Work Placement for Psychology Students - IELTS Listening Answers & Explanations
From Collins Practice Tests For IELTS 1 Academic Listening Test 2 · Part 4 · Questions 31–40
Audio
Questions
Questions 31–34 Multiple Choice (One Answer)
Choose the correct letter, A, B or C.
Questions 35–37 Multiple Choice (Three Answers)
Choose THREE letters, A-E.
Questions 38–40 Note Completion
Complete the notes below.
Write NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS for each answer.
It is the responsibility of the student 38 an interview.
It is 39 to have a CRB check when working with certain clients.
Forms for the CRB check can be obtained from 40.
Answers & Explanations Summary
| # | Answer | Evidence | Explanation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Q31 | B | These courses invariably demand experience in the field you intend to study so being able to gain this experience during your undergraduate degree is a great advantage | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript explains that postgraduate courses (the 'courses' mentioned) always require students to have worked in the area they want to learn about. Answer Explanation: The answer means that if a person wants to study for a Master's degree (which is called postgraduate training), they must have work experience first. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is B because the speaker explains that getting a good job in psychology usually requires more school after people finish their first degree. This extra school, called postgraduate training or Master's courses, always asks for or requires previous experience in that specific area of study. Therefore, students need that work experience to enter those higher-level courses. Keywords like 'postgraduate training', 'demand', and 'experience' show that this work is a requirement for further study. |
| Q32 | A | And you'll develop transferable skills such as problem solving, team working, communication skills – skills that employers demand and that graduates often lack | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript explains that students will grow useful abilities like fixing problems and talking to people. It notes that companies want these skills, but many people just finishing university do not have them. Answer Explanation: The answer means that students learn abilities and qualities that bosses look for when they are hiring someone. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is A because the text lists several skills that students will learn during their placement, such as solving problems and working well with others. The speaker explains that these are skills that companies need, even though many new university finishers do not have them yet. By using the word 'demand,' the speaker emphasizes that these abilities are necessary to get a job. |
| Q33 | B | Also remember that the placement will offer you networking opportunities to become acquainted with key players in your field | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript explains that the work program gives students the chance to meet and get to know the most significant people working in their professional field. Answer Explanation: The answer means that doing a work placement helps you meet and connect with powerful or important people who work in your professional area. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is B because the text explains that these job placements give students networking opportunities. Networking is the process of meeting people who might be able to help you in your future career. In the transcript, the speaker specifically mentions becoming acquainted with key players, where key players means important or influential people in that specific field of work. |
| Q34 | A | Many of our students who've completed a placement year take up a position with the same employer after graduation or after successfully completing postgraduate training | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript says that many students start working for the same company where they did their practice work after they finish their degree or higher studies. Answer Explanation: The answer means that students can get a job at the same place where they did their training year after they finish their university studies. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is A because the speaker explains that many students get a job with the same person or company they worked for during their placement. In the text, 'take up a position' means to start a job, and 'same employer' means the same organization or boss. |
| Q35 | — | — | |
| Q36 | — | — | |
| Q37 | B / D / E | We have links with several charitable and public-sector organisations that support stroke patients and people recovering from serious physical trauma, for example due to motoring or industrial accidents. You will have the opportunity to help them deal with long-term clinical treatment and pain management The kind of experience you'll gain here can be very wide-ranging, for example offering you the chance to observe group therapy and one-to-one counselling sessions for anxiety and anger management classes. Students are encouraged to give their reaction to sessions during regular team meetings, which can often be of benefit to both the student and the organisation Students in the past have worked as teaching assistants and contributed to teacher-training workshops |
Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript describes three different placement roles: first, helping people who are hurt badly (serious trauma) with their long-term medical care; second, watching therapy classes and then telling the team what they thought (their reaction) about those classes; and third, helping with training classes (workshops) for teachers. Answer Explanation: The answer identifies three activities that psychology students can do during their work placements: helping people with long medical care after a bad injury, sharing their thoughts on therapy sessions they watched, and helping with training sessions for teachers. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is B, D, and E because the speaker lists various placement opportunities and what students actually do there. For B, the transcript mentions helping people with 'serious physical trauma' (serious injury) through 'long-term clinical treatment.' For D, it explains that students 'observe' (watch) therapy and then give their 'reaction' (feedback) in meetings. For E, it notes that students have 'contributed to teacher-training workshops,' which is the same as teacher-development programmes. Option A is wrong because while they help with research, the text doesn't say they 'improve the quality' of it. Option C is wrong because students 'observe' counselling sessions rather than 'running' them themselves. |
