How honey is made

Pls view this video clip:
How to make honey

Listening: how it's made - hatchery chicks

Pls view this video clip at
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bkuohLV2u0k

Essay_Discursive vs Argumentative

Here the teacher epxlains to you the difference between the Discussion and Argument essay. Pls click on to the title and it will take you to the lecture.

Enjoy.

Academic Listening_Writing

This is the lecture on how to write academically.

Happy listening.

Academic Reading

How to read academic materials
Pls listen to the lecture
Part 7.

Speaking_House Swap Holiday

Pls click to the title and listen to the talk

Kate: Hello and welcome to 6 Minute English. I'm Kate Colin and today we’re
talking about home swapping.
Jackie: Hi Kate, yes our topic today is about the growing trend of exchanging your
house or apartment with someone in a different country for a limited period. So
instead of paying for an expensive hotel to go on holiday, you simply swap
your house with someone in a place you want to visit and you can get a lowcost
holiday anywhere in the world.
Kate: What do you think Jackie – would you be willing to swap your house with a
stranger rather stay in a hotel?
Jackie: Answers
Kate: Before we go any further, here's my question for this week. According to a
recent survey which is the most of the most popular destination for UK home
swaps?
a) Australia
b) UK
c) USA
Jackie: Answers

Kate: So how does home swapping work exactly? Well, you just think of a country
you'd like to go to, register with one of the many companies which deal in
home swapping who will list your house on their website, and hopefully you'll
find another family or individual who wants to swap their house for yours.
6 Minute English © bbclearningenglish.com 2009
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Kate: Now we're going to listen to someone who has tried it. She says she's a
tremendous fan of home swapping – which means she likes it. Why is she a fan?
Link 1
Well I'm a tremendous fan of home swapping, for all kinds of reasons not least because it's
free. But also it's the most marvellous opportunity to become somebody else because you
inhabit someone else's life when you swap homes with them.
Jackie: She says she's a fan of home swapping because it's free and it's a great opportunity
to live someone else's life. I suppose she means it is a unique chance to see how
other people live around the world, something you wouldn't experience so much if
you stayed in a hotel.
Kate: Now she goes on to talk about the cost. She mentions home swapping being part
of the mainstream.
Jackie: If something is in the mainstream, it means that some is accepted and known by
most people.
Kate: So let's listen to the next extract – what makes home swapping a cheap holiday?
Link 2
It's become part of the mainstream. Usually they include cars as well, so when you think
about it you're not paying for your accommodation or your vehicle. It really makes it a cheap
holiday. Basically all you've got to pay for is the airfares.
Jackie: She said that many home swaps include a car and this means that you get your
accommodation and vehicle for free. All you pay for is your travel and airfare.
6 Minute English © bbclearningenglish.com 2009
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Kate: Now, let's look at some words for the different types of homes you could end
up swapping with:
Kate: A flat is the equivalent an apartment, or you could end up with a penthouse,
this is a luxurious apartment at the top of a building. A cottage is a small selfcontained
house which is usually in the countryside. A townhouse is a house
in a town or city, usually a comfortable, expensive one in a fashionable area. A
houseboat is a special boat which people use as their home, often kept in one
place on a river or canal and a holiday home or 2nd home is where people
don’t live full time but visit at the weekends and on holidays.
Let's listen to the next extract – which of these types of accommodation does
she mention?
Clip 3
There's a wide range of options in unexpected locations from a houseboat in Kerala to an
apartment in Fairbanks, Alaska and a friend of mine recently spent Christmas in an apartment
on Bondi Beach.
Jackie: She mentioned a house boat in Kerala, India and an apartment in Alaska and a
friend of hers spending Christmas on Bondi Beach in Australia.
Kate: Now we're going to hear from some members of a family from London who
regularly house swap. What does the first speaker like about it?
Clip 4
I quite like living in other people's houses. You're not living in a hotel so you don't have to
live out of a suitcase. You can unpack and live like you would at home but in somebody else's
house.
6 Minute English © bbclearningenglish.com 2009
Page 4 of 5
Jackie: She said she likes being to unpack and doesn't have to live out of a suitcase. If
you live out of a suitcase you don't unpack your things, you have to keep then
in your bag, so she says she likes this because she can put all her clothes and
things in a cupboard and feel at home. What does her dad think?
Clip5
And I think the other thing I quite like is that because you're living in someone's house you
can kind of pretend you're not a tourist and you're actually nearly a local so you can feel a bit
smug about that.
Jackie: He said that because you're living in someone else's house, you can feel like a
local and not a tourist. That makes him feel smug which means pleased with
himself because he's done something in quite a clever way.
Kate: Yes, I think that's one of the main benefits of home swapping. Often if you
stay in a hotel, you get to see very little of the real culture of the country you're
visiting. What better way of finding out about how people live than living in
someone's house? Before we finish for today, let's have a look at some of the
vocabulary we've come across:
Jackie: We had mainstream which that something that happens often and is known.
Kate: And we had various different types of accommodation:
6 Minute English © bbclearningenglish.com 2009
Page 5 of 5
A flat is an apartment
A penthouse is a luxurious apartment or set of rooms at the top of a hotel or
tall building.
A cottage is a small self-contained house which is usually in the countryside
A townhouse is a house in a town or city, usually a comfortable, expensive
one in a fashionable area: it can also mean it is joined on to another house.
A houseboat is a special boat which people use as their home, often kept in
one place on a river or canal and a holiday home or 2nd home is where people
don’t live full time but visit at the weekends and on holidays.
Jackie: And we had that term to live out of a suitcase which means that you have to
keep all your things packed and you can't take them and put them in a
cupboard. And we also had the term smug which means to feel pleased with
yourself.
Kate: And finally the answer to the question I asked you earlier. According to a
recent survey, which country is the most popular this year for home swapping.
Jackie: I think I said Australia.
Kate: I'm afraid you were wrong - the answer is USA with 15% of respondents
preferring to go there. 12% chose to stay in the UK and 11% chose Australia.
That's all we have time for. Thanks for listening everyone. Goodbye!

Speaking_film, music band _Mamma Mia

The ever so-beloved West End musical Mamma Mia! has finally been taken from the stage to the silver screen.

The film is based on the songs of legendary Swedish pop band ABBA and is an adaptation of the musical of the same name.

Mamma Mia! uses the music of ABBA to tell the story of Sophie Sheridan, a 21-year-old American bride-to-be, trying to find out the identity of her real father so that he can give her away at the wedding.

