Spiros and Hirokos Study Experiences — IELTS Listening Answers

“In fact, I think that in relation to some of the other people in my group, I did quite a good job because my overall style was quite professional”

B: she judges her own style 'quite professional' compared with others in the group, so her presentation is viewed positively.

“In my group, I was really surprised by the way the students did their presentations – they just read their notes aloud! Can you believe that? They didn’t worry about their presentation style or keeping eye contact with their audience – and I remember that these things were really stressed to us in the course here”

C: what surprised her was students reading notes aloud and ignoring style and eye contact, the very points stressed on the course.

“Well, to speak frankly, I read my notes too! At the time, it was a relief to do it this way, but actually when I had finished, I didn’t feel any real sense of satisfaction. I didn’t feel positive about the experience at all”

B: he admits he 'read my notes too'; it felt a relief then, but he finished without any real sense of satisfaction.

“SPIROS: That’s a pity. You know, although I was pleased with my presentation, I am not so pleased with my actual performance right now in the tutorials – during the whole semester I’ve not said anything in our tutorial discussions. Not a word”

A: Spiros says he has 'not said anything' in tutorial discussions all semester — the problem is his own silence.

“Also, they are very familiar with each other, so because they know each other’s habits, they can let each other into the discussion”

C: because the group know each other's habits, 'they can let each other into the discussion', so familiarity aids participation.

“But recently, I’ve been trying to speak up more and I just jump in, and I’ve noticed an interesting thing, I’ve noticed that if they thought my point was interesting or new, then the next time they actually asked for my opinion, and then it was much easier for me to be part of the discussion”

B: by jumping in he found an interesting point earned him a direct request for his opinion — speaking up brings inclusion.

“At first I couldn’t understand what the lecturers were talking about, so I had to turn to the books and journals. Every night I read for hours, using the lists of references that were given, and I made pages of notes”

A: unable to follow lectures, he 'had to turn to the books and journals', reading for hours each night and making notes.

“My reading speed is still quite slow, though I’m much better at dealing with vocabulary than I used to be”

B: progress is uneven — vocabulary has improved, but 'my reading speed is still quite slow', his remaining weakness.

“Sometimes in the English class I felt frustrated when I had to read articles about the environment or health or education, because I wanted to concentrate on my own field, but we didn’t read anything about engineering”

C: she felt frustrated reading environment, health and education articles when she 'wanted to concentrate on my own field'.

“Sometimes in the English class I felt frustrated when I had to read articles about the environment or health or education, because I wanted to concentrate on my own field, but we didn’t read anything about engineering”

B: the class never read 'anything about engineering', so the problem is subject relevance rather than difficulty.