College Textbooks - Randall's ESL Cyber Listening Lab

Level	Topic	Speakers	Length
Intermediate	College Textbooks	Man – Woman	01:51

Pre-Listening Exercise

What are the advantages and disadvantages of buying new or used books for school? Do you pay for your own books or do your parents pay for them? Do you pay cash or do you buy them using a credit card?

Agree or Disagree? Let’s Spark Some Conversation!

These statements are designed to get everyone thinking, moving, and talking! The goal is to explore ideas, share opinions, and get ready for the next part of the lesson.

In a face-to-face classroom: Read each statement aloud. If you agree, move to one side of the room; if you disagree, move to the other. Talk with your group—why do you feel that way? Then, pair students with members of the other group and have students explain their reasons. Rotate partners for more practice.
In an online classroom: Use polls, emojis, or the chat box in your online platform to show your opinion. Then, join the conversation as a group or in breakout rooms. What do others think? Do you agree or disagree with them?
For independent learners: Read each statement and think about your opinion. Then say your answer out loud and explain your reason, as if you’re talking to a classmate. This helps you get ready to speak and join real conversations in English. Consider recording your ideas and check your progress.

College textbooks cost more than they should.
Digital textbooks are better than printed ones.
Professors should only assign free or low-cost textbooks.
Most students don’t actually read their textbooks cover to cover.
Sharing textbooks with friends is better than buying your own copy.
Used textbooks are just as good as new ones.
Textbooks should be updated every year.
Online resources make textbooks less necessary today.
Carrying heavy textbooks around is a waste of energy.
A good textbook can sometimes teach more than a professor.

Idioms

“bookworm” = a person who spends a lot of time reading
“She’s a real bookworm, and she spends most of her free time reading.”

“hit the books” = study very hard
“You’d better hit the books hard tonight because the final test won’t be easy.”

Listening Exercise

A. Listen to the recording and answer the questions.

Vocabulary Practice

Do the vocabulary quizzes with the words from the conversation for more practice:

Mixed-Up Sentence | Multiple-Choice Questions | Gap-fill Exercise | Sentence and Vocabulary Matching

Post-Listening Exercise

What is your favorite website for buying books? Do you think companies charge students too much for textbooks? If so, what other things can students do to save money on school books . . . besides just copying them.

Online Investigation

Think of a book you want to buy. Search for it using two or more websites that sell new or used books. Then answer these questions:

How much does the book cost, new and/or used?
How much is shipping and handling?
Do you have to pay any form of sales tax, and if so, how much?
What is the company’s return policy?
Can you find an online review for the company, and if so, what does it reveal about its service?

See Listening Script

Back to Intermediate Quizzes

General Listening Quiz