Since the premiere of the musical in London in 1999, over 30 million people have seen Mamma Mia! around the world and the theatre production has grossed $2bn in earnings.

Although the title of the musical is taken from ABBA's 1975 chart-topper Mamma Mia, neither the musical's nor the film's plot has anything to do with the story of the group itself.

The band ABBA was the winner of the 1974 Eurovision Song Contest and following that success their songs topped the charts worldwide until the early 1980s.

After a week of exclusive showing in the Leicester Square Odeon, one of London's most famous cinemas, the film was screened in cinemas across the country from 10th July.

Some people say maybe it is the mature A-list cast that makes the film work so well. Pierce Brosnan, Colin Firth and Stellan Skarsgard star as the three potential fathers with the Oscar winner Meryl Streep starring as the mum of the bride-to-be.

A film critic said the film is truly wonderful. It is sharp, hilarious and very beautifully shot.

If you are a fan of ABBA, a fan of the musical, or simply just a fan of Pierce Brosnan, then the film Mamma Mia! is a must.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Vocabulary

Listen to the words
Download the words (421 K mp3)

ever so beloved
very popular
the silver screen
the cinema
legendary
very famous
bride-to-be
woman who is going to get married
give her away
the formal act in a wedding ceremony when the bride is presented to the groom, traditionally by her father, is known as 'giving away'
has grossed
has taken an amount of money before tax and other expenses
chart-topper
song which reached the top of the music charts
topped the charts
reached the number one position in the music charts
A-list cast
the actors in the film are from the top group of respected performers
shot
filmed
is a must
is something that should not be missed

Speaking_what to wear

There is an audio file for this text too.
Go to the link (title) and listen. A bit fast but you may have a look at the text while listening.
===============

One of the biggest shocks when you arrive in a new country can be the clothes people are wearing. You may look fashionable at home, but you suddenly find you are behind the times or simply someone to laugh at when you arrive abroad. With this in mind, let's take a look at teenage fashion in the UK for girls.

One of the things that may shock an outsider most is piercings. These days it is not enough to simply wear rings in your ears. You will see many teenagers with rings in their navel, or belly button, nose, lip, or even their eyebrow. Ouch!

Some girls go for a 'glam' look. They wear T-shirts; trousers are usually preferred, blue or black, and the look is finished off with metallic bags and shoes and arms full of bracelets. Another alternative is the 'rocker' look. You start with a T-shirt of your favourite band and tight jeans or a long skirt. On top of this you can wear a denim jacket. Jewellery tends to be large and metallic, and to add colour, wear a scarf.

If neither of these is for you, why not go 'sporty'? T-shirts are usually tie-dyed in hot colours. Wear long shorts, short jeans or a denim skirt. And on your feet? Beach sandals, of course! If you prefer something more feminine, there's the 'girly' look. Skirts are long, to the floor. Wear a top with butterflies or flowers printed on it!

Finally, how about the 'Tom Boy' look? Wear flared jeans and a T-shirt with a logo. Don't forget your waistcoat, of course!

Follow the fashion tips above, and you shouldn't feel out of place. However, it's important to remember to wear clothes and choose a look that you feel comfortable with. Don't just be one of the crowd - be yourself!




Vocabulary

behind the times
out-of-date, unfashionable, not modern


piercings
holes made in the body for wearing jewellery, such as rings or studs

glam
short for 'glamorous', i.e. dressed and/or made up to be extremely good-looking and very fashionable

finished off
completed, given final touches

rocker
someone who really likes rock music (and dresses like a rock music fan)

denim
a thick strong cotton cloth, often blue in colour, used especially for making jeans

scarf
a piece of cloth worn around the neck

tie-dyed
designs on cloth dyed by tightly tying portions of it with waxed thread so the dye only affects the exposed areas

sandals
light open shoes with straps

flared
(trousers or skirts) that widen significantly below the knee (popular in the late 1960s - early 1970s)

waistcoat
a sleeveless garment worn on the upper body over a shirt and usually having buttons down the front

out of place
strange, as if you don't belong

Keep working 'to avoid dementia'

Pls listen to the report here:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/language/wordsinthenews/2009/05/090525_witn_dementia.shtml

Or simply click to the title link to listen.

==================
The study looked at nearly 400 men who developed Alzheimer's disease. It assessed the time they spent in full-time education, the type of work they did and the point at which they retired.

The researchers detected no link between the onset of dementia and education or occupation. But they found that every extra year at work was associated with a six week delay in Alzheimer's. They say this points to the value of keeping the brain active by working.

They also acknowledge that the nature of retirement is changing, and for some people it may be as intellectually stimulating as working. The Alzheimer's Research Trust, which funded the study, says more people than ever retire later in life to avert financial hardship, but there may be a silver lining: lower dementia risk. However it says much more research is needed in order to understand how to delay or prevent dementia.

Adam Brimelow, BBC News


==============

Keeping mentally active is key
Keeping the brain active by working later in life may be an effective way to ward off Alzheimer's disease, research suggests.

Researchers analysed data from 1,320 dementia patients, including 382 men.

They found that for the men, continuing to work late in life helped keep the brain sharp enough to delay dementia taking hold.

The study was carried out by the Institute of Psychiatry at King's College London.

It features in the International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry.


More people than ever retire later in life to avert financial hardship, but there may be a silver lining - lower dementia risk

Rebecca Wood
Alzheimer's Research Trust
Around 700,000 people in the UK currently have dementia and experts have estimated that by 2051, the number could stand at 1.7m.

It is estimated that the condition already costs the UK economy £17bn a year.

Brain connections

Dementia is caused by the mass loss of cells in the brain, and experts believe one way to guard against it is to build up as many connections between cells as possible by being mentally active throughout life. This is known as a "cognitive reserve".

There is evidence to suggest a good education is associated with a reduced dementia risk.


FROM THE BBC WORLD SERVICE


More from BBC World Service
And the latest study suggests there can also be a positive effect of mental stimulation continued into our later years.

Those people who retired late developed Alzheimer's at a later stage than those who opted not to work on.

Each additional year of employment was associated with around a six week later age of onset.

Researcher Dr John Powell said: "The possibility that a person's cognitive reserve could still be modified later in life adds weight to the "use it or lose it" concept where keeping active later in life has important health benefits, including reducing dementia risk."
The researchers also admit that the nature of retirement is changing, and that for some people it may now be as intellectually stimulating as work.