| Q38 | to arrange | Once you've discussed the opportunities available we ask you to contact the organisation concerned to investigate potential positions and to arrange an interview | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript says that after students learn about the options, they must talk to the company themselves to find out about jobs and schedule a time to meet for an interview. Answer Explanation: The answer "to arrange" means that the student is the person who must set up or organize the meeting with the employer. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is supported by the speaker's instructions on how to get a placement. The speaker explains that after talking about choices, the school asks the student to contact the employer themselves to find a job and set up an interview. This shows that the student is responsible for making the appointment. Key words to notice are "ask you to... arrange an interview." |
| Q39 | a legal requirement | In cases where you're working with vulnerable people it's a legal requirement that you've had a Criminal Records Bureau check carried out | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript says that if a student's job involves working with people who need extra care, the law makes it necessary to have a background check done first. Answer Explanation: The answer means that the law says you must have a CRB check if you want to work with specific groups of people. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is found in the section of the talk where the speaker discusses the Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) check. The speaker says it is a 'legal requirement' for students working with 'vulnerable people' (who are the 'certain clients' mentioned in the question). This means it is a rule that must be followed according to the law. |
| Q40 | the placement officer / Greg Smith | If you haven't yet arranged this you must notify the placement officer of this during your first meeting. He'll give you the necessary paperwork to make your application | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript states that students should talk to the placement officer if they need a background check. This officer will give them the forms needed to apply for the certificate. Answer Explanation: The answer identifies the person from whom students can get the application forms for a background check (CRB check). Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is 'the placement officer' or 'Greg Smith' because the speaker notes that if students do not have a background check yet, they must tell the officer. This person will then provide the required documents (paperwork) for the application. Earlier in the talk, Greg Smith is introduced as the person who helps with placements. |
Transcript
Good morning. I'm here today to talk about the placement that's offered to all Psychology students. As you all know this takes place in the third year of the Psychology BSc. I'm here to explain a little about the placement and how the process works. A lot of preparation's involved in getting these placements right so you need to be thinking about this now.
Students taking up a placement year benefit immensely from the experience. To find decent employment in the field of psychology the chances are you'll need to undertake some form of postgraduate training such as one of our Master's courses. These courses invariably demand experience in the field you intend to study so being able to gain this experience during your undergraduate degree is a great advantage.
There's a lot to be gained from joining the scheme. Of course it will help you identify the areas of psychology you may or may not be interested in. And you'll develop transferable skills such as problem solving, team working, communication skills – skills that employers demand and that graduates often lack. Also remember that the placement will offer you networking opportunities to become acquainted with key players in your field.
Many of our students who've completed a placement year take up a position with the same employer after graduation or after successfully completing postgraduate training. In fact many of our students from previous years now hold influential positions in the police, the health service and the private sector as a direct result of their placements.
The placement you choose will depend very much on your own area of interest. Those of you who have a particular interest in research can opt for a placement in a hospital unit here or abroad, working in areas of forensic and clinical psychology. A post here can be very rewarding and allows you to contribute to qualitative and quantitative research data and learn practical research skills you can use in your coursework.
For those who prefer hands-on experience of working with patients there are a wide range of options available. We have links with several charitable and public-sector organisations that support stroke patients and people recovering from serious physical trauma, for example due to motoring or industrial accidents. You will have the opportunity to help them deal with long-term clinical treatment and pain management.
There are several opportunities to work with addiction and rehabilitation units. The kind of experience you'll gain here can be very wide-ranging, for example offering you the chance to observe group therapy and one-to-one counselling sessions for anxiety and anger management classes. Students are encouraged to give their reaction to sessions during regular team meetings, which can often be of benefit to both the student and the organisation.
For those of you interested in the application of psychology in education, we have a number of students who take placements working with children with special educational needs. Students in the past have worked as teaching assistants and contributed to teacher-training workshops.
There's a lot more information about this on the website including case studies written by some of our previous students. These will give you a much wider and richer picture of our placements.
As I said earlier, you should already be giving this some serious thought. Our placement tutor, Greg Smith, will be able to advise you about the organisations we have contacts with and we've worked with in the past. Once you've discussed the opportunities available we ask you to contact the organisation concerned to investigate potential positions and to arrange an interview. Your personal tutor will be able to help you with updating your CV and interview skills.
During the enrolment process you'll have been notified of the need to obtain a CRB check. In cases where you're working with vulnerable people it's a legal requirement that you've had a Criminal Records Bureau check carried out. Without this we won't be able to approve the placement. If you haven't yet arranged this you must notify the placement officer of this during your first meeting. He'll give you the necessary paperwork to make your application. Once you have the certificate, please supply a photocopy to the placement officer.