GAC007

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STUDENT MANUAL
Level II Module 7: GAC007
Academic English II: Listening and Speaking Skills
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Date of Issue: August 2019

Version: 8.0
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Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................................................... I
MODULE OVERVIEW ............................................................................................................................................................. I
LEARNING OUTCOMES ......................................................................................................................................................... I
BEFORE YOU BEGIN .............................................................................................................................................................. I
UNIT DESCRIPTIONS ........................................................................................................................................................... III
SUGGESTED SCHEDULE ..................................................................................................................................................... IV
ASSESSMENT EVENTS ......................................................................................................................................................... V
ICONS ...................................................................................................................................................................................... VI
UNIT 1: PEOPLE AND SOCIETY ....................................................................................................... 1
PART A UNIT INTRODUCTION ......................................................................................................................................1
PART B LISTENING TO SPOKEN TEXT TYPES AND IDENTIFYING DIFFERENCES .........................................2
PART C LISTENING FOR GIST, MAIN IDEAS AND SUPPORTING DETAILS ......................................................5
PART D RESPONDING TO A TEXT VIA TRUE/FALSE/NOT GIVEN QUESTIONS............................................ 14
PART E SPEAKING: PARTICIPATING IN A GROUP PYRAMID DISCUSSION ................................................... 20
UNIT 2: LIVING ENVIRONMENTS ........................................................................................... 29
PART A UNIT INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................................................... 29
PART B IDENTIFYING LANGUAGE FUNCTIONS .................................................................................................... 30
PART C RESPONDING TO A LISTENING TEXT VIA MULTIPLE-CHOICE QUESTIONS ................................. 38
PART D LISTENING TO A GROUP RESEARCH PRESENTATION ......................................................................... 50
PART E SPEAKING: GROUP CONSENSUS AND PROBLEM - SOLVING ACTIVITY ........................................ 57
UNIT 3: WORK AND BUSINESS ....................................................................................................... 65
PART B RESPONDING TO A LISTENING TEXT WITH GAP-FILL ACTIVITIES ................................................. 66
PART C PREDICTING LECTURE CONTENT & IDENTIFYING COMMON SIGNPOSTING PHRASES ........... 72
PART D SPEAKING: PARTICIPATING IN INTERACTIVE SITUATIONS.............................................................. 85
UNIT 4: HEALTH SCIENCE ............................................................................................................. 87
PART B NOTE-TAKING AND GUIDED NOTE-TAKING FROM LISTENING TEXTS ......................................... 88
PART C LISTENING AND LABELLING A GRAPH OR CHART TAKING NOTES OF MAIN IDEAS &
SUPPORTING DETAILS .................................................................................................................................. 96
PART D SPEAKING: DESCRIBING INFORMATION FROM A GRAPH…………………………………….104
UNIT 5: PROCESSES AND PRODUCTION................................................................................... 113
PART A UNIT INTRODUCTION ..................................................................................................................................113
PART B LISTENING: NOTE-TAKING USING ABBREVIATIONS, SYMBOLS AND PARAPHRASING .........114
PART C LISTENING TO A DESCRIPTION OF A PROCESS AND ORDERING INFORMATION.......................124
PART D SPEAKING: DESCRIBING A PROCESS OR PROCEDURE .....................................................................131
UNIT 6: THE ENVIRONMENT........................................................................................................ 137
PART A UNIT INTRODUCTION .................................................................................................................................137
PART B LISTENING AND IDENTIFYING FACTS AND OPINIONS.......................................................................139
PART C RESPONDING TO A LISTENING TEXT WITH SHORT ANSWERS; DEVELOPING NOTES FROM A
LECTURE INTO A SUMMARY .....................................................................................................................147
PART D SPEAKING: ORAL PRESENTATION OF RESEARCH ESSAY...............................................................155
APPENDIX .......................................................................................................................................... 159
REFERENCE LIST ............................................................................................................................ 165
GAC007 Academic English II: Listening and Speaking Skills Student Manual
Introduction
Introduction
Module Overview
Welcome to Academic English II: Listening and Speaking Skills.
The purpose of this module is to develop your listening and speaking skills for study at
university. During the module you will listen to a variety of spoken English texts, develop a
range of listening skills and strategies, and participate in various speaking situations.
This module consists of a series of carefully-designed and sequentially-structured tasks to

improve your skills in listening and speaking. Supporting the tasks are a number of original
listening texts.
On completion of this module, you should be able to use your listening and speaking skills for
academic purposes and to communicate in English with increasing confidence, in preparation
for higher education.
Learning Outcomes
By the end of this module, you should be able to:
1. Compare and contrast differences in general and academic spoken text types and
analyse speech functions within these text types.
2. Apply a range of listening skills and strategies to comprehend spoken text types.
3. Demonstrate understanding of spoken text types through note-taking and summarising
strategies
4. Describe graphs, procedures and processes using visual materials as prompts.
5. Deliver formal oral presentations using relevant digital media.
6. Communicate and encourage discussions in a range of interactive situations.
Before You Begin

Before you start, it is important that you get ready to study by making sure you have the
following:
• English-English dictionary: Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary, 9th Ed, (2015) Oxford
University Press, UK
• English grammar text: Murphy, R., English Grammar in Use (2019), Cambridge University
Press, UK
• Notebook or folder for class work and assignments
• Notebook to use to record vocabulary lists
If you have access to English radio, TV or movies, or other online resources, try to listen to
some English every day. This will help you to develop your English skills.
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August 2019 Version 8,0
Student Manual GAC007 Academic English II: Listening and Speaking Skills
Introduction
This English course is a communicative English course. You will be expected to participate
actively in class, and to use English to communicate, rather than your mother tongue. It is
important that you use this opportunity to speak English as much as possible in class to give you
valuable English practice before you study at university.
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Version 8.0 August 2019
Introduction
Unit Descriptions
The following is a list of units to be covered in the module, Academic English II: Listening
and Speaking Skills.
Unit Unit Title Description

1 People and • Listening to Spoken Text Types and Identifying
Society Differences
• Listening for Gist, Main Ideas and Supporting Details
• Responding to a Text via True/False/Not Given Questions
• Speaking: Participating in a Group Pyramid Discussion
2 Living • Identifying Language Functions

Environments • Responding to a Listening Text via Multiple Choice
Questions
• Listening to a Group Research Presentation
• Speaking: Group Consensus and Problem-solving Activity
3 Work and • Responding to a Listening Text with Gap-fill Activities

Business • Predicting Lecture Content & Identifying Common
Signposting Phrases
• Speaking: Participating in Interactive Situations
4 Health Science • Note-taking and Guided Note-taking from Listening Texts

• Developing Notes from Lists of Main Ideas and
Supporting Details
• Listening and Labelling a Graph or Chart
• Speaking: Describing Information from a Graph
5 Processes and • Listening: Note-Taking using Abbreviations, Symbols

Production and Paraphrasing
• Listening to a Description of a Process and Ordering
Information
• Speaking: Describing a Process or Procedure
6 The • Listening and Identifying Facts and Opinions

Environment • Responding to a Listening Text with Short Answers
• Developing Notes from a Lecture into a Summary
• Speaking: Oral Presentation of a Research Essay
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Introduction
Suggested Schedule
Week 1 Unit 1: People and Society
Week 2 Unit 1: People and Society

Unit 2: Living Environments
Week 3 Unit 2: Living Environments
Week 4 Unit 3: Work and Business
Week 5 Unit 3: Work and Business
Week 6 Assessment Event 1: Interactive Role-Play

Unit 4: Health Science
Week 7 Unit 4: Health Science
Week 8 Unit 5: Processes and Production
Week 9 Unit 5: Processes and Production
Week 10 Unit 6: The Environment
Week 11 Unit 6: The Environment
Week 12 Assessment Event 2: Individual Oral Presentation

Assessment Event 3: Listening Skills Test
Assessment Event 4: Course Work
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Introduction
Assessment Events
During this module, assessment will be based on a combination of class work, assignments
and tests. You will be required to complete the assessment events below, which will be
checked by your teacher.
Assessment Assessment Event Weighting

Number
1 Interactive Role-Play 25%

Week 6 or at the end of Unit 3
Participate in a six-minute video-recorded role-play.
2 Individual Oral Presentation 25%

Weeks 11 & 12 or at the end of Unit 6
Prepare and present an oral presentation followed by a three-
to five-minute question time.
3 Listening Skills Test 40%

Week 12 or at the end of Unit 6
Listen to a range of recordings and respond to questions.
Coursework
4 On-going 10%
a) Active participation in class, including: evidence of
preparation for class, willingness to contribute
positively by working cooperatively with other class
members, asking questions, seeking clarification and
contributing to class discussions.
b) Completion of required assigned Independent Study
Tasks.
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Introduction
Icons
The following icons will be used as a visual aid throughout the Student Manual:
Icon Meaning
Before You Begin
Task: Reading
Task: Writing
Task: Listening
Task: Speaking
Review
Independent Study
Assessment Event
Useful Language
Hints and Cautions
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Unit 1: People and Society
Part A Unit Introduction

Part B Listening to Spoken Text Types and Identifying Differences
Part C Listening for Gist, Main Ideas and Supporting Details
Part D Responding to a Text via True/False/Not Given Questions
Part E Speaking: Participating in a Group Pyramid Discussion

Overview In this unit you will learn to:
• Identify differences in spoken text types (presentations,

discussions, lectures, dialogues, etc.)
• Listen for gist, main ideas and supporting details
• Develop strategies for answering true/false/not given
questions
• Participate in a group pyramid discussion
• Negotiate solutions
Task 1.1 Focus Activity – People and Society
In small groups of three or four, talk about the following questions and make a
note of your conclusions:
1. Think about your own society. Which particular shared features would you say
are the most important in terms of the following?
customs organisations laws
2. Which customs do you most value in your society and why?
3. Which organisations do you most value in your society and why?
4. Which laws do you feel are most important in your society and why?
5. Do you see yourself more as part of your society in general, more as a member
of your local community, as a member of your immediate family, or as an
individual?
6. How has your society changed in recent times? What has got better?
7. Have you ever had any experience of another society? What differences did
you notice? (If you haven’t, what do you know about other societies? How do you
imagine they might be different to your own?)
8. If you lived in another society, what do you think you would miss about your
own? What differences do you think you might enjoy?
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August 2019 Version 8.0
Part B Listening to Spoken Text Types and Identifying

Differences
Before You In this section, you will practise listening to spoken text types such as
Begin lectures, presentations, discussions and dialogues. You will also practise
identifying differences between them.
Task 1.2 Review: Identifying Differences in Spoken Text Types
In GAC001 Academic English 1: Listening & Speaking Skills, you

were introduced to differences in spoken text types.
Work with a partner and see how much you can remember.
What are the three key areas we need to consider when identifying
differences in spoken text types?
•
•
•
Explain what each of these means and give an example.

•
Your teacher will conduct class feedback.
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Task 1.3 Identifying Purpose, Audience and Level of Formality
Look at the following spoken text types in Task 1.3 Worksheet, and
for each one, decide on the purpose, audience and level of formality.
The first one has been done for you as an example. Leave the left-hand
column blank for now.
Task 1.3 Worksheet
Number Spoken text type Purpose Audience Formality
Public announcement To provide important General public Formal (F)

information
University lecture
Business presentation
University research
presentation
Phone conversation
between friends
Phone call to your boss
News item
TV advertisement
Small group discussion in

class
Class discussion
Pairwork
When you have finished, discuss your answers with a partner.

Task 1.4 Listening to Spoken Text Types and Identifying Differences
You will now listen to seven short recordings. Listen to the recordings
and identify the text type you hear. Consider the purpose, audience and
level of formality of each extract.
Select the text type from those listed in Task 1.3 Worksheet. Number
them in the order you hear them from 1 to 7 in the left-hand column of
the worksheet.
Note: You will not hear examples of all the text types listed in the
table.
Pairwork
Check your answers with a partner. For each extract, explain your
reasons for your choice.
Your teacher will conduct class feedback
Task 1.5 Small Group Activity: Vocabulary Focus
In groups of 3 or 4 students, brainstorm the key phrases (from memory)

that indicated the purpose of each extract and make notes of these. In
terms of phonology (the sound system of a language), these key
phrases carry major sentence stress.
E.g. Track 1: ‘a substantial increase in profits’, ‘four billion dollars’,

‘the largest television manufacturer’.
Then listen to the extracts again and check your answers.

Part C Listening for Gist, Main Ideas and Supporting

Details
Before You In this section, you will practise listening for gist, listening for main
Begin ideas and listening for supporting details.
Gist, Main Ideas and Supporting Details
When we listen to a spoken text, we can listen at different levels.
The gist of a spoken text is the overall message, the essence of what
someone is trying to convey. It is basically a summary of the message.
A spoken text can have one main idea or may have several, especially
when it is longer. The main ideas are the key points that the speaker
wishes to make, similar to topic sentences in paragraph writing.
Each main idea is usually backed up by supporting details, which

provide more information on that subject. In paragraph writing, these
supporting details are contained in the supporting sentences.
Before You Focus Questions

Listen
Look at the following questions and think about how you would answer
them. Your teacher will conduct a class discussion.
• What do you understand by the term ‘developing country’?
• How can a developing country be defined?
• What are some examples of a developing country?

Task 1.6 Pairwork
With a partner, discuss the following questions:
a) Have you ever visited (or thought about visiting) a

developing country? Which ones and why?
b) Which developing countries would you like to visit in the

future? Why?
c) Have you ever considered working in a developing country?
d) What would be some of the benefits of working in

a developing country?
e) What would be some of the challenges you might face?
f) What kind of person would be best suited to working in a

developing country? What skills and qualities to you
think would be beneficial?
Task 1.7 Listening for Gist
Listen to a conversation between two students.
The first time you listen to the conversation, focus on the question
below.
What is the gist of their conversation? Choose the best answer:
a) Olga’s book report.

b) Mr Stone’s contemporary literature class.
c) Volunteering in rural Africa.
d) What Stefan thought of the book.
Pairwork
Discuss your answer with a partner. Make sure you give reasons for your
choice.

Task 1.8 Listening for Main Ideas
Now listen to the conversation again. This time identify the main ideas
in this conversation. Number the main ideas below in the order you hear
them:
Critical response to the book
The author’s opinions
The book that Olga has to write about
The book’s content, the author’s story
Pairwork
Check your answers with a partner.
Task 1.9 Listening for Details
You will now listen to the conversation a third time. This time listen for
the supporting details.
First, look at Task 1.9 Worksheet on the next page, which provides
supporting details in note form for each of the main ideas discussed in
this conversation.
Read through the notes. You may be able to complete some of the notes
now from memory. Then listen to the conversation once more and
complete the details.

Task 1.9 Worksheet: Listening for Details
Book title: Glimmers of
Subtitle: Memoirs of a in Africa.
Author: Burke
Category: Fiction / Non-Fiction (circle as appropriate)
Content of the book:
The story of a from who goes to rural
in Africa to work as a .
Length of time he stayed there:
Difficulties he faced:
1. Rundown
2. Lack of
3. Government and business
Challenges he survived:
1. Poisonous
2. Painful
3.
Critical response to the book:
Olga’s response:
• The author is quite critical of .
• There are some errors.
• However, his writing is , especially for a
author.
Stefan’s response:
• The author was more than not.
• He learned that the local issues were than he’d
originally thought. He also realised that the were not
easy.
• He reflected on the lessons he taught and became a better .

Pairwork
Check your answers with a partner by asking your partner questions.
Task 1.10 Listening: Further Questions
1. Why is Stefan in a position to give Olga advice on how to think

critically about the book? How do you know? What does he say?
Choose the best answer:

a) Because he’s read the book years ago.
b) Because he studied the book last semester with the same
teacher.
c) Because he’s in the year above her.
d) Because he was in Mr Stone’s critical thinking class.
2. Complete the advice that Stefan gives Olga:
• Analyse books .
• Not just the main parts but also think
about the
and
of the author.
Pairwork
Check your answers with a partner. Your teacher will conduct class
feedback.
Task 1.11 Pairwork Extension Option
When you read a text (e.g. a book or an article), how often do you think
critically about what the author is saying and the views he/she is
expressing? Which of the tips that you heard in the listening activity do
you normally apply?
Can you think of a text you have read recently and analysed critically?
Describe it to your partner and explain what you thought.
With a partner, think of some examples where you could be more critical
in your reading.

Task 1.12 Useful Language: Vocabulary Study
1. What are the two words Olga uses to describe this story?
Why does she choose them?
2. Olga says, ‘His students were so eager to learn against all odds.’
What do you think the phrase ‘against all odds’ means from this
context?
3. Olga says (about the book), ‘I couldn’t put it down!’

What does she mean?
4. When Stefan talks about the difficulties the author faced, what phrase
does he use to emphasis the extra challenges he had to survive?
What other phrases do you know that could be used here with the same
meaning?
5. According to Stefan, what is the meaning of ‘subjective’:
6. What’s the opposite of subjective?
According to Stefan, what does it mean?

7. Olga uses the phrase ‘Can you imagine …’ to show her amazement
and wonder at what took place.
+ ING
doing X / being X
‘Can you
imagine …’ + clause
what it must be like to DO X (present focus)
what it must have been like to DO X (past focus)
how he must have felt
She uses it as an exclamation, not a question. Her intonation rises on

‘imagine’ and falls sharply at the end of the sentence. The response is to
agree.
A: Can you imagine doing that!

B: Yeah – wow – amazing, incredible!
Task 1.13 Speaking Practice
Practise using the phrase ‘Can you imagine …’ with a partner.
Think of your personal answers to these prompts:
• Being in a place you’ve always wanted to visit. (Where?)

• Meeting someone famous who you admire. (Who?)
• Travelling to an exotic destination. (Where?)
• Taking part in a dangerous activity such as an extreme sport.
(What activity?)
Find a partner and talk about one of these topics: how it would be to go
to that place, or meet that famous person, or take part in that activity.
A: I’ve always wanted to visit Paris. Can you imagine what it

would be like to go up the Eiffel Tower!
B: Yes. Fantastic!
When you have finished, find a new partner and move on to the next
topic in the list.