Key threshold

Researcher Professor Simon Lovestone said: "The intellectual stimulation that older people gain from the workplace may prevent a decline in mental abilities, thus keeping people above the threshold for dementia for longer."

However, he added: "Much more research is needed if we are to understand how to effectively delay, or even prevent, dementia."

Rebecca Wood, chief executive of the Alzheimer's Research Trust, which funded the study, said: "More people than ever retire later in life to avert financial hardship, but there may be a silver lining - lower dementia risk."

However, Dr Susanne Sorensen, head of research at the Alzheimer's Society, said the small sample size of the study made it difficult to draw firm conclusions.

She said: "There could be a number of reasons why later retirement in men is linked with later onset of dementia.

"Men who retire early often do so because of health conditions, such as hypertension or diabetes, which increase your risk of dementia.

"It could also be that working helps keep your mind and body active, which we know reduces risk of dementia."

A spokesperson for the Department for Work and Pensions said it had carried out work showing that working beyond pension age had many positive effects.

"Not only can it mean more income, but also social networking and increased activity.

"We also find that many of today's older workers are choosing rejecting the cliff edge between work and retirement in favour of a gradual step down. And employers should help them to do this."

Lectures: marker phrases

Part 5 - Lectures: marker phrases

This programme was first broadcast in 2001.
This is not an accurate word-for-word transcript of the programme.
ANNOUNCER:
It’s time for Academic Listening - a series for students at English-speaking universities. For
more on the structure of a lecture, join Susan Fearn and members of the World Service class of
2001.

Susan: During the series we’re entering the world of further education to focus on
some of the linguistic problems experienced there and in today's programme we
visit University College London. Today we look at “marker phrases” - essential
vocabulary that will help you predict and understand the gradual development
of the lecturer's argument.

And we’ve sent our reporter to University College London, where she joins
students in a lecture about the Roots of English. She’ll be setting them - and
you - a comprehension task to help develop listening skills.
As we’ve said before, it’s a good idea to try and predict the content of a lecture
from its title. Our reporter Julia Adamson asked some of the students at
University College to do just that before their lecture began. She spoke to Sara,
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who's from Sweden, Denis, a student from Belarus and first, Rabia Bourkiza.
CLIP: Julia interviewing students
I'm Rabia Bourkiza I'm from Algeria. At the moment I'm waiting for the lecture and the lecture
will be about the Roots of English. I think this will be about where English language comes
from, and what we are speaking come from.
Can you tell me about the lecture you're about to go into, Sara?
Of course. It's about 'Roots of English' I think it's about linguistics and where language is
coming from and also about certain words the meaning of the words and how the English
language has developed during the centuries.
Do you know what the subject of the lecture is?
It's going to be, I think, about how the language… where the language came from, about
linguistics maybe, and just maybe some grammar use - how it came and how it was born.
Susan: The title of the lecture helped those students to make predictions about the
content. All three expect to hear lecturer Don Hill describe the origins of the
English language - where it’s come from and how it has developed.
CLIP: Lecturer
Well today's talk is about English. I'll start by describing the roots of English, the people …

Susan: Before we return to the lecture theatre, here's a chance for you to do some
listening practice. You'll hear the text of the introduction to Don Hill's lecture
and I'd like you to try to identify the key content of the talk. What are the two
main subjects that Don Hill is going to discuss ? If you’ve got a pen, why not
write these down as headings so you can start making some notes.
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CLIP: Lecturer
Well today's talk is about English. I'll start by describing the roots of English, the people who
spoke the various languages or dialects from which English has come. Then go onto the
registers - that is the styles of English. I'll simplify that very much and talk about two registers
or styles in particular. I'll then raise the question whether one register is better than the other
and give reasons for thinking that there's no simple answer to that question and then I'll sum up
and that will be it.
OK - so the roots of English to start with. Now, why has English become a world language?
Susan: Well, you can compare your answers with Sara, one of the students Julia spoke
to after the lecture.
CLIP: Julia interviewing students
Sara, can you tell me what the lecture was about ?
Of course. The lecture was about roots of English and also about the registers of English, and
that means the roots were mostly about the historical perspective - about how England was
invaded about different people - so mostly about the historical. And also the register is about
the higher & lower level of English; how people use the English language.
Susan: Sara explains that the main subjects of the lecture were the roots of English, its
historical origins, and the registers of English - a higher and a lower register.
Don Hill told us more. As you listen you could add more details to your notes.
CLIP: Lecturer
Well today's talk is about English. I'll start by describing the roots of English, the people who
spoke the various languages or dialects from which English has come. Then go onto the
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registers - that is the styles of English. I'll simplify that very much and talk about two registers
or styles in particular. I'll then raise the question whether one register is better than the other
and give reasons for thinking that there's no simple answer to that question and then I'll sum up
and that will be it.
OK - so the roots of English to start with. Now, why has English become a world language?
Susan: Lecturers use linking words and phrases, sometimes described as marker
phrases, or semantic markers.
CLIP: Christine Reeves
By semantic markers I mean using words which express the relationship between sentences. It
could be a word like 'because' which indicates to you that what is going to follow is a reason.
Susan: Chris Reeves teaches at Bell Norwich, a language school in Eastern England.
CLIP: Christine Reeves
If he says 'so' then you know that you're going to expect the result. It could be a contrast, so if
you're listening for contrasting words it would be a word like 'although', 'nevertheless' or
'however'. If he uses semantic markers like 'moreover', 'in addition', then you know he's going
to make another point and it could be another main point - so it's very important to listen for
those kind of words when you're listening to a lecture.
Susan: Chris Reeves believes that awareness of semantic markers can help you to
follow a lecture. Speakers use marker phrases to introduce contrasting ideas,
additional points, cause and effect or result. You might be used to seeing these
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phrases in books, but recognising them in a spoken lecture can be tricky -
especially if the lecturer speaks very quickly. Awareness of marker phrases like
these can be helpful for understanding lectures, as one of the Language Centre
students explained to our reporter.
CLIP: Julia interviewing student Denis
Some of the phrases we hear are 'on the one hand, on the other hand ' , 'in conclusion', this kind
of stuff.
And why is that useful, knowing those phrases ?
Because this is how you make your speech brighter and more understandable for the students.
It makes more sense for them - it's not just the text, academic text, it makes it more general for
them; more understandable.
ANNOUNCER:
And that brings us to the end of this programme, in which we’ve focused on marker phrases
and suggested that an awareness of a wide range of these linking phrases can help you.

