Unit 1

On course
Themes: starting university, timetabling, learning styles
Passages: an article on the first week at university
(reading); getting a timetable, good study skills (listening) Registration day
Language study: present continuous
(introduction), present simple (listening) This section introduces the unit and gives practise in
listening test parts 1 and 2 and the speaking test.
Express yourself: asking for and giving spellings,
talking about things in common (introduction) 1 Look at the picture above and say what is
happening.
IELTS strategies: similar and contrasting words
(reading), referring to titles in reports (writing) Direct students to the picture and ask the class for one or
two ideas of what is happening.
You may like to ask one or two more questions about the
Vocabulary picture, for example ‘Where are the people? What do
people and activities: Chancellor, admissions officer, you think the white paper is that is on the desk? Who is
course administrator, fresher, enrol, registration, tuition, the person behind the desk? What happened when you
lecture, seminar, workshop, tutorial registered for your course and what kind of information did
you give to the institution?’.
places: faculty, department, school, centre, unit, campus
subjects: medicine, biology, agriculture, computing,
engineering, business, art and design, languages, Answer
physics, architecture
charts: bar chart, pie chart, flow chart, line graph, table, Students are registering for their university course.
row, section, segment, column, horizontal axis, vertical
axis, heading, sub-heading
Now match the words below with their definitions.
other: term, degree
Direct students to the words in the box and go over the
words with them.
Ask students to read the definitions and match the words
with the definitions.
Background reading
The first week in an Australian or British university is Answers
called Fresher’s Week and the new students are called
freshers. The week is an extremely busy time for new 1 course administrator 4 registration
students who need to register for courses, register 2 enrol 5 degree
at the library and Students’ Union, settle into their 3 admissions officer
accommodation, meet new people and get to know
their way around their new environment. In addition
to this, the majority of students in Britain prefer to live At this point, you may wish to model the words orally for
away from home and attend a university in a new city, the students and have them practise them.
and so they may need to familiarise themselves with
an entirely new area.

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 2 Read the card and answer the questions. 4 Listen again and answer the questions.
You may like to inform students that in the IELTS they
Background reading will only hear a listening passage once, but that in order
to develop their listening skills they will listen again for
Registration details are usually sent out to students comprehension.
up to two weeks before registration so that students
know their time and place of registration. Go over the questions with the students and explain marital
status (whether the person is married or single).
Before students do this you may like to explain
Welcome pack (usually a file containing information Play the CD and have students listen and answer the questions.
about the university, the facilities, the campus, the
Students’ Union and the course). Answers
Have students read the questions and the text and
1 They do not want the wrong name on her student
answer the questions.
card.
2 It is not connected yet.
3 She has to have her photo taken for her student card.
Answers

1 1 pm to 2.30 pm
2 in the Small Hall Express yourself: asking for and giving
3 on registration spellings
Students will encounter these phrases in a number of
3 Read the registration form. Write a question for situations:
each section. • in the listening test (saying and spelling names is a
regular feature)
Go over the registration form with students and elicit one
or two questions from the class. Ask students to write at • in the classroom (they may need to spell their name
least one question for each section of the form and explain for another student)
that this will help them to understand the listening passage • if they go to an English-medium university or college.
later. They will also need these questions for activity 5.
Note: spelling names is not part of the speaking test.
Go over the phrases and check that the students
Possible answers
understand them.
1 What is your surname? Note that it is becoming common, especially over the
2 What is your first name? telephone, to clarify spellings by referring to the first letter
3 Which school are you enrolled with? of a word, hence R for river. It could be any word beginning
4 What is the code for your course? with R, however common ones are Romeo and Rodger.
5 What is your telephone number?
6 What is your date of birth?
1.3 Now listen and practise.
7 What is your marital status? Play the recording and have students listen and practise,
8 Do you have an e-mail address? What is it? paying attention to pronunciation and intonation.

