First, watch the video through to get the gist of what the conversation is about.
Now, watch the video again and pay attention to the following features of spoken English the teachers use in their conversation:
- Conversation fillers to gain thinking time: Well; erm; you know
- Reacting to the information we've just heard: You’re kidding?; Really?; Oh no!; How frustrating!
- Showing agreement: Yeah!; Exactly; Of course
- Paraphrasing what you have just said to make yourself clear: I mean
- Use of really to emphasize the verb.
- Use of so as a linking word.
Now it's over to you. If possible, get together with a friend or relative and discuss your experience of cheating at school or university. Have you ever cheated in exams? Do you know anyone who has? What cheating techniques do you know? Why do students find it easier to cheat with some teachers and impossible with others? Would you report someone who cheats in exams?
Well, I’ll tell you that I know a girl who has to go through a very difficult exam for her studies, and she told me that she could find the answers online on the internet. She could download them and go to the test as simple as that.
You’re kidding?
Can you imagine?
Really?
So what was she studying?
Medicine.
Oh no! All of our doctors can get the answers online!
Yeah, that’s very scary.
Have you ever had, erm, a situation like that or an experience like that? Do you know about somebody…
I didn’t know you could buy the answers online, erm, but I know that in the States now, for all of those important jobs, you know working a crane or working heavy machinery, of course being a doctor, you have to take and exam. You have to know that information, so cheating is not going to get these people anywhere.
And later you get the job and what do you do? I mean you have to improvise that you know how to use the computer or…
I hope my doctor didn’t.
Yeah, it’s…or a veterinarian, with dogs.
If you think about it… if so many people are cheating…
Exactly.
… I remember once I was in a class and in this particular class I was the only person that didn’t cheat. And I did OK but everyone else did exceptionally well…
Of course.
Exactly.
…but it was terrible.
How frustrating!
Yeah, yeah that’s not nice, no? You are doing your reports and…
And you really study. You spend the whole night…
Of course!
… and all evening. You don’t go out… weeks… just study.
So, what about other techniques? Have you heard about any other cheating techniques?
Yeah, but they date back to grade school.
That works. Start early.
Erm, I knew some people that would write the answers to exams on the bottom of their shoes or on the inner arm or… hands.
Or here also. You have to be careful not to sweat.
Yeah.
Well, it looks like we really don’t have a future in cheating.
Hope not.