Lectures: the introduction

Talk

Part 4 - Lectures: the introduction

This programme was first broadcast in 2001.
This is not an accurate word-for-word transcript of the programme.
ANNOUNCER:
It’s time for Academic Listening - a series for students at English-speaking universities and
people who want to improve their listening skills. The series is presented by Susan Fearn.
Susan: You’re studying architecture.
It’s Monday afternoon – time for your weekly lecture with the Professor.
You find a seat at the front of the lecture theatre, and silence falls.
You know the introduction of any lecture contains important clues about what’s
to come, so you pay careful attention as the Professor begins.
CLIP: Professor
Good afternoon. Today’s session is the first of a series of three lectures on “Urban Planning”.
In this first lecture we’ll look at the important question of infrastructure when planning any
town or city; and then in the next two sessions we’ll turn our attention respectively to: public
building requirements and issues surrounding industry.
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Now, infrastructure has been defined as 'the structure of a country'…
Susan: In the last programme, we saw that lectures tend to have a simple structure with
a beginning, a middle, and an end. Of these, we argued that the first section, the
introduction, is crucial because this is where the speaker sets the scene and
outlines the content of their talk
CLIP: Simon Williams
The introduction’s so important because it gives the students signals of how to interpret what’s
going to come up.
Susan: Simon Williams teaches English in the Language Centre at University College
London.
CLIP: Simon Williams
It’s going to put the lecture and those following it into context, e.g. in a series on urban
planning the first lecture might be on infrastructure: transportation, power etc; the second one
on public buildings; the third one on industry … so the student has an overview and gets the
relation from week to week between the content of a lecture and the series as a whole.
Susan: The first part of a lecture has a number of functions. Speakers use the
introduction to set the lecture in context: in terms of what’s gone before and
what’s coming later in the series. They may also indicate the relative
importance of today’s topic within the subject area as a whole.
Now, we’ve said before that students can prepare for a lecture by reading
through the course outline and reflecting on the title of the lecture. The
introduction is a good opportunity to start matching your predictions with
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reality.
Simon Williams advises students to listen particularly for clues on how the
lecture will be organised.
CLIP: Simon Williams
The first section is important for alerting students how many parts a lecture is going to contain.
There usually an introduction, a conclusion, and the crucial part is to know how
many sections there are in the middle… That's very important in helping
students to revise or to use their notes.
Susan: In the introduction you’ll also find details about the specific content of today’s
lecture, and how the speaker intends to approach the subject. There are often
other helpful elements to be found.
CLIP: Simon Williams
The sort of ingredients you might find in the introduction – apart from the lecturer giving an
idea of the organisation so the student knows when different sections are finishing and starting
– perhaps the definitions of key terms, the scope of the lecture, how much work students will
have to do by themselves after the lecture is over. And perhaps why the lecturer is interested –
it's often stimulating to know why people are enthusiastic about a subject, and what personal
relationship they’ve got with it; and perhaps why the students should be interested themselves
– e.g. it’s topical or examinable.
Susan: Well, bearing Simon Williams’ advice in mind, let’s return to our lecture on
urban planning. Listen again to the professor’s introduction and focus on the
vital information it contains – some of which you may have missed the first
time, perhaps because you weren’t expecting it.
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Remember: a good student will be looking for answers to questions like these:
What’s the context of today’s lecture?
How is the speaker going to organise his talk? How many sections will there
be, what sort of approach is he going to take?
How does the speaker define any key terms? How does he plan to limit the
scope of his talk so he can finish on time?
Finally, why is the professor doing this talk today? Does he have a particular
interest in the subject, for example? Does he think it’s something I need to
know for an exam or a tutorial discussion?
CLIP: Professor
Good afternoon. Today’s session is the first of a series of three lectures on “Urban Planning”.
In this first lecture we’ll look at the important question of infrastructure when planning any
town or city; and then in the next two sessions we’ll turn our attention respectively to: public
building requirements and issues surrounding industry.
Now, infrastructure has been defined as ‘the structure of a country, society or organisation
which helps it to function effectively’.
And I’ll be using the term specifically today to highlight three important areas:
roads and transport;
essential services such as power and water;
and communication networks such as telephones, cable television and so on.
By the way, I’ll be drawing throughout this lecture on my recent article: “Housing in Crisis: a
planner’s problem – the architect’s solution”. And you might like to take a look at that more
closely before your start working on your “Design a City” Project next month. You’ll find
some ideas for further reading and some pointers on the kind of approach to take. I’ve got
copies of that article to give at the end of the session.
OK … Now, traditionally towns and cities have grown up at crossroads…
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Susan: If, as a student, you’re aware that lecturers use their introduction to indicate the
plan or organisation of a talk, and to identify the key points they’ll cover, you
can use this information to help with the difficult but important task of taking
notes. Christine Reeves teaches at Bell Norwich, a language school in the East
of England.
CLIP: Christine Reeves
I think one of the main problems is the really difficult skill of listening for the the main points,
understanding the main points and processing the main points and actually taking notes at the
same time. This is definitely what the students have expressed most difficulty in to me - as a
teacher.
Susan: Even though lectures play a key role in university teaching, many students find
that they’re the most daunting aspect of university life. This is often because
they find it difficult to listen and take effective notes at the same time. So what
advice can we offer? Simon Williams once again.
CLIP: Simon Williams
Good note-taking technique is a matter of confidence. It's no good trying to write down
everything because you won’t then understand what’s important and what can be left out.
What is important is to understand how things fit together. So it’s trying to keep a balance
between understanding and having detail – in other words, knowing what the general ideas are
and having concrete examples to back up those ideas.
You don’t need to keep a complete record – otherwise take in a tape recorder. Partly it's a
matter of digesting what’s being said, of understanding the main points and also, a revision aid.
It's going to be useful to reconstitute the information into essays and other texts, to manipulate
this material: either for assessment purposes – essays or exams - or formulating a list of
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questions you want to put to the lecturer or tutor in future meetings. This might help you in
future study directions.
Susan: When you read a book you can stop and start as you please. You can re-read
sentences and reflect before moving on. This isn’t possible in a lecture. Unless
you have access to a recording of the lecture, you only have one chance to hear
it. It’s physically impossible to write down every word – so it’s important to be
brief and to select very carefully what you decide to include in your notes.
That’s why we’ve spent some time focusing on how to recognise the most
important information in the lecture by looking for clues particularly in the
outline in the introduction. OK – so that’s the theory – that’s what the teachers
say. But what about our WS class members? What advice do our students
have to offer?
CLIP: Students
During the lecture I used to take a lot of notes - a lot of the time, although it might seem a bit
funny, I'd write down exactly what the tutor said so I could go back and if you didn't
understand there was a way . At the beginning I used to write as much as I could.
When you go to a lecture and the lecturer is speaking and you have time to make all the notes
you want, then at first I used to make notes very strictly summarising the points, and then with
time I started to be more confident and I could make notes about the relations between what
he was talking about to my subject.
Obviously I try and write as few [notes] as possible… A problem is that if you try to take
notes you can lose concentration and maybe you can write but when you try and read again
later it won't make sense. So I tried to use specific words to make sense of the lecture.
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Susan: Well, there are almost as many different styles of note-taking as there are
students! Some try to focus only on the key points, as we’ve been suggesting.
Others feel more secure if they write down as much as they can - in the early
days at least. Well, how does Simon Williams respond to that?
CLIP: Simon Williams
It's probably important to do whatever is your personal style – you can’t change overnight. So
if you like to take down everything, write down all the details, and review it afterwards. It’s
important to review as soon as possible and then use highlighters, marker pens to underline, to
make connections, to try to identify really important points. So later, when you're revising,
you can take out those points, either for exams or writing essays.
ANNOUNCER:
And that brings us to the end of this edition of Academic Listening, in which we’ve focused on
the important first section of a lecture: the introduction … and in which we’ve heard some
advice on effective note-taking.