5 Work in pairs. Ask each other questions and

complete the registration form.
1.2 Now listen to a conversation and complete
the form for Belen. Refer students back to the questions they wrote for activity
3 and the registration form. Put students in pairs and have
Tell students they will listen to a conversation between the them ask each other questions to complete the form. You
Registrar (the person who registers students) and a student. may want to supply the students with a course code for
This activity is an opportunity for students to develop the question 4.
skill of listening for detail, and to practise part 2 of the
listening test. Open answers
Play the listening passage. Students should listen and
complete the registration form.
6 Work in pairs. Decide what you can talk about
when you first meet another student.
Answers
Go over 1–5 with the students, then put students in pairs
1 Perez 5 55046 and ask them to discuss which things they think students
2 Belen 6 3/12/92 in Australia and the UK feel comfortable talking about at
3 of Management 7 single a first meeting.
4 N100 Bsc-BMS 8 bperez@bradford.ac.uk

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 connection with a course as there is quite a long period
Answers of time in which students are in the middle of the action
(the course). As the present continuous has the sense of a
1✔ 2✔ 3✔
present action or event in progress, we often use it to talk
5 (if they know the name of their tutor) ✔
about things in the near future and also for making plans
Go over the answers and remind the students that we and arrangements. Note that the continuous form of a verb
usually avoid talking about money (option 4) until we cannot be used with verbs that describe a state, or stative
know a person quite well. verbs such as like, want, please, surprise, believe, know,
understand, hear, see, love.
1.4 Now listen to a conversation and tick the If you wish, you could play the recording again for the
students to listen for the examples in context of the present
things they talk about.
continuous.
Play the recording and have the students tick the things the
students talk about. Now complete the conversation. Use the words
below.
Answers Go over the conversation with the students and have them
complete it.
1 ✔ 2✔ 3✔
Go over the answers with the class.
You may like to model the conversation orally for the class
7 Label the diagram. Use the words below. and have the students practise it in pairs.

Go over the words in the box and make sure students

understand them. Answers
Ask the students to label the diagram.
1 A: Hi Vicky, what are you doing?
Answers 2 B: I am going to the Small Hall to register.
3 A: What course are you taking?
1 faculty 3 department 4 B: I am doing Economics and Development Studies.
2 school 4 centre/unit 5 A: Are you taking the three- or four-year course?
6 B: Don’t ask! I am still trying to decide.

Background reading
Express yourself: talking about things
Universities are organised in many different ways
according to the individual institution. Generally, a in common
university will be divided into faculties, then schools, One thing we try to do when we meet someone for the
then departments and finally centres or units. Faculties first time is to find out things we have in common.
and schools are the highest division and these terms Remind the students of the conversation in activity 7 and
are often used interchangeably. go over the phrases.

1.5 Now listen and underline the stressed

8 1.4 Now listen again and answer the questions. words.
Go over the questions with the students and play the Play the recording and have the students underline the
recording. stressed words.
If you wish, play the recording again and have the students
Answers listen and practise the phrases.

1 Marketing
2 Tao: Business and Marketing Studies, Belen: Answers
International Business and Management
3 He is trying to decide whether to do the three-year We’re both in the same hall.
course or the four-year course.
We’re probably taking similar subjects.
4 They want to talk about their accommodation and
whether they should stay for three years or four I’m also taking an undergraduate degree.
years. We’ve certainly got something in common.
Aren’t you in the same hall as me?
Yes, me too.
Language study: present continuous
9 Study the examples and explanations.
Go over the examples and explanations with the students.
Explain that the present continuous is often used in
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 10 Go around the class and find a student you have five questions (there is no question for 4 as it will not
three things in common with. arise in an interview).

Give the students a few minutes to prepare questions

Answers
for each other.
If you wish, you could give the students one or two a (What do you do?) 2 (your job)
examples: ‘Where are you staying? What subject do you b (What subject(s) are you taking?) 3 (your studies)
want to study?’ c (Do you come from a large family?) 5 (your family)
Have the students stand up, introduce themselves to d (Are you from this area?) 1 (your hometown)
another student, and try to find out three things they have e (How long did it take to get here?) 6 (your journey)
in common.
Give them a two-minute time limit per student.
At the end of the activity, ask the students to tell you who
3 Decide who says these sentences. Write e
(examiner) or c (candidate).
they have most in common with.
Go over one or two sentences and explain that the students
Open answers should decide who says the sentences in the context of this
scenario and that the sentences are not in the correct order.
Have the students decide whether the examiner or
candidate says each sentence.
Speaking
Answers
IELTS tasks: introduction Not too far, about half an hour away. – c
Go over the IELTS tasks with the students and make How are you today? – e
sure they understand what they will practise in this Could you spell that for me, please? – e
section. My name is Erzsebet. – c
It’s E-R-Z-S-E-B-E-T, but you can call me Liz – it’s easier. – c
1 Match the words and phrases with the pictures. Yes, of course it’s 062 226. – c
Direct the students to the pictures and ask one or two And your name is … ? – e
students to describe them. Not so good. The traffic is terrible in the city centre. – c
How was your journey here? – e
Ask the students to identify the differences between the
Very well thank you. – c
situations, and also what other greetings they could use, for
Do you live far away? – e
example, for picture A I’d like to introduce myself, could I
Can you tell me your candidate number? – e
introduce myself; for picture B hi, hello; for picture C good
afternoon, good evening.
Now order the conversation.
Answers
Get the answers from the class and have them put the
1 B 2 C 3 A conversation in order. You may like to ask students to work
in pairs to do this.

