Lesson 101 Part I

Lesson 101

Part Ⅰ Warming-up Exercises

Note-taking: Enquiring about Summer Courses

Training Focus:

Note-taking: important facts: 1. dates 2. prices

Directions: You are going to hear a short conversation between a student and a receptionist at a language school. Listen carefully. Note down what the student wants to know and the information he gets from the receptionist.

Key:

---- Good morning. Can I help you ?

---- Yes please. I would want to have some information about the …erm…the courses at Swan School.

---- Is that a summer course you're interested in ?

---- Yes. Yes, please.

---- Yes. Fine. OK. Well, we have…erm…short intensive full-time courses during the summer.

---- Mm-mm. I would want to know the length of one course.

---- Yes. Each course lasts for three weeks.

---- How many hours per week, please ?

---- Well, it's about twenty-three hours a week. Usually four and a half days each week.

---- You must have a lot of students in the class, haven't you ?

---- We have a lot of students in the shool but in the classes only about between twelve and fourteen students.

----Twelve and fourteen. Could you please give me the dates of the first and the second course ?

---- Yes, certainly. The first course begins on 3 fuly and lasts until 20 fuly and the second course is from 24 fuly until 10 August.

---- What about the fees per course ?

---- Yes, each…each course costs ￡ 150 plus VAT, which is 15 per cent, and a ￡5 registration fee.

---- And deposit, please ?

---- Yes, for each course we need a deposit of ￡20 and the ￡ 5 registration fee.

---- Oh, thank you. Do we have to find our… our own accommodation ?

----No, we can do that for you. We have a lady who arranges the accommodation for you with Oxford families.

---- How much does it cost ?

---- Well, you can choose to have bed and breakfast only which is ￡20 a week, or bed, breakfast and dinner which is about ￡ 27 a week.

---- ￡ 27. Thank you very much.

---- You're welcome.

Lesson 101 Part Ⅱ Welcome To The Language School

Lesson 101

Part Ⅱ Welcome To The Language School

Ex.

Directions: Make notes for the speech. Then complete the outline with the information you hear on the tape.

Key: B. 1. English.

2. patient and understanding.

C. 1. No smoking in class.

2. No talking in your own language

3. Keep the lecture rooms tidy.

4. Remember to return books to the library punctually.

5. Don't use student cards as book markers.

Tapescript :

Welcome To The Language School (2′ 12 ″)

Ladies and gentlemen, I'm very glad to welcome you to our language school. We all hope you will enjoy your stay. Getting used to new faces and finding your way around the building will take a little time. But you should soon be able to settle down to the job of improving your English.

Nowadays most people would agree that speaking a language is a most effective way of learning it pleasantly and effectively. You'll find your teachers using English throughout your course. You can rely on your teachers being patient and understanding because all of us here realize that learning in an adult group is very different from learning alone or in secondary schools. The intensive practice we offer in this short course will involve your conversing with your teachers and felllow students in English, and will mean your participating actively in order to learn and help others to learn.

We have a few rules at the school, but I hope you will not mind my mentioning one or two right away. We prefer no smoking in class, unless your fellow students agree otherwise. We advise no talking in your own language even if you meet a fellow countryman in the school. We recommend your keeping the lecture rooms tidy because studying in pleasant surroundings is less tiring. Therefore please use the litter-bins provided. We encourage you borrowing books from the library, but please remember to return them punctually. Don't use your student cards as book markers. Our librarians have a quite large collection of do-it-yourself book markers----passports, love-letters, five-pound notes. He can even remember opening a library book and a sandwich falling out. We now provide markers and notepads at the librarian's desk.

Here is hoping you will learn a good deal of English and enjoy yourselves in London. We are grateful to you for coming and look forward to developing our friendly relationship with you all.

Lesson 101 Part Ⅲ Choosing A Language

Lesson 101

Part Ⅲ Choosing A Language

Ex. Ⅰ

Directions: Study the notes in Ex. I and complete the list with the words and phrases that you think are most important in the dialogue.

Key: (see tapescript)

Ex. Ⅱ

Directions: Complete the summary of the dialogue by using the information you've jotted down in Ex. Ⅰ.

Key: (a) what language to learn (b) in Africa (c) in the north (d) a few European languages (e) official languages (f) native languages (g) take time to learn (h) where Jean plans to go in Africa (i) study Arabic (j) the writing system

Tapescript:

Choosing A Language (1′24″)

John is a language major at the University of Wisconsin. His friend Jean asks his advice about what language to study.

Jean: I have to take a language next year.

John: I'm glad to hear it. You've never studied a foreign language, have you?

Jean: No, not yet. I wanted to ask your advice about what to study.

John : Well, they're all interesting, and they all take time to learn. Does it have to be a scientific language ? I mean do you have to read scientific articles ?

Jean: No, anything will do. I've always wanted to go to Africa. What language do they speak there ?

John: Language ? Actually there are hundreds of languages in Africa.

Jean: Hundreds ?

John: Yes, really. Arabic's important in the north, of course. And there are a few European languages that are widely used as official languages. But there are many native languages----like Hausa, Yoruba and the Bantu languages.

Jean: Would you advise me to study one of those ?

John: It really depends on where you plan to go in Africa.

Jean: Well. I don't have any definite plans yet. Perhaps that isn't such a good idea after all.

John: Why not study Arabic ?

Jean: That's your field, isn't it ?

John : Yes.

Jean: Well, the writing system frightens me.

John: Oh, that's nothing. You'll catch on to that fast. I could help you, of course.

Jean: Would you ?

John: I'd like nothing better.