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Conversation 2 - How to use language lab

Listen to a conversation between a student and the language lab manager.

Hi, I’m not sure, but, um, is this the Carter language lab?

Yes, it is. How can I help you?

I’m taking first year Spanish this semester. Our professor says we need to come here to view a series of videos. I think it’s called “Spanish Working On Your Accent”?

Yes, we have that. Um, they are on the wall behind you.

OK, so I can just take, can I take the whole series home? I think there are three of them.

I guess you haven’t been here before.

No, no, I haven’t.

OK, well, you have to watch the videos here. You need to sign in to reserve an open room, and sign out the video you need. Just start with the first one in the series. Each video is half-an-hour long.

So it’s a video library, basically?

Yes, but unlike the library, you can’t take any videos out of the lab.

OK, so how long can I use a video room for?

You can sign out for two hours at a time.

Oh, good. So I can watch more than one video when I come up here. Is the lab pretty busy all the time?

Well, rooms are usually full right after dinner time. Um, but you can sign up the day before to reserve a room if you want.

The day before, but I can just stop in, too, to see if there’s any room open, right?

Sure, stop in anytime.

Umm, what about copies of the videos? Is there just one copy of each in the series? I don’t want to miss out if everyone comes in at once.

Oh, no. We have several copies of each tape in the Spanish accent series. We usually have multiple copies of everything for each video collection.

Super! So how many rooms are there total in the lab?

Twenty. They are pretty small, so we normally get one person or no more than a small group of people in there watching a video together.

Actually, someone else from your class just came in and took the first Spanish video in to watch. You could probably run in there and watch it with him.

Of course, you’re welcome to have you own room, but sometimes students like to watch with their classmates so they can review the material with each other afterwards. For example, if there was some content they didn’t really understand.

Student: I guess I prefer my own room. I concentrate better by myself. And I don’t want to miss anything, and he’s probably already started watching it.

No problem. We’ve got a lot of rooms open right now.

When you come in, you sign your name on the list and assigned a room number.

Or if you call in advance, the attendant will tell you your room number. If you forget, just come in and take a look at the list. The videos are over there.

Great! Thanks.