Conversações diárias: liderança feminina

Duas estudantes falam sobre a liderança feminina (Thinkstock)

Seis estudantes de diferentes partes do mundo se encontram. O que eles têm em comum? São todos intercambistas estudando em uma universidade americana durante um semestre. Ao longo do semestre, eles aprendem mais inglês, conhecem sobre a cultura americana e ficam sabendo mais sobre suas áreas de estudo. Esta série Conversações Diárias* é sobre seis estudantes e suas experiências durante um semestre em uma universidade nos EUA. Essas conversas são para alunos de inglês de nível intermediário ou superior.

A série Conversações Diárias é uma ótima maneira de melhorar seu inglês. Os leitores de nível mais avançado podem aprender ainda mais rápido revendo este post original na íntegra em inglês.

In this conversation, three students (Lucía, Ajay, and Jana) talk about leadership, particularly the leadership of women around the world.

Lucía: Studying for this political science exam is driving me crazy!

Jana: Relax. Ajay and I were planning to take a study break, so we can help you study.

Ajay: Yeah, of course. What do you need to know for the exam?

Lucía: Well, at the moment, I’m learning that women leaders of countries are rare.

Ajay: I mean, I knew there were fewer female leaders than men, but how rare?

Lucía: Of all the elected heads of state in the world, less than 10 percent are women.

Jana: Less than 10 percent? That’s a terribly low percentage.

Ajay: I don’t understand why more women aren’t elected. Women have excellent leadership qualities.

Jana: Yeah, we do! For example, I can definitely multitask. And when I’m working on an engineering project, I have to collaborate. Those are both qualities that leaders should have.

Lucía: Absolutely. And you’ve seen me on the soccer field, so you know I’m strategic and decisive.

Jana: Also excellent qualities for leaders. And women also have grit. So many women have fought for what they believe in, even in the face of opposition.

Ajay: You didn’t have to convince me. I think both of you would make fantastic leaders. Wait, aren’t both of you leaders of clubs on campus?

Agora vamos rever o vocabulário.

In this context, the phrase “driving me crazy” means “making me annoyed and frustrated.”

A study break is a short period of time when a student stops studying and does another activity.

A head of state is a person who is selected to be the head of the government of a country. An elected head of state is a person who is selected by voting to be the head of the government of his or her country.

To elect means to select someone by voting.

Leadership qualities are the characteristics that leaders often have or that people think leaders should have.

To multitask means to be able to do several different things at the same time.

To collaborate is to work with one or more other people in order to achieve a common goal, create something, or do something.

Strategic means related to a plan of achieving a purpose or goal.

To be decisive means to make decisions quickly and with confidence.

Grit is a characteristic that means having mental courage and determination.

The phrase in the face of opposition means the time you meet or deal with the people or group you are competing against, as in business or a game.

In this context, the word wait is short for wait a minute/second/moment. This means that the person speaking has just remembered or thought of something.

In colleges and universities in the U.S., there are often clubs. A club is a group of people who meet to participate in activities or events, such as a sport, hobby or other shared interest.

Está preparado para aprender mais inglês? Nossos materiais* podem ajudar!

O site American English** tem diversos recursos gratuitos para alunos e professores de inglês. A página do American English no Facebook*** publica diariamente materiais didáticos para quem está aprendendo inglês.

A série Conversações Diárias é elaborada por Heidi Howland, funcionária sênior encarregada de programas do Escritório de Programas de Língua Inglesa, Bureau de Assuntos Educacionais e Culturais do Departamento de Estado dos EUA.

* site em inglês com artigos parcialmente traduzidos para o português e outros seis idiomas
** site em inglês com opção de tradução automática em cinco idiomas
*** site em inglês