Task 1.14 Fluency Practice
Think of a story you are familiar with; one that impressed you. It could
be a book you have read or a film you have seen. It doesn’t have to be a
true story, although true stories are often the most unbelievable!
Think about the following questions:
• What impressed you most about the story?
• Are you critical about anything in the story?
Find a new partner, someone you haven’t worked with yet, and share
your impressions of the story you have chosen.
Student A starts the dialogue by outlining the following points:

• Details of the story, book or film
• A summary of the story content
• Student A’s critical response
Student B should listen and ask questions at any point for clarification
or explanation, as in a conversation. If Student B is familiar with the
story, you can then have critical responses from both people! Then
change over.
When you have both finished, find a new partner and discuss the story
you have chosen with your new partner.
To extend your fluency practice further, tell your new partner about your
previous partner’s story.
Task 1.15 Vocabulary Revision and Practice
Work in groups of two or three.
Match the vocabulary 1–6 below from Task 1.12 with the definitions
in the right-hand column of the table on the next page. Compare your
answers with your partner(s).
1. subjective ___
2. can’t put down ___
3. heart-warming ___
4. on top of ___
5. against all odds ___
6. inspiring ___

Word/expression Definition
a. despite tremendous
difficulties
b. encouraging and giving
confidence
c. be totally absorbed by
something
d. in addition to
e. influenced by personal
feelings or opinions
f. causing positive feelings
g.
Now complete the following questions using the correct form of the
expressions from part A. Check your answers with your partner(s).
1. When was the last time read something that you

_____________________________? Why do you think you found it so
fascinating?
2. Have you ever managed to do something

____________________________________? What were the obstacles?
What did you do to succeed? Can you imagine if you hadn’t been able
to?
3. Can you tell me about three people who you find totally
______________________? What is it about them? What effect have
they had on you? Can you imagine being like this for other people?
4. What do you do _______________________________ your

schoolwork in order to improve your English? How and why did you start
doing this? Can you imagine doing anything else to get better at the
language?
5. Can you think of a _______________________________ story that

you have heard about in the last week or so? How did you learn about it?
Why did it make you feel so good? Can you imagine how you would feel
in that situation?
6. Can you think of a situation where you recognise that you might be
overly _______________________________? Why do you think this is?
How do you think you could be more aware of other points of view?
Now ask and answer the questions with your partner(s). Remember to ask
follow-up questions, if necessary, to keep the conversation going.

Part D Responding to a Text via True/False/Not Given

Questions
Before You In this section, you will practise responding to a spoken text via
Begin True/False questions. You will also be introduced to ‘Not Given’ as a
further option in True/False question types.
True/False/Not Given Questions
True/False questions provide a statement and ask you to decide, on the

basis of what you have heard, whether the statement is True (T) or False
(F). There is a third category of answer: Not Given (NG). This category
is used when you do not have enough information to decide whether a
statement is True or False.
Thinking back to Task 1.9, a True/False Question might state:
T / F / NG 1. Stefan is able to advise Olga on how to think critically about the book
because he studied the book last semester with the same teacher.
Is statement (1) True or False?

We know this statement is True from the listening. Circle T for True.
Now look at this next statement:
T / F / NG 2. Stefan advises Olga on how to think critically about the book even
though he has never read the book.

This is False. We know that Stefan has read the book. Circle F for
False.
Now look at this next statement:
T / F / NG 3. Stefan studied critical thinking with Mr Stone last year.

In this example, we don’t know whether statement (3) is True or False,
because we haven’t been given that information. In this case, our answer
would be Not Given, and we would circle NG.

Hint In True/False Questions, always ask yourself:
• Is this statement True or False?
Only use Not Given when you do not have enough information to
decide whether the statement is True or False.
Caution Note that sometimes the category No Information (NI) is used in place
of Not Given (NG).
Before You Listening: Predicting Content and Vocabulary

Listen
You are going to listen to an academic lecture. Before you listen,
consider the question below.
What is the gist of this lecture? Choose the best answer:
a) What constitutes a nation.

b) The provisions of centralised government.
c) Participation in government.
d) The rights and responsibilities of citizenship.
• What can you predict from the above question about the content
of the lecture?
• What vocabulary items might you expect to hear in the lecture?
Now listen to the lecture and answer the multiple-choice question above.
Pairwork
Discuss your answer with a partner, giving reasons for your choice.

Task 1.17 Listening: True/False/NG Questions: Part 1
Now listen again to the first half of the lecture.
As you listen, decide whether the following statements are True, False,
or whether not enough information has been given for you to decide
(Not Given). Answer the questions according to what you hear. Circle
the correct answer.
You will have a couple of minutes to read through the statements before
you listen to the lecture. Use the statements to fine-tune your predictions
about content and vocabulary.
If a statement is False, correct it. The first one has been done for you as
an example.
Example
T / F / NG A group of states is one characteristic of the concept of a nation.

Yes – a group of states is one of the characteristics of a nation.
T / F / NG 1. It is shared cultural history that unites people as a nation.
T / F / NG 2. Citizenship is an agreement between a large group of people and a

centralised government.
T / F / NG 3. One benefit of citizenship is the right to elect public officials.
T / F / NG 4. Citizenship rights have to be in agreement with basic human rights.
T / F / NG 5. US citizens have the right to follow whatever religion they choose.
T / F / NG 6 In the US, the right to own a gun is not controversial.
Pairwork
Discuss your answers with a partner, giving reasons for your choice.
You will have the opportunity to listen to this section once more to
check your answers.

Task 1.18 Listening: True/False/NG Questions: Part 2
Now listen to the second half of the lecture.
As you listen, decide whether the following statements are True, False,
or whether not enough information has been given (Not Given). Answer
the question according to what you hear. Circle the correct answer.
You will have a couple of minutes to read through the statements before
you listen to the lecture. Remember to use the statements to fine-tune
your predictions about content and vocabulary.
If a statement is False, correct it.
T / F / NG 7. ‘Participation’ means the duties and responsibilities that citizens

have to their nation.
T / F / NG 8. Citizens do not need to take an active interest in their community.
T / F / NG 9. In a democracy, it is compulsory to vote.
T / F / NG 10. Citizens should try to understand and accept other people’s

opinions.
T / F / NG 11. Paying tax is one of the most controversial responsibilities of

citizenship.
Pairwork
Discuss your answers with a partner, giving reasons for your choice.
You will have the opportunity to listen to this section once more to
check your answers.

Task 1.19 Small Group Discussion: Benefits and Duties of Citizenship
Form a group with two other students and together see how many
benefits of citizenship in the US you can remember from the lecture,
and how many duties of citizenship.
Completing a Table
With your group, complete the table below, Task 1.19 Worksheet:
Benefits and Duties of Citizenship. Make sure that each of you
completes a copy of this worksheet.
Task 1.19 Worksheet: Benefits and Duties of Citizenship
Benefits of citizenship Duties of citizenship
Task 1.20 Now listen to the lecture once more and see if you have covered all the
benefits and duties of citizenship in the US mentioned in this lecture.

Pairwork
Find a member of another group and together check your group’s

answers.
Task 1.21 Language Focus
The lecturer uses two other words for ‘duty’. What are they?
1.
2.
Task 1.22 Small Group Discussion
In your group, discuss the following questions.
• Was there anything in this lecture that surprised you in

terms of what citizenship in the U.S. means in practical
terms?
• In your opinion, what might be some of the reasons behind

these benefits and duties? For example, consider cultural
and historical reasons.
When your group has finished, form a new group with different students
and discuss your ideas with them.
Your teacher will ask each group to report their ideas to the class at the
end of the discussion.

Part E Speaking: Participating in a Group Pyramid

Discussion
Before You In this section, you will be taking part in a group pyramid discussion,
Begin which is an activity designed to develop your fluency in speaking.
In these discussions, you will be expected to

• ask for and express opinions,
• agree and disagree with other group members, and
• negotiate solutions.
Task 1.23 Review
In GAC001 Academic English 1: Listening & Speaking Skills Unit 3,

you were introduced to asking for and giving opinions, as well as
agreeing and disagreeing.
With a partner, discuss the phrases you know to

• ask for and express opinions,
• agree and disagree.
Useful Language: Negotiating
1. The essence of negotiating is the ability to compromise or to find

the ‘middle ground’ with the other person. It is a ‘win-win’
situation in which both people benefit in some way from the final
decision.
Good negotiation involves finding a balance between staying true to

your own position and being able to move towards the position of the
other person.
For example:
A: What shall we do tomorrow? There’s a film I’d love to see
at the cinema.
B: Oh, I was hoping to go to the theatre. My friend’s in a play
and I promised I’d go along and support him.
A: Oh, OK. Well, if we go to the theatre on Saturday night,
we can still go to the cinema on Sunday. The film’s on for a
few days more. What do you think?
B: That’s a great idea. That way no-one loses out!
This is an example of a win-win situation.
If you give in too easily, it suggests you don’t have strong feelings about
the topic and perhaps don’t even care about the outcome.
If you hold your own position too strongly, there is no room for
a creative solution to emerge, and a stalemate situation tends to
occur where nothing can move forward.
We often use the Conditional form when we are negotiating. The

most common form would be ‘If you do X, then I’ll do Y’.
In the example above, how does A use the conditional to

negotiate the outcome?
Task 1.24 Focus Activity – Negotiating
Now see if you can write down any other expressions that might be
useful for negotiating in the box below. Compare your ideas with your
partner(s).
Multicultural Politeness: Expressing Disagreement/Making

Alternative Suggestions
Different cultures and languages have different ways of expressing

disagreement–some can be much more direct, and others can be much
more indirect. When speaking in English with people from a different
culture, it can be difficult to know how to be polite.
What do we mean by direct and indirect expression?
Have you ever had a communicative difficulty talking to a person from

a different culture while talking in English? What was the problem?
What do you think caused it?
Now compare your ideas about the following questions with your
partner(s).
a. Would you say that your culture/language is more direct or indirect

when disagreeing with other people? What reasons do you have
for this opinion?
b. Does the level of directness vary in your culture depending on who

you are talking to? How? Do you think this is the same in other
languages/cultures that you know of?
c. Do you know of any cultures that are very different to yours when
expressing disagreement or proposing alternative suggestions?
How are they different?

d. Can you think of any non-verbal ways in which you can make your
message friendlier or more acceptable to other people (tone of
voice, facial expressions, gestures, etc.)? Might any of these be
problematic when talking to people from other cultures. Are any
of them always good?
e. If you are talking to a person from a different culture in English, you

probably won’t know exactly what kind of expressions they would
normally use and expect. What kinds of strategies/expressions
could you use to make sure that you don’t upset them? Write your
answers in the boxes below.
Expressing disagreement:
Making alternative suggestions:
f. Now share your ideas with the rest of the class
Task 1.25 Pairwork – Fluency Practice
You and your partner(s) have been planning to do something

together tonight. You have a really good idea about what you want
to do (see the situation card that your teacher will give you) and
some very good reasons for doing it. Unfortunately, you
partner(s) does/do too! Try to negotiate a satisfying compromise
and decide what you are going to do and when. See if you can use
as much of the language you talked about as possible to
successfully reach an agreement!

Task 1.26 Feedback
With your teacher, answer the following questions:
1. How successful were your negotiations? Did you reach a win-

win situation? Did someone compromise more than their
partner?
2. What strategies and expressions did you use? How well did they
work?
3. How direct or indirect were you with your partner(s)?
4. What did you do to make your partners feel comfortable?
5. In future, when you are talking to another L2 speaker in English,
what sort of things do you think you will take into account?

Task 1.27 Introduction
You are going to consider the topic of school students volunteering in

the local community.
Work on your own at first. Consider the following questions for your
own local community:
• What kind of voluntary work could young people do in your

local community?
• What would be some of the advantages of volunteering in

your local community for young people?
• What would be some of the disadvantages?
Task 1.28 Pairwork – Brainstorm
Now find a partner. Discuss these questions and brainstorm possible

answers together. Make notes of your ideas.

Task 1.29 Pyramid Discussion Topic
You are a member of a government advisory panel on education.
You have been asked to advise on whether the following proposal

should become law:
Volunteering should be a compulsory component of the

school curriculum.
First, consider the following questions on your own. Decide what your
personal opinion is on the question below.
Make notes of your answers on Task 1.29 Worksheet in Column 1.
• Do you think volunteering should be part of the school

curriculum?
• If volunteering were part of the school curriculum, at what age

should it be introduced?
o At the start of high school?
o At the age of 16?
o At another age? (state what age and why)
• If volunteering were part of the school curriculum, should the

voluntary work be done during school hours or in the student’s
own time (i.e. after class or at the weekends)?
• If volunteering were part of the school curriculum, what should

be the minimum and maximum number of hours a school
student might be expected to volunteer each week?
• If volunteering were part of the school curriculum, should it be

compulsory or optional?
You should also consider the following questions, which relate to facts
not opinions.
• Is there a legal minimum age at which a young person can work

in your country? If so, what age?
• Does this age restriction also apply to volunteering, where no

payment is involved?

Task 1.30 Pyramid Discussion: Pairwork
Now join with another member of the Advisory Panel on Education and
discuss your ideas. You will probably not agree on all points, but the
aim is to negotiate and reach agreement. Discuss your opinions and
explain the reasons for your views. If your partner does not agree with
your views, try to persuade them to change their mind.
When you have reached agreement, enter your joint decisions on

Task 1.29 Worksheet in Column 2.
If you think of any other important considerations, add these to your

worksheet.
Task 1.31 Pyramid Discussion: Small Group
You and your partner will now meet another two people on the same
Advisory Panel, to form a team of four.
In your new group of four, discuss your opinions and negotiate until you
agree on these questions.
When you have reached agreement, enter your group decisions on Task
1.29 Worksheet in Column 3.
If you think of any other important considerations, add these to your

worksheet.
Task 1.32 Pyramid Discussion: Larger Group
You and your team will now meet another team on the same Advisory
Panel.
In your new group of eight, discuss your opinions and negotiate until
you agree on these questions.
When you have reached agreement, enter your group decisions on Task
1.29 Worksheet in Column 4.
Task 1.33 Pyramid Discussion: Whole Class
Now each group of eight should report back to the full Advisory Panel,
the whole class.
Together you need to reach a final agreement on these questions.
When you have reached agreement, enter your final decisions on

Task 1.29 Worksheet in Column 5.

Task 1.29 Worksheet
Column 1 Column 2 Column 3 Column 4 Column 5

Do you think volunteering should
be part of the school curriculum?
Yes (Y)/No (N)
If volunteering were part of

the school curriculum, at what
age should it be introduced?
(a) At the start of high
school?
(b) At 16?
(c) At another age?
(state what age)

the school curriculum, should
voluntary work be done
(d) during school hours or
(e) in the student’s own time?
Minimum number of hours per

week?
Maximum number of hours per
week?
the school curriculum, should
it be compulsory (C)
or optional (O)?
Other considerations

Task 1.34 Individual Reflection
Look at your worksheet and the decisions recorded in the five columns.
See how your initial personal decisions compare to the final decisions
made by the whole group, and how these may have changed along the
way in the other groups.
Reflect on your negotiating skills.
Do you feel you

were able to
compromise
well?
Do you feel you

gave in too
easily?
Do you feel you

held your own
position too
strongly?
Give yourself a score out of 5 for your negotiating skills, where 5 is the
highest mark and 1 is the lowest mark.
Record your reflections in your notebook. Reflect on the process of the

pyramid activity, and on your own negotiating skills.
Task 1.35 Class feedback
Your teacher will conduct class feedback on the pyramid discussion.
Task 1.36 Independent Study: Vocabulary Review

Review all the new vocabulary introduced in this unit and record it
in your vocabulary notebook.
Task 1.37 Independent Study
Go online to find out more about volunteering opportunities for young

people, whether working abroad or in your own country. You might be
surprised at the possibilities that are out there!
Bring the details of a volunteer position you would be interested in

to your next class – be prepared to discuss why you chose it.


Part B Identifying Language Functions
Part C Responding to a Listening Text via Multiple-Choice Questions
Part D Listening to a Group Research Presentation
Part E Speaking: Group Consensus and Problem-Solving Activity

• Identify language functions in listening texts

• Respond to a listening text via multiple-choice questions
• Listen to a group research presentation
• Participate in a group consensus and problem-solving activity
Task 2.1 Focus Activity – Living Environments
In groups of three or four discuss the following questions. Don’t forget

to ask follow-up questions.
• What are the advantages and disadvantages of living in a big

city?
• Do you think there are enough green spaces in your area?
• Can you think of any new businesses that have opened in your
area recently?
• Do you prefer to go shopping or to buy things online? Why?
• Have you ever made a complaint in a shop?

Part B Identifying Language Functions

Before You In this section, you will practise the language functions of
Begin complaining, apologising, making suggestions, giving advice,
describing cause and effect, and summarising in academic and non-
academic situations.
Introduction
In GAC001 Academic English 1: Listening & Speaking Skills Unit

2 Part E, you were introduced to certain key language functions:
making requests, offering to help, making suggestions, making
complaints and apologising. You also studied how to respond
appropriately to each of these.
Task 2.2 Review Questions
Do this following activity on your own at first.
What would you say in the following situations? What phrases would
you use?
• Taking a new smartphone you’ve just bought back to the

shop because there is a problem with it, and complaining.
• Apologising to a friend of yours. You promised to post an
important letter for him/her, but you forgot.
• In a business meeting, suggesting that the group look at the
problem from a different perspective.
What kind of response could you expect in each situation?
Pairwork
Discuss your answers with a partner. Then see how well your ideas
work by role playing each mini-dialogue with your partner, taking it
in turns to be the person speaking and the person responding.

Task 2.3 Review Questions 2
Now look at the following situations. How has the situation

changed? What phrases would you use now and why?
• You’ve just bought a second-hand smartphone from a

friend of yours but there is problem with it. Take it back to
your friend and complain.
• Apologise to your neighbour (who you haven’t met before)
for the noise from your house last night.
• In a group discussion in class, suggest that the group look at
the problem from a different perspective.
What kind of response could you expect?
Pairwork
Discuss your answers with a partner. Then see how well your ideas
work by role playing each mini-dialogue with your partner. Take it
in turns to be the person speaking and the person responding.
Task 2.4 Summarising: Review
You have previously studied summarising in GAC001 Academic

English 1: Listening & Speaking Skills, and in GAC002 Academic
English I: Reading and Writing Skills.
What phrases can you remember for summarising? Work

with a partner and see how many you can remember.

Task 2.5 Focus Questions / Brainstorm
Work with a partner. Think of example situations where you would

need to:
• Give advice
• Describe cause and effect
Brainstorm the phrases you already know for these two functions.
Then role-play your example situations.
Giving Advice
Giving advice in English is usually done in the form of suggestions.

The difference is that you are making a suggestion for the other
person to do something to help resolve a problem.
A: (Explains problem) I don’t know what to do. I’m so confused.

B: Have you thought of seeing the student counsellor?
A: Oh, that’s an idea. Yes, perhaps I should do that.
Advice ranges from tentative (weak) to strong
Weak/tentative advice
Have you thought about X / DOING X?

Have you considered X / DOING X
How about X/DOING X?
You could always DO X
It would be a good idea to DO X

Why don’t you DO X?
You should DO X
If I were you, I’d DO X
Strong Advice
Levels of Formality: Giving Advice
Advice is usually given between friends, and strong advice is usually

only given in more extreme cases.
In more formal situations, such as discussing a matter with your

tutor, you could ask for advice using the following phrases:
I’d welcome your advice.

I’d like some advice.
I need some advice.

Caution Language Focus: ‘Advice’
Note that ‘advice’ is an uncountable/mass noun.
We say, ‘a piece of advice’, or ‘some advice’. All of the following

are good English:
He gave me advice.
He gave me some advice.
He gave me a piece of advice.
The verb form takes an ‘s’, to advise (as ‘practice’ n/ ‘to practise’
v.). Note the pronunciation change from /s/ in advice (noun), to /z/
in advise (verb).
He advised me to give up the job.
Task 2.6 Matching Dialogue
Look at the problems and advice below.
Read through the problems and the pieces of advice, and then match
each problem to the advice given. The first one has been done for
you as an example. Write the letter corresponding to the advice in
the second column headed by an asterisk (*).
* Problem Advice
1 C I can’t focus on my studies. There A OK. Well why don’t you simply
are problems at home. withdraw your application?
2 My boyfriend is driving me crazy. I B Have you thought about getting a

don’t know what to do. part-time job?
3 I’m really not enjoying this university C It sounds like you should see the
course. I made a serious mistake student counsellor.
choosing this degree subject.
4 I’m having problems keeping up with D Well it’s not the end of the world.
the rent. You could always change to a subject
you do enjoy.
5 I don’t want to go on a Study Abroad E Well you know I’ve never liked him. If
trip after all. I think I’ll be too I were you, I’d dump him.
homesick.
Pairwork

Task 2.7 Mini-Dialogues
Think of some real-life problems (e.g. from characters on film or

TV). Be imaginative! (The problems don’t have to be ones you are
currently experiencing personally.)
Work with a partner. Imagine you are good friends. Go to your friend
to ask their advice about a problem you are having.
Describing Cause and Effect
The language of cause and effect is used extensively in academic

contexts. It is usually used in the past tense to describe something
that has happened.
Here is an everyday example:
The train crash was caused by a faulty light on the high-speed

track.
What is the result (or the effect)?

What was the cause?
Cause
A caused X
A gave rise to X
A led to X
Effect
X was caused by A
X was due to A
X resulted from A
X was as a result of A
X was because of A
A is a noun phrase, which can be replaced by ‘the fact that’ + clause
The train crash was due to the fact that there was a faulty light on
the high-speed track.
The Passive Form

Because we are usually more focused on the result, rather than the
cause, the passive form is most often used in cause and effect
statements.
The train crash was caused by a faulty light on the high-speed track.

Task 2.8 Identifying Speech Functions
You will listen to a recording of 7 speakers using a variety of speech

functions. Listen and put the number (1-7) of the speaker next to the
function they are using.
Number Function
Giving advice
Giving opinions
Complaining
Apologising
Describing cause and effect
Summarising
Making suggestions
Pairwork
Check your answers with a partner. Give reasons for your answers.
Task 2.9 Listening to Speech Functions: Cause & Effect
You will now listen again to the extract describing cause and effect.
As you listen, answer the questions below.
• What is the topic?
…………………………………………………………………………
• Complete the following:
The increase is housing development is due to ………………….
……………………………………………………………………..
Resources in these areas are severely strained as a result of
…………………………………………………………………….
The increase in housing development has led to ……………….
…………………………………………………………………….
The destruction of natural bushland has resulted in …………….
………………………………………………………………………

Pairwork
Work in a group of three students.
Discuss the urban development in your local area. Use the questions
below as a guide.
• How rapidly has urban development in your local area

increased? Is it still increasing? What future plans are there
for further development?
• What has caused this development?
• What are the effects of this development? What has been the
environmental impact of the development? What positive
effects have there been?
Task 2.11 Extension Activity – Small Group Discussion.
A country’s economy is made up of four sectors:
1) Primary: Exploitation of raw materials, e.g. farming

2) Secondary: Manufacturing e.g. car production
3) Tertiary: Services, e.g. retail
4) Quaternary: Intellectual services, e.g. research
In groups of three or four brainstorm other activities for each

category.
The location of a new industry will depend on many factors. In your

groups brainstorm some ideas and complete the mind map below:

Factors Affecting Location of Industry
Location
Your teacher will conduct a class feedback.
Nowadays there are also many footloose industries which can locate
anywhere.
Look at the following new economic activities and discuss possible

locations. What important factors should be taken into account when
choosing the location for each activity and why?
an expensive seafood restaurant a farmers’ market

a hospital a leisure centre
a computer game company a call centre
a clothes shop a technological university a supermarket
a bank an airplane production factory
Now join another group and compare your answers.

Part C Responding to a Listening Text via

Multiple-Choice Questions
Before You In this section, you will practise strategies for responding to a listening
Begin text via multiple-choice questions.
Introduction
Multiple-choice questions are a common feature of listening tests,

including English language proficiency tests such as TOEFL and
IELTS.
There are various strategies you can use to help you improve your ability
to answer multiple-choice questions in listening tests more effectively.
Task 2.12 Brainstorm
You are already familiar with multiple-choice questions as a response to

listening texts.
• How do you approach a --choice question?
• What strategies do you use?
• What tips do you know?
Responding to Multiple-Choice Questions
You will usually be given time before you listen to the recording to read
through all the questions. This is time you can use wisely.
Make sure you read each question and the multiple-choice answers
before you listen.
Read the question itself carefully and keep this as your focus. It is
important that you answer the question that is being asked. Don’t get
distracted by the possible answers into thinking the question is
something different.
Then read the multiple-choice answers carefully. The multiple-choice

answers will give you clues about the content of the listening and allow
you to predict vocabulary areas.

For example, in Unit 1 Part D, you were given the following multiple-
choice question.
What is the gist of this lecture? Choose the best answer:
a) What constitutes a nation.

b) The provisions of centralised government.
c) Participation in government.
d) The rights and responsibilities of citizenship.
This question appears to be relatively straightforward as it simply asks

for the gist of the lecture.
However, the answers (a) to (d) however might not appear so

straightforward and require close attention.
When you read the four possible answers, you realise that the lecture
will be something to do with the concept of a nation, about government,
or about citizenship. This allows you to predict the topic area(s) and the
vocabulary you might hear.
You will also notice that ‘government’ is mentioned twice. Answer (b)
is about centralised government, whereas (c) is about participation in
government. Neither of these might be the correct answer to this
question, but they give you a clue as to what to listen for in terms of the
finer details.
If centralised government were the main theme, what topic areas and
vocabulary would you expect to hear?
If participation in government were the main theme, what topic areas

and vocabulary would you expect to hear?
It is quite possible that these two subject areas are discussed in the
listening, but unless they answer Question (1), they are not the correct
answer.

Multiple-Choice Questions: Types of Questions
There are several different question-types in multiple-choice questions.
1. Choose the best answer
In multiple-choice questions, you are usually asked to choose the best

answer. It is important not only to read the question carefully, but also
to read the answers carefully. Sometimes one answer might seem
correct, but another answer is better. Always choose the answer that best
answers the question.
2. More than one answer is required
Sometimes the question will ask you to choose more than one answer,
using phrases such as:
More than one answer is possible.

or
Choose two of the following.
3. Choose the one NOT mentioned
Sometimes the question is something like this:
Which of the following is NOT mentioned in the listening?
You have to select the one multiple-choice answer that is not in the
listening. Out of (usually) 4 possible answers, you will hear 3 of them,
so the correct answer is the fourth one that has not been mentioned.
In the example question above, NOT is in capitals, but that is not always
the case. This is one of the reasons why it is important to read each
question very carefully.
4. Fine-tuning
In some multiple-choice questions, elements of the question are

repeated. Look at the following example:
How large will the car park be?

a) Two-storey with 500 parking spaces.
b) Two-storey with 1000 parking spaces.
c) Three-storey with 500 parking spaces.
d) Three-storey with 1000 parking spaces.
Two-storey and three-storey are both repeated, and so too are 500 and
1000 spaces. You therefore know that it has to be either two- or three-
storey, so listen carefully for that difference. You also know that it has
to be 500 or 1000 spaces, so listen carefully for that distinction.

Caution Distractors
This is not a question type, but it is often something to be careful of

when assessing possible answers. Some of the multiple-choice answers
are simply there to ‘distract’ you from the correct answer.
Before You Listening and Responding via Multiple-Choice Questions

Listen
You are going to listen to Part 1 of a dialogue.
Before you listen for the first time, read Questions 1–5 and apply the
strategies for multiple-choice questions that you have just studied.
Focus on the topic areas and the vocabulary you are likely to hear.
Task 2.13 Listening for Gist: Part 1
Now listen to the dialogue and answer the questions.
Choose the best answer.
1. What is the topic of the survey?

a) The new shopping centre.
b) The local neighbourhood.
c) The local economy.
d) Public transportation.
2. Who is collecting information via this survey?

a) The local city council.
b) The management of the new shopping centre.
c) The local neighbourhood action group.
d) A student doing a project at the local high school.
3. What is the status of the new shopping centre?

a) Proposed. The idea hasn’t yet been formally accepted.
b) Planned. It’s been accepted but work hasn’t started yet.
c) Work has already started.
d) Work is almost complete.
4. What does the resident say about the project?

a) She’s opposed to the project.
b) She’s looking forward to the new facilities.
c) She hasn’t heard about it before.
d) She’s worried about the construction work.
5. What does she like most about living in this neighbourhood?

a) Public transport is good.
b) The neighbours are friendly.
c) The local parks and children’s playgrounds.
d) The shopping facilities.

Pairwork
Discuss your answers with a partner. Explain the reasons for your
choices.
If you are not sure about an answer, wait till you listen to the recording
a second time and check your answer again.
Before You Listening and Responding via Multiple-Choice Questions

Listen
Read questions 6 to 9 carefully before you listen to the first part of the
recording a second time. Apply the strategies you have just studied.
Task 2.14 Listening for Details: Part 1
Now listen and answer Questions 6 to 9.
6. Where is the new shopping centre located?

a) Close to Redwood City.
b) On Union St.
c) On Broad St.
d) On the corner of Union St and Broad St.
7. What is the area of the shopping centre complex?

a) 750,000 sq. feet.
b) 75,000 sq. feet.
c) 70,000 sq. feet.
d) 7,000 sq. feet.
8. What is this area in sq. metres?
9. How large will the car park be?

a) Four-storey with over 1000 parking spaces.
b) Four-storey with over 2000 parking spaces.
c) Five-storey with over 1000 parking spaces.
d) Five-storey with over 2000 parking spaces.
Pairwork
Discuss your answers with a partner. Explain the reasons for your
choices.
Your teacher will conduct class feedback. If necessary, you will listen
to this part of the recording once more.

Task 2.15 Listening for Details: Factual Questions: Part 1
Read Questions 10-17 before you listen to this part of the recording.
Complete the questions that the interviewer asks, and the details that the
resident provides where indicated.
SURVEY: Resident’s Details
10. Question: ……………………………………………………………………..
……………………………………………………………………………………. ?
11. Anonymous: Yes/No (please circle)
12. Question: …………………….……………………………………………..
……………………………………………………………………………………. ?
First Name: SALLY 13. Surname: …………………………...
14. Address: ………………….. South Vine St.
15. Question: ……………………………………………………………………..
……………………………………………………………………………………. ?
Response: About 15 years.
16. Question: ……………………………………………………………………..
……………………………………………………………………………………. ?
Response: There are 3 of us.
17. Question: ……………………………………………………………………..
……………………………………………………………………………………. ?
Response: We own our home.
Pairwork
Compare your answers with a partner. If necessary, you will listen to

this part of the recording once more.

Task 2.16 Listening for Details: Benefits and Drawbacks: Part 1
Complete the following table with the benefits and drawbacks of the
new shopping centre, according to what you hear. Just complete Part
1 at this stage.
Benefits Drawbacks
Part 1 Part 1
Part 2 Part 2
Pairwork
Compare your answers with a partner and discuss the evidence for your
answers.
Task 2.17 Asking for Opinions and Suggestions
The resident is asked for her opinion on certain topics. Look at the
following exchanges. How do you expect the interviewer to phrase the
questions?
Then listen and write the questions the interviewer asks in the following
exchanges:

SURVEY (Continued)
18. Question: ……………………………………………………………………….
………………………………………………………..……… in this neighbourhood?
Response: I like our neighbours the most.
19. Question: ……………………………………………………………………….
………………………………………………………… that Redwood City can make to the
neighbourhood?
Response: I’d like to see more bus routes nearby.
20. Question: …………………………………………………………on this development?
…………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………….………………………. for the building of the new shopping centre?
Response: I think there will be economic benefits.
Pairwork
Compare your answers with a partner and discuss the evidence for your
answers.
Task 2.18 Listening for Gist: Part 2
Now listen to Part 2 of the interview and answer the questions.
What kind of questions is the interviewer asking in Part 2 of the

interview?
Choose two of the following:

a) Asking for facts
b) Asking for opinions
c) Asking for suggestions
d) Asking for advice
Pairwork
Discuss your answer with a partner. Give reasons for your choices.

Task 2.19 Listening for Details: Benefits and Drawbacks: Part 2
In Part 2, further benefits and drawbacks to the new shopping centre are
mentioned. Listen and add these to Part 2 of the benefits and drawbacks
table from Task 2.14.
Pairwork
Compare your answers with a partner. Discuss the evidence for your
answers.
Task 2.20 Rephrasing a Question
Work on your own and consider the following questions:
• When the interviewer asks: ‘Do you think the new shopping
centre will have an effect on the social identity of the local
community?’ what reaction does the resident have? Explain
what happens.
• Why doesn’t she understand his question?
• How does the interviewer reword his question so the woman

understands? What phrase does he use?
Pairwork
Now check your answers with a partner. Discuss the evidence for your
answers.

Task 2.21 Vocabulary Focus: Guessing Meaning from Context
Choose a word or phrase from the box that matches the meaning of the
underlined words in the paragraph below. The first one has been done
for you as an example.
No. Meaning
periods of ten years
in large quantities
company names, famous for their good

reputation
small and specialist
goods for sale
goods needed
(1) old and treasured
Union St is a part of Redwood City’s old downtown

district. It’s especially known for its (1) vintage
buildings and (2) boutique shops.
Some of the stores are family-owned and have been

around for (3) decades.
The new shopping centre will have a larger selection of

(4) products at cheaper prices because they can buy
their (5) supplies (6) in bulk for their many locations
around the country.
They will also have a lot of (7) brand names that people
weren’t able to find before on Union St.
Pairwork
Discuss your answers with a partner and give reasons for your choices.

Task 2.22 Vocabulary Focus – Pairwork
a) vintage b) boutique c) decades

d) products e) supply/supplies
f) bulk g) brand names
Complete the following sentences with the vocabulary in the box from
2.21 and quickly check your answers with your partner(s).
1. Do you ever shop at _____________s ? What kind of things do you

buy?
2. Are you a fan of _____________ clothing? Why (not)? Does it

matter to you that something has been used for _____________?
3. Is it important to you that your clothes and electronics are the top
_________________ or are you happy to buy generic
_____________?
4. In your house, do you ever buy any household items in

_____________?
5. Is there anything that you feel the need to keep a good

_____________ of? Why is it so necessary?
Pairwork
Now discuss the questions above with a partner, giving reasons for
your responses. Your teacher will conduct class feedback.
Task 2.23 Partner Discussion
Find a new partner and discuss the questions below:
• The new shopping complex will make the Union Street area look
more contemporary. Is this likely to be a benefit or a drawback?
Give reasons for your answer.
• Why might the new shopping centre threaten the existence of the
older smaller shops?
• How will the new shopping centre affect the social identity of the
local community?
When you have finished, change partners and discuss the questions with
your new partner.

Form a group of three or four students and discuss the questions below:
• Have there been any developments similar to this one where you
live; where a new development has threatened the existence of
older, smaller shops?
• What happened? Did people protest? Did the new development

go ahead?
• If the development went ahead, what was the effect on the smaller
shops?
• How was the social identity of the community affected?
When you have finished, change groups and discuss these same
questions in your new group.

Part D Listening to a Group Research Presentation
In this section you will practise listening to a group research presentation,

where the group is reporting on a survey they conducted.
Before In Part C, you listened to an interview that formed part of a survey that a
You group of students were conducting.
Listen
Now you will listen to these students giving a group presentation on the
survey they carried out.
As a class, brainstorm the following questions:
When the students report on their survey, how do you expect them to
present their material? What would you expect them to include?
What would you include if you were giving a presentation on a survey

your group had conducted?
Task 2.26 Listening: The Sections of a Research Presentation
Look at the sections of a research presentation listed below.

In what order do you expect to hear these?
Write your answers in the first column on the left, from 1 to 7.
Then check with a partner and see whether your ideas are the same.
If not, discuss the reasons for your answers.
Your predictions What you hear Research prestentation

Findings
Question & Answer
session
Background information
about the project
Conclusions &
Recommendations
Introduction &
Overview
Discussion of findings
Research methods

Now listen to the introduction to the presentation and number the sections
according to what you hear.
Are the sections in the order you expected?
Pairwork
Now listen to the whole presentation.
1. Which student presents which section(s)?
Student Presentation Section

Joe
Cindy
Mark
Anne
2. Which sections do you not hear in this recording?
3. Which sections are combined in this presentation?
Pairwork
answers.
Task 2.28 Listening for Detail: Introduction
You will now listen to each section again and this time focus on listening
for details.
Read through the following questions and then listen again to the
introduction.

1. According to the introduction, what is the group presentation

about?
2. What is the title of the slide that gives an overview of their

presentation?
3. What does the speaker ask the audience to do with any questions
they have?
Pairwork
answers.
Task 2.29 Listening for Detail: Background Information
Read through questions 1 to 6 before you listen to this section. Then listen
and answer the questions.
1. What will the shopping centre include? More than one answer is
possible.
a) A large department store
b) A supermarket
c) A medical centre
d) A food court
2. How many retail stores will it include?

a) 16 retail store
b) 18 retail stores
c) 60 retail stores
d) 68 retail stores
3. What is the estimated cost of the construction project?

a) $4 million
b) $14 million
c) $40 million
d) $4 billion

4. When will the building work be finished?

a) In two months’ time
b) In one year
c) By next September
d) By next December
5. According to this section, what is the purpose of their research?
To determine …
6. What is their hypothesis?
That the new shopping centre will have …
Pairwork
answers.
Task 2.30 Listening for Detail: Research Methods
Read through questions 1 to 7 before you listen to this section. Then listen
and answer the questions.
1. What was the group process for starting their research project?
Number the steps 1 to 4 in the order you hear them.
Order Step in their process
Brainstorm to see how much background

information they knew.
Choose the final topic.
Research to fill in the missing background
information.
Brainstorm a list of possible topics.

2. What kind of sources did they use? Choose the best answer.
a) Primary sources only
b) Secondary sources only
c) Mostly secondary sources
d) Both primary and secondary sources
3. Who or what were their sources of information?
4. What is the purpose of general information questions?
5. What is the purpose of open-ended questions?
6. Why are open-ended questions so important?
7. Why are follow-up questions important?
Pairwork
Compare your answers with a partner.

Discuss the evidence for your answers.

Task 2.31 Listening for Detail: Findings and Discussion of Findings
Read through questions 1 to 7 before you listen to this section.
As you listen, decide whether the following statements are True, False, or
whether not enough information has been given for you to decide (Not
Given). Answer the questions according to what you hear. Circle the
correct answer.
If an answer is False, correct it.
T / F / NG 1. The majority of respondents were happy living near Union St.
T / F / NG 2. A minority of interviewees said the neighbourhood was safe and

friendly.
T / F / NG 3. There were many suggestions for improvements to the

neighbourhood.
T / F / NG 4. Local residents were against the new shopping centre.
T / F / NG 5. The majority of older respondents wanted a public library included

in the new development.
T / F / NG 6. The survey had a high participation success rate.
T / F / NG 7. The group’s conclusion is that the new shopping centre will have a
noticeable impact on the social identity of the Union St neighbourhood.
Pairwork
answers.

Look back at the process of designing a survey and in particular, how to

design and order the questions for a survey.
You will need this information for the speaking activity in the next
section, Part E.
Use some of your Independent Study Time to review functions of

speech, in particular:
• Asking for and giving opinions

• Agreeing and disagreeing
• Negotiating solutions
• Asking for and giving suggestions
You will need these in the group discussion in the next section, Part E.

Part E Speaking: Group Consensus and

Problem-Solving Activity
Before You In this section you will be asked to work in a group, engage in a
Begin problem-solving activity and arrive at a group consensus.
Group Consensus
In business and academic life, you will often find yourself working in
groups, dealing with various opinions, expressing your own views,
solving problems, negotiating solutions and arriving at a group
consensus, a final decision that everyone is happy with.
This section focuses on preparing you for this kind of problem-solving

activity in a group.
You will have the opportunity to practise the following language

functions:

• Asking for and giving suggestions
• Negotiating solutions
Focus on Fluency
The focus in this section is on fluency. When you are speaking in the
group, concentrate on the message you wish to convey. This is not the
time to get worried about accuracy, as this will interrupt your fluency.
Focus on communicating your message. Use this activity as an
opportunity to practise and improve your fluency in speaking English.
Problem-Solving Activity: Designing a Research Questionnaire
Work in a group of four students.
Together, you are going to design a research questionnaire for a

neighbourhood survey that your team will carry out.
Note that you will not be interviewing the general public in this activity.
You will, however, practise conducting the survey on other members of
your class.
The main aims of the activity are to give you practice in formulating
effective questions, and practice at designing a research questionnaire.
In order to achieve these aims, you must engage in the problem-solving
activity with other members of your group, in order to arrive
at a group consensus.

Task 2.34 Instructions
Read the following instructions and answer the question below:
What are the aims of your neighbourhood survey?
Background to the situation
Your group works for the local city council. A new
is likely to have on the social identity of your neighbourhood.

You also need to find out what local residents think about the
proposed development, and whether they have any
suggestions that could be useful to the city council.
Task 2.35 Brainstorm: What is the Proposed Development?
The first task for your group is to decide what this proposed
development is. It could be a real-life situation that is affecting a local
neighbourhood in your city, or you could choose an imaginary
development, perhaps something that you would like to see introduced
into a local neighbourhood.
In your group, start by brainstorming possible topics for the proposed

development.
Remember to ask each other for suggestions and opinions and contribute
to the discussion by expressing your own views.
Reach a group decision on the proposed development project that is

going to be at the centre of your research. Decide on the facility (what
is going to be built?) and the location (where is it going to be built?).

Task 2.36 Review: Research Methods
Throughout this activity, you will be using the same research methods
that you heard described in the group presentation in Part D.
So far you have done the first two:
• Brainstorm a list of possible topics

• Choose the final topic
What are the next two steps?
Task 2.37 Background Information
In your group, conduct a second brainstorm session to see how much

background information you already know about the topic, such as how
much land would be required to build it, how long it might take to build,
what services/resources it would require, and what facilities it would
offer the local community once it is completed.
Organise your ideas on a mind map.
Look at your mind map to see what information might be missing, and
then allocate these areas to different group members to research.
What kind of sources will you use: primary or secondary or both?
Who or what are going to be your main sources of information?
Task 2.38 Questionnaire Design 1: What Information do you Require?
In your group, discuss the following:
What information do you require from this survey?
Make notes of the information you need, and then think about the kind
of questions you will need to ask to obtain this information.

Task 2.39 Questionnaire Design 2: What Kind of Questions will you Need to Ask?
Review
In your group, discuss and review the following questions:
What kind of questions will you need to ask to obtain facts for
demographic purposes?
What kind of questions will you need to ask to find out someone’s
opinions?
What kind of questions will you need to ask when someone gives a
short answer, and you need to know more details?
What kind of question is useful because it prevents people from giving

a simple Yes or No answer?
Task 2.40 Questionnaire Design 3: Plan Your Questionnaire
Plan the outline structure of your questionnaire.
Start with basic facts, such as simple demographic information.
Then move to deeper questions, asking for opinions and suggestions.
Work in your group to plan the outline structure of your questionnaire.
Task 2.41 Questionnaire Design 4: Write the Questions
In your group, write the actual questions that you need to ask in each
section of your questionnaire in order to get the information you require.
Divide the sections of the questionnaire between your group members

and write the questions in one section. You can either work individually
or work in pairs to write the questions.
When you have finished, share your questions with the other members
of your group. Help each other to fine-tune the questions so that they
are the most effective questions you can use.

Task 2.42 Questionnaire Design 5: Completing the Questionnaire
To finish the questionnaire design, imagine yourself using the

questionnaire to interview a local resident.
Think of how you

will start the
interview, and
what phrases you
might use.
Think of how you

will end the
interview, and
what phrases you
could use.
Make a note of
these phrases.
Task 2.43 Survey Practice
Practise your questionnaire in your group. Take it in turns for one of

you to be the interviewer, and another the local resident.
Meanwhile the other two members of your group should observe and
make notes of any improvements needed to the questionnaire.
Use the flow chart Figure 2.43 as a guide for the interview. Feel free
to use other questions and responses.
Fine-tune your questionnaire, so you feel ready to conduct your survey.
Task 2.44 Conducting a Survey
Your teacher will divide the class into two large groups. Group A will
be interviewers, and Group B will be local residents. Students from
Group A will interview ‘local residents’ from Group B and note their
responses. Local residents can be imaginative in their answers!
When the first round of interviews has been conducted, the groups
change roles. Students from Group B then use their survey questions
and find a local resident from Group A to interview.
After the second round of interviews, return to your original group.
In your original group, compare the answers you received to your survey
questions from the different residents your group interviewed.
Are there any interesting results? Do you notice any significant trends?

Figure 2.43 Interview Flowchart

Interviewer Resident
Knock on door. Introduce yourself and
the organisation you’re from.
survey) and why.
Ask the resident if they would like to

answer anonymously.
questions.
Ask for the resident’s opinions

(e.g. of the neighbourhood,
have.
Ask resident’s opinion about how the new

development will affect the image of the
neighbourhood.
Close the interview.

Thank the resident.

Task 2.45 Reflection and Feedback
Reflect on the following questions with your partner(s):
• What have you learned from this activity?
• How easy did you find asking questions in English?
• How easy did you find responding to the questions?
• What was the most challenging thing for you personally about
conducting a survey?
• How easy did you find working in a group?
• Did you manage to reach a group consensus? Why (not)?
Make notes in your notebook about your personal experience in this

activity.
Task 2.46 Independent Study: Interview
Interview one person about their living environment. This could be a

foreigner, or someone who has moved to the area recently. Find out
what, in their opinion, are the advantages and disadvantages of living in
their area. You will be required to report back on your interview in a
week’s time.
Task 2.47 Independent Study: Vocabulary Review
Review all the new vocabulary introduced in this unit and record it in
your vocabulary notebook.


Unit 3: Work and Business

Part B Responding to a Listening Text with Gap-Fill Activities
Part C Predicting Lecture Content & Identifying Common Signposting
Phrases
Part D Speaking: Participating in Interactive Situations

• Respond to a listening text with gap-fill activities

• Respond to a listening text by completing a summary
• Predict the content of a lecture
• Identify common signposting phrases
• Participate in a variety of interactive situations involving formal and
informal language
Task 3.1 Focus Activity – Work and Business
In groups of three or four discuss the following questions:
• What job would you like in the future? Why?

• What personal qualities do you need to be a boss?
• Would you like to own your own company? Why (not)?
• Why do you think that some new businesses are not
successful?
• Would you like to work for a large multi-national company?
Why (not)?

Part B Responding to a Listening Text with Gap-

Fill Activities
Before You In this section you will develop strategies for responding to a listening
Begin text with gap-fill activities.
Introduction
Gap-fill activities are a common feature of listening tests, including

English language proficiency tests such as TOEFL and IELTS.
These questions require you to listen and complete a sentence (or longer
text) by writing the missing information in the gaps in the text.
There are two kinds of gap-fill activities that you will encounter:
1. Completing a sentence by using a word or phrase exactly as

you hear it. The text follows the listening script, and you
complete the gap-fill as you listen.
2. Completing a summary by using one or more words. This is

usually done after you have listened to the recording and is a
way of demonstrating that you have understood the listening
material and can summarise it. This kind of question does not
usually require you to use the exact wording of the listening
text.
You are already familiar with gap-fill activities as a response to listening

texts.
• How do you approach a gap-fill question?

• What strategies do you use?
• What tips do you know?
• What do you find most difficult about this kind of question?

Strategies for Gap-Fill Activities
There are various strategies you can use to help you improve your ability
to respond to listening texts with gap-fill activities.
As with other forms of listening questions, it is important to read

through the questions carefully before you listen to the recording. This
is time you can use wisely.
Read the text carefully and pay attention to where the blanks
fall.
Use the context of the missing information in the gap-fill

activity to predict:
1. The content: What information are you listening for?
2. The syntax: What grammatical form does the missing word
need to be? Is it a verb? If so what tense? Is it an adjective or
adverb? A noun? If so, singular or plural?
Listen the first time for gist and overall understanding. Don’t
focus on completing answers at this stage.
Listen the second time and complete the answers.
Check your answers for grammatical accuracy and spelling.
With a partner, consider the following answers to gap-fill activities.
Are these answers correct or incorrect? If they are wrong, correct the
answers.
1. The secretary said they would be _living at 12 o’clock.
2. The secretary said they would be _leave at 12 o’clock.
3. A major _payback of foreign investment is the exchange rate.
4. One of the _drawback of foreign investment is the exchange

rate.

Warning Important!
For your answer to be correct in a gap-fill activity, it not only has to be

the correct word, but it must also be the correct form of the word.
When you check your answers, make sure you have used the correct
form of the word required.
Before You Focus Questions

Listen
You are going to listen to a discussion on the subject of business
etiquette in different countries around the world.
• What do you think the term ‘business etiquette’ means?
• How could business etiquette be different in different countries

around the world? Can you think of some examples?
Listen to the group discussion. The first time you listen, focus on the
main ideas presented, and answer the following questions:
1. What kind of setting is it? Choose the best answer.
a) A conference presentation
b) A professional development workshop
c) A business group presentation
d) An international business meeting
2. Which of the following main areas of cultural difference are

discussed?
a) The need for patience

b) The focus on relationship development
c) The importance of business cards
d) Business decisions being made outside of business meetings
e) The ‘Time is Money’ principle
f) The importance of being punctual
3. In which country is the discussion being held?
Pairwork

Listen again and complete the first four columns of the table below with
information about the three speakers:
Main
Country: based
Line of area(s) of
Name Job title in
business cultural
or responsible for
difference
Adam
(c)
Leah
Pharmaceuticals
Now match the main areas of cultural difference in Question (2) in Task
3.5 with the countries listed here. Enter this information in the right-
hand column, e.g. Adam (c).
Pairwork
Task 3.6 Gap-Fill Activity
Complete the following text summarising the group discussion you have
just heard. Use one or two words in each gap.
First read the text carefully and fill in any blanks you can as you read.
Then listen to the discussion once more and complete the text.

Business etiquette in different countries around the world
Business cards are (1) when doing business in (2) .

You should never go to an (3) without them, especially if it is
your first meeting with a (4) or business
(5) , otherwise you risk (6) them. Your business
card should always be held in both hands when you present it. Also make sure the
(7) side is facing up towards your client.
Building (8) and establishing close relationships is how business deals

are done in (9) . Business meetings typically begin with small talk that is
unrelated to the meeting’s (10) , as people get to know one another better.
Senior (11) are more likely to do business with people they know
and (12) , and usually finalise negotiations
(13) business meetings.
(14) is the key to success in (15) . Although you

are expected to be (16) , it is common for meetings to start late and for
you to be kept waiting. Meetings are often (17) by other people
entering the room and side (18) happening. There is also a
different sense of (19) , and your clients will stand much
(20) to you than is usual in the west.
Pairwork
Check your answers with a partner. If necessary, listen to the discussion

once more.
In groups of three or four students, discuss the following questions:
• Have you experienced cross-cultural etiquette themes such as the

ones discussed here? For example, ideas of personal space being
different between people from Latin America or the Middle East
(who tend to stand closer) and those from the Far East or East Asia
(who tend to stand further away)?
• Have you experienced any other cross-cultural etiquette themes,

perhaps in interaction with students or tourists from other
countries?

Task 3.8 Personal Space Experiment
Work with a partner initially.
Stand opposite your partner at your ‘usual’ distance apart, so you feel
comfortable. Start a conversation. Then pause and take a step closer
together, and then carry on your conversation for a short time.
Experience how this feels in your body. How comfortable do you feel
standing this close to your partner?
Then return to your normal distance apart and continue your

conversation.
Now pause again and this time, take a step further apart than usual.
Continue your conversation at that distance. Observe how this feels in
your body.
Then pause once more and finally, come back to your normal distance
apart and complete your conversation.
Find a new partner and repeat this process.
Task 3.9 Group Discussion
At the end of this activity, form a group of four students and discuss
your experiences of this personal space experiment.
• How comfortable did you feel standing closer than usual to your
partner?
• How comfortable did you feel standing further away than usual?
• What have you learned about yourself from this process?
Task 3.10 Reflection and Feedback
Reflect on the following questions with your partner(s):
• How easy do you find gap-fill question-types?
• What is the most challenging thing for you personally about

gap-fill questions?
• What have you learned about yourself in this section?
In your own time, use your discussion to make notes in your

notebook about your personal experience in this activity.

Part C Predicting Lecture Content & Identifying

Common Signposting Phrases
Before You In this section you will learn to predict lecture content and identify
Begin common signposting phrases.
Predicting Lecture Content
Lectures contain a lot of information and this can be overwhelming if

you are unprepared.
The most effective way you can prepare yourself to listen to a lecture is
to focus your attention before the lecture starts and predict the lecture
content. Predicting the lecture content includes anticipating the
vocabulary and ideas that you are likely to hear. Preparing in this way
will considerably improve your ability to understand the lecture.
You can predict the content of a lecture in two ways:
1. From the title of the lecture, before the lecture starts.
2. From the introduction, as the lecture is starting.
The second way of predicting lecture content forms a major part of

academic listening skills. This particular skill is one you will need to
develop for university study in English.
Tip Predicting Lecture Content from the Title
You can usually only get a general idea of the content of a lecture from
its title. Until you hear the introduction you won’t usually know what
the exact focus of the lecture is going to be.
Signposting Phrases
Another way of predicting content is to recognise ‘signposting phrases’

as you listen. These are phrases which literally point you in the direction
the talk is moving in, like a signpost.
You will already be familiar with many signposting phrases.
Making generalisations:
Generally speaking, …
Broadly speaking, …
In general, …
Being specific:
In particular, …
Specifically, …

Creating a list:
There are three/four/etc. main reasons/advantages/approaches/etc. …
Listing:
Firstly/The first reason/advantage/approach/etc. …
Task 3.11 Pairwork: Signposting Phrases
Look at the signposting phrases below. Work with a partner and tick (þ)
the ones you are already familiar with.
Signposting Phrases
1. Firstly, 16. In contrast, 31. To sum up,
2. Today, I plan to talk 17. Next week, we will be 32. To bring my talk to a
about ... discussing ... close,
3. Let’s go back to the point 18. Sorry, that’s all we have 33. This brings us to our next
I made earlier ... time for today ... topic, which is ...
4. For instance, 19. However, 34. In addition,
5. On the other hand, 20. Therefore, 35. Importantly,
6. Again, 21. For example, 36. As a result,
7. To recapitulate, 22. In other words, 37. Next,
8. Furthermore, 23. Overall, 38. Also,
9. Our topic today is ... 24. Secondly, 39. Consequently,
10. Let’s take a look at … 25. Let’s move on to ... 40. It’s significant that ...
11. It is essential/important 26. A very major point is ... 41. In my next lecture, I will…
to note …
12. To put it another way ... 27. A case in point is … 42. As I have been saying,
13. What I have been saying 28. If I may digress for a 43. As well as this,
is … moment …
14. Moreover, 29. Thus/Hence, 44. Next week we’ll continue
with …
15. Thirdly, 30. In conclusion, 45. Lastly,
Work with your partner to write the signposting phrases you already
know in a suitable box on the next page, according to their signposting
function.
Then try to guess the ones you don't know and write them in the
appropriate box.

Signposting Phrases
The asterisks (*) indicate how many phrases are in each box.
Introducing the lecture Emphasising a main point Adding information to the

main point
*
* *
*
* *
*
* *
*
*
Giving an example to support Sequencing the lecture Rephrasing something

a point
* *
*
* *
*
* *
*
* *
* *
Introducing a digression Moving on to another topic Contrasting ideas
* * *
* * *
Discussing consequences Summarising Discussing content of next

lecture
* *
*
* *
*
* *
*
* Concluding
*
*

Task 3.12 Brainstorm: Predicting Lecture Content from the Title
With a partner, look at the following lecture title and discuss the
questions below.
International Business Expansion
• What do you know about business expansion?
• How do you think businesses can expand internationally?
• What kind of vocabulary would you expect to hear in this lecture?
• What language functions might you expect to hear?
Task 3.13 Predicting Lecture Content from the Introduction
Now listen to the introduction to a lecture on international business

expansion and answer the following questions.
• What further information can you obtain from the introduction

about the content of this lecture and its likely vocabulary areas?
• What is the focus of this lecture?
Pairwork
Discuss your ideas with a partner.
Task 3.14 Listening for the Main Focus
Listen to the introduction once again.
According to the introduction, international business expansion can be

achieved by:
a) Exporting products overseas

b) Licensing or franchising
c) Entering into a joint venture
d) Foreign direct investment
e) All of the above
Which of these is the focus of today’s lecture?

Pairwork
Check your answer with a partner.
Task 3.15 Signposting
What phrase does the speaker use to signal the topic of the lecture? You
may need to listen once more to the introduction to catch the phrase
used.
Pairwork
Compare your answer with a partner.
Task 3.16 Listening Part 1: Listening for Gist
Now listen to the first half of the lecture, and answer the questions
below:
• How many different types of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI)

does the speaker discuss?
• What are the different approaches?
• Which approach does the speaker favour? How do you know?
Pairwork
Discuss your answers with a partner.

Task 3.17 Listening Part 1: Listening for Detail

Definitions
Definitions are an important part of academic discourse, and lecturers

will often define the terms they are using at the start of a lecture.
• How does the lecturer define Foreign Direct Investment?
Read through the following gap-fill text before you listen to the
recording.
Listen and complete the following with one word in each gap.
(1) speaking, foreign direct investment, also known as (2) ,
is when a company (3) in the (4) they need to set up
their business in an overseas country.
More (5) , they spend money to physically (6) their
company abroad by (7) building structures, (8) ,
labour and other necessities for their business operations. This is in (9)
to other foreign market (10) modes such as (11)
products overseas from one’s home country or (12) the business for a
local partner to run on their own.
• When you have completed the gap-fill, circle or highlight the

signposting phrases in the extract above. What are the
signposting phrases used?
• What do you notice about the structure of this definition from

the signposting phrases used?
Pairwork

Listen again to Part 1 and answer the question below.
• What are the advantages and disadvantages of the different

FDI approaches?
Complete the table below.
Approach 1: Approach 2:
Advantages
Disadvantages
Pairwork

Task 3.19 Listening Part 2: Listening for Gist
Now listen to the second half of the lecture.
In what order does the lecturer discuss the following points?

Number them from 1 to 3.
The importance of choosing the right potential partner in

the overseas country.
How to become an FDI.
The benefits and drawbacks of being an FDI company.
• Why does the lecturer use the signposting phrase ‘Let’s take a
step back …’ at the start of this section?
Pairwork
Read through these questions before you listen to the recording.
1. Why does the lecturer mention Venezuela?
2. What signposting phrase does he use to introduce this example?
3. Put the following steps in the correct order according to the lecture
for an Australian company wanting to become an FDI.
Find potential partners in the overseas country.
Contact the local Australian Trade Commission office in the

overseas country.
Make a positive impression on your potential local partner.
Do your research and seek expert advice before investing in

any foreign market.
Prepare your business plan for foreign market entry.

Pairwork
Task 3.21 Focus on Signposting
Listen once more to the lecture. This time focus on the signposting
phrases that the speaker uses to introduce each main point.
• What phrase does the speaker use to introduce each section of the
lecture? Write these in the second column of the table below.
• What signposting phrases does the speaker use within each section?
Write these in the third column.
The asterisks (*) indicate phrases to listen for.
Lecture Signpost phrase Signpost phrases within the section

section
1 Intro For the purpose of today’s NA
lecture ….
2 Broadly speaking … More specifically …
This is in contrast to …
3 * NA
4 * NA
5 There are advantages and *

disadvantages to these two Also …
types of FDI. However,
*
6 * *
7 Now let’s take a step back and *

consider the general advantages *
and disadvantages of FDI as a Case in point …
whole. *
8 How should you proceed? *

Here in Australia …
*
9 * *
At the same time,

10 We will look at four case NA
studies in this unit …

Pairwork
Tip Pay Attention to Signposting Phrases
Note that by paying attention to the signposting phrases in this way, you
have recreated the framework of the entire lecture.
Task 3.22 Pairwork: Spoken Summary
Find a partner, and using the signposting phrases above as a framework,

create a spoken summary of the lecture together.
Note: You are NOT expected to recreate the whole lecture, just a
summary, sticking to the main points. The signposting phrases indicate
the main points of the lecture so you should use them to guide you.
Focus on Fluency
When you have finished, find another partner and repeat this process.
Focus on fluency. You can probably now improve on your first spoken
summary.
Task 3.23 Independent Study Task
Write a summary of this lecture in your Independent Study Time, using

the signposting phrases given here as the framework for your summary.
Bring your written summary along to your next class and hand it to your
teacher.

In groups of three, discuss the following questions:
• Which foreign companies operate in your country? Do you know how

they invest? (For example, is it by Foreign Direct Investment?) If so,
which type of investment?
• If you were a business owner, which foreign country or countries would

you choose to invest in and why?
• If you were a business owner, which type of foreign direct investment

would you prefer? Give reasons for your answer
• What kinds of problems can foreign investment cause? How should these
problems be dealt with?
• What kinds of responsibilities do foreign companies have to local areas?
Task 3.25 Class Mini-Debate
Multinational companies, such as BP, Coca-Cola and Toyota, have their

headquarters (or parent company) in the original country but locate many of their
subsidiaries throughout the world.
In groups of three or four brainstorm the possible positive impact of international

companies on the host countries as well as possible contrasting arguments
(rebuttals).
Positive impact (pros) Rebuttals (However….)
Your teacher will now divide the class into two groups– Team A and Team B.
You are going to debate:
‘The impact of multinational companies’
Team A will argue in favour of multinational companies and Team B will offer
a rebuttal for each argument.
Before you start the debate, discuss your ideas with your teammates. Take it in
turns to present your arguments and rebuttals.
Which group gave the most convincing arguments?

Research the foreign companies that operate in your country. Choose one
company (or more if you have time) and find out how they invest locally.
Is it by Foreign Direct Investment? If so, what type of FDI?
Bring your results along to your next class and be prepared to discuss
them.
Look at the dictionary definition of entrepreneur.
entrepreneur | ˌɒntrəprəˈnəː | noun
a person who sets up a business or businesses, taking on financial risks in

the hope of profit: many entrepreneurs see potential in this market.
OED
Small business start-ups begin with a brilliant idea, but often investors will be
needed to help finance the idea.
Any new small business venture must think about the whole process of
developing and selling a product–they must have a good business plan.
Typically, bigger companies are organised into departments with specific

functions to improve the smooth running of the business. Some functions may
be carried out by more than one department in collaboration.
In groups of three or four look at the following activities and match them with
the department of a company in the chart below (some activities may be carried
out by more than one department)
.
inventory control promoting the product recruiting staff
pricing buying raw materials quality control
conducting interviews credit control training
social media maintenance of plant and equipment
cashflow product design production planning
distribution health and safety taxation
packaging profits and losses branding

Department Activity
Production
Research and
development (R&D)
Purchasing
Marketing and Sales
Human Resource
Management
Accounting and
Finance
Task 3.28 Small Group Presentation
Young entrepreneurs can pitch their ideas for a new business venture in
competitions and win both awards and funding to help start the business.
In your groups, you are going to come up with a new product you could
make and sell in preparation for a student start-up competition.
Think about:
– product design
– packaging and branding
– pricing
– sales and distribution
Prepare a short pitch to give at a start-up competition for young

entrepreneurs.
Give your pitch to the class. Be prepared to answer questions.

Listen to the pitches of the other groups and ask questions.
Vote! Which new business idea is the best?

Part D Speaking: Participating in Interactive Situations

Before You In this section you will participate in various interactive situations,
Begin practising language functions in both formal and informal settings.
This is to prepare you for interacting in communicative situations in
both academic and non-academic settings.
These activities will also prepare you for Assessment Event 1, an

interactive role-play.
Review Language Functions – Brainstorm
Work with a partner. What phrases do you know for the following
language functions and their appropriate responses? Consider formal
and informal options.
• Asking for and giving advice

• Making suggestions
• Making requests and offering to help
• Making a complaint
• Apologising
Task 3.29 Focus on Fluency: Interactive Role-Plays
You are now going to practise these language functions in role-play

situations. The aim of these role-plays is to practise real life situations
and give you the opportunity to develop your fluency. Because these are
fluency activities, focus on the message you want to convey.
Find a new partner, someone who you haven’t worked with before, or
one you haven’t worked with very often. Your teacher will give you
role-play cards and instructions.
When you have finished the role-play, find a new partner and get new
role-play cards from your teacher.
Remember: Focus on Fluency!
Assessment Event 1: Interactive Role-Play
You are now ready to do Assessment Event 1.
For this assessment, you will take part in a six-minute role-play that
demonstrates your ability to engage in interactive situations. This
assessment event will be video-recorded.
Your teacher will provide you with details of the assessment.



Part B Note-Taking and Guided Note-Taking from Listening Texts
Part C Listening and Labelling a Graph or Chart
Taking Notes of Main Ideas and Supporting Details
Part D Speaking: Describing Information from a Graph

• Listen and take guided notes

• Listen and label a graph or chart
• Listen and take notes of main ideas and supporting details
• Describe information from a graph
Task 4.1 Focus Activity – Health Science
In small groups of three or four, ask and answer the following questions
with your partners:
1) Would you say you are person who looks after themselves? What do
you do personally to keep healthy?
2) How often do you do exercise? What kind?
3) What types of exercise would you say would be the most beneficial for
the following people:
a young child a teenager an office worker

a farm worker
a pregnant woman an elderly person
4) What do you think are the benefits of doing exercise?
5) Is exercise considered important in your country Do you think people in

your country do enough exercise? What kinds are popular?
6) How healthy do you think your diet is?
7) Have eating habits changed in your country in recent years? Have the
changes been positive or negative? Why?

Part B Note-Taking and Guided Note-Taking

from Listening Texts
Before You In this section you will practise note-taking and guided note-taking
Begin from listening texts.
The Skill of Note-Taking
In academic life you will often need to take notes, particularly in

lectures and tutorials. Note-taking is also a useful skill in everyday life.
The essence of note-taking is to condense the information you hear as

much as possible, yet still be able to understand what you have written
afterwards so you can reconstruct the original meaning.
For example, during a phone call you might write down:

3 p.m. Wed
If you have an excellent memory, this might be enough for you to
remember a few days later what you are supposed to be doing at 3 p.m.
on Wednesday. You might be meeting a friend somewhere or going to
the dentist! This is a simple example, but it can also apply to notes taken
in an academic lecture for example.
To avoid this situation, you need to be aware as you are writing the
notes that you will have to be able to understand them later, as if you
are watching yourself over your shoulder. This may sound obvious, but
in practice this is a major part of the skill of note-taking.
This is also why, in academic life, it is a good idea to write up your

notes soon after a lecture, checking in your textbook for any names,
dates, spelling or other information that may be unclear from your
notes.
Task 4.2 Pairwork
With a partner, consider the following question:
Have you ever had the experience of taking notes and then being unable
to reconstruct the original meaning?
If so, share your memory with a partner. What additional information

did you need to include, in order to make sure you could understand the
notes later? (This could be a simple example such as the appointment
mentioned above.)

How to Take Notes
When you take notes, focus on the main content words. These will be
the words that carry the main sentence stress when someone is
speaking.
Let’s take an example from the previous unit. The underlined words
mark where the main sentence stress would fall:
The first step is to do your research and seek expert advice before
investing in any foreign market as a means to lessen risks and
maximise rewards.
These are the words to focus on and write down as your notes.
Example:
1st – research + expert advice before investing ® lessen risks &
maximise rewards
Because we are taking notes, we can use abbreviations, shorten words

and leave out any words unnecessary to the main meaning (such as
auxiliary verbs and articles).
In the example above:
‘First’ becomes 1st

‘And’ becomes + or &
‘As a means to’ becomes the arrow ® meaning ‘leading to’
If you use text messaging a lot, many abbreviations will be familiar to

you, and you may even have some of your own.
Task 4.3 Note-Taking Activity
Read the following extract and mark where you would expect the main
sentence stress to fall.
The advantage of owning a subsidiary company is that the physical

resources and human resources are already in place. Also, the parent
company begins receiving revenue right away because the subsidiary
already has a reputation in the market that generates cash flow.
Now write the notes for this extract. Use abbreviations and symbols
to simplify the text where you can.

Task 4.4 Pairwork
Exchange your notes with your partner. Try to reconstruct the meaning
of the extract from your partner’s notes. If not, what information is
missing?
Compare your notes and discuss any abbreviations or symbols you have
used.
Tips for Academic Note-Taking
Develop your own system for academic note-taking based on a few

simple strategies:
• If you take notes on paper, get a good loose-leaf notebook.

Placing these in a loose-leaf ring-binder enables you to add,
delete, and re-sequence pages and materials easily later.
• If you take notes electronically, remember that you may

need to add, delete, and re-sequence your notes and files
later.
• When taking notes, include:

o The module title
o The lecture or tutorial number, or the week number
o You might want to include the date as well. It can be
useful for sequencing your notes later
o Any guest speakers' names
o The name of any fellow student making an interesting
contribution, in case you want to follow up with them
later (e.g. to obtain a reference or more details)
• Organise your notes into sections. This makes it easier to find

material later.
Task 4.5 Focus Questions: Health and Exercise
Find a partner and ask each other the following questions.
• What are the benefits of regular exercise?
• Do you exercise regularly? If so, what kind of exercise do you

do and how often?
• What kind of exercise would you like to do more of?
When you have finished, find another partner and ask them the same
questions.

Task 4.6 Pre-listening Vocabulary Focus
1. Match the vocabulary below and the definitions. In pairs or small groups, check
your answers. If necessary, ask your teacher for help or examples.
a) condo(minium) (n.) b) “I don’t blame you” (idiom.)
c) scenery (n.) d) hike (n.) e) conduct (v.)
f) convenient (adj.) g) be running late (v.phr.)
h) determine (v.) i) membership (n.) j) fees (n.)
k) facilities (n.) l) intersection (n.)
Word Definition
the situation of being a member/part of a group or
organisation
something easy, accessible, helpful or useful
a building with a number of individually-owned apartments.
types of equipment/areas provided for doing activities
money you pay in return for services
expression to show you understand somebody’s
actions/opinions
a place where two roads cross
arrive/happen late
discover/find out (formal)
the view/the natural parts of a landscape
organize/carry out
a long walk, often in the mountains or countryside
Now complete the following sentences with words from the list above so that
they make sense. You will hear these expressions in the next listening activity.
1. I used to rent a place in a __________ at the __________ of 4th

and 7th Avenue. The traffic was really noisy!
2. I’m really sorry but I won’t be able to see you this afternoon–the
traffic’s terrible and I’m _______________.
3. The new gym around the corner sounds really great! People say
it has excellent __________. I imagine that the ______________
are really expensive, though!
4. I don’t really do much sport, although I do go ______________
in the mountains. I just love the fresh air and the beautiful
_____________.

Task 4.7 Listening and Guided Note-taking
You are going to listen to some people being interviewed in a survey.

Listen to the first interview in this survey.
• What is the aim of the survey?
Make notes below of the answers you hear.
No. Question Hint Answer
1 Age?
2 ?
3 Children?
4 ?
5 How far?
6 Exercise?
7 ?
8 Health club?
9 ?
10 ?
Task 4.8 Guided Note-Taking
Now listen again to the first interview. Take notes (in the Question
Hints column of the table above) to help you remember the questions
the interviewer asks.
Pairwork

Task 4.9 Listening: Survey
Look at the following table (Task 4.9 Worksheet). The left-hand

column represents the questions asked in this survey (1–10), as well as
an initial indication of whether the respondent is male or female (M/F).
The six columns are for the responses of the six interviewees.
Complete the answers for Respondent 1, from the interview you have
already heard.
Listen to the rest of the survey and the remaining five interviewees and
fill in your answers on your worksheet.

Task 4.9 Worksheet
Respondent
Question 1 2 3 4 5 6
Gender
M/F
1
10
Pairwork
If necessary, listen again to complete the table.

Task 4.10 Thanking and Accepting Refusal
Can you remember the phrases the interviewer uses to thank the
people who have participated in the survey?
• What phrases does he use?
• What phrases does he use when people refuse to

participate in the survey?
Now listen once more and check your answers.
Pairwork

Form a group with two other students and discuss the following
questions:
• Do you belong to a Health Club?
• If so, which one? (If not, imagine there is one you belong to.)
• What facilities does it offer?
• What does the membership include?
• Are there different levels of membership? If so, what are

they?
• How often do you go to the Health Club?
• How often would you like to go?
• What are the benefits of belonging to a Health Club?
• Are there any drawbacks?
When you have finished, form a new group and report on your previous
group discussion. Then discuss these same questions in your new group.
Visit a local health club and find out what facilities they have to offer,
and what their membership deals are. Bring the information to your next
class and be prepared to discuss your findings.

Part C Listening and Labelling a Graph or Chart

Taking Notes of Main Ideas & Supporting Details
Before You In this section, you will practise listening and labelling a graph or chart.
Begin You will also practise taking notes of main ideas and supporting details.
Before You Predicting General Content Based on Background Knowledge

Listen
Before you listen to a lecture or presentation, you can make predictions
about the general content based on your own background knowledge of
the subject.
Task 4.13 Focus Questions
You are going to listen to a lecture on the topic of malaria.
See what predictions you can make about the general content of the
lecture from your own background knowledge of malaria.
Look at the questions below, on your own at first.
Note: Don’t worry if you don’t know the answers. This is just to see
how much background knowledge you may already have about malaria.
• What do you know about malaria?
• How is it caused?
• What are the symptoms of the disease?
• Is it a deadly disease?
• Where in the world is malaria most common?
• Is it possible to catch malaria in your country?
• What can be done to reduce the incidence (number of cases) of

malaria?
Small Group Discussion
Now form a group with two other students and discuss your
answers. Your teacher will conduct class feedback.