Susan Boyle - Britain's Got Talent

Less than a few weeks ago Susan Boyle was a virtual unknown. However, since auditioning for Britain’s Got Talent, a televised talent competition, she has experienced a stratospheric rise to fame. A YouTube video of her audition has been watched by more than 26 million people, making it one of the most watched videos on the internet in recent times. It is undeniable that technology such as YouTube, Facebook and Twitter has helped to spread the word about Susan’s performance.

So just what is it about Susan that the people find so fascinating? Arguably, it is the fact she is such a class act. However, many have suggested that her biggest appeal lies in her unassuming persona.

Susan’s persona and appearance have been somewhat controversial and the initial reaction to her audition has made many people question whether they are guilty of judging a book by its cover. With her plain Jane, middle-aged looks and her no-nonsense approach to life, Susan is perhaps the most unlikely star to be discovered of late.
Commenting on her rise to fame, Max Clifford, a renowned PR guru, said that the massive public interest in her is partly due to people having to challenge their own assumptions and prejudices.

So what’s next for Susan? For the moment, she is preparing for her next appearance on Britain’s Got Talent and she is the odds-on favourite to win.

Looking forward, with talk of record contracts and celebrity duets, it is very likely that we’ll soon be seeing a Susan Boyle album in the charts!

How are lectures organized

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BBC Learning English
Talk about English
Academic Listening

