The education system in India is very developed, though it varies between rural and urban areas, with most middle class children attending school from kindergarten through tenth grade and then twelfth grade, typically completing a graduation degree. The standard of education is high due to intense competition to gain admission into reputable colleges, with many students scoring over 90% on exams, and friendships formed in school tend to be the strongest as that is when people are most impressionable and honest with one another.
A review of the growth of the Israel Genealogy Research Association Database Collection for the last 12 months. Our collection is now passed the 3 million mark and still growing. See which archives have contributed the most. See the different types of records we have, and which years have had records added. You can also see what we have for the future.
2024.06.01 Introducing a competency framework for languag learning materials ...Sandy Millin
http://sandymillin.wordpress.com/iateflwebinar2024
Published classroom materials form the basis of syllabuses, drive teacher professional development, and have a potentially huge influence on learners, teachers and education systems. All teachers also create their own materials, whether a few sentences on a blackboard, a highly-structured fully-realised online course, or anything in between. Despite this, the knowledge and skills needed to create effective language learning materials are rarely part of teacher training, and are mostly learnt by trial and error.
Knowledge and skills frameworks, generally called competency frameworks, for ELT teachers, trainers and managers have existed for a few years now. However, until I created one for my MA dissertation, there wasn’t one drawing together what we need to know and do to be able to effectively produce language learning materials.
This webinar will introduce you to my framework, highlighting the key competencies I identified from my research. It will also show how anybody involved in language teaching (any language, not just English!), teacher training, managing schools or developing language learning materials can benefit from using the framework.
June 3, 2024 Anti-Semitism Letter Sent to MIT President Kornbluth and MIT Cor...Levi Shapiro
Letter from the Congress of the United States regarding Anti-Semitism sent June 3rd to MIT President Sally Kornbluth, MIT Corp Chair, Mark Gorenberg
Dear Dr. Kornbluth and Mr. Gorenberg,
The US House of Representatives is deeply concerned by ongