Listening Part 2 You will hear five conversations. Listen to the conversations and answer the questions. Choose the correct answer. You will hear each conversation twice. Conversation 1 You hear two business students talking about an opportunity to study abroad. I'm really looking forward to next year, especially the chance to study abroad. You mean the International Exchange Program? We're meant to apply this month, aren't we? But I'm not sure I'm going to. I know everyone says you have a great time, but in terms of my studies, I doubt it'll add anything of value. I don't know. I think employers would be impressed by it. Because it demonstrates confidence and that sort of thing, willingness to try new things. I was thinking more of how approaches to doing business vary from country to country. Being sensitive to that sort of thing is so important, given how international business is these days. That's a good point. And I guess networking comes into it too. We'd be bound to make friends and no doubt keep in touch with them long after we've left. True. And don't forget, we'll be eligible for a grant, and that means we won't have to pay tuition fees. Okay, I'll give it a bit more thought. I'm really looking forward to next year, especially the chance to study abroad. You mean the International Exchange Program? We're meant to apply this month, aren't we? But I'm not sure I'm going to. I know everyone says you have a great time, but in terms of my studies, I doubt it will add anything of value. Oh, I don't know. I think employers would be impressed by it. Because it demonstrates confidence and that sort of thing, willingness to try new things. I was thinking more of how approaches to doing business vary from country to country. Being sensitive to that sort of thing is so important, given how international business is these days. That's a good point. And I guess networking comes into it too. We'd be bound to make friends and no doubt keep in touch with them long after we've left. True. And don't forget, we'll be eligible for a grant and that means we won't have to pay tuition fees. Okay, I'll give it a bit more thought. Conversation 2. You hear two medical students talking about a course assignment. I can't understand why I didn't do better on our last assignment. the patient leaflet on heart disease. I spent ages on it, and I really thought I'd covered everything in masses of detail. Perhaps that was the problem. Remember, most patients can't cope with medical terminology. It just confuses them. You've got to communicate the main points in simple language. But surely a deeper understanding of their condition would help people manage it better? If it was me, I'd want all the information I could get. Fair enough. And I'm sure you're not the only one. So perhaps for patients like that, the leaflet's not enough. In those cases, doctors can direct them to additional sources of information, suitable websites and that sort of thing. That makes sense. You know, I think I'm going to have another go. Would you have a look at it if I do? You seem to get the whole point of the exercise a lot better than I do. No problem. I can't understand why I didn't do better on our last assignment. You know, the patient leaflet on heart disease. I spent ages on it and I really thought I'd covered everything in masses of detail. Perhaps that was the problem. Remember, most patients can't cope with medical terminology. It just confuses them. You've got to communicate the main points in simple language. But surely a deeper understanding of their condition would help people manage it better? If it was me, I'd want all the information I could get. Fair enough. And I'm sure you're not the only one. So perhaps for patients like that, the leaflet's not enough. In those cases, doctors can direct them to additional sources of information, suitable websites and that sort of thing. That makes sense. You know, I think I'm going to have another go. Would you have a look at it if I do? You seem to get the whole point of the exercise a lot better than I do. No problem. Conversation 3 You hear a student telling a friend about her new accommodation. What's your new accommodation like? Well, my housemates are great. We get on really well. And so far I've got nothing to complain about in that respect. But I was the last to move in. Don't tell me. All the other rooms have been taken and you ended up with the one nobody else wanted. That sums it up. Nobody's fault but mine, of course. Anyway, I'm at the top of the house, so at least I don't have to put up with too much noise in the mornings. You know, people going in and out of the kitchen, that sort of thing. But it's pretty small, and the ceiling slopes... Right, not great for someone tall like you. Have you asked your housemates if any of them might like to change rooms? Yeah, nobody does. Too much to ask, isn't it? Well, look, you just need to fill it up with lovely things and give it that cosy feeling. Then see how you feel next year and possibly move to a bigger place then. Yeah, that's what I think too. What's your new accommodation like? Well, my housemates are great. We get on really well and so far I've got nothing to complain about in that respect. But I was the last to move in. Don't tell me. All the other rooms have been taken and you ended up with the one nobody else wanted. That sums it up. Nobody's fault but mine, of course. Anyway, I'm