Part 3 - How lectures are organisedThis programme was first broadcast in 2001.
This is not an accurate word-for-word transcript of the programme.
ANNOUNCER:
It’s time for Academic Listening - a series for students at English-speaking universities. Join
Susan Fearn - and members of the World Service class of 2001 - for more on the art of
understanding a lecture.
Susan: Today, we’ll continue to look at a range of techniques to make listening easier,
and we’ve also got an exercise to help develop your listening skills.
CLIP: Student
It's easy when you listen to something very well structured. But when you go to lectures,
people generally prefer to talk about the subject. They're not preparing the structure of their
English, basically - then, it's difficult.
Susan: In the last programme we thought about the purpose of lectures and suggested
that understanding the aim of a lecture helps you to decide where to focus your
attention. This is a useful skill because you can’t concentrate on everything at
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once. We also said that it’s important to recognise how speakers organise their
material.
CLIP: Simon Williams
Typically things are in three parts.
Susan: Simon Williams teaches English in the Language Centre at University College
London.
CLIP: Simon Williams
There's a kind of introduction, giving the purpose and background to the topic and plan of
lecture. The body of the lecture in which examples given, ideas outlined and contrasted. Then
a conclusion in which the various ideas are evaluated and perhaps the lecturer gives their own
opinion.
Susan: According to Simon Williams, most lectures follow a simple structure: they
have a beginning, middle, and an end. Of these, the first section - the
introduction - is arguably the most important. This is because it’s where the
speaker sets the scene and outlines the content of their talk. There may be a
series of announcements before and after the main content of the lecture.
CLIP: Simon Williams
Now around that structure – let’s remember it’s a real event with people involved. So there
will probably be some kind of welcome, announcements, jokes, and people settle down. And
at the end, some closing remarks, some management talk in which lecturer refers to the next
meeting and gives some reading to be done, advice on how to use notes for further work..
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Susan: Ana from Brazil is studying architecture at University College London. She’s
familiar with this kind of structure, and agrees that the introduction provides
useful clues to identify the speaker’s particular standpoint and how they intend
to develop the topic during the lecture.
CLIP: Ana
They used to give an introduction of their theoretical background and how they are managing
to think and to conceptualise the problems they are discussing and then they usually show a
couple of examples, and then they just go to a conclusion which is mainly theoretical or the
way people are occupying the space and helping the audience to understand what they are
talking about and what the points are.
Susan: It’s a good idea, then, to assume that your lecturer will organise their talk in this
way. Simon Williams says it’s also useful to think about the content and
structure of the lecture from another point of view. He points out that most
lecturers approach their material in one of three ways. In the first, the lecturer
presents a sequence of events in the order of happening.
CLIP: Simon Williams
Most familiar to all our listeners will be a chronological approach – rather like biography, or
autobiography. It is starting early in time and finishing late. Perhaps telling someone’s life
story. In the same way, describing a process - how something works or how experiment is
conducted - also follows a chronological order – order through time. We intuitively recognise
that when reading or listening, and it’s reassuring – we can anticipate what’s going to come
next.
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Susan: Secondly, Simon Williams refers to the type of lecture where speakers look at
different aspects of a topic, or present a number of theories about it.
CLIP: Simon Williams
There might be a division of ideas; a kind of matrix. The lecturer might say: “I’m going to talk
about three things this morning: first, a country’s tourism, then its natural resources, then its
service industry.” So we know we're going to have three main sections.
Susan: A third approach is to discuss a situation and its associated problems.
CLIP: Simon Williams
Another very common way of organising texts – both spoken and written – is the situation,
problem, solution and evaluation format. A situation, such as the global spread of the English
language, is outlined. Then a problem is identified, such as the disappearance of smaller
languages. Then a solution is offered, e.g. to introduce legislation against the extensive use of
English. And finally; finally an evaluation – some kind of assessment of this solution. This
offers a new problem and the next step is to offer more refined solution, and so on.
Susan: Now, here’s a chance for you to do some listening practice. We’ll play you
extracts from two lectures. In both cases, you’ll hear the introduction, and I’d
like you, quite simply, to try to recognise what approach the lecturer is taking.
The first lecture is about politics in Britain. How does the speaker structure her
talk?
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CLIP: Lecturer
OK Good afternoon everybody. Today I'm going to lecture to you about politics in the UK or
the British system of Government. Now Parliament in the UK actually has three parts. First of
all, we have the Queen or the monarch, Queen Elizabeth, so that's one part. Secondly we have
the House of Lords, and thirdly we have the House of Commons, so those three together make
up Parliament. The Queen, the House of Lords, the House of Commons.
OK, first of all today I want to talk about the role of the monarch, or the role of the Queen. In
the UK we have what's called a constitutional monarchy…
Susan: The structure there is what Simon Williams calls division of ideas. The speaker
intends to divide her talk into three sections, considering the roles firstly of the
queen, then of the House of Lords and finally of the House of Commons.
Now, here’s part of another lecture about urbanisation, where countryside areas
become more like towns. Which approach does the lecturer take; chronological,
division of ideas, or situation, problem, solution, evaluation?
CLIP: Lecturer
Today I want to discuss problems of urbanisation. In particular, I want to talk about those
problems which are peculiar to developing economies and to discuss three possible policies
which, um, could be used to control or to stem uncontrolled urbanisation in developing
countries.
Susan: Well, the answer was to be found in the very first sentence … the speaker
intends to discuss the problems of the situation she calls “urbanisation”, and she
intends to comment on three possible solutions to the problem. This is an
example of the classic format: situation, problem, solution and evaluation.
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So, as you see, in both cases, the speaker outlines the structure of their talk and
the approach she intends to take. Knowing this in advance is useful for two
reasons. It will help you to follow the different sections of the lecture; and,
importantly, to identify the speaker’s key points. Simon Williams again.
CLIP: Simon Williams
Recognising structures will help the student to orientate themselves, and to notice when to
take down ideas, and how to organise their notes. Recognising the type of lecture – whether
chronological; division of ideas; or situation, problem, solution, evaluation – is really useful in
helping you to predict content and the way it’s organised, the kind of content that’s going to
come up.
Susan: Ana, our student from Brazil, has another tip on how to find your way around a
lecture.
CLIP: Ana
Well I think most of the time when the lecture is finishing, the 'in conclusion', or these sorts of
markers are going to appear. They can use these sorts of words that can lead you to the
introduction, and then to the main points, and then to the conclusion. You can understand
when it's the end of the introduction, when it's the end of the main points and when the
conclusion is coming.
Susan: Last time we heard about a number of ways in which speakers guide listeners
through their talks. They can do this through their intonation and stress; and by
using a number of self-conscious “marker phrases” which are like miniannouncements
or signposts within the lecture. These are important clues for
they key points that you might want to note down.
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CLIP: Simon Williams
To make it easier for yourself when listening to lectures, if you don’t want to write down
everything, listen out for markers – little signals that A lecturer uses to show they’re reaching a
key point, or when they're about to begin a new section. Again, like signposts on a journey,
they help you to know where you are, what direction you're going in. Markers might be
“right”, “OK”, “the next thing I want to turn to”, and it’s the information after those markers
that you need to take down. That’ll be the important information that signals a new topic area.
ANNOUNCER:
And that brings us to the end of today’s programme, in which we’ve focused on the structure
of lectures. We’ve discovered that
knowing what the lecturer is going to talk about,
knowing when they’re moving from one point to the next
and when they’re starting the individual sections of their lecture will help you understand it
better.
In the next programme we’ll focus more closely on the important, introductory section of a
lecture.

English Grammar Course for EFL teachers

Dear all,

For those who want to be teachers of English may I recommend you visit this site. Dr. Pat Byrd, from Georgia State University Atlanta, Dept of Applied Linguistics, offers precious virtual lectures on English Grammar.

Many thanks to Dr. Byrd!
Enjoy the lessons!

Academic Listening

Want to learn Academic Listening? Why don't you go to bbc English learning now.
Enjoy it!

