Track 52

Track 52.

You will hear two students talking to their professor about the Science and Technology Festival they attended.

First you have some time to look at questions 1 to 6.

Now listen carefully and answer questions 1 to 6.

Hi Dylan, hi Tanya, thanks for coming to see me.

I’m very interested to hear what you thought about the Science and Technology Festival.

Well, we’re both very pleased we went.

Glad to hear it.

Was there anything you both found especially useful?

Yes, defiantly.

I saw at least two lectures that directly relate to the subjects I’m studying in this first semester.

I already feel a little more prepared than I did last week.

There wasn’t anything that had the same effect on me, but that wasn’t my only focus.

I saw the festival as a chance to explore new ideas and other subject areas, so I also tried to attend some lectures that looked interesting, rather than just the ones I thought would only be relevant to my course.

I’m glad I didn’t do that, I get too stressed when I don’t concentrate on one thing.

But wasn’t it great to be able to wander around the university and get a better idea of where every thing is?

Well.

I certainly I feel more confident now I’ve explored the area a bit more.

And I also found it very easy to meet people who share the same interests as me.

When I was waiting for some of the lectures to start, I just got talking to whoever was sitting next to me.

I was too busy going through my notes to do that.

I have to say, going to so many lectures in a short space of time has really helped me to improve one area of study, my note, taking technique.

I wasn’t so sure about that originally.

But looking at my notes again this morning, I could see how they got better as the week went on.

I’m glad the week was of use to you.

It seems to change focus annually; sometimes the emphasis is more on science, sometimes on technology, but there was an excellent balance this time.

It really brings these areas of study and research to the attention of the wider world and, for me, that’s the primary reason the festival exists.

You may have noticed when you were there that there were a number of university information stands set up around the campus.

Did you see the free reference booklets that they were giving out?

No, I assumed the stands were there to provide people with directions to each talk.

Well, their aim was to encourage everyone to read some of the latest studies coming out of our labs and class rooms. Many of the lecturers at the festival actually wrote the studies that were listed, so the talk and the booklets together are a great introduction to their work for anyone who attended.

But the staff were certainly happy to point people in the right direction if it was needed.

I have to admit, it was quite confusing, trying to follow some of the signs around the campus telling us where to go, so we used the map in the festival guidebook to find our way around.

It was great for that.

And, although one or two of the talks actually started at different times to what was printed on the page, one other thing I did like about the guidebook was that it wasn’t full of adverts.

Oh, I agree, but that’s always the case with festivals now.

I don’t mind that, if it means that the festival is free to enter, as more and more of them are these days.

And even if there is a fee for admission, the festival organizers hardly make any money from that, though they do tend to put the price of entry up each year.

They have to make money to run the festival somehow, so it makes sense to get the majority of that through ads.

That’s a fair point.

Before you hear the rest of the conversation you have some time to look at questions 7 to 10.

Now listen and answer questions 7 to 10.

So, what next?

Do you still want to write something for the department website?

Oh, definitely.

Can you give us some advice on how we do that?

Well, it’s a simple process, but it can mean a lot of work.

First, you need to make sure that you have fully discussed and compiled the notes you made during the festival.

For the next step I would recommend selecting a set number of principal theories that generate the most ideas and summarize those, four is probably the ideal number.

Then you’ll need to go to the website and go through what people have written before.

These posts will help you to understand which style seems most appropriate, how academic in tone you need to be, or how informal, and so on.

And as this is going to be a joint project, it’s really important to make sure that you both come to a joint decision about the best way to divide up the workload.

Believe me, arguments can happen.

Further to that, you should also agree on exactly when you’re aiming to publish it, so establish a deadline.

Make sure you don’t go past the agreed date, as it will become more difficult to finish if you do.

Then, after all this is completed, you’re ready to upload your summary and any other documents and post them onto the department website.

Wonderful, thanks so much, Professor Dickens.

Hopefully we can come back to you if we need any more help.