Listen to Part 1 of the lecture and answer the question below.
1. What is the main point of the lecture?
To discuss:
a) The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
b) The Malaria Program Strategy
c) Current trends for the malaria epidemic
d) Malaria statistics
Pairwork
Discuss your answer with a partner, giving reasons for your choice.
Now listen to the first half of Part 1 again and this time listen for details.
Answer the following questions.
2. How many people are currently at risk of malaria infection?

a) 3.3 million
b) 3.3 billion
c) 33 million
d) 33 billion
3. How many people were clinically diagnosed with malaria in 2010?

a) Over 2 million
b) Over 20 million
c) Over 200 million
d) Over 2 billion
4. How many people were estimated to have died from malaria that
year?
………………………………………………………………………
5. What is the ‘even more alarming statistic’ the lecturer mentions?
………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………

Pairwork
If necessary, listen once again.
Task 4.16 Guessing Meaning from Context
Read the following extract from the lecture. From the context, work out
the meaning of each underlined word or phrase?
‘I would also like to share some of the solutions that the Bill &
Melinda Gates Foundation are funding in the fight to eradicate
malaria from our planet once and for all.’
Write the meaning of each word or phrase in your own words:
To fund …………………………………………….……………..
To eradicate ……………………………………………………….
Once and for all ……………………………………………………
Pairwork
Before You Listening and Labelling a Graph or Chart

Listen
Before you listen to the next section of the lecture, look at the three
following diagrams.
• What kind of chart or graph is each one?
• What does each one represent?
Chart 1
Chart 2
Chart 3

Chart 1
Africa
Others
Chart 2
Africa
Others

Chart 3
% Reduction in malaria
infections 2000-2010
Task 4.17 Listening and Labelling a Graph or Chart
Now listen to the lecturer describing these charts.
As you listen, label the diagrams with the figures you hear.
Pairwork
Task 4.18 Listen for Details
Listen once again and answer the following questions:
• According to the lecturer, what do the statistics in the third

chart prove?
• In lower-income countries, what are the three specific measures

the lecturer mentions that are needed to improve malaria
eradication?

Write these three specific measures in note form on the mind map
below:
Supporting Detail 1 Supporting Detail 2
Main Idea
Malaria eradication in
lower-income countries
Supporting Detail 3
Pairwork
Listen to the second part of the lecture. As you listen, answer the
following question:
• What are the four main stages in the Foundation’s strategy to
eradicate malaria?
Stage 1
Stage 2
Stage 3
Stage 4

Pairwork
Task 4.20 Listening for Supporting Details
Before you begin, copy the four main stages from Task 4.19 onto the
Task 4.20 Worksheet below.
Listen to the second part of the lecture again, and this time, take notes
of the supporting details for each of these four main stages.
Task 4.20 Worksheet
Stage 1
Supporting Details
Stage 2
Supporting Details
Stage 3
Supporting Details
Stage 4
Supporting Details
Pairwork

Task 4.21 Guessing Meaning from Context
• In the second part of the lecture, what do you think the

word,
‘grantee’ means, from the context?
• What other words do you know that have a similar suffix

(ending)?
• What can you ‘guess’ about the meaning of this suffix (ending)?
Pairwork
Form a group with two other students and discuss the following
questions:
• Are there any diseases in the country where you live that have
either been eradicated or drastically reduced in the last 20 to
30 years?
• For example, are there any diseases that were common when
your parents were young (or perhaps your grandparents) but
are now no longer common?
• If so, what steps have led to the reduction in the incidence of

this disease?

Part D Speaking: Describing Information from a Graph
Before In this section, you will practise describing information from a graph. You
You Begin will also practise listening to a description of a graph and using that
information to draw a graph.
What language can you remember from GAC008 to describe a graph?
Complete the table below:
Direction Verbs Nouns
Pairwork

Task 4.24 How Much Change?
Look at the following example:
Example: The price was originally $20. It is now $55.
• What is the final price?

• What is the increase in price?
Can you complete the following with the correct prepositions?
The price has risen $20 $55.
The price has risen $35.
There has been an increase $35.
There has been an increase $55.
Pairwork
Task 4.25 Describing Change
What adjectives and adverbs do you know to describe how much change?
How Much Change Adjective Adverb

Pairwork
Task 4.26 Pairwork: Speaking Activity
With a partner, look at the following graph and discuss the following
questions:
• What does this graph show?
• What does the vertical axis (y-axis) represent?
• What does the horizontal axis (x-axis) represent?
Describe the graph, focusing on the changing values. Take it in turns to

comment on the changing values.
Start like this:
Student A: At 6 a.m., there were 35 people using the gym. This rose to
60 people by 8 a.m., an increase of 25 people.
Student B: Between 8 a.m. and 10 a.m., the number of people using the
gym fell, reaching a total of 40 people using the gym at 10 a.m.
70
Number of people
using the gym during
the day
6 8 10 12 2 4 6 8
a.m. a.m. a.m. noon p.m. p.m. p.m. p.m.

Task 4.27 Pairwork: Discussion
• What reasons can you think of to explain the rise and fall of the
number of people at the gym at any time?
• On average, how long do you think people would spend at

the gym each day?
When you have finished, discuss your answers with another pair. Make
sure you explain the reasons for your answers.
Task 4.28 Pairwork: Describing a Graph 1
Find a new partner, someone you haven’t worked with before, or you
seldom work with.
Decide who will be Student A and who will be Student B.
Student A starts: Look at Task 4.28 Worksheet in the Appendix.

Describe this graph to your partner.
Student B: Listen and draw this graph on the blank graph paper
provided. Ask any questions you need; to check the information you are
being given.
When you have finished, compare your graphs.
Task 4.29 Pairwork: Describing a Graph 2
Now change roles. Student B starts. Look at Task 4.29 Worksheet in

the Appendix. Describe this graph to your partner.
Student A: Listen and draw this graph on the blank graph paper
provided. Ask any questions you need to check the information you are
being given.
When you have finished, compare your graphs.

Form a group with two other students and discuss possible reasons for
the rise or fall of indigenous malaria cases in the graphs in Tasks 4.28
and 4.29.
When you have finished, form a new group of three students and discuss
your first group’s ideas with your new group.
Task 4.31 Independent Study: Individual Reflection and Feedback
Reflect on the following questions and make notes in your notebook.
• What have you learned from this activity, describing a graph?
• How easy do you find it to describe a graph?
• What do you find most challenging about describing a graph?
Now compare your answers with your partner(s)

Task 4.32 Class Mini-Debate
A) Choose adjectives from the box below for each of the following
activities and tell your partner(s) your reasons.
hiking swimming long-distance

running yoga weightlifting aerobics dancing
martial arts cycling climbing football tennis
strenuous relaxing expensive
repetitive trendy
dangerous high-energy graceful energizing
nerve-wracking tiring boring
demanding fun sociable
B) Now make a list of the pros and cons of each activity with your
partners.
C) Class debate
Look at the following sentence:
Outdoor activities are a better option than indoor gyms
1. Your teacher now will put you into two teams, A and B, each with
two spokespeople. Team A (Speakers 1 and 3) is going to argue FOR
this statement. Team B (Speakers 2 and 4) is going to argue against it.
In your teams, take 5 minutes to think about and write down your
arguments. You might want to consider the following issues, amongst
others:
cost health benefits flexibility ease/difficulty
social life weather equipment/clothing
emotional well-being environmental impact
2. When you have finished planning your ideas, the spokespeople will
take it in turns to debate with the opposing team, starting with the
sentence,
A) It is true that outdoor activities are a better option than

B) It is false indoor gyms…
Speaker 1 will start first, then Speaker 2, then Speaker 3 and finally
Speaker 4

The rest of the two teams will listen to the arguments and make notes.
Once the speakers have finished, you will have 1 minute to ask the
speakers any extra questions. Then the class will vote for most
convincing argument, A or B.
Task 4.33 Extension Activity – Health and Fitness Survey
You have been asked to carry out a student survey to provide the school
directors with information which will help them carry out a new health
and fitness program and encourage students to do more sport and eat
more healthily.
Your teacher will divide you into two groups, A and B. Group A will
carry out a questionnaire on eating habits. Group B will carry out a
questionnaire on fitness and exercise habits.
a) In your groups, you first need to design your questionnaire.

Think about what questions would provide relevant information
for the program. You will need questions that give good
information about students’ current behaviour, but also
questions to learn about what students would like to see in the
new program. You might also want to ask students for any other
suggestions.
b) Split into pairs so that each pair has one member from group A
and one member from group B. Now take it in turns to ask your
questionnaires and to write down the answers.
c) After you have completed the questionnaires, go back to your

group and put your information together. Count the answer
totals for each question and work out the percentages by
dividing the results by the total class population. Choose which
graphical methods will best illustrate your results. You could
use tables, or you could also use graphs.

For example, if your question had several different options, you might
want to use a pie chart:
If your results show differences between two groups or two time

periods you might want to use a bar chart:
If your results show changing habits over a number of years, you

might want to use a line chart.

d) When you have finished writing your presentation, both

groups will present their results. After the presentations, have
a class discussion with your teacher about your results.
Based on your results:
Does your class eat healthily enough?

Does your class do enough exercise?
Do your results give you any ideas on how to improve your
diet/exercise?
Were there any results that you expected?
Were there any results that you found surprising?
What recommendations would you make to your school?
Overall, how would you describe the health of your class?

Unit 5: Processes and Production

Part B Listening: Note-Taking using Abbreviations, Symbols and
Paraphrasing
Part C Listening to a Description of a Process and Ordering Information
Part D Speaking: Describing a Process or Procedure

• Listen and take notes using abbreviations and symbols

• Paraphrase what you hear in order to take notes
• Listen and respond by ordering information
• Describe a simple process or procedure
• Describe a process using visual aids
• Develop an oral presentation from a written research essay
Task 5.1 Focus Activity – Processes and Production

In groups of three or four discuss the following questions:
• Can you explain the difference between an abbreviation and an

acronym? Do you think they are useful?
• Do you think that abbreviations used for online communication
are beneficial to the English language (or your own language)?
• What statistics or graphs have you looked at recently?
• Do you normally research online?
• Have you ever visited a factory and seen a production line?

Part B Listening: Note-Taking using Abbreviations,

Symbols and Paraphrasing
Before You
Begin In this section, you will learn to listen and take notes using abbreviations
and symbols. You will also learn to paraphrase what you hear in order
to take notes.
Abbreviations
Abbreviations can be shortened forms of a word, for example ‘info’ for

‘information’ or ‘Thurs.’ for ‘Thursday’. Abbreviations can also be
initials, such as WHO or UNESCO, where each letter stands for (is the
first letter of) a word.
Task 5.2 Pairwork
In the previous unit, we looked at the global incidence of malaria. Many

of the statistics on malaria had been collected by the WHO.
• What does WHO stand for?
Work with a partner. Look at the following abbreviations. Do you know,

or can you guess, what they stand for?
EU
BBC
IMF
OPEC
UNDP
UNESCO
You will often find that abbreviations such as these are written without
full stops between the letters: WHO, UNESCO, BBC.
Task 5.3 Fluency Activity
Work with a partner. What other abbreviations do you know? Write

them down. What do the letters stand for? (Don’t worry if you don’t
know!)
Change partners and ask your new partner what your abbreviations
stand for. See if you know what their abbreviations stand for. Then
change partners once more and repeat the process.
Task 5.4 Using Abbreviations in Note-Taking
When listening to academic lectures, you need to take notes as quickly

and as accurately as possible. Abbreviations are a useful way of saving
time.
Below are some fairly standard abbreviations that you can use in note-
taking. You may also have some of your own that you use.
Look at the abbreviations in the left-hand column. Match each

abbreviation with its meaning in the right-hand column.
Write your answers in the boxes below.
Abbreviations Meaning
1. w a. chapter
2. w/o b. circa, about, around, from the year
3. w/i c. second
4. i.e. d. for example
5. e.g. e. without
6. etc. f. minimum
7. b/c g. within
8. re: h. first
9. esp. i. answer
10. min. j. etcetera, and so on
11. max. k. year/years
12. govt l. as soon as possible
13. asap m. words
14. yr./yrs. n. maximum
15. c. o. information
16. Ch. p. with (something)
17. Q q. Page/pages
18. p./pp. r. regarding, about
19. A s. government
20. wds. t. question
21. ref. u. difference
22. diff. v. reference
23. info. w. that is
24. 1st x. because
25. 2nd y. especially
1. 6. 11. 16. 21.

2. 7. 12. 17. 22.
3. 8. 13. 18. 23.
4. 9. 14. 19. 24.
5. 10. 15. 20. 25.

Pairwork
Task 5.5 Using abbreviations
Use some of the abbreviations above to complete the following notes:
1. Problem computer – won’t switch on.
2. number in elevator 10.
3. Next assignment: 1500 .
4. Homework: read 9, 79–82.
5. Museum statue dates to 750 BCE.
6. Urgent – ring Steve .
7. The important is how much would it cost?
Pairwork
With your partner, write down any more abbreviations you know, that
you could use in notes.
E.g. Pls for please
Are there any abbreviations that you personally use that were not listed
here?
Words that are commonly used in academic study are:

important, homework, assignment, deadline, due date, semester.
What abbreviations could you (or do you) use for these words?
Discuss your personal abbreviations with your partner.

Task 5.6 Symbols
Symbols are another time-saving way of taking notes.
Common symbols used in note-taking are listed below.
Look at the symbols in the left-hand column. You may already be

familiar with most of them. Match each symbol to its meaning and
then write the number of the corresponding symbol in the right-hand
column.
The first one has been done for you as an example.
Symbol Meaning Answer

1. ® at
2. ¬ less than
3. increased, increasing, goes up, rises
4. ¯ and
5. & decreased, decreasing, lowering
6. @ leads to, produces, causes, makes 1
7. / plus, in addition, and, also
8. ? since
9. \ comes from, results from, is a result of
10. + therefore
11. = equals, is equal to, is the same as
12. > question
13. < greater than
14. per
Task 5.7 Using Symbols
Choose symbols from the above list to replace the underlined words:
1. Inflation is likely to increase next month.
2. These calculators are on sale at $7 each.
3. The population fell by 2.4% last year.
4. Soil erosion results from deforestation.
5. There were more than 5,000 people at the concert.
6. Heavy smoking leads to lung cancer.
7. Trainees are paid $20 per hour.
8. The ice-caps are melting. Therefore, sea levels are rising.

Pairwork
Paraphrasing
Another way to take notes is to shorten and summarise what you hear,
and to express it in your own words. This is known as paraphrasing and
it is a particularly useful skill.
Look at the example below:
‘One of the responsibilities of citizenship is that individuals have

to pay their taxes, and this is an obligation that is stated in the
legal system.’
This could be paraphrased as:
One citizenship duty, required by law, is to pay taxes.
Task 5.8 Note-Taking Using Abbreviations, Symbols and Paraphrasing
Look at this extract from the lecture you listened to in Unit 4. Compare
the lecture script with the notes that follow that a student took.
Underline the paraphrasing in the student’s notes.
Circle the abbreviations or symbols used and give their meaning.
The second step is the execution or action stage

where our strategies are actually carried out. Senior
program officers – like me – begin this stage by
searching for partners to engage in our strategy plan.
For example, one of my team’s activities is
supporting organizations by funding their malaria
research and development projects through a system
of grant money allocations. My job would then be to
search for potential grant applicants and assist them
with submitting a proposal for how they would use
the funds. Then, once the grantee’s proposal has been
selected and approved by foundation executives, a
formal agreement is signed that outlines the intended
results, the funding payment schedule and reporting
requirements. After that, the grantee is ready to put
their solution into action.

Lecture notes taken by a student:
2nd step execution
stage = Snr. program
officers search for
partners
E.g. funding malaria
research:
1. identify candidates
2. help submit proposal
3. selection process
® contractual agreement
Pairwork
Tip! Tip for Note-Taking
Note how the student listed the three examples of community issues each
on a new line so she can add extra information as she goes along or can
return to it later.
She only heard ‘education’ but missed what the lecturer said about it, so
wrote a question mark. She will return to her notes later to add that
missing information. The most important thing is that she noted the areas
mentioned, i.e. water, education and traffic and can add the descriptive
phrase later.
The last part is a summary and the student has realised this and written
‘etc.’
You are going to listen to a panel discussion. Before you listen, read
through the questions below.
1. What is the topic of today’s panel discussion?
2. Who are the panel experts? Match the name below with their
occupation:
Name Occupation
Scott Brinkley Anthropologist
Dr Judith Stanton IT company CEO
Richard Dwyer Medical doctor
Donna Childs Panel host
Joshua Lyman Environmental activist
3. Which of these panel experts is also a best-selling author?
4. Does each panel expert have a positive or negative view of the

impact of technology on human progress? Mark each person’s view
in the middle column of Task 5.9 Worksheet, using ‘+ ve’ for positive
and ‘– ve’ for negative.
Pairwork

Task 5.9 Worksheet
Panel expert View Details of their view

+ ve/ - ve
Dr Judith Stanton
Richard Dwyer
Donna Childs
Joshua Lyman
Task 5.10 Listening and Taking Notes Using Abbreviations, Symbols and
Paraphrasing
Now listen a second time and make detailed notes of each panel
member’s views. Write your notes in the right-hand column of
Task 5.9 Worksheet.
Remember to use abbreviations, symbols and paraphrasing to help you

record the main ideas that each of the panel experts presents.
Pair Work
The way you take notes will be individual. However, look at your
partner’s notes and see if you get any tips or ideas from the way they
have taken their notes.

Now listen to the discussion once more and listen for specific phrases.
What phrases are used in the panel discussion:
1. To interrupt? (2 phrases)
2. What is the response to this interruption?
3. To agree? (3 phrases)
4. To disagree?
5. To refute an argument (present a counter-argument)?
6. What is the response to the phrase above?
7. To acknowledge an opposing point of view? (2 phrases)
8. To put forward another angle or perspective?
9. To put forward an alternative view to balance the argument, not a

view you personally believe in?

Pairwork
Form a group with two or three other students.
In the discussion you have just heard, one panel member comments:
‘The benefits of technology far

outweigh any harmful side effects
they bring.’
• Do you personally agree or disagree with this remark?
• Do you think that all technological development is good?
• What steps do you think society needs to take in order to deal

with the negative effects of technology?
Share your views in your group. As part of your discussion, consider the
advantages and the disadvantages of technology. If possible, use local
examples with which you are familiar.
Use your notes from the panel discussion to help you if you get stuck
for ideas.
Task 5.13 Independent Study: Review Abbreviations and Symbols
Review the abbreviations and symbols you have used in this section.
Write a list of these abbreviations and symbols in your notebook so you
can refer to them when making notes.

