Student: Hi, I've come to ask about the English courses you run for international students.
Administrator: Oh right – I assume you're a student at the university?
Student: Yes, I've just started.
Administrator: OK. Well, we've got a range of courses. It depends what you think you need. And how much. Um – we can't run everything at the same time though so, for example, in this first term we are just doing a writing course.
Student: I see. That sounds quite useful. What else is there?
Administrator: Um, some of the courses only run for single terms and we tend to focus on what students have difficulty with. That means we don't usually do speaking courses but next term you can do listening. That'll help you with lectures and things. Our provision is all based on what the majority of our international students need.
Student: So is everything term-based – there's nothing that you run all year?
Administrator: Well, let's have a look. Yes, there is a class for vocabulary and grammar every term. That's for everybody but it's split into three or four levels.
Student: And what about in the holidays?
Administrator: We don't do anything during the winter or spring break but over the summer there's just general classes because that's what most students want – a bit of everything.
Student: OK. Quite a variety then. I'll have a think about what I really need because I haven't got much time. Do you have about twenty students in each class – the same as our Science seminars?
Administrator: We try to keep it at about twelve and certainly not more than fifteen. It's important for language classes. They're very different from your normal courses.
Student: Right – and how much are the classes?
Administrator: The rate varies depending on how many hours you attend but you shouldn't have to pay – usually the department will fund you and even sort out which classes you need.
Student: Brilliant! It would be quite useful for me to have a certificate to take back to my country. Do you put us in for exams?
Administrator: Yes. But we don't like them to clash with your main course exams in June, so we run them in May. That leaves you time for revision.
Student: Do I have to sign up for something now? I'm not quite sure what I want.
Administrator: Classes haven't quite started yet so you've got time to decide what you do. All we insist is that you sign up before week five. That gives you about three weeks to decide.
Student: OK.
Administrator: Then, when you've made up your mind, you need to come back here to the administration office to enrol.
Student: What do I need to bring with me when I enrol? My identity card, I guess?
Administrator: Yes, or your passport. Then you'll be given a registration form which you'll have to show to the teacher when you have your first class.
Student: OK. And should I ask my tutor about which classes I should do then?
Administrator: Yes, then you get a note from him and give that to the desk when you register.
Student: Can I use the computers here as well?
Administrator: Yes, you'll be given a password when you go to your first class, so remember to bring a disk with you to save your work on as you won't be allowed to save it on the hard drive.
Student: OK. Will I need anything else? Dictionary?
Administrator: We've got loads of those here that you can borrow, but you'll need a notebook as we don't provide paper or files.
Student: OK. Thanks.
Man: Hello, can I help you?
Student: Yes, I was wondering what the best way was for me to get around London.
Man: Well, there are a lot of possibilities. As you probably realise, the main ways to get around are bus, train and tube – the underground. It depends how much you want to spend. All forms of transport offer special tickets, such as cheap day returns on the trains and so on. Overall, you'll spend less on the bus as it operates on a basic flat fare for each journey. But, of course, it may not go to where you need to travel to. The mainline trains only operate in the outlying areas, though a few cross London, whereas the tube has stations which are placed in central areas of the city close to the main sights and shops. Obviously there are more bus stops but you will probably have to change buses to get where you want, which can be inconvenient. You will find that the buses are mainly in the central areas but some tube lines go quite a long way out of London so you could use this for longer journeys. Having said that, the tubes do get very crowded so you should use the train if you want to sit down. It does depend where you're travelling to.
Student: Well, I'm living on the outskirts but I have to travel into London to college everyday and then around London when I'm here.
Man: OK, so time is going to be an issue for you. The tube should be fast crossing London, but quite honestly, there are so many delays that it's not very efficient. Again, the train has fewer stops so is probably your quickest option to get to and from college. Of course, which service you use might depend on how frequent it is. I mean, the trains might only be every twenty minutes or whatever, but a timetable is published to save you hanging around. There are a lot of tube trains at busy times of day, but fewer at other times whereas the buses run every five minutes through most of the day and there are night buses. But you'll need to check out your route first.
Student: OK, thanks. How can I get from here to Hackney, then?
Man: Right, well you can choose. We're here at the information office, OK? Now, next to us, on the corner of the high street and Sweet Street is the bus stop, opposite the bank. The bus goes all the way to Hackney but it is a very indirect route so it could take ages. If you want to take the train, walk down the high street towards the city, go past the bank and on your left is the station, just before you get to the post office. There's a mainline service to Hackney Wick so, if you need to get into the centre of Hackney, you may need to pick up a bus when you get there. Opposite the post office, on the corner of Heart Lane is the tube entrance – you'll see the big signs. That's probably the best way to get there, though you may have to change. It's probably best if you go and get a travel card first. To get to the ticket office, you go out of here onto the high street. Then turn into South Street and the ticket office is on your right opposite the cinema. Of course, you may decide it's quicker to take a taxi. But, it's a long way so I think it'll be very expensive. If you do want to get a cab, then the rank is outside here just opposite the office.
Caitlin: Hi, Hideki. How are you?
Hideki: Fine. I'm glad I bumped into you. Have you got five minutes to sit down and discuss our extra course options for next term?
Caitlin: Yes, sure. You mean the support courses for our modules?
Hideki: Yes. We've got three choices and I'm not sure which would be best for us to do.
Caitlin: Let's have a look. Yeah – we could do Science and Ethics – sounds quite interesting.
Hideki: Yes – but I think we should be thinking what we get out of each course. So Science and Ethics – there's a lot of reading and research to do. And I don't think it comes up in the exams, does it?