Tapescript for part 1:
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BBC Learning English
Talk about English
Academic Listening
Part 1 - English for Academic Purposes:
Introduction
This programme was first broadcast in 2001.
This is not an accurate word-for-word transcript of the programme.
ANNOUNCER:
It’s time for Academic Listening - a series for students at English-speaking universities.
Imagine: today is the first day of your uni life … How do you feel? Excited and confident? Or
maybe a little anxious? How do you think you’ll cope? And how can you make the learning
experience easier? For an insight, join Susan Fearn and members of the World Service class of
2001.
Susan: Well, if you think you might have problems, don’t worry. You’re not alone.
CLIP: Students
Angelica: Entering into the English speaking educational system for me was quite a change -
the main problem was understanding lectures - academic English is quite high level of speaking
therefore the first was to become familiar with the listening understanding.
Constant: I think the pronunciation of English people is not the same as I learned at school - I
come from Ivory Coast, it's in West Africa - the teacher in my country had a French accent -
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the teacher of English - and it's not the same accent here, so I think the pronunciation, the
accent is quite different .
Emma: You know how to express yourself in your own language - you know what you want
to say but it's difficult to put it in the exact words.
Susan: In this series we’ll enter the world of further education and focus particularly on
some of the linguistic problems experienced by students like you. And we’ll try
to identify strategies for coping with study in another language. Students and
teachers will share their tips on effective learning, and give advice on some of
the pitfalls to avoid. There’ll be a mix of theory, practice and personal
experience.
In this first programme, we focus on a special kind of English course, designed
to prepare students for their studies. It’s called EAP.
CLIP: Christine Reeves
EAP is actually studying English for Academic Purposes.
Susan: Christine Reeves teaches at Bell Norwich, a language school in the East of
England.
CLIP: Christine Reeves
That means studying English - the kind of English that you're likely to need to cope with life
and studying at a British University or any other English speaking university - it could be the
United States it could be Australia - and it prepares them and gives them necessary skills
which enable them to manage their studies.
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Susan: English for Academic purposes is a particular kind of English – used by a
particular group of people. If you speak Academic English, you’ll know a
special vocabulary associated with your subject, and you’ll be used to writing or
speaking in a particular way. You’ll know how to structure an essay or a
report, for example; and you’ll be familiar with the language used in lectures,
seminars and tutorials.
If you study EAP, you’ll practise special language skills for studying at a high
level, and you’ll gain a number of useful strategies to make your learning more
effective. Christine Reeves again.
CLIP: Christine Reeves
Most EAP courses would cover various components - for example here at Bell the
components we would always cover would be study skills, the students would also do quite a
heavy component of writing, there would be a lecture, a weekly lecture, and there would
normally be a component of social English to help them manage at the bank, for example, that
sort of thing.
Susan: An EAP course introduces you to the special language associated with the
academic world – common words, expressions, particular structures. It
provides a range of advanced study skills.
A good EAP course will give you training in general English as well. During
your university course, you’ll lead a double life. On duty: as a student -
grappling with academic ideas in academic English… and off-duty, in everyday
situations, using less formal English. It’s not unusual to have problems in both
areas.
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CLIP: Students
Constanza: I would like to be more fluent with my speaking because I've got ideas in my mind
but I don't have enough language to transmit my ideas - that's my problem.
Jose Arturo: In the case of English language, there are many different accents, and when you
learn the English in your country, you only learn the English prepared for learning English -
that is a more careful accent, that is not very fast. And when you come here - honestly,
sometimes I can't understand anything. Some people speak fast, some people speak with not
care of stressing the words that they say, so sometimes it's very difficult to follow them.
CLIP: Christine Reeves
Initially the problems they face are probably of an academic nature, for example they go to
lectures and they find that they can’t understand, or they can’t take notes very quickly. They
have quite a lot of reading to do and don't know how to cope with it. On top of that it could be
their first experience of living in another country, so they're unfamiliar with some of the
systems that we have here, like registering with a doctor, and then just basically making friends
- they could feel incredibly lonely and isolated. These are the problems they’ll face when
starting university.
Susan: Simon Williams teaches EAP in the Language Centre at University College,
London. He believes that difficulties experienced by language learners in
lectures and other academic situations occur chiefly because they just don’t
have enough mental energy.
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CLIP: Simon Williams
The sort of problems that non-native speakers might have are summed up in one word, and
that's “overload”. The listener is paying so much attention to decoding words that they
recognise and phrases that they recognise – it's almost like trying to do a word-by-word
translation. You can’t translate in that way. You have to get a global picture, as well as
looking at individual items. The student pays so much attention to the language that they miss
out on the content. They’re looking at the vehicle, rather than what the vehicle contains.
Susan: As well as coping with new vocabulary and lecturers who speak quickly and
with unfamiliar accents, you may find it very difficult to listen out for the main
points of a lecture and take notes at the same time. So what can you do?
CLIP: Simon Williams
Get hold of some texts, perhaps over the internet, or through a library, or through journals or
magazines that might be available in newsagents, or through friends, and then study recurring
specialist words in those texts; but also look at the kind of structures the kinds of organisation
used, because different subjects typically use different organisation or genres to put things
together.
Susan: Preparation is the key. Be prepared! According to Simon Williams, students
can make their academic life much easier by getting to know specialist
vocabulary in advance. And Simon Williams advises students to obtain an
English-English dictionary, and maybe a subject dictionary - of Medicine, of
Law, of Linguistics. Listening to the radio, watching TV - these are all methods
of improving both general and specialist English – as members of our World
Service class will tell you.
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CLIP: Students
Constant: I'm a computer engineer and so I always use internet and most of the websites are
in English so I think internet is a very good way to improve your English. I think especially the
reading - reading and vocabulary.
Constanza: I usually watch TV programmes in English so it helped me with listening and
sometimes when I watch TV I prefer to use subtitles in English too - so you can practise
together listening and reading.
Jose Arturo: Try to read books related with your subject. Even material you already know in
your language because some people can say 'oh that book, I know it, I've already read it in
Spanish three times'. You have to read it in English to see if you notice substantial differences.
Susan: During this series we’ll focus on some of the strategies you can use to improve
your listening ability and your performance in other academic situations. We’ve
said already that preparation is important. Simple things like looking up
specialist vocabulary, reading the course outline, looking at the title of a lecture,
for example, they can all help you predict its language and content. Here’s an
example of this from some research carried out by R. Anderson and colleagues.
It illustrates that “prior information about a text” can help you to make
predictions about its content and influence your interpretation. Here, “prior
information” comes in the form of the title.
CLIP: Actor's voice
A Prisoner Plans His Escape
Rocky slowly got up from the mat, planning his escape. He hesitated a moment and thought.
Things were not going well. What bothered him most was being held, especially since the
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charge against him had been weak. He considered his present situation. The lock that held
him was strong, but he thought he could break it.
Susan: Now here’s that story again – same words – and same actor! - only the title has
changed. Notice how this new “prior information” changes your interpretation
of individual words and overall content.
CLIP: Actor's voice
A Wrestler in a Tight Corner
Rocky slowly got up from the mat, planning his escape. He hesitated a moment and thought.
Things were not going well. What bothered him most was being held, especially since the
charge against him had been weak. He considered his present situation. The lock that held
him was strong, but he thought he could break it.
ANNOUNCER:
That was your introduction to English for Academic Purposes presented by Susan Fearn. At
the beginning of the programme, Susan invited you to reflect on some of the problems that
EAP students experience - and asked you to think about how they might cope. I wonder how
accurate your predictions were. Next time you listen to some English - whether it’s a radio
programme or a university lecture - listen out for clues about what’s coming next… and see if
it helps.