at the top of the house, so at least I don't have to put up with too much noise in the mornings, you know, people going in and out of the kitchen, that sort of thing. But it's pretty small and the ceiling slopes. Right, not great for someone tall like you. Have you asked your housemates if any of them might like to change rooms? Yeah, nobody does. Too much to ask, isn't it? Well, look, you just need to fill it up with lovely things and give it that cosy feeling. Then see how you feel next year and possibly move to a bigger place then. Yeah, that's what I think too. Conversation 4. You hear a sports science student telling a friend about his next research project. I'm going to do my research project on yoga, the psychological benefits. There's been quite a few studies recently that suggest it can have a profound impact on mental health and I really want to look into it further. Doesn't all sport help with depression and low mood though? Isn't it just about being more active and releasing all those feel-good hormones? That's part of it. But yoga involves learning to connect your movements and your breath in a very conscious way. It might be that people are integrating that into their non-sporting activities and interactions as a way of dealing with stress. That's the bit I'm going to explore. So how will you collect your data? I guess an online questionnaire would be easiest. It would, but it's inflexible and the results might lack depth. Ideally, I'd interview all my participants personally, as that way I'd be able to really explore their experiences and responses. That sounds time consuming to me, and I think the data analysis stage would be very tricky. Yeah, and from what I've read, there's a lot more to conducting proper research interviews than you might imagine. I doubt I'm up to it, to be honest. I'm going to do my research project on yoga, the psychological benefits. There's been quite a few studies recently that suggest it can have a profound impact on mental health and I really want to look into it further. Doesn't all sport help with depression and low mood though? Isn't it just about being more active and releasing all those feel-good hormones? That's part of it, but yoga involves learning to connect your movements and your breath in a very conscious way. It might be that people are integrating that into their non-sporting activities and interactions as a way of dealing with stress. That's the bit I'm going to explore. So how will you collect your data? I guess an online questionnaire would be easiest. It would, but it's inflexible and the results might lack depth. Ideally, I'd interview all my participants personally, as that way I'd be able to really explore their experiences and responses. That sounds time consuming to me, and I think the data analysis stage would be very tricky. Yeah, and from what I've read, there's a lot more to conducting proper research interviews than you might imagine. I doubt I'm up to it, to be honest. Conversation 5. You hear a university teacher talking to a student about her research. So what's happening with your research proposal? I don't feel I'm getting anywhere, I'm afraid, and I can't put my finger on what's holding me up. I mean, I've narrowed the topic area down to inner city renewal, but coming up with an idea for my research question feels some way off. Well, look, you're moving in the right direction. I'd say your next step is to conduct a literature review. Go ahead and read the relevant studies that have been published on your topic and outline the key findings. What you're on the lookout for is a gap in the current research. That'll lead you to the focus of your project. Ah, I thought I had to have the question in place before starting the review. This makes perfect sense, though. and while you're here, professor, I've got no idea how to set out a literature review. Have you got any tips? There are no rules on how to set it out. Let the topic and your findings guide you. That's the best approach. But what's crucial is that you avoid the temptation to simply summarize each study you look at. Be critical, assess it for bias, and look for flaws in the study methods. That's what I'll be looking for. I understand. Thanks. So, what's happening with your research proposal? I don't feel I'm getting anywhere, I'm afraid, and I can't put my finger on what's holding me up. I mean, I've narrowed the topic area down to inner city renewal, but coming up with an idea for my research question feels some way off. Well, look, you're moving in the right direction. I'd say your next step is to conduct a literature review. Go ahead and read the relevant studies that have been published on your topic and outline the key findings. What you're on the lookout for is a gap in the current research that'll lead you to the focus of your project. Ah, I thought I had to have the question in place before starting the review. This makes perfect sense, though. Oh, and while you're here, professor, I've got no idea how to set out a literature review. Have you got any tips? There are no rules on how to set it out. Let the topic and your findings guide you. That's the best approach. But what's crucial is that you avoid the temptation to simply summarize each study you look at. Be critical, assess it for bias, and look for flaws in the study methods. That's what I'll be looking for. I understand. Thanks. That is the end of Part 2.