| Level: | Topic: | Speakers: | Length: |
| intermediate | college majors | man – woman | 02:11 |
Pre-Listening Exercise
How do people go about selecting a college major or future career? Are there job fairs in high schools in your area to help students learn about different careers? Is it a common practice for children to ask parents for guidance in choosing a college major?
Idioms
“whip through” = finish a job or study very quickly
“He whipped through the driving test without any problems.”
“have hard knocks” = have problems or trouble
“My sister had a few hard knocks during her first semester of college, but things settled down, and she did well the rest of the year.”
Listening Exercise
A. Listen to the recording and answer the questions.
Where does the conversation most likely take place?
Man: I wonder if this is going to be an interesting class. Woman: Yeah. Me too. So, what's your major?
The woman is in her ________ year in college.
Man: Oh, so what year are you in school? Woman: I'm a senior, and I only have to take 10 more credits to graduate. Yeah!
Which statement is NOT true about her paying for college?
Woman: No. My dad said he wasn't made of money, so he thought I should earn my own education, so I worked like crazy in the summer and part-time during the school year to cover most of my costs. [Well, that's parents for you.] And, I received some financial aid and a scholarship one year, which really saved me. [Ah, that's nice.] But this past year, school has been more demanding, so I haven't been able to work as much.
The woman wants to ______.
Woman: Not yet, but I'm trying to line up a few interviews at the job fair next month.
At the end of the conversation, we find out that _____.
Woman: He's my dad. Yeap.
Vocabulary Practice
Do the vocabulary quizzes with the words from the conversation for more practice:
Post-Listening Exercise
What are the most important factors in choosing a college major for you? Rank the following ideas in order of preference and discuss your opinions with a partner:
- job prestige
- earning potential of future job
- opportunities for advancement in the field
- availability of work
- personal interest
Online Investigation
Do an Internet search to identify the top five college majors in your country or city based on any of the following criteria: employment outlook, earning potential, and working conditions/environment.
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