| Level | Topic | Speakers | Length |
| Intermediate | Student Loans | Man – Woman | 01:05 |
Pre-Listening Exercise
How do students go about getting a loan for college (e.g., from family, school, a bank, or other)? What expenses can such loans cover for a university student? Why are such loans needed for some people, but not for others?
Idioms
“a walking encyclopedia” = someone who seems to know everything
“My roommate would do well on a trivia game show. He’s a walking encyclopedia.”
“have the right stuff” = have the needed skills to succeed
“Susan has the right stuff to get into any school she chooses.”
Listening Exercise
A. Listen to the recording and answer the questions.
Post-Listening Exercise
How do you (did you or will you) pay for your college expenses? Explain your experiences.
Online Investigation
Use the internet to answer some of these questions:
- What expenses do student loans cover?
- What are the ins and outs (good and bad points) of taking out a student loan?
- What are the interest rates on student loans?
- What other grants or scholarships are sometimes available at schools in your area?