2 Work in pairs. Tick the topics the examiner may Answers

ask you about.
How are you today?
Go over the topics 1–6 and tell students they should think Very well thank you.
about the first few minutes of the speaking test when the And your name is … ?
examiner will ask a few introductory questions to put them My name is Erzsebet.
at ease and try to make them feel less nervous. Could you spell that for me, please?
Point out that, again, we usually avoid talking about things It’s E-R-Z-S-E-B-E-T, but you can call me Liz – it’s easier.
we consider personal at a first meeting, for example Can you tell me your candidate number?
appearance, money, family and so on. Yes, of course it’s 062 266.
How was your journey here?
Answers Not so good. The traffic is terrible in the city centre.
Do you live far away?
1 ✔ 3 ✔ 6 ✔ Not too far, about half an hour away.
2 ✔ 5 (possible, but unlikely)

Now match topics 1–6 with questions a–e.

Go over the questions with the students and ask them to
match the questions with the topics. Note that as they
will not be asked about one of the topics, there are only

16 Unit 1: On course

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 4 1.6 Listen and check your answers.
Reading
Play the recording and have the students check their
answers.
IELTS tasks: matching headings and
The students will practise the conversation after some
pronunciation work. paragraphs; multiple-choice questions
Go over the IELTS tasks with the students and make sure
Pronunciation they understand what they will practise in this section.

5 1.7 Listen and write the numbers, dates and

1 Match the words below with the definitions.
addresses. Go over the words in the box with the students and have
them match the words with the definitions. Explain that
Tell students that they will listen to two numbers, two dates
the words are all connected with university life.
and two addresses.
Play the recording once and have the students write the
figures. If necessary, play the recording again pausing after Answers
each figure.
1 tuition 4 term
2 fresher 5 campus
3 lecture 6 Chancellor
Answers

1 011388
2 13th September 1985
2 This reading passage has five sections A–E.
Choose the most suitable heading for each section
3 117 Horton Road
from the list.
4 Wednesday 16th December
5 5.5 Go over the list of headings.
6 12 Richmond Road Explain that the passage is about the first week at university
and ask the student what they think happens and why the
title says a guaranteed good time.
6 1.8 Listen and practise the addresses and If you wish, write the students’ answers on the board and,
numbers. after checking the answers, see if their guesses were correct.

Play the recording again and have students listen and

practise the numbers, dates and addresses. Answers

1 A ⫽ vi 2 B ⫽ vii 3 C⫽i 4 D ⫽ iii 5 E ⫽ iv

Additional activity: dictation bingo

A
Write 12 more numbers, dates and addresses on the Background reading
board. A problem sheet contains a task or problem for
Have students draw a six-square grid and copy a figure students to study or work through before they go to
into each of the squares so they have a grid with six a tutorial or seminar.
random figures. Explain to the students that you will
say the figures to them and when they hear a figure
they have written they should cross it out until all the 3 Read the passage again and choose four letters a–g.
squares are crossed. The first student to cross out all Go over a–g with the students.
the figures is the winner.
Have the students read the passage again and choose four
Say the figures on the board at random until a student of the endings to complete the sentence.
says they have finished.
Answers

a Yes – ‘settle into their accommodation’ (line 5).