Caitlin: Um – I'm not sure. Er – oh, I see we have to do assignments and we get our score from that. But what it would do is to force us to get better at doing essays and reports – you know, organising them and using the right kind of language. Might be worthwhile?
Hideki: Yeah, you're right. An alternative is the Pharmacology Prelim course. I think it's in case we want to go on to transfer to Pharmacology at the end of the year because lots of students do. So it depends what we want to do in the future, but apparently they send you off to find out about various companies and the differences between their products – it would give you lots of practice in investigative studies and analysis. I think I'd quite enjoy that.
Caitlin: Yes, I see your point. Um, then the other option is Reporting Test Results – sounds a bit boring. Not sure why they have a separate course just for that?
Hideki: Well, I could certainly do with some help in that because if you go out into industry, that's what you'll spend most of your time doing, so it's got a very practical application. I think I'm going to go for Pharmacology.
Caitlin: Me too.
Hideki: So let's have a look at it in more detail. Oh, goodness – if we do Pharmacology then we have to do a supplementary Maths course.
Caitlin: Oh no – that's not fair. Mind you, I think I need it. Does that mean we have twice as many lectures?
Hideki: No, this Maths is only a short course. The Chemistry department are responsible and they do it in the third term. So we've got all next term to settle into the Pharmacology bit.
Caitlin: I find the tutor makes a real difference – some of them make Chemistry so easy and some of them I can't understand at all – like that one we had from Oxford University. Mind you, the one on this course should make sense because he's a lecturer who's coming in for a few weeks from industry so at least it'll be linked to the real world!
Hideki: Yeah. The project we have to do on this pharmacology course is huge and it doesn't give us much time. We have to make a decision about what we want to do on the project as soon as we start in January, and then hand in our plans before the end of the month!
Caitlin: Doesn't give us much time to sort out what's possible or not. I mean, doesn't the scale of our project depend on what resources we can have, like what equipment we can use?
Hideki: I suppose so, though I think there's plenty available. For example, it says that if we need to do any experiments, then we can use all the equipment in the new lab, as long as we book it.
Caitlin: Oh, OK. It's slowly beginning to take shape for me. I think it'll be a good course. I'm just worried that I get enough support to do it.
Hideki: I think you'll be OK. And the tutors are always available if you get stuck.
Caitlin: Actually it says that if you're not sure, then, in December, they'll be running one or two additional seminars – so I might go to those.
Hideki: Actually, what's quite interesting is that at the end of the course, when our project is completed, then we have to do a presentation on it. I think that's quite good practice.
Caitlin: Bit scary though!
Hideki: Well, it shouldn't be too bad as they say that we can do it in pairs. Spread the load, as it were!
Caitlin: Oh, good. I have done presentations before but I'm always very nervous. And is the presentation what we're assessed on then?
Hideki: Let me look .... um ... . Ah, it says that we have an interview and we get a mark for the whole course depending on how well we do in that.
Caitlin: Right ... (fade) ...
M: OK, we've been looking at how societies will develop in the future and at the increase in the size of cities, so I want to talk to you today about the key considerations in these cities of the future. There are three key elements I want to look at and these are the new features they will have, issues of size and the main problems to be considered. First of all, individual transportation will be a big factor in these new mega cities as public transport becomes unmanageable. There'll be a huge rise in the use of Segways, which are personal transporters like motorised scooters. As a result, and partly also to reduce pollution, roads will be altered so that they are narrower and will take up less of a city's space than they do currently. Naturally, this is a major change to the infrastructure and something that may hinder it is the huge amount of investment it will require. The next thing is, what is going to happen to the commercial areas? We do not want these to become even larger concrete jungles than they are at present so we have to look at design, and current designs for city development include building gardens on the roofs of these buildings to make a more pleasant environment for workers. And you may think that these areas will expand to cope with increased commercial activity. In fact, the prediction is that they will cover one fifth of the area that they do at present as we build upwards. The exception to this is shopping centres, which we predict will expand with more and more temperature controlled malls. What may cause difficulties is that the superstores will be confined to the outer edges of the city as they will be too big to fit into the new malls. Then, of course, there are the residential areas and these will undergo their own changes. One particular development will be houses which are built from glass, as innovations in this material allow it to provide light without causing problems with temperature inside a building. The residential areas will not be allowed to expand without limit, as happens in some areas at present, and their size will be restricted to a population of 15,000. One issue which has yet to be resolved, and I'm not sure it ever will be, is how we manage to house older residents. They will be increasing in numbers as time goes on. Finally, how will these cities live? We know we have limited energy sources so what will we do? Well, something currently in development which will be a feature, is that waste is going to become an energy source, for example, to provide gas in homes. Also as new technology and systems are developed we will find that energy plants will become smaller. Another energy source we could use, but one which raises issues of having enough space and too much noise is windfarms. Because of the problems, I'm not convinced these will be the grand solution to our energy problems that we thought they were going to be.
Now, moving on to looking at the social aspect of cities, we need to look at housing and how people will live. Cities currently have flats in the centre populated by single people and wealthier residents, and families tend to move to the outskirts. In the future, the centre of cities will see a dramatic change. We will see many more examples of co-operative buildings. This is where people join together to form a company that owns the building they live in. And, despite continuing shortages, there will also be a rise in the provision of retirement homes in city centres so that the elderly can have easy access to hospitals and shops. Recently, we have seen a levelling off in the growth of private housing and I think that will not change, but we are likely to see more social housing as far fewer people will be able to afford to own their own homes.
OK, now, if anybody ... (fade) ...