ID Communication and language

Vocabulary

Collocations: Communication
1 Work in groups. Describe the pictures below and discuss:
1 how each is connected with communication.
2 what other means of communication are available nowadays.
3 how useful the devices are.

2 In the list a-f, rank the top three reasons for studying communication skills as part

of a university course.
a helpful in the modern world

b improves confidence
c
d
e
f

develops interpersonal skills

enhances career opportunities
provides opportunities for meeting people
improves performance on other courses

3 Compare your answers in groups, then with the rest of the class.
4 Answer the questions 1-10. Use these words and the word communication.
different methods of a breakdown in
difficulties or problems cross-cultura l

instant
sate llite

electronic and non-verba l

skil ls
improve
mass

1 What kind of communication is email an example of?

2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10

What kind of communication reaches a large number of people?

What kind of communication is used to guide cars nowadays?
What happens when communication with the outside world stops?
What do you need to work as a teacher?
What do electronic devices such as mobile phones give you?
What do you have when communication works but doesn't work well?
What are newspapers, TV and radio?
What kind of communication goes across cultures?
If communication with other countries is poor, what do we need to do?

Communication and language

5 Complete the beginnings of these examiner and candidate dialogues. Use one word
from exercise 4 for each answer.
I Examiner:
Do you think it is important to have good communication
....................... .............. when looking for a job?
Candidate: Yes, I think they are very important, especially at interviews.
2 Examiner:
What
........................... . of communication will be common in
future?
Candidate: I think there will be more .............
........ communication, for
example by video, and less person-to-person communication and more
..................................... communication .
3 Examiner:
What do you think is the difference between . . .................. .
nowadays and in the past?
Candidate: Even in the recent past, people had communication
............................ because even in rich countries people didn't have landline
telephones, so everything was much slower than today.
4 Examiner:
How do you think communication between countries can be
............................. .. ... ?
Candidate:
.................. ................ communication is one way. For example, people
can take part in exchanges of ideas.
5 Examiner:
Do you think ............................... ..... communication like newspapers
will change in the future?
Candidate: Yes, definitely. At the moment we have ...
6 Work in pairs. Take turns to ask and answer the questions in exercise 5. The

student answering the questions should not look at the answers. Develop the
answers in your own way.
Listening

IELTS Listening Section 3

Pre-listening
1 You are going to listen to a final tutorial between two students

and a teacher. Look at questions 1-10 below and on page 140.

Find questions that relate to a-d. Give reasons for your answers.
a The students ask for advice about exam preparation.
b One student says what he liked about the course.
c The tutor makes comments about the postgraduate
institutions the students are planning to go to.
d One student says why she changed courses.
Listening
2 @)DD Follow the instructions and answer questions 1-10.
Questions 1 and 2: Choosing items from a list
Choose TWO letters, A-E. Which TWO things does Alan say about
the course in communication skills and language?
A
B
C
D
E

He enjoyed the weekly seminars.

The lectures interested him a lot.
Doing the course project was very enjoyable.
He liked the school visits better than anything.
The visiting lecturers were outstanding.

FP

Questions 3 and 4: Choosing items from a list

Choose TWO letters, A-E. What TWO reasons does Fatima give for changing to the
communication skills and language course?
A The course generally had a very good reputation.
B The tutors on the course were well known.
C The cost of the course was lower than all the others.
D The tutorials were held frequently.
E There was a practical component on the course.

Questions 5-7: Multiple choice

Choose the correct answer, A, B, C or D.

5 What does Alan say about reading for the exams?

A He's bored of reading and can't read anymore.
B He hasn't read enough in some areas.
C He hasn't read his notes again.
D He's read too much and is tired.
6 What advice does the tutor give the students about studying just before the
exams?
A They can continue working up to each exam in a leisurely manner.
B They should concentrate on the notes they took rather than books.
C They ought to go to the gym or to the cinema.
D They should stop working about a day before every exam.
7 The tutor gives the students
A a printed copy of an exam preparation advice sheet.
B a last-minute checklist for revision.
C a checklist of dos and don'ts in the exam.
D some ideas for relaxation before each exam.

Questions 8-10: Matching

What does the tutor say about each of the postgraduate institutions? Write the correct
letter, A, B or C next to questions 8-10.
A only one previous student has gone there
B some previous students went there
C no students at all have gone there

Institution
8 Rockham College
9 Bart's Institute
10 St John's School of Languages
Language focus

Ellipsis and substitution

1 Underline the correct words in italics to explain the meaning of ellipsis and
substitution. For more information look at the Grammar on page 156.
1 Ellipsis occurs when words are left out of/added to a sentence.
2 Substitution occurs when you replace words in the sentence with another

word/punctuation.

Communication and language

2 Look at the examples from the Listening section and answer the questions 1-3.
1

Fatima: And I changed over to the communication skills and language course ...
Tutor: And are you glad you did so?
2

I think that I could've spent more time on reading for some of the
modules.
Fatima: I'm sure we all could have, ...

Alan:

3
Alan:

Yes, but I'm not very good under exam pressure. I panic more now, but
when I was at school I didn't.

1 In 1, what does the word so refer to?

2 In 2, when Fatima says we all could have, what does she mean?
3 In 3, what does I didn't mean?

3 Decide whether the examples in exercise 2 show ellipsis or substitution. Use the
Grammar on page 156 to help you.
4 Remove any unnecessary words from these sentences. In one sentence, add a

substitution word.
0 I text a lot, but my mother doesn't text a lot.

Itext a lot, but my mother doesn't.

1 I find it difficult to communicate by video, but my sister doesn't find it difficult

to communicate by video.
2 Although people used to write lots of letters in the past, they don't write letters
anymore.
3 Some people don't think that learning languages is valuable, while many
believe it is.
4 People often try to leave their mobile phones at home, but they find that they
aren't able to leave them at home.
5 People used to design products by hand rather than on computers, but
nowadays they can't design products by hand rather than on computers even if
the computer breaks down.
6 The human race wants to communicate with beings on other planets, but if
they do communicate with beings on other planets, will we be at risk?
7 Languages have disappeared from the school curriculum in some schools, but
here they haven't disappeared from the school curriculum in some schools.
8 The government hasn't spent as much money as other countries on making
broadband available to everyone, but they should have spent as much money
as other countries.
5 In the sentences in exercise 4, replace unnecessary words with a verb or auxiliary

verb+ so.
Itext a lot, but my mother doesn't do so.
6 Work in I?airs. Take turns to ask and answer the following questions. Develop the

answers m your own way.

0 Does everyone have a mobile phone nowadays?

Ithink most do, especially young people and business people, but maybe older people don't.
1 Should communication skills be taught in all schools?

2 Can everyone learn a foreign language?

3 How easy is it to use Skype on the Internet?
4 Did people use to write more letters in the past than now?

Communication and language

Speaking 1
A

IELTS Speaking Part 2

1 Choose one of these Task Cards, A-D.
B

Part 2

Part 2

Describe your favourite medium for learning , eg ,

using books, discussions, electronic devices.

Describe the method of communication you use

to keep in contact with your friends or family.

You shou ld say:

what the medium is
when you first used the medium
when you use the medium
and explain why you prefer the medium to other
media.

You should say:

what the method of communication is
when you first used the method
how often you use the method of
communication
and explain why you li ke using the method .
D

Part 2

Part 2

Describe a documentary that taught you

something about the world.

Describe a game you like which taught you a

ski ll.

You shou ld say:

what the documentary was
when you saw the documentary
who you saw it with
and explain why you th ink the documentary
taught you someth ing about the world.

You shou ld say:

what the game is
when you first played the game
how often you played the game
and explain why/how the game taught you a
skil l.

2 Write notes for your chosen card. Then practise giving your answer to yourself.
Decide which of the following ideas might be relevant to your answer.
1 I learnt how my own country was influenced by other cultures.

2
3
4
5
6
7
8

It taught me how to communicate with other team members.

It is easier to carry around.
It changed my attitude to other cultures.
I can see them even though they are far away.
I learnt how to respect other people when communicating.
It is more exciting than other media.
It's better than just listening to them on the phone.

3 Find a partner who has prepared a different card. Take turns to give your answers
for your chosen cards.

Reading

Pre-reading
1 Work in pairs. Write down at least three facts that you know about whales. Then
form a group with another pair and compare your answers.
2 Scan the passage and find as much information as you can about the facts your
group listed.

Reading
3 Follow the instructions and answer questions 1-13.

Communication and language

A The sou nd of Ba leen Wha les is the

loudest produced by any ani ma l on
earth and trave ls for many kilometres
underwater. It may be used for longrange contact, meeting ca ll s, in their
search for mates , as a greeting,
threat or ind ividual identification.
They produce mostly low-frequency
sounds , which are for long-distance
commun ication, orientation and
navigation. Wha le communication
occurs through low-frequency moans ,
as we ll as high-freq uency whi stles
that are produced by t he whales.
Wha les also communicate by means
of body language such as slapping
their ta il s. Wha le noises such as
forcefu l spouts of water may signa l
annoyance , and t he slapping of
flippers indicates excitement or
aggression .
B Wha les use beautifu l lyrical sounds
ca lled whale song to commu nicate
with each other. As whales are so
large and powerfu l, they make very
loud sounds that can be heard for
many kilometres. Wha les have been
known to generate about 20 ,000
acoustic watts of sound at 163
dec ibels .

C Some whale species produce a

pattern of regular and pred ictable
whale sounds, t he most notab le
being the Hum pback Whale. It has
been compared with human mus ic,
with t hese creatures being the
'composers'. On the other hand,
most toothed whales do not produce
whale song, but instead produce
rapid bursts of high-freq uency clicks
and wh istles. Single clicks are known
to be used in echolocation ; however,
a co llection of clicks together is for
communi cation. Male Humpback
Wh ales make t hese sou nds during

Whale

son

the mating season , which suggests

that the purpose of their songs is to
se lect a mate. It is unknown whether
it is also their means of defining
territory or even fl irting between
ma les and fema les.
D Whales occupying the same
geographical location tend to sing
similar wha le songs , only varying
them slightly. However, wha les
fro m different areas sing differe nt
songs. A study over a period of 19
years found that the same song
combi nations never occurred,
suggesting that whales never reuse
old song pattern s. Wh ales in one
area sing the same song at any point
in time, a song which constantly and
slowly changes over time. Over any
given period, one song will start with
increasing frequency but may slowly
flatten to become more co nstant. A

wha le will typically repeat the same

phrase of song over and over aga in
for two to four minutes at a t ime.
Th is is known as a theme , of which a
co llection makes a song. The wha le
repeats the same song, wh ich may
last up to 30 minutes and eve n fo r
days at a t ime.
E The mecha nisms used by whales
to produce sound vary from one
species to another. Most wha les
produce whale sou nds by passing
air through a structure in the head
ca lled the phonic li ps. The li ps vibrate
as the air passes through them and
these vibrations can be consc iously
control led with great sensitivity. They
pass t hro ugh to the melon of the
head , which shapes and directs the
sound into a beam for echolocation.
The air may be recycled back to be
used for sound creation yet aga in, or
passed out t hrough t he blowhole. All
toothed whales, except for t he Sperm
Whale, have two sets of phon ic
lips; therefore they are capab le of
making two sounds independently.
Baleen Wha les do not have phon ic lip
structures , on ly a larynx t hat appears
to play a ro le in producing whale
sound .
F Marine creatures are largely
dependent on sound for
comm unication and sensation,
as the ir other senses are li mited
due to their watery habitat.
Environmentalists appear to be
concerned about whales be ing
harmed and not being able to find
mates because of the increased
noise levels at sea caused by ships
and other sources. The Humpback
Whale songs for instance are often
disrupted and t his causes immense
panic in t he group.

Questions 1-6: Matching information

The reading passage has six paragraphs, A-F. Which paragraph contains the following
information? You may use any letter more than once.

1
2
3
4
5
6

Communication and language

a detailed description of whale song ............ .

the possible connection between whale communication and breeding
the fact that noise pollution may disrupt the mating activities of whales
different methods of communication among whales ............ .
a reference to the effect on whales of human activity ........... ..
the fact that sounds made by all species of whales are very loud ..

Questions 7-9: Labelling a diagram

Label the diagram below. Choose NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS from the passage for
each answer.
Sound production in whales
of the head

the 8
Air movement in 7

))))))l
9 a beam produced for .........

Questions 10-13: Matching sentence endings

Complete each sentence with the correct ending, A-G, below.
10 Baleen Whales may produce sound for

11 Whales also communicate by

12 Whales in the same area usually have
13 Whales do not possess

A the same mechanism for making sounds.

B a wide range of purposes.
C extraordinary eyesight.
D long distances.
E the use of their bodies.
F many predators.
G songs that are alike.

Reading discussion
4 Work in groups and discuss these questions. Then share your answers with the
whole class.
1 Did you find anything in the reading passage surprising? In what way?

2 Has the reading passage changed your attitude to whales? In what way?

3 Do you know how other kinds of animals communicate? Give examples?

Communication and language

Writing 1

IELTS Writing Task 1

1 Work in pairs. Describe in your own words the data for the Task 1 question below.
The charts show the rates of involvement in teleworking in the UK by age group and
the proportion of teleworking in different industries.
Summarize the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make
comparisons where relevant.
Involvement in teleworking in the UK by age group
Per cent

- - - - - 16-24
- - - - - 25-34
10 5

Glossary
teleworking - work
where people
work away from
an office, eg, at
home or another
office

______.,...._ _ ._

1997

1998

__ ,_ ..........

-_-=_=_:_::_:_:_:____-:~:~:...._'""_'-"_---------~
_=
_ "-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_~
-=-~

~~~9 1--_-: _::_-:.___

...

1999

2000

2001

2002

2004

2003

2005

Teleworking rates by industry in the UK, 1997 and 2005

= 1997 = 2005

Per cent

25

-...--~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~-

0
Agriculture &
Fishing

Energy & Water

Construction

Transport and
Communication

2 Make corrections to this introduction to improve it in any way.

The graph show proportion of people in different ages groups involved in

teleworking in the united Kingdom between 1997 to 2005 along with the rates of
involvement in various industries in 1997 and 2005.
3 Rewrite this overview in one sentence, using the word in brackets.

There is a slight decline in the proportion of those aged 25-34. It happens towards
the end of the period. The rates of involvement in teleworking for all ages are
upwards. (Despite)

Communication and language

4 Work in pairs. Rewrite the rest of the answer below, using the hints in version B.
A Take the 50+ group. It had the highest proportion of
teleworking . The rate of teleworkers rose from just under 5 per
cent in 1997 to approximately 12 per cent in 2005. A similar
pattern was seen in those aged 35-49. The rate in 2005 was
1O per cent. The rates for the two age groups with the lowest
proportions of teleworkers, the 16- 24 and the 25- 34 age
groups, went up. It rose from just above 0 per cent to about 2
per cent and 3 per cent to about 6 per cent respectively.
The rising trend in teleworking is seen in the selected areas
illustrated in the bar chart. Construction , energy and agriculture
and fishing almost all quadrupled the proportion of teleworkers .

B Take those aged 50+ , who ..

. There
was a
from about
about
saw
, with the rate
The 35-49
climbing .............. Similarly, there was an
increase in ............. groups , who
.. , from
.
The bar chart clearly reflects
Construction , energy and agrlcuiil.i.re and
fishing almost all quadrupled the proportion
of teleworkers.

5 Write your own answer for this Task 1 question.

The graph shows the teleworking rates by sex in the United Kingdom between 1997
and 2005 and the rates by occupation and location of workplace in 2005.
Summarize the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make
comparisons where rele vant.
Teleworking rates by sex in the United Kingdom, 1997- 2005

Per cent

- - - - - Men

1997

1998

1999

2000

2001

2002

2003

2004

2005

Teleworking rates by occupation and location of workplace, 2005

Per cent

different
places using home

10

as a base

Teleworking ma inly
in own home

0
Managers and
Senior Officials

Professional
Occupations

Skilled Trades/
Occupations

Communication and language

Speaking 2

IELTS Speaking Part 3

1 Work in pairs. Complete the table with these reasons and beginnings of answers.
Reasons

passport to further study

both, although not everyone is su ited to languages or science
breaeens H'eir mines
less popular now than technology or science

Beginning of the answer

I think it's very popular/common, especially as ...

I think so. It's crucial because it ...
They are both equally important/essential, but ...
I'd say that they are less so now ...

Languages
Beginning of the answer

Question

Reason

Do you think it is important to learn other

languages at secondary school? Why/Why not?

Are foreign languages popular among school

children in your country? Why/Why not?

How popular is learning English where you

were brought up?

Is it more important to teach languages or

science 'subjects at secondary school level?

broadens their minds

00 I think so. It's crucial because

it ...

2 Take turns to ask the questions and reply with the beginnings of the answers only.
3 Work with a different partner. Take turns to ask and answer at least two of the
questions in exercise 1. Develop your answer using the reason given and your own

reason(s).
4 Give each other feedback about how fluently your partner answered the questions.
Writing 2

IELTS Writing Task 2

1 Work in pairs. Choose one of the three Task 2 essay questions A-C below. Use the
points 1- 5 to discuss your ideas and make notes.
I
2
3
4
5

what the two sides of each question are

whether you are being asked to give an opinion
how many main ideas you need
what the main ideas might be
what examples and reasons you can give for each idea

A
Some people think that languages should only be taught in school if they have
commercial benefit, while others feel that languages should be taught for their own
sake.
What in your opinion should be the main function of teaching languages?
Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own
knowledge and experience.

Communication and language

B
Some people think that it is better to have one international language, while others
believe that this is not possible.

Discuss both points of view and give your opinion.

Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own
knowledge and experience.

c
Communication around the world is becoming easier and easier.
What factors have contributed to this?
Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own
knowledge and experience.

2 Look at these notes for Task A in exercise 1. Give an example for each of the
reasons.
Commercial benefit

Languages for their own sake

better for business

communication
easier overseas travel on business
improved diplomatic relations

personal enjoyment
stimulating
trave lling
studying
learn about language(s) in general

better for business: can talk to business people in t heir own languages,
eg, French/Chinese/English/Japanese

3 Decide what your own opinion is for Task A in exercise I.

4 Underline the two sentences in italics that fit the rest of the paragraph below.
Decide which side of the argument in exercise 2 the paragraph relates to.
I To some people learning another language is beneficialfor one's personal
development/ Learning a foreign language has great economic value. This is because
learning languages can help business people when they are communicating with
business partners on the telephone or abroad. For example, Japanese or British
business people can speak to French or Chinese businesses selling goods such
as cars or any machinery in their own language. They then don't need to rely on
interpreters or counterparts speaking their language. At the same time, knowing a
language also improves appreciation of a culture. 2 As a result, trade relations can
be improved enormously, showing the economic value of learning other languages/
Therefore, those who learn at least one foreign language will develop within themselves
andfeel more confident in themselves.

5 Write your own paragraph for Task A. Use the other two sentences in italics in
exercise 4 to begin and end your paragraph.

IELTS Writing Task 2Test

6 Write your own answer for essay question B or C in exercise 1.

If.I Communication and language

Study skills

Writing Task 2: Planning

Writing Task 2 covers a wide range of topics. However, the types of task you are asked to
write about in relation to the topics is fairly limited. To help you prepare for the exam,
make a list of the types of tasks. Follow these steps.
1 Collect a list of questions from this unit and other units in the book.

2 Make a list of the different types of tasks.

What in your opinion should be the main function of teaching languages?
TIP
Use the suggestions
for the words in each
paragraph as a guide
on ly. Paragraphs do not
have a specific length.

3 As you prepare, make a plan for the different types of questions. Look at the plan
below for Writing Task A on page 147 and match the different stages to the essay
question.
Introduction: (Wh ile some people/other people ... )

30/35 words

Topic sentence: (On the one hand/To some people/Some people th ink that ... )

65/70 words

Top ic sentence: (On the other hand, others believe ... )

65/70 words

Topic sentence: (In my opinion, however, ... )

65/70 words

Conc lusion: (As we have seen, ... )

25/30 words

4 Make a plan for Writing Task B on page 148 as above.

5 Make plans for different types of questions. Use the plans to make notes about

specific topics.

Communication and language