➜ Further practice: Achieve IELTS Workbook, Unit 1 b Yes – ‘The Students’ Union is where students spend
Pronunciation most of their of evening in fresher’s week’ (line 15).
c Yes – ‘to receive an introductory talk from the
7 Work in pairs. Practise the conversation in activity 3. Chancellor’ (line 5).
This activity simulates a possible conversation in the IELTS d No. Fresher’s week is the wrong time to do this.
and familiarises students with the test. Refer the students e No.
back to activity 3. f No. Students do this when the course begins.
g Yes – ‘given your passport to student life – the
If you wish, play the recording again. Students’ Union card’ (lines 12–13).
Have students practise the conversation.
If you wish, ask students to change the conversation to
make it personal to them and practise again.
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 IELTS strategies: words with similar At the end of the activity, get one or two answers from the
students.
and contrasting meanings
Often in reading and listening passages, the answer is Open answers
contained in a word or phrase with a similar or sometimes
contrasting meaning to the word in the question.
Identifying key words and phrases in the question and their 2 Match the words below with the definitions.
synonyms and antonyms is a key skill in IELTS and needs to
be practiced at every opportunity. Go over the words in the box with the students and explain
that they are different kinds of class at university.
Now find two more examples of a similar word or Ask the students to match the words with the definitions.
phrase and a contrasting word or phrase in the
reading passage and a–g in activity 3.
Answers
Answers 1 workshop
2 seminar
move into – settle into (line 5) 3 tutorial
read – go over (line 20)
are in (the Students’ Union) – spend (time) (line 15)
first name – surname (line 11)
receive – are given (line 12)
3 1.9 Listen to a conversation between a
student and course administrator. Circle T (true)
or F (false).
Direct the students to the picture and ask them to
4 Work in pairs. Decide which things are the same in describe it.
your country.
Explain that the activity will give them practise for part 2 of
Go over 1–5 with the students. the listening test.
Put students in pairs and have them discuss 1–5. At the end Play the passage and have the students listen and circle
of the activity, get one or two answers from the students. true or false.
If you wish, you could put students in groups for the next
activity.
Answers

1 True
Open answers
2 False (only Wednesday afternoon is free)
3 False (there are two: French and Japanese)
Now discuss the main differences between …
Go over 1 and 2 and have the students discuss the topics.
At the end of the activity, get one or two answers from the 4 1.9 Listen again and complete the timetable.
students. Go over the timetable and ask the students one or two
questions about it, for example ‘When is Foundations of
Open answers Marketing? Where are Languages for Business?’
For weaker students, you may wish to write the answers on
➜ Further practice: Achieve IELTS Workbook, Unit 1 the board before they listen to make it easier to complete
Reading the timetable. Play the passage again and have the
students complete the timetable.

Listening Answers

1 main lecture theatre

IELTS tasks: table completion; note 2 2–3
completion 3 seminar
4 Information
Go over the IELTS tasks with the students and make sure 5 workshop
they understand what they will learn in the section. 6 2–3
There are two listening passages: the first is about getting a 7 Global Economics
timetable, the second is about good study skills. 8 tutorial
9 Environmental
1 Work in pairs. Discuss the questions. 10 Japanese
Go over the questions with the class and have the students
discuss them in pairs.

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 Language study: present simple 8 Listen to a seminar and circle a–c.
Tell the students they will listen to a seminar. Explain that the
5 Study the examples and explanations. activity will give them practise for part 3 of the listening test.
Go over the examples and explanations with the Go over the questions with the students. Play the passage
students. and have the students circle the answers.
If you wish, play the passage again so that students can Go over the answers with the class.
listen to the examples again.
Explain that we use the present simple to talk about
states that exist over long periods. This includes general Answers
truths (water freezes at 0ºC), permanent states (I’m from
1 b 2 b 3 b 4 c 5 a
Canberra, I’m Australian) and timetables (the 9.45 flight
from New York lands at 5.30).

Now work in pairs. Student A, turn to assignment 1.1. 1.10 Now listen again. Complete the notes with
Student B, turn to assignment 1.3; ask Student A
no more than three words for each answer.
questions to complete your timetable.
Go over the notes with the class and explain any new
Explain that Student A is the course administrator and has vocabulary.
all the timetable details and that Student B needs to ask
questions to complete their timetable. Play the passage again and have the students make notes.
Make sure that they only use three words or less for each
Put the students in pairs. answer.
Have Student A turn to assignment 1.1 and Student B turn Play the passage once more, if necessary.
to assignment 1.3. The pairs then complete the task.
Go over the answers with the class.
Answers
Answers 1 a good learner
2 three-module course
1 10–11 3 ideas and information
2 Seminar room 2 4 examples
3 Languages for Business – Chinese 5 an active part
4 1–3 6 ask questions
5 Study skills 7 an advantage
6 Main lecture hall 8 department’s website
7 Foundations of Production 9 come up with
8 General tutorial 10 test

➜ Further practice: Achieve IELTS Workbook, Unit 1 Now work in pairs. List three more good study
Language study
habits.
6 Do the quiz. Put the students in pairs and have them think of more good
Go over the quiz with the students and teach any unknown study habits.
words, such as frustration. Get one or two answers from the class and write them on
If you wish, put the students in pairs to compare their the board.
answers.

Now turn to assignment 1.2 and read your results.

Additional activity: good study habits
A
Have the students turn to assignment 1.2 and read the
Once you have collected the answers, you could ask
result of the quiz.
students to choose one of the activities and ask the
Get one or two answers from the students. whole class whether they do this.
7 Work in pairs. Discuss your results. When the students have finished, put the results on
the board and find the most popular good study
Put the students in pairs and have them discuss their results. habit.
Ask the students if they find their results interesting and
if they agreed with it.

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 Writing Answers

6 vertical axis
IELTS tasks: task 1 – introducing a 7 horizontal axis
8 section / segment
report 9 heading
Go over the IELTS tasks with the students and make sure 10 sub-heading
they understand what they will learn in the section. 11 row
12 column

Background reading
Traditionally, subjects have been divided into either 3 Look at the charts on the following page and
arts or sciences. In the early half of the twentieth answer the questions.
century, with the emergence of social sciences like Direct the students to the charts and go over the questions.
sociology, this division became harder to maintain. Have the students answer the questions.
Nowadays, there are many multi-discipline and cross-
discipline subjects, but the basic division here holds
more or less true for many subjects.
Answers

1 students in UK higher education by number and by

1 Work in pairs. Put the subjects below into subject
groups. 2 approximately 250,000 (76,000 in computer science,
54,000 in medicine and dentistry, 120,000 in
Go over the subjects in the box with the class and make engineering and technology)
sure they understand them. 3 33%
Put the students into pairs and have them divide the 4 the number of students over time, or trend
subjects into groups. 5 open answers

Suggested answers
4 Look at the charts in activity 3 again and complete
1 arts: art and design, languages the sentences.
2 sciences: medicine, biology, physics, engineering, Direct the students to the charts and ask them to complete
computing the sentences.
3 social sciences: agriculture, business, architecture

Answers
2 Label 1–5. Use the words below.
1 pie chart, percentage, section (or segment),
Go over the words in the box with the students and direct Business and administrative
them to the pictures. 2 line graph, vertical axis, horizontal axis, time
Explain that they will need to know the names and parts
of charts, tables and diagrams for the writing test.
Ask the students to label 1–5 with the words.
IELTS strategies: referring to titles
During the writing test, students should try to avoid
Answers
copying the information in the question’s title word for
1 bar chart word as this will loose marks. It is much better to pick out
2 pie chart the key words and write a paraphrase around these.
3 flowchart
4 line graph
5 Read the title and underline the key words.
5 table Ask the students to read the title and underline the key
words.
If you wish, ask one or two students to give you their
answers and write them on the board. See if the students
Now label 6–12. Use the words below.
can then rephrase the title in their own words.
Go over the words in the box with the students and ask
them to label 6–12.

➜ Further practice: Achieve IELTS Workbook, Unit 1

Vocabulary

20 Unit 1: On course

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 Possible answer
Additional activity: your country
A
The chart below shows the number of students in If you wish, you could try to find similar statistics for
Australia by subject in 2008 and 2009. Summarise your country (often available from a central office for
the information by selecting and reporting the main statistics) and give these to the students along with a
features, and make comparisons where relevant. similar title for additional practise.

Now write the introduction to your report.

Ask the students to write a short paragraph introducing the ➜ Further practice: Achieve IELTS Workbook, Unit 1
report. At this stage, this level of work is sufficient. From Writing; Unit 1 Study skills
Unit 5, the students will be required to write full reports.
However, if you wish, you may also ask the students to write
the rest of the report.

Suggested answer

The bar chart shows how many students took which

subjects between 2008 and 2009 in higher education
in Australia. The vertical axis shows the number of
students in thousands. The horizontal axis shows the
students by year and eight academic subjects which
students took.

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