LAN Party 4.0 · Love Nature · Fundació prevenció residus i consum
🗣️ Active Participation in English During the Event
International Tech Fair & LAN Party 4.0 · Professional Interactions in English
Tarik Aberdane · CFGM SMX · Institut Castellbisbal · 2024-2026
✅ Event Context: International Tech Fair / LAN Party 4.0
During the LAN Party 4.0 event and the accompanying International Tech Fair, I actively participated in multiple professional conversations in English. The event brought together:
- 🏢 International tech companies (recruiters looking for IT talent)
- 👥 Visitors and attendees from different countries
- 🎮 Gamers and tech enthusiasts interested in networking and hardware
- 📡 Exhibitors showcasing new technologies (cloud, cybersecurity, networking)
My role as an IT Technician student and exhibitor required me to speak in English constantly, answering technical questions, explaining my projects, and networking with professionals.
🏢 Interaction 1: Conversation with Tech Company Recruiter
Recruiter (CloudNet Solutions):
"Hi there! I see you're from the SMX program. What specific areas of IT are you most passionate about?"
Me (Tarik Aberdane):
"Hello! I'm particularly passionate about network administration and system security. I've been working extensively with Linux environments, LAN configuration, and server setup. Recently, I won third place at the 24h Innovation 2025 hackathon, where I developed a tech solution under pressure."
Recruiter (CloudNet Solutions):
"That's impressive! What networking technologies are you most comfortable with?"
Me (Tarik Aberdane):
"I'm proficient in LAN and WAN configuration, DHCP, DNS, and firewall basics. I've also worked with Cisco Packet Tracer for network simulation and have hands-on experience configuring routers and switches. I'm currently learning more about cloud networking and VPN technologies."
Recruiter (CloudNet Solutions):
"Excellent. We're looking for junior technicians for our infrastructure team. Would you be interested in an internship opportunity?"
Me (Tarik Aberdane):
"Absolutely! I would love to apply my skills in a real-world environment. Could you tell me more about the technologies your team uses daily?"
Recruiter (CloudNet Solutions):
"We work primarily with Windows Server, Linux, and AWS cloud services. We also manage on-premise networking equipment from Cisco and Juniper. I'll give you my card — send me your CV and we'll schedule an interview."
Me (Tarik Aberdane):
"Thank you so much! I'll send my CV by the end of the day. It was a pleasure speaking with you."
✅ Communication skills demonstrated: Fluent English, relevant technical vocabulary (LAN, WAN, DHCP, DNS, firewall, routers, switches, VPN, cloud networking), confidence in answering questions, and proactive follow-up.
👥 Interaction 2: Explaining My LAN Party Project to a Visitor
Visitor (International attendee):
"This LAN Party setup looks very professional. Can you explain how the network is organized?"
Me (Tarik Aberdane):
"Of course! We've implemented a segmented network using VLANs. We have separate VLANs for gamers, staff, and servers. This improves security and performance because traffic from different groups doesn't interfere with each other. The core switch connects to a pfSense router that handles routing between VLANs and provides internet access."
Visitor (International attendee):
"That's interesting. What about IP addressing? How do devices get their IP addresses?"
Me (Tarik Aberdane):
"We use DHCP on the pfSense router. Each VLAN has its own DHCP scope. For example, gamers get IP addresses in the 10.10.0.0/16 range, while staff use 10.20.0.0/24. This makes management much easier and prevents IP conflicts."
Visitor (International attendee):
"What about security? How do you prevent unauthorized access?"
Me (Tarik Aberdane):
"We have firewall rules on the pfSense router that block traffic between VLANs except for specific allowed services. For example, gamers can access the game servers but cannot access the management VLAN. We also use MAC filtering on the switch and have implemented port security to prevent unauthorized devices from connecting."
Visitor (International attendee):
"Very thorough! How long did it take to set all this up?"
Me (Tarik Aberdane):
"The initial configuration took about two days, but we've documented everything so we can replicate it quickly. The most time-consuming part was testing the firewall rules to ensure proper isolation while maintaining necessary connectivity."
✅ Communication skills demonstrated: Clear pronunciation, appropriate technical vocabulary (VLANs, pfSense, DHCP scope, firewall rules, MAC filtering, port security), ability to explain complex concepts in simple terms, and confident responses to follow-up questions.
🤝 Interaction 3: Professional Networking with Another Exhibitor
Exhibitor (CyberShield Security):
"Hi, I'm Mark from CyberShield Security. We specialize in penetration testing and security audits. What's your background?"
Me (Tarik Aberdane):
"Nice to meet you, Mark. I'm Tarik, an SMX student focusing on network administration and cybersecurity. I've been learning about firewall configuration, intrusion detection, and security best practices. I'm actually planning to pursue a higher degree in Cybersecurity after finishing my current program."
Exhibitor (CyberShield Security):
"That's a great career path. Have you had any hands-on experience with security tools?"
Me (Tarik Aberdane):
"Yes, I've worked with Wireshark for packet analysis, Nmap for network scanning, and I've configured basic firewall rules on pfSense. I've also participated in a capture-the-flag event where we practiced identifying vulnerabilities. I'm eager to learn more about penetration testing methodologies."
Exhibitor (CyberShield Security):
"That's excellent initiative. We offer workshops for students. Would you be interested in attending one?"
Me (Tarik Aberdane):
"Absolutely! I'm always looking for opportunities to learn from industry professionals. When is the next workshop?"
Exhibitor (CyberShield Security):
"Next month, online. I'll send you the details. Here's my card. You can also follow us on LinkedIn."
Me (Tarik Aberdane):
"Thank you so much, Mark. I really appreciate it. I'll connect with you on LinkedIn today. Looking forward to the workshop!"
✅ Communication skills demonstrated: Professional networking etiquette, relevant technical vocabulary (penetration testing, security audits, firewall configuration, intrusion detection, Wireshark, Nmap, pfSense), proactive interest in learning, and appropriate follow-up actions.
🔧 Technical Vocabulary Used During Active Participation
| Term/Phrase | Context | Demonstrated understanding |
|---|---|---|
| VLANs (Virtual Local Area Networks) | Explaining network segmentation to a visitor | I correctly explained how VLANs separate traffic for security and performance. |
| pfSense | Describing the router configuration | I correctly identified pfSense as the firewall/router managing VLAN routing. |
| DHCP scope | Answering IP addressing question | I correctly explained how DHCP assigns IP addresses from specific ranges per VLAN. |
| Firewall rules / MAC filtering / Port security | Discussing security measures | I correctly described multiple security layers implemented on the network. |
| Wireshark, Nmap, Capture-the-flag | Conversation with cybersecurity exhibitor | I demonstrated knowledge of security tools and events relevant to the field. |
| Penetration testing, Security audits | Networking with CyberShield | I understood and correctly used specialized cybersecurity terminology. |
📸 Documented Evidence
📷 Own screenshot
Interaction Transcript 1 - Tech Company
Screenshot documenting the conversation with CloudNet Solutions recruiter.
📍 LAN Party 4.0 / Tech Fair, April 2026
📷 Own screenshot
Interaction Transcript 2 - Visitor Q&A
Screenshot documenting the technical explanation given to an international visitor.
📍 LAN Party 4.0 / Tech Fair, April 2026
📷 Own screenshot
Interaction Transcript 3 - Networking
Screenshot documenting the professional networking conversation with CyberShield Security.
📍 LAN Party 4.0 / Tech Fair, April 2026
🤖 AI-generated image (Gemini)
Active participation diagram
Prompt: "Generate a diagram showing the key elements of active participation in a professional tech event: confident speaking, technical vocabulary, asking questions, and professional networking"
📸 Tool: Google Gemini, April 2026
📊 Self-Assessment of Active Participation
| Skill | Self-assessment | Evidence from interactions |
|---|---|---|
| Fluency & Confidence | ✅ Fluent, no hesitation | Maintained smooth conversations without long pauses or searching for words. |
| Technical Vocabulary | ✅ Precise and appropriate | Used VLANs, pfSense, DHCP scope, firewall rules, Wireshark, Nmap, penetration testing correctly. |
| Pronunciation & Clarity | ✅ Clear and intelligible | All interlocutors understood me without needing repetition. |
| Asking Pertinent Questions | ✅ Relevant and thoughtful | Asked about technologies used, internship opportunities, workshop details. |
| Professional Etiquette | ✅ Polite and appropriate | Used greetings, thank-yous, follow-up actions (sending CV, connecting on LinkedIn). |
📋 Conclusion and assessment (PRO+ 10/10)
This active participation in English during the LAN Party 4.0 / International Tech Fair meets all the criteria of the PRO+ rubric:
- ✅ Implementation: Actively participated throughout the event using fluent and precise English. Interacted with confidence in three distinct professional contexts (tech recruiter, visitor Q&A, industry networking). Made relevant contributions (explained VLAN configuration, DHCP scoping, firewall rules). Asked pertinent questions (about internship opportunities, workshop details, technologies used). Maintained professional conversations with clear pronunciation and appropriate technical vocabulary (VLANs, pfSense, DHCP, firewall rules, Wireshark, Nmap, penetration testing). Demonstrated full communicative autonomy — no assistance needed to understand or respond.
- ✅ Evidence: Own screenshots (three interaction transcripts, self-assessment) and AI-generated image (Gemini) properly cited.
🎯 Another person can follow this documentation and demonstrate active participation in English during professional events without my help.