Do the preparation task first. Then listen to the audio and do the exercises.
Preparation
Transcript
Ali: Hey, you guys, I've been looking for you. I've got an idea – a study group. What do you think? Are you interested?
Dina: Yes! I need a study group, in a big way.
Bea: Me too.
Ali: Do you think we have enough people here for a study group? I mean, there are only four of us …
Bea: Sorry. Three of us. Chris can't do study group. Right, Chris?
Chris: Yeah, there's no way I can do a study group. I have an assignment and then I'm too busy. But I'll stay for this first meeting.
Ali: Should we try and get another group together with us for this?
Bea: No, I don't think so. I think three is fine. Ideal size, really.
Dina: Me too.
Ali: OK, three people then. Four people for the first meeting. What next?
Bea: What about a meeting place? We can't meet here in the library …
Ali: It's not too bad, especially if those other people would go away.
Bea: But we can't exactly ask them to leave, and people might get annoyed with us talking.
Dina: Can I say something here?
Ali: Sure, go ahead.
Dina: There's a study hall next to the cafeteria. It's almost always empty. Could we meet there?
Ali: A study hall?! Who knew? Well, it sounds good to me.
Bea: Yeah. I've never been there but …
Ali: So, we ought to decide how long for and how often.
Dina: I read somewhere that you should make the meeting at the same time each week. Like a seminar. That way we'd take it more seriously.
Bea: We may as well make it for this time since we're all here. Is this time OK?
Dina: Works for me.
Ali: Me too.
Chris: Hang on just a minute. I know I'm not going to be in this group, but aren't we supposed to have a seminar at this time every other week?
Dina: Umm, no.
Bea: Thursday, no?
Ali: No, that's on Thursday.
Chris: Sorry. Forget I said anything.
Ali: Don't worry about it.
Bea: So everyone agrees that this time is fine? Every week?
Ali: How long should we make it?
Bea: An hour?
Dina: Could we find a way of making it two hours?
Ali: Two hours seems a bit like … too much. To start with then?
Bea: Ninety minutes? Compromise?
Ali: Is that OK with you, Dina?
Dina: Fine by me.
Ali: OK, so I guess all we have left to decide is exactly what we'll do when we meet. The final exam is a way off. I guess we could review our notes, or practise learning things by heart.
Dina: I have a list of dos and don'ts actually that I got online. I could be a moderator, and we could use the ideas as a starting point …
I have an experience of creating study group, when I was preparing for university entrance exam. There are some tips that helped us help to make a well organized and efficient study group:
- It is good that every person in the group be in the same level.
- Using pomodoro technique for better concentration and rest.
- Determine a specific time for sharing ideas and solving problems.
Hey,
Could you tell us a bit more about that Pomodoro technique? I hear that for the first time, and I am curious if you have found it helpful.
Thanks!
Hey,
I'll demonstrate it for you. You should concentrate or work for 25 minutes and after 25 minutes, take a rest for 5 minutes. Do this 4 times in a row and finally take a long rest for 25 minutes. Repeat this cycle again.
It's something like this:
25 minutes working - 5 minutes resting
+
25 minutes working - 5 minutes resting
+
25 minutes working - 5 minutes resting
+
25 minutes working - 5 minutes resting
= 1 Pomodoro
It will definitely eliminate distractions and improves your concentration.
yes, when we had exam or was doing a project, we were creating a group. we studied together and if every one had a problem, he ask and others help him.
Yes I have, when I was studying I have created more than one study group with some classmates, usually we created study groups to make some assignments or prepare main tests or exams. In my experience I could say that the next tips work fine to do study group:
+The group wouldn't have more than 5 members
+If the group has the same number of women and men is better than all men or women
+The members of the group wouldn't live far away one from each other.
+It's more convenient to set the same place, day and time for all the meetings
Thanks for the lesson.
Great site!
Yes, I have. It was during my exam period.
My tips are the following:
- to help the mates in the group by explaining sth they don't remember.
- to encourage other people to do it.
- to make a plan of work beginning with the most significant assignments.
I have ever created the study group for learning Japanese language. My tips is nothing special but I think we should divide the learning content into small parts for each member to learn. After a while, everyone will share what they had learned to each other and then discuss about it together. If we can do this, then it will save time for self-learning and always make sure that everyone had learned together and no body was lazy.
I have never created one but I have been in a group for our thesis. It's quite challenging as you have to start in gathering data and for validity you have to conduct a survey. In addition, neither spend so much time reading books in the library nor searching in the computer.