Part C Listening to a Description of a Process and

Ordering Information
Before You In this section, you will practise listening to a description of a process
Begin and ordering the information you hear.
Task 5.14 Focus Questions
When you have a research project for an assignment, what resources do

you use to find the information you need?
Do you have any favourite search tools?
Pairwork
Discuss your answers with a partner. Compare your favourite

resources and search tools.
You are going to listen to the first half of a lesson on research by a

librarian. Before you listen, read through the questions below.
1. According to the librarian, what is the first place the students

should look in order to find accurate information for their
assignments? Choose the best answer.
a) Bricks County Public Library

b) The Library’s Reference Section
c) The UN HDRO annual reports
d) The UN HDI
2. What do these abbreviations stand for?
UN
HDRO
HDI

3. According to the librarian, why is the UN a respected international

organisation? Choose the best answer.
a) Because the UN is made up of all the countries in the world.

b) Because it can obtain information from qualified experts in
member countries.
c) Because it can provide accurate information.
d) Because it has systems that have been developed over time
to ensure reliability and accuracy of data.
4. What is the total number of countries in the UN?
Task 5.16 Describing a Process and Ordering Information
You are going to listen to a description of the process involved in

producing the HDI.
Before you listen, look at the following steps in the process on Task
5.16 Worksheet. They are not in the correct order.
Read through these steps and number them in the order in which you
expect them to occur. Number the stages from 1 to 4 in the left-hand
column headed ‘Predicted Order’.

Task 5.16 Worksheet
Predicted Actual
Stage of the Process
Order Order
A Senior Statistical Advisor reviews all of HDRO's data to ensure

accuracy.
All information published by the HDRO is available to the public for

peer review by regional, national and international organizations.
The HDRO employs a team of highly qualified statisticians who

collect the relative data.
The HDRO consults with a Statistical Advisory Panel, which is a

select group of domestic and international experts that gives the
HDRO their professional advice.
Pairwork
Task 5.17 Listening: Description of a Process & Ordering Information
Now listen to the description of the process involved in producing the

HDI. Order these stages on Task 5.16 Worksheet according to the
librarian’s description.
Write your answers in the middle column headed ‘Actual Order’,

numbering the stages from 1 to 4.
• According to what you hear, are any of these stages happening

at the same time?
• How do you know?

Task 5.18 Language Focus: Sequencing the Stages of a Process
What are the words used here to signal the sequencing of the stages of
the HDI production process?
• Listen once more to the process description if you need to.
• What other words or phrases do you know that can be used

to sequence the stages of a process?
Pairwork
Discuss your answers with a partner. Continue to brainstorm together

the words and phrases you can use for ordering or numbering. See how
many you can produce between you.
Then change partners and compare your ordering or numbering words

with your new partner. Can you now add to your list?
Task 5.19 Listening for Detail
Read through the following questions before you listen to the second
half of the recording.
1. According to the librarian, the UN goes to great lengths to make
sure that the information they publish is ,
and .

2. What are the main criticisms of the HDI? (More than one answer is
possible)
a) The HDI doesn’t include ecological considerations.

b) The HDI doesn’t include data on education.
c) The HDI focuses too strongly on individual countries.
d) All of the above.
3. What is the research tool that the librarian recommends on the HDR
website?
4. In which section of their website can you find this?
5. What example does the librarian use?
a) Life expectancy rates

b) Human progress in a diverse world
c) Indicators – health, education, income
d) The rise of the South
6. What is demonstrated by the two graphs she describes?
7. Which country retained its top ranking across the years examined?
Pairwork

Task 5.20 Listening: Labelling a Graph & Completing a Table
Look at the following cluster bar graph which is being described by the
lecturer. Some of the individual bars in the graph are missing.
Listen to the description of the graph again and complete the missing
information in the table beneath the graph.
Write your answers in the box beneath the table.
Then draw in the missing bars in the graph.
70
Life expectancy 1982

Life expectancy 2012
Timor Sierra Turkey South C

Leone Korea
Country 1982 2012

Timor 37.48 –
Sierra Leone – 48.1
Turkey A 74.2
South Korea 67.22 B
C 74.18 78.7
Japan 76.84 D
Answers
A
B
C
D

Pairwork
Form a group of three students. If possible, form a group with students

who you haven’t worked with before, or you haven’t worked with often.
In your group, discuss the questions below.
If you don’t know the answers to these questions, take a guess. Use
expressions such as:
‘I’m not sure exactly, but I would imagine [the average life
expectancy here would be around 75 years].’
• What is the average life expectancy in your country?
• Is it different for men and women? If so, what are the average
ages for each gender?
• How has life expectancy changed in your country over the

last 30 years? Over the last 50 years?
• Who is the oldest person you know personally? Are they a

man or a woman? How old are they? Are they related to you?
• Who’s the oldest person that you know of? Again, are they a
man or woman? How old are they? Which country do they
live in?
• In your opinion, what is the secret of a long life?
Task 5.22 Independent Study: Life Expectancy Rates in Your Country
Find out more about life expectancy rates in your country in your
Independent Study Time, using the questions above as a guide.
Bring your findings to the next class and be prepared to discuss them in
class.

Part D Speaking: Describing a Process or Procedure
Before In this section, you will practise describing a process or a procedure.

You You will also practise giving a presentation using pictures and diagrams,
Begin in preparation for Assessment Event 2.
Task Small Group Discussion

5.23
In groups of three of four discuss the similarities and differences between

the manufacturing and service industries and complete the Venn diagram
below.
Venn diagram: Manufacturing Industry (e.g. car production plant)

versus Service Industry (e.g. financial advisors)
Manufacturing Both Service

Industry Industry
Now discuss the following questions.
1. Which sector is the most important for the economy in your

country?
2. Which is the biggest manufacturing industry in your country?
3. Can you think of any new manufacturing industries which have
started due to technological advances?
4. Do you know if the production process for these industries is
automated?
5. How could you find out accurate information about the production
process of an industry?
6. Describe the production process for one manufactured product e.g.
cheese. (Think about: raw materials, what happens in the factory,
the market etc.)
Hint: We often use the passive voice to describe a process.
Join another group and compare your answers.

• Have you heard of 3D scanning and printing? If you have heard

of it, what do you know about 3D scanning and printing?
• If not, what do you imagine it might be?
• What do you imagine are the uses or applications of 3D

printing?
Discuss your ideas with a partner.
Task 5.25 Pairwork: 3D Printing Process: Speaking and Listening
Find a partner. Decide who is going to be Student A and who will be

Student B.
Student A turn to Task 5.25 Worksheet – Student A in the Appendix.

Student B turn to Task 5.25 Worksheet – Student B in the Appendix.
You each have part of the description of the process of 3D printing, in

note form. The stages are numbered 1 to 8.
Look at the notes on your worksheet. Use the notes to create a natural
spoken explanation of each of these stages of the 3D printing process.
When you are ready to start, take it in turns to ask each other questions
to find out the missing information for the other stages of the 3D printing
process on your worksheet.
For example, you might ask:

What happens in the first stage of the 3D printing process?
What happens after that?’ / ‘What happens next?
What happens after X has happened?
When it is your turn to answer, look at the notes on your worksheet, and
explain in your own words to your partner how the next stage of the 3D
printing process works.
Take notes as you go, so that you can reconstruct the whole process
afterwards. You will use these notes as the basis of a short presentation.
When you have finished, compare your answers.

Language Focus: Referring to Pictures and Diagrams in Presentations
Pictures and diagrams are a great way to make a presentation come

alive, as they graphically illustrate each point the speaker is making.
Diagrams, pictures, photographs, charts and graphs can all easily be
added to digital media presentations such as PowerPoint presentations.
Look at the phrases below which can be used to refer to pictures and
diagrams in presentations.
This diagram
shows …
This picture [+ NOUN PHRASE]
demonstrates …
This graph [that + CLAUSE]
illustrates …
This chart
This photo
Note that these verbs are either followed by a noun phrase:

e.g. This chart shows the rise in malaria deaths from 1996–2006.
(No verb after ‘shows’, so this is a noun phrase.)
or by ‘that’ and a clause:

e.g. This diagram shows that the number of malaria deaths has
increased in the years from 1996 to 2006.
(There is a verb after ‘shows’ so this is a clause.)
Introducing Graphic Slides
Use the following phrases to introduce your pictures and diagrams:
• I’d like to start with this photo of X which shows …

• Here you can see …
• Turning now to this graph, you’ll see …
• The next diagram shows …
• If you look at this chart, you’ll see that …
• The next slide is a photo of X
• The next slide is a graph showing …
• The next slide shows …

Task 5.26 Pairwork: Preparing a Presentation with Graphic Slides
You are now going to work with your partner to give a short oral
presentation using PowerPoint slides.
Together, plan the diagrams, pictures and slides that will illustrate the
stages of the 3D printing process for your presentation. You will be
given time in class to do an online search for pictures and diagrams you
can use. Your teacher will be able to supply you with some pictures, but
you may need to supplement these.
With your partner, you are going to present a description of this process
to other students, using your own pictures, diagrams and slides in a
PowerPoint presentation.
Firstly, decide on the pictures you will use for this presentation.
Secondly, design and prepare your PowerPoint presentation.
Next, practise delivering your presentation with your partner. At first,

you should each practise delivering the whole presentation.
Use the Task 5.26 Individual Oral Presentation: Peer Assessment

Sheet in the Appendix as a checklist to help each other improve your
delivery and oral presentation skills. Note that the second category
‘Research was done and there was enough information on the topic’ does
not apply for this practice session as you have not been asked to research
this topic.
Next, when you are feeling confident about the delivery, decide how you
will divide the presentation between you. For example, will you speak
alternately to the slides? Or will one of you present the first four stages,
and the other the last four?
Now practise the presentation as you will deliver it in class.
Task 5.27 Presentations in Small Groups
With your partner, join two or three other pairs to form a group of six
or eight students.
Each pair will take it in turns to give their presentation to the other
students in this group using PowerPoint.
The other students forming the group audience should pay attention and
ask questions at the end of the presentation.
Note: Questions should not require the speaker to say something that
was covered in the presentation. Questions should ask for additional
information about the topic.
• What questions would you like to ask the presenters?

At the end of the presentation the other group members should give
feedback, based on the Peer Assessment Sheet and using the questions
below.
• What was good about this presentation? (Say one thing)
• Was the description of the process clear?
• Was reference to the slides well handled?
• What might be worth improving about this presentation? (Say

one thing)
• What have you personally learned from this presentation

(especially with regard to giving your own presentation)?
Continue until every pair in your group has given their presentation on
the 3D printing process.
Task 5.28 Group Discussion: Giving an Oral Presentation of a Research Essay
For Assessment Event 2, you are required to give an individual oral

presentation of the research essay you wrote for GAC008 Academic
English II: Reading and Writing Skills.
In groups of three, brainstorm the following questions:
• What are the differences between an oral presentation and a

research essay?
• Why is it not OK just to read out your essay?
Work with your partner and think of as many differences and reasons as
you can.
Make detailed notes on the differences between an oral presentation and

a research essay. You will need these in Unit 6 and for Assessment
Event 2.


Unit 6: The Environment

Part B Listening and Identifying Facts and Opinions
Part C Responding to a Listening Text with Short Answers
Developing Notes from a Lecture into a Summary
Part D Speaking: Oral Presentation of Research Essay

• Listen and identify facts and opinions

• Complete short written answers in response to listening texts
• Develop notes into a summary
• Develop an oral presentation from a written research paper
and lead a question and answer session
Task 6.1 Focus Activity – The Environment
A. Think about your position on the following statements–to what extent do

you agree or disagree? Make notes to justify your opinions.
• Environmental problems are not the fault of individual citizens.

• Recycling materials has little real impact on environmental issues.
• All countries need to reduce carbon produced electricity
immediately.
• It is impossible to stop using plastics at current levels.
• It is essential to stop over-consuming seafood.
• Monocrops and chemical fertilizers are necessary to feed the
world’s population.
B. Now get together in groups of three or four and compare your opinions.
If you partner(s) opinions are different from yours, ask them to explain their
position. These types of topics can be contentious so it’s important to use
respectful language.

Useful language:
I’m not sure I (totally) agree…

Actually, I don’t agree with that/that’s not really true…
I’m afraid I’m going to have to disagree there…
Could you explain what you mean by that?
While I understand your position…
To some extent I can see what you’re saying, but (on the other hand…)
Might it not be that…?
After you finish your discussion, your teacher will ask you for feedback.
Explain the following:
What you agreed on.

What you disagreed on and why.
If any of you changed position after your discussion and why.

Part B Listening and Identifying Facts and Opinions

Before In this section, you will practise listening and identifying facts and
You opinions.
Begin
Task 6.2 Review: Expressing Opinions
With a partner, brainstorm the following question.
Write as many phrases as you can that you can use to express opinions in
the box below.
Language Presentation: Facts and Opinions
In academic discourse, it is very important to be able to distinguish

between facts and opinions.
Facts are indisputable. They are statements we are 100% sure about. Facts
are objective, meaning that the information can be verified, often by
scientific means.
Examples of facts:
• Water freezes at zero degrees Celsius.
• Paris is the capital of France.
In contrast, opinions are subjective. They can be interpretations of a

collection of facts, or of a situation, or can be a strong desire for the future.
Opinions are personal and are usually open to debate.
Note: Opinions are not always expressed using phrases such as ‘In my
opinion ...’ It is important that you are aware that sometimes opinions are
presented as facts.
Examples of opinions:
• Thailand is the best country for a holiday.
• My boss should be sacked. He’s hopeless!
A classic response when disagreeing politely with someone’s opinion

(especially if they’ve expressed it as a fact) is to say, ‘Well, that’s a
matter of opinion!’

Task 6.3 Pairwork
With a partner, think of three more examples of facts, and three more
examples of opinions. Write them below.
When you have finished, join with another pair and check your answers
together.
Facts Opinions
1. 1.
2. 2.
3. 3.
Task 6.4 Pairwork: Emotive Language
Opinions are often expressed using emotive language, using phrases

such as ‘wonderful’ or ‘hopeless’.
With a partner, brainstorm the emotive words you know.
Write them in the columns below according to whether they express

positive or negative feelings.
Positive feelings Negative feelings
Wonderful Hopeless
Because emotive language expresses one’s personal feelings, the use of

emotive language indicates that an opinion is being expressed.

Task 6.5 Distinguishing between Fact and Opinion
Decide whether the following statements as Fact or Opinion.
Fact or Opinion? Statement

Circle your answer
Fact / Opinion 1. The Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear disaster was caused by the tsunami
resulting from an earthquake off the coast of Japan in March 2011.
Fact / Opinion 2. The PR manager has done a fantastic job and

should be given a promotion.
Fact / Opinion 3. Because of the two different languages spoken in Belgium, it would
be better to divide the country into two separate states.
Fact / Opinion 4. In 2005, New Orleans experienced a devastating flood that

caused many people to be evacuated and millions of dollars’
worth of damage to property and the economy.
Fact / Opinion 5. The extent of the destruction of forest habitat caused by logging
is absolutely appalling.
Fact / Opinion 6. By 2016, over 645,000 electric vehicles had been sold in
China.
Fact / Opinion 7. It is wonderful that the global sale of electric vehicles has
increased more than ten-fold in the last ten years!
Pairwork
Discuss your answers with a partner. Make sure you explain the reasons
for your decisions.
Task 6.6 Review: Facts and Opinions in Reports & Presentations
Being able to distinguish between facts and opinions is very important

in report writing and in oral presentations based on reports.

Look at the sections of a report below:
The Sections of a Research Report
• Terms of Reference
• Background/Research Methods
• Findings
• Discussion
• Recommendations
• Summary
Which section of a report contains the facts that you discover in your
research?
Which section of a report contains your interpretation (your

discussion and opinion of the significance) of those facts?
It is essential to keep facts and opinions separate in report writing and

in oral presentations based on reports. Remember, facts are objective,
whereas opinions are subjective.
Pairwork
Task 6.7 Focus Questions: Recycling Household Waste
In the next task, you will listen to a conversation on the topic of

household waste recycling. Before you listen, discuss the following
questions with a partner:

• What different kinds of household waste are there?
• How do you collect household waste in your house?

Do you have separate bins for different kinds of waste?
• What does ‘Recyclable Waste’ include?
• Do you have local waste collections?
• Do you have to take any of your household waste to

special collection points?
• What happens to the waste after it leaves your house?
• Where does non-recyclable waste end up?
• What are the environmental benefits of recycling?
You are going to listen to a conversation between three students on the

subject of recycling household waste.
As you listen the first time, answer the following question:
Listening for Gist
How does the single-stream recycling program work?

Choose the best answer.
a) Residents need to sort all recyclable waste into separate

bins before collection.
b) All recyclable waste is collected together in one bin.
c) Glass has to be separated from other recyclables before
collection.
Pairwork
Check your answer with a partner.

Task 6.9 Listening: True / False / NG Questions
Read through the following statements before you listen again.
As you listen, decide whether the following statements are True, False
or whether not enough information has been given for you to decide
(Not Given). Answer the questions according to what you hear.
Circle the correct answer.
If a statement is False, correct it.

Task 6.9 Worksheet
T / F / NG 1. The single-stream recycling pilot project run by the City Council

was successfully concluded last month.
T / F / NG 2. The students all agree that the new scheme is an improvement on

the previous one.
T / F / NG 3. The new scheme is expensive to set up but is expected to save

money in the long run.
T / F / NG 4. Residents can still use their old council collection bins under the
new scheme.
T / F / NG 5. The new scheme reduces employment costs, work-related injuries

and compensation claims.
T / F / NG 6. Single-stream recycling is a more complicated scheme for

residents to manage.
T / F / NG 7. The new scheme is more environmentally friendly than the

previous one.
T / F / NG 8. Dual-stream recycling is a more cost-effective method than single-

stream recycling.
T / F / NG 9. Dual-stream recycling reduces glass contamination.
Pairwork

Task 6.10 Listening: Expressing Facts and Opinions
Listen again to the conversation and take notes of the expressions that
you hear used to refer to facts and to give opinions. Write them in the
relevant sections of Task 6.10 Worksheet.
Just focus on the first two sections of the worksheet for now. You will
listen once more to complete the phrases used to disagree.
The bullet points indicate how many phrases to listen for.
Task 6.10 Worksheet
Referring to facts
• From my research, …
•
•
•
•
Expressing opinions
• It seems like …
•
•
•
•
•
•
Phrases used to disagree
• Really? That’s not what I’ve heard.

•
•
•
•
•
•
Task 6.11 Listening: Expressing Disagreement
Now listen a further time for the expressions the students use to disagree
with one another. Write these in the final section of Task 6.10
Worksheet.

Pairwork
In small groups of three students, discuss the following questions:
• How is recycling of household waste managed where you live?
• What kind of scheme does your local government operate? Is it

single-stream recycling? Dual-stream recycling? Another
system?
• How does the system operated in your local area compare to the
single-stream recycling scheme described here?
• Does your local government collect biodegradable waste such as

food scraps (leftover food) and garden waste?
• Do you make your own compost (a mixture of decayed plants that

can help your plants grow)?
• In your view, how could your local waste collection system be

improved?
In your Independent Study Time, find out more about recycling centres
in other countries and the range of items that are processed there. Bring
along your findings to your next class and be prepared to discuss them.
Alternatively, find someone who lives (or has lived) abroad and
interview them to find out how recycling was managed there.

Part C Responding to a Listening Text with Short

Answers; Developing Notes from a Lecture into
a Summary
Before You In this section, you will practise responding to a listening text with short
Begin answers. You will also practise developing notes from a lecture into a
summary.
Short Answers
Short Answer responses to a listening text usually require three or four

words, or often a phrase. The question is often worded: ‘Answer in up
to three words’ or ‘Answer in no more than five words’. If no word count
is specified, you are simply required to give short answers.
Consider the following example:
In the previous listening, a Short Answer question could have been:
Q: What kind of system is suggested by one of the students to solve the

problem of glass contamination?
A: ……………………………………………………………………
What would your answer be?

Task 6.14 Pre-listening Vocabulary Introduction
1. Read the following text
Formal academic language from French, Latin and Greek
As a result of political, economic, and cultural factors,

Modern English has been influenced by many different
languages, particularly French, Latin and Greek. In
fact, some estimates put English vocabulary of French
origin at almost 50%! For example, words which end
in -ion (e.g. information) come directly from Old
French, and originally from Latin. Latin and Greek
expressions are particularly common in academic
contexts. Often these expressions are ‘formal’
equivalents of other English words but sometimes they
are specific technical terms. So, although these words
are often used less in everyday, informal speech, it is
important to be familiar with them for academic
contexts.
2. Now look at the following pieces of vocabulary. They are

all more formal expressions and all of them appear in the listening
task you are about to hear in an academic context. In pairs/groups, try
to match them to their more informal equivalents and write them in the
table below.
unsanitary combat issue numerous
menace atmosphere impact neglected
culprits. depleting relocate expel
implications indigenous extinction
endure disruption catastrophic

Formal Less formal

dying out (n.)
live through/suffer (v.)
native (adj.)
problem/question (n.)
upset/upsetting (n.)
unclean/unhealthy
(adj.)
throw out (v.)
alot of /many (quantifier)
suggestion (n.)
move (v.)
guilty person (n.)
ignore (v.)
terrible (adj.)
fight (v.)
use up (v.)
air (n.)
threat (n.)
hit/effect (n.)
Check the pronunciation and the stress of the formal vocabulary.

Were you more familiar with the formal or the informal expressions?
Which ones?
Do you know which languages (French, Latin, Greek) these expressions
come from?
Compare your ideas with your partner(s) and then check with your teacher.
Task 6.15 Listening: Short Answers
Listen to the introduction to a lecture and answer the following

questions. You will be given a few minutes to read through these
questions before you listen to the recording.
Give Short Answer responses to the following questions:
1. Name two of the ancient civilisations the lecturer mentions who were
concerned about environmental problems.
(i) ……………………………………………
(ii) ……………………………………………
2. When did environmental activism become widespread?
…………………………………………..………
3. Which two global environmental concerns does the lecturer mention?
(i) …………………………………………..………
(ii) …………………………………………..………
4. How many nuclear reactors are currently in operation, according to

the lecturer?
…………………………
5. What are the impacts of global warming mentioned by the lecturer?
(i) …………………………………………..………
(ii) …………………………………………..………
(iii) …………………………………………..………
Pairwork
Before You Developing Notes from a Lecture into a Summary

Listen
In this next section you will practise completing notes while listening to
a lecture, and afterwards you will use those notes to write a summary of
what you have heard.
Developing a summary from your lecture notes is an important skill in

academic life.
Essays and other university assignments will require you to display a

knowledge of the subject area covered by the lecture, so you need to
ensure that you include the main points of the lecture in your summary.
A good summary of a lecture has the following features:
ü It has the same meaning as the original lecture

ü It is complete
ü It is logically organised
ü It is clear and concise
Task 6.16 Listening: Note-Taking
Now listen to the main part of the lecture.
As you listen, complete the notes in Task 6.16 Worksheet.

Task 6.16 Worksheet
Student notes
CORAL REEFS – Disappearing
One of most (1) ecosystems in the world

Rich in (2)
Supports (3) % all marine life
Covers (4) % ocean floor
20% reefs have already disappeared ((5) % in e.g.

Philippines) 25% remaining reefs at risk of being wiped out
another (6) % completely destroyed in next (7) yrs.
V imp: (8) for restoring them
Causes
1. Fishing
esp. (i) Overfishing: ¯ pops of fish species essential to healthy
(9) balance in coral reef (10)
(ii) Harmful fishing methods: (11)

+ explosives
used to catch high yields of fish but end up killing other sea life too
2. Global environmental problems ® “coral bleaching”
Coral bleaching destroying reefs

Changes in temp or (12) can be toxic
water temps thru global warming + chem pollution from
(13) ® puts stress on coral reefs ® reefs expel sea life
® coral loses (14) ® becomes (15) + dies off =
“bleaching”
Implications
Local economies rely heavily on coral reefs e.g. Florida Keys (16) jobs
Indigenous communities – food and (17)
Extinction of coral reefs – risk to (18) of all life on planet
– interconnected

Pairwork
Developing Notes from a Lecture into a Summary
Remember the points we made earlier about a good summary:
A good summary has the following features:
ü It has the same meaning as the original lecture

ü It is complete
ü It is logically organised
ü It is clear and concise
Look at this summary of the first section of the lecture on coral reefs
and compare it to the notes taken during the lecture.
Coral reefs are one of most neglected ecosystems in the

world. They are rich in biodiversity, and support 25% of all
marine life, yet they only cover 1% of the ocean floor.
Coral reefs are disappearing fast. 20% of all reefs have

already disappeared, and the figure is as high as 70% in
some countries such as the Philippines.
25% of the remaining reefs are at risk of being wiped out,

with another 30% expected to be completely destroyed in
the next 30 years.
Significantly, there are no known methods for restoring

them.
Notice how prepositions and articles, missing in the notes, have been
added here to create full sentences. Conjunctions such as ‘yet’ have also
been added.
Use the Good Summary Checklist:
ü Does it have the same meaning as the original lecture?

ü Is it complete? (Is anything important missing?)
ü Is it logically organised?
ü Is it clear and concise?
If you can answer ‘yes’ to all of these, then you have a good summary.

Task 6.17 Developing Notes from a Lecture into a Summary
Now it’s your turn.
Use the notes about ‘Causes’ to write a summary of the causes of coral
reefs disappearing. The summary has been started for you.
There are two main reasons for coral reefs disappearing,

namely fishing practices and global environmental problems.
Pairwork
Compare your answers with a partner. It is unlikely your summaries

will be identical.
Look at each other’s summaries and decide how well each summary
corresponds to the Good Summary Checklist:
ü Does it have the same meaning as the original lecture?

ü Is it complete? (Is anything important missing?)
ü Is it logically organised?
ü Is it clear and concise?
Task 6.18 Extensive Listening Practice
Now listen again to the whole lecture and compare your summary to
what you hear.
• Have you included all the main points?

• Is there anything you feel should be added?
Look again at the Good Summary Checklist and make sure that you
have covered all the points on that list.
Pairwork

Form a group with two or three other students and discuss the questions
below:
• Have you ever seen a coral reef?

• Where is the nearest coral reef to where you live?
• How far are you from the ocean?
• What are the environmental threats to the ocean in your part of
the world?
• What is being done about these environmental threats?
o By governments?
o By industries?
o By environmental activists?
• Are the destructive fishing methods mentioned in this lecture
practised near you? If so, how safe is it in your opinion to eat the
fish caught using these methods?
• Some people say that with overfishing and destructive
environmental practices in the seas, eating fish may be a thing of
the past in years to come. What are your views on the importance
of protecting fish stocks for future generations?
• How can you find out more about environmental concerns
affecting the ocean nearest to where you live?

Part D Speaking: Oral Presentation of Research Essay
Before You In this section you will prepare and rehearse your oral presentation for
Begin Assessment Event 2.
Task 6.20 Presentation Practice: Class Presentation

In this exercise you will practise your presentation skills in groups and as a class.
1. Your school is asking for proposals for projects to encourage

environmental awareness amongst students and parents. Your group
has decided to put forward (suggest/propose) a proposal. In groups of
three or four, talk about the following:
What do you think are the key environmental issues in your local area?
What are the main immediate causes?
Are there any background issues that affect the situation?
How aware of the situation do you think people in your area are?
What do you think your school could do to increase awareness of the
issues?
What proposals would help the issues in question?
What kinds of opposition might you face?
What steps could you take to soften opposition and encourage people to
support your proposals?
2. In your group, draw up a proposal based upon the answers to the

previous questions.
3. Now present your proposal to the rest of the class and listen to
theirs. As your classmates make their presentations, take notes
about their ideas. When they finish, take a minute or two to ask
them any questions you have.
4. Once all the presentations have been given, your teacher will lead
a feedback session. Discuss the following questions:
Which presentation was the most persuasive? Why?

Which presentation was the most emotive? Why?
Which presentation was the most practical? Why?
Which presentation was the most visually interesting? Why?
Which presentation was the easiest to understand? Why?

Task 6.21 Review: Oral Presentation of a Research Essay
As you are aware, for Assessment Event 2 you are required to give an
individual oral presentation of your written research essay from
GAC008 Academic English II: Reading and Writing Skills.
In Unit 5 Task 5.28, you took part in a group discussion on the

differences between a research essay and an oral presentation.
With a partner, discuss the following question and see how many of the
differences you can now recall:
• What makes a good oral presentation and how is it different to

a research essay?
Task 6.22 Planning Your Oral Presentation
Use time in class to plan your oral presentation.
Think about the stages of your presentation:
• Introduction
• Overview
• Body of your presentation (decide how many sections you
need)
• Conclusion – Summary
Decide how many sections you need in the body of your presentation.
You may choose to follow the structure of your research essay, or you
may decide to present the information in a different way.
Then decide what information you will present in each section and
design the slides you will use to illustrate your talk.

Task 6.23 Rehearsing your Oral Presentation
You will be given time in class to rehearse your presentation. Remember

to time yourself so that your presentation is the right length: not too
short, and not too long.
Rehearse your presentation with a partner. One of you should give your
presentation while the other listens and asks questions at the end. Then
change roles.
If you are giving your presentation, remember that you need to include
a Question and Answer session at the end of your talk.
If you are listening to your partner’s presentation, use the Task 5.26
Individual Oral Presentation: Peer Assessment Sheet from the
Appendix as a checklist to give feedback, as you did in Unit 5. Give
your partner constructive feedback using the following questions as
guidelines.
• What was good about their presentation?

• What could be improved about their presentation?
In addition, answer the following question for yourself:
• What have you personally learned from this presentation with

regard to how you will give your own presentation?
You should now be ready to give your own presentation for Assessment
Event 2.
Congratulations!
You have now completed GAC007
Good luck in your Assessment Events


Appendix
Task 4.28 Worksheet
MALARIA IMPACT: BOTSWANA

number of indigenous malaria cases 2010-2016
6000
5000
5222
4000
3592
3000
2000
1905
1000
1224
1225
877
536
0
2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016

Task 4.29 Worksheet
MALARIA IMPACT: SOUTH AFRICA

number of indigenous malaria cases 2010-2017
25000
19706
20000
15000
11705
10000
9866
8060 8645
5000
5629 4323
0 555
2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017

Task 5.25 Worksheet – Student A
3D Printing Process

Task 5.25 Worksheet B – Student B
3D Printing Process

Task 5.26 Individual Oral Presentation: Peer Assessment Sheet
Student’s Name: Date:
Topic of Presentation:
Circle only one answer. Make notes in the space provided.
The aim of the presentation was clear. Yes/No
Research was done and there was enough Yes/No

information on the topic.
Presentation was organised clearly. Yes/No
Speaker showed understanding of the topic. Yes/No
Never
The presentation was loud enough Sometimes
All the Time
Content of the presentation was interesting Yes/No
Never
Speaker made eye contact with the audience Sometimes
All the Time
Pronunciation was clear Yes/No
Grammar and vocabulary were adequate Yes/No
Never
Visual aids were used appropriately. Sometimes
All the Time
Speaker was able to develop the follow-up Yes/No

discussion.
Write two things you would like to learn more
about this topic. Turn these into questions.
1.
2.
Assessed by: Date:


Reference List
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2019]
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July, 2019]
Carson, L., (2007), Sorting Out the Pros and Cons of Recycling. The Baltimore Sun [online].
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[Accessed 9th July, 2019]
China - Language, Culture, Customs And Etiquette, (2013), Kwintessential [online]. Available at:
http://www.kwintessential.co.uk/resources/global-etiquette/china-country-profile.html
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http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/invertebrates/coral/ [Accessed 9th July,
2019]
Environmentalism,(2013), Encyclopædia Britannica Online Academic Edition [online]. Available at:

https://www.britannica.com/topic/environmentalism [Accessed 9 July 2019 ]
Gao, G., (2013), U.N. Downplays Health Effects of Nuclear Radiation. GlobalIssues.org [online].
Available at: http://www.globalissues.org/news/2013/06/26/16915 [Accessed 23 July 2019]
How We Work: How We Develop Strategy, (2013), Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation [online].
Available at: http://www.gatesfoundation.org/How-We-Work/General-Information/How-
We-Develop-Strategy [Accessed 9th July, 2019]
How We Work: How We Make Grants, (2013), Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation [online].
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How We Work: How We Measure Success, (2013), Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation [online].
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Reference List
Human Development Report 2013 – Rise of the South: Human Development in the Modern World,
(2013), United Nations Development Programme [online]. Available at:
http://issuu.com/undp/docs/hdr_2013_en?e=3183072/1754153 [Accessed 9th July, 2019]
Leydet, D., (2011), Citizenship. The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy [online]. Available at:
http://plato.stanford.edu/archives/fall2011/entries/citizenship [Accessed 9th July, 2019]
Nuclear Power in the World Today, (2012), World Nuclear Association [online]. Available at:
http://www.world-nuclear.org/info/Current-and-Future-Generation/Nuclear-Power-in-the-
World-Today/#.Ug7MbWRoQkc [Accessed 9th July, 2019]
PBS News Hour, (2012), Endangered Coral Reefs Die as Ocean Temperatures Rise and Water
Turns Acidic. Public Broadcasting Service [online]. Available at:
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9th July, 2019]
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Footprint in Foreign Markets. Ivey Business Journal [online]. Available at:
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markets#.Ugb9aGRoRcQ [Accessed 9th July, 2019]
Sager, A., (1998), The Human Development Index: A Critical Review, Ecological Economics, v 25,
issue 3, pgs. 249-264 June 1998. [Accessed 9th July, 2019]
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country-profile.html [Accessed 9th July, 2019]
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GLOBAL ASSESSMENT CERTIFICATE

All GAC materials as well as all student work produced

Any student who shares these materials in any way will be

Date of Issue: August 2019

This module consists of a series of carefully-designed and sequentially-structured tasks to

Before You Begin

©ACT Education Solutions, Limited Page I

Page II ©ACT Education Solutions, Limited

Unit Unit Title Description

2 Living • Identifying Language Functions

3 Work and • Responding to a Listening Text with Gap-fill Activities

4 Health Science • Note-taking and Guided Note-taking from Listening Texts

5 Processes and • Listening: Note-Taking using Abbreviations, Symbols

6 The • Listening and Identifying Facts and Opinions

©ACT Education Solutions, Limited Page III

Week 1 Unit 1: People and Society

Week 2 Unit 1: People and Society

Week 3 Unit 2: Living Environments

Week 4 Unit 3: Work and Business

Week 5 Unit 3: Work and Business

Week 6 Assessment Event 1: Interactive Role-Play

Week 7 Unit 4: Health Science

Week 8 Unit 5: Processes and Production

Week 9 Unit 5: Processes and Production

Week 10 Unit 6: The Environment

Week 11 Unit 6: The Environment

Week 12 Assessment Event 2: Individual Oral Presentation

Page IV ©ACT Education Solutions, Limited

Assessment Assessment Event Weighting

1 Interactive Role-Play 25%

2 Individual Oral Presentation 25%

3 Listening Skills Test 40%

©ACT Education Solutions, Limited Page V

Before You Begin

Hints and Cautions

Page VI ©ACT Education Solutions, Limited

Unit 1: People and Society

Part A Unit Introduction

Part A Unit Introduction

• Identify differences in spoken text types (presentations,

Task 1.1 Focus Activity – People and Society

Part B Listening to Spoken Text Types and Identifying

Task 1.2 Review: Identifying Differences in Spoken Text Types

In GAC001 Academic English 1: Listening & Speaking Skills, you

Explain what each of these means and give an example.

Your teacher will conduct class feedback.

Page 2 ©ACT Education Solutions, Limited

Task 1.3 Identifying Purpose, Audience and Level of Formality

Task 1.3 Worksheet

Number Spoken text type Purpose Audience Formality

Public announcement To provide important General public Formal (F)

Phone call to your boss

Small group discussion in

When you have finished, discuss your answers with a partner.

Your teacher will conduct class feedback.

©ACT Education Solutions, Limited Page 3

Task 1.4 Listening to Spoken Text Types and Identifying Differences

Your teacher will conduct class feedback

Task 1.5 Small Group Activity: Vocabulary Focus

In groups of 3 or 4 students, brainstorm the key phrases (from memory)

E.g. Track 1: ‘a substantial increase in profits’, ‘four billion dollars’,

Then listen to the extracts again and check your answers.

Your teacher will conduct class feedback.

Page 4 ©ACT Education Solutions, Limited