most of the time, But I didn't change my habits.
When I was 25, I decided to make a change.
I joined a gym and started running.
At first, I couldn't run more than two kilometers.
But slowly I improved.
I ran my first five-kilometer race after three months.
I remember how proud I felt when I crossed the finish line.
I also changed the way I ate.
I stopped eating fast food every day.
I cooked more meals at home.
I bought fresh vegetables and fruit.
I learned how to make simple healthy dishes.
These changes made a big difference in my energy and my mood.
Since then, I have kept those habits.
I have run many races, including a half marathon.
I have gone to the gym for three or four times a week for many years.
I have tried new activities like swimming, hiking and yoga.
Each one has helped me feel stronger and more balanced.
I have also focused on mental health.
I have meditated almost every morning for the past five years.
I have spent time walking in nature.
I have enjoyed quiet mornings without technology.
These things have helped me stay calm and positive.
Of course, I haven't been perfect.
There were weeks when I didn't go to the gym.
There were days when I ate too much junk food.
But I have learned not to give up.
I have learned that small habits over a long time can change your life.
Alright, now I want to talk about my hobbies and learning.
I discovered my love for music when I was 16.
My uncle gave me an old guitar.
I practiced every evening after school.
My fingers hurt, but I kept playing.
After a year, I could play a few songs and I felt proud of myself.
During university, I joined a small band.
We played at student parties and local cafes.
It was exciting.
I learned a lot about teamwork and creativity.
After university, life became busy.
I stopped playing for a few years.
But in recent years, I have played again.
I have written new songs.
I have performed at small events.
Playing the guitar has brought me joy and peace.
It has reminded me why I fell in love with music in the first place.
I discovered another passion during a trip to Italy.
I took a cooking class in Rome and I learned how to make fresh pasta.
Since that day, I have cooked hundreds of meals.
I have invited friends for dinner.
I have shared my favorite recipes with them.
I have also explored many other hobbies.
I have painted landscapes and city scenes.
I have taken thousands of photos during my travels.
I have read books about philosophy, history, and art.
All of these hobbies have made my life richer and more meaningful.
Some hobbies didn't last.
I tried learning the violin but gave up after a few months.
I joined a dance class but stopped because I felt too shy.
But even these short experiences taught me something about myself.
They have reminded me that learning is always worth trying.
So that's my story, or at least part of it.
I have lived many different experiences.
I have made mistakes, and I have learned from them.
I have met wonderful people, and I have said goodbye to some.
I have traveled far, and I have seen many beautiful places.
And through it all, I have grown, I have changed.
Thank you for listening to me today, my friends.
I hope you have enjoyed hearing about my life and I hope it has helped you feel how we use English to talk about what we did and what we have done.
Now think about your own story.
What did you do in the past?
What have you done so far in your life?
When you can tell your story in English, you will truly feel that the language belongs to you.
I have loved sharing this with you, and I hope we have shared a meaningful moment today.
Until next time, keep learning, keep practicing, and keep believing in yourself.
Bye for now.