============
tapescript for part 2:

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BBC Learning English
Talk about English
Academic Listening
Part 2 - Lectures: Introduction
This programme was first broadcast in 2001.
This is not an accurate word-for-word transcript of the programme.
ANNOUNCER:
It’s time for Academic Listening - a series for students at English-speaking universities. Many
students find that lectures are the most daunting aspect of their university life. In this
programme we’ll start to look at a range of techniques to make listening to lectures easier -
with presenter Susan Fearn and members of the World Service class of 2001.
CLIP: Lecture
“Taxes, Quality of Life and Happiness”
In this talk, I will first note a recent political emphasis on "quality of life". Secondly, I will
suggest that this contrasts with economic growth as a main - or the main - concern of
government …
Susan: Do you, like me, wish you had second chance to hear those university lectures?
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CLIP: Lecture
“Taxes, Quality of Life and Happiness”
In this talk, I will first note a recent political emphasis on "quality of life". Secondly, I will
suggest that this contrasts with economic growth as a main - or the main - concern of
government …
Susan: Sadly it’s never quite like that in real life! You can re-read a book; you can
replay a cassette, but you can’t rewind a lecturer.
CLIP: Simon Williams
The main point of a lecture for students must be to acquire information on a topic in a quick
and efficient way.
Susan: Simon Williams teaches English in the Language Centre at University College
London.
CLIP: Simon Williams
Of course, they could get a photocopy from another student later and not turn up, but it’s one
way of knowing how the subject is viewed by people in your department: whether it's thought
to be old-fashioned or crucial and very modern, contemporary, and how controversial it may
be: seeing where fits into whole syllabus.
Susan: Lectures can be important social occasions, a chance to meet with the other
students on your course. But, of course, they’re also an important way of
getting an overview of your subject or a particular element of your course. This
is something you may not be able to achieve through self-study or by reading
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someone else’s notes.
University teachers also have specific aims and objectives when they lecture.
Simon Williams again.
CLIP: Simon Williams
The purpose of a lecture is probably to stimulate students to do work by themselves. The end
result of a course must be to try and make a student autonomous, happy to find things out for
themselves, not being given things to accept uncritically. Learners need to know that’s the aim
of their course – that they’ll become individual and independent learners. So a lecturer will
aim to present just part of a topic and stimulate student to want to find out more. May be
there's a good reason – may be a written assignment on that topic. So that's another reason for
paying attention. But it can only happen if you know what to pay attention to – you can’t pay
attention to everything all at same time.
Susan: Understanding the aim or purpose of a lecture helps you decide where to focus
your attention. This is useful because you can’t concentrate on everything at
once. You may already be using large amounts of mental energy to cope with
other problems, as these students can confirm.
CLIP: Students
Two students describe their problems understanding the language of lectures. (Transcript is not
available.)
Susan: And that’s only the start of it! It can difficult to hear what a lecturer is saying
because you’re sitting in a large, echo-ey [does this word exist?] hall. Speakers
may have a strange accent; they might speak too quickly or too quietly. Some
might use unfamiliar technical or academic vocabulary.
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Christine Reeves teaches at Bell Norwich, a language school in the East of
England.
CLIP: Christine Reeves
I think one of the main problems is the really difficult skill of listening for the the main points,
understanding the main points and processing the main points and actually taking notes at the
same time. This is definitely what the students have expressed most difficulty in to me - as a
teacher.
Susan: Does that sound familiar?
Well, if you have problems in lectures, what can you do? Skilful listening
involves being able to select important information from the rest. Fortunately,
as Simon Williams explains, lecturers have various techniques to help guide you
through their lecture and to highlight key information.
CLIP: Simon Williams
You can often recognise the different bits, parts of a lecture by three things. First: lecturer’s
intonation. The sound of their voice is going to fall, quieter at end of a topic – rather like my
voice is fading and getting quieter now. Then they might use marker words, such as “right”,
“OK”, “good” – the sort of thing you often hear teachers say in a school classroom. Then
there’ll be a marker phrase such as: “I’d like to move on now”, or “turning now to”, or “let’s
now consider” – the speaker is self-consciously saying what they’re going to do next in speech
terms, in language terms. So you can think of those markers as signposts on the journey
through the lecture.
Susan: Good lecturers guide listeners through their talk. Their intonation and stress
patterns act as pointers to important information.
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Falling intonation helps you know when a speaker has finished one idea or
topic, and is about to move on to the next -- at a higher pitch. This is, if you
like, the spoken equivalent of the full stops and paragraph breaks in a book.
Speakers tend to stress important points by speaking more clearly - perhaps a
bit louder, more slowly and with greater care.
This lecture was originally given by Don Hill of University College London, and
focuses on the relationship of wealth and happiness. Don’t worry too much
about the specific content of what he’s saying: listen instead to the way he says
it. I’d like you to try to spot any signals that guide you through the talk or help
you identify key points.
What do you consider to be the most important piece of information here - and
why?
CLIP: Lecture
OK that brings me to the end of that second main part of this little talk on some contrasts with
traditional economic views.
Right: let's go on to the third part which I've called - “What Price Happiness?”
So I now want to raise some questions about happiness. The effect of the questions will be …
Susan: The speaker has reached the end of section two of his talk. His intonation falls -
the pitch and music of his voice get lower - and he gets quieter before he
introduces the next section.
His intonation then rises again; he gets louder and speaks carefully as he
highlights what he considers to be an important point: and that’s the title of the
next section of his lecture: “What Price Happiness?”.
Listen again.
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CLIP: Lecture
OK that brings me to the end of that second main part of this little talk on some contrasts with
traditional economic views.
Right: let's go on to the third part which I've called - “What Price Happiness?”
So I now want to raise some questions about happiness. The effect of the questions will be …
Susan: The speaker also uses a number of what Simon Williams calls “marker phrases”
such as: “That brings me to the end of the second part of this little talk” and
“Let’s go on to the third part”. These are like mini-announcements, or
signposts within the lecture.
You’ll hear more examples of these markers as the lecture continues.
The speaker has a number of questions. But what’s the most important question
he wants to ask? Listen out for clues in his intonation and stress.
CLIP: Lecture
So I now want to raise some questions about happiness.
The effect of the questions will be, I think, to cast further doubt on traditional views of the
desirability of uncontrolled economic growth
The first question is this. Can we really make a direct link between cash and happiness? We
have seen that the traditional economists' view of rational economic man is that he tries to
satisfy his desires, and these desires are taken to be for money and what money can buy, and as
much as he can get of each.
Susan: The speaker invites his listeners to focus on this important question: “Can we
make a direct link between cash and happiness?” His intonation – the higher
note, the slower speed and careful stress all indicate that we should pay
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attention to these words. Two marker phrases: “So, I now want to raise some
questions” and “the first question is this” also point us in this direction.
ANNOUNCER:
And that brings us to the end of today’s programme - and these are the three key points:
understanding the purpose of a lecture can help students know where to focus attention;
preparation can help students understand the language and content of a lecture;
and we’ve demonstrated ways in which speakers can guide listeners to important information,
using intonation, stress and marker phrases. Join Susan Fearn again next time for more
Academic Listening.