Programa de Inglés Transversal de Pregrado

Inglés II – Beginner A2

UNIT 1: WELCOME TO UNIVERSITY!

LESSON 3: CHALLENGES AND SUPPORT

Lesson aims:

• Understand vocabulary connected to expectations at university

• Understand general ideas and details of conversations about studying
• Understand details of short texts.

Lead-in

1. Expectations at university.

2. Look at the picture and read the quotes below each image. Did you think the same when
you started university?

Amira – 1st year José – 1st year Sandra –

Visual Arts student Psychology student Chemistry teacher

“Communication is really
“From what I understand “I heard that university important. When you have a
university students have to problem you should contact the
students have to read and
be more independent with secretary of studies, your
studying and time
write longer texts than teacher, or even your
management.” they did at school.” classmates when you are
working on a project together.”

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Inglés II – Beginner A2

Listening

1. Listen to six conversations of students talking about their classes. Which class are they
talking about?
*Listening track from https://english-practice.net

1 A Twentieth Century History

2 B English – Essay, Style, and Grammar

3 C Art History

4 D An Introduction to Biology

5 E Chemistry

6 F Computer Science

2. Listen again. Are these statements true or false?

TRUE FALSE

1 Conversation 1: There isn’t much reading in this class.

2 Conversation 2: Students do experiments in this class.

3 Conversation 3: Students don’t like Ms. Downs because she’s unfair.

4 Conversation 4: There’s a lot of homework for this class.

5 Conversation 5: The professor is interesting.

6 Conversation 6: This class meets in a lab.

Language

1. Read the transcript of one of the conversations and answer the questions.

A: Oh, I didn’t know you were taking this class, too.

B: Yes. I think it’s going to be interesting.
A: Yes, I think it’ll be more interesting than the biology class we took last semester.
B: Yes, there was an awful lot of reading for that class, wasn’t there? There isn’t as much in this
class. And I really enjoy doing the experiments! The equipment in the lab is state-of-the-art, too.

a) Which phrases are used to talk about the future?

GRAMMAR
b) Which phrases are used to talk about the past?
SUPPLEMENT:
THE FUTURE
c) Which words are used to express opinion?

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Inglés II – Beginner A2

Speaking

1. In pairs talk about your classes. Use the language from the previous exercise to give
your opinion.

Take notes answering the questions below about yourself and your partner.

Ask follow-up questions to get more information. For example: why? why not?

ME MY PARTNER

Did you like your classes last

1
semester?

What do you think about your

2
classes this semester?

Reading

1. Read about the workshops and match the descriptions.

Student Services Workshops

A. Strategies for Success B. Academic Writing C. Public Safety

What does it take to be Safety comes first. This

This workshop will help
successful at university? How important workshop will
students prepare for written
do you communicate and cover important safety advice
assignments. In this
collaborate with faculty and to use on campus and in
interactive session students
students to maximize your Santiago. You will also be
will learn about the writing
time? What academic introduced to the safety
process and the style they
techniques do successful resources at the university.
are expected to use for their
students use to do well in Whether you're new to
assignments. Most
their courses? Come to an Santiago or have lived here
importantly, students will
interactive workshop that all your life, this training will
learn about the University
covers various techniques help you stay safe and know
Writing Center and the
and strategies to do well this what to do in case the
resources available to them.
year. unexpected happens.

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Inglés II – Beginner A2

D. Taking Care of Yourself E. Career development F. EI and You

Did you know that your

Career Development is a
emotional and social skills
As a university student, you continuous process. This
are four times more
will have limited time and series of workshops will help
important than IQ when it
energy, so it's important to you identify opportunities and
comes to being successful in
identify a realistic and make informed decisions in
professional settings? This
effective plan to manage order to transition from being
interactive workshop will
your well-being. In this a university student to a
invite you to learn about
workshop, you will develop a working professional. The
emotional intelligence (EI)
concrete plan for taking care workshops will provide
and why it is important. It
of yourself during your first participants with an overview
will also provide opportunities
semester. You will identify a of the variety of programs
and practical resources for
wellness goal, think about and resources available to
you to explore and improve
ways to meet this goal, and students to help them
your own EI, which will help
learn about the university develop professional skills
you with interpersonal
resources available to such as looking for a job,
interactions with friends and
support this goal. writing a resumé, job
family as well as your future
interviews, etc.
work situations.

Glossary
workshop = taller resumé = curriculum vitae assignment = tarea
(IQ) Intelligence Quotient = (CI) Coeficiente de inteligencia
(EI) Emotional Intelligence = inteligencia emocional

1 This workshop has more than one session.

2 This workshop will help you organize your time effectively.

3 This workshop helps you apply for jobs.

4 This workshop could help you stay healthy while you are studying.

5 This workshop could help you to improve the way you interact with people.

6 This workshop will help you with written assignments.

7 This workshop will inform you about what to do in case of an emergency.

Check out the real workshops and other resources available to Universidad de Chile
students on https://aprendizaje.uchile.cl/ and @aprendizajeuch on IG. Check out
the Learning Center and/or Student Services at your faculty or campus too.

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Programa de Inglés Transversal de Pregrado
Inglés II – Beginner A2

Writing

1. You want to attend one of the workshops. Fill out the form below to register for the
workshop.

First name

Last name

email

Faculty

Major

Year

Which workshop(s) do you want to attend?

Why?

Final Lesson Task: GRAMMAR

SUPPLEMENT:
1. Read the situations. What do you think the NEED – OBLIGATION - SUGGESTIONS
students should do? Which workshop
should they attend and why? Talk with a partner about your ideas.

On Thursdays my last class finishes at 7.30 pm. Most of my classmates walk to the
A metro or bus stops, but I walk home in a different direction. I don’t feel safe walking
alone in the dark.

I have an assignment to write a paper for one of my classes. The professor gave us a
B lot of information about resources for this assignment, but I don’t know how to
organize my ideas and start writing.

I feel lucky to be studying at university, but I have to work on the weekends at a coffee shop. I took
C the job because I need money. Now, I’m having problems with studying because I don’t have time.
What should I do?

I’m having problems studying because I cannot find a time and place
D to study. In my house I don’t have a quiet space to study and my
younger brothers are always bothering me.

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Inglés II – Beginner A2

I am a very shy person. I’m having problems this semester because I don’t
E always understand the assignments. I’m afraid to ask the professor for help and
I don’t have any friends to talk to.

Exit Ticket My Top 5 Words

Can you do these things? from this lesson:

I can understand vocabulary connected to

1
expectations at university.
I can understand general ideas and details of
2
conversations about studying at university.

I can understand details in short texts. 3

Homework: Self-study [90 minutes per week]

1. GRAMMAR SUPPLEMENT: The Future

2. Extra practice (online): Reading Comprehension – Study Skills Tips

https://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/skills/reading/a2-reading/study-skills-tips

Transcripts

LISTENING 1 - TRANSCRIPT
1
A: So what do you think of the class so far?
B: I like it. What about you?
A: I love looking at the slides. And I really enjoy the discussion group.
B: But we sure have to do a lot of reading!
A: That’s true, but it isn’t as much as for English.
B: Right, but aren’t these art books heavy?
A: Yeah. I guess that’s what happens when you’re studying the entire history of art since the
beginning of time!

2
A: Oh, I didn’t know you were taking this class, too.
B: Yes. I think it’s going to be interesting.
A: Yes, I think it’ll be more interesting than the biology class we took last semester.
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Programa de Inglés Transversal de Pregrado
Inglés II – Beginner A2

B: Yes, there was an awful lot of reading for that class, wasn’t there? There isn’t as much in this
class. And I really enjoy doing the experiments! The equipment in the lab is state-of-the-art, too.
A: Do you think you’ll be a chemistry major?
B: Maybe.

3
A: What’s the matter?
B: Oh, I just got my essay back. She wrote so many comments on it! It’s going to take hours to
write a second draft.
A: Do you think she was unfair?
B: No, not at all. In fact, I really like her.
A: Yeah, Ms. Downs is great. She and the art history teacher are the best teachers I’ve ever had
here.
B: I agree. I think my writing is really going to improve in this class.
A: Me, too.

4
A: Uh, oh. It looks like we got here too late. The computer lab is closed.
B: Oh, no, and I’m working on a very complicated web program…
A: Yeah, we have a lot of homework for that class, don’t we?
B: Yeah, it’s tough, but I love programming! Don’t you?
A: No, it’s hard for me. This isn’t my favorite class. I prefer sciences like biology or chemistry.
B: Well, let me know if you need any help with your programs.
A: Thanks. That’s really nice.

5
A: What do you think of Professor Green?
B: He’s so boring. I’m not crazy about this class. What about you?
A: Yes, Professor Green is a little boring, but the subject is so interesting! I love learning about the
past. I’m particularly interested in the 20th century.
B: There’s a lot of reading, though, isn’t there?
A: True, and the books are so heavy!
B: They’re not as heavy as those art books, though.
A: No, you’re right about that!

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A: Do you think this class is going to be easy or hard?
B: I think it’s going to be okay. I don’t think it’ll be too hard. It’s certainly not as hard as chemistry.
Not yet, anyway.
A: Yeah, I guess because it’s just an introductory course.
B: Right. It says here we’re going to study the cell, basic genetics, and the human body.
A: Do we meet in a lab?
B: No, not for this class. We meet in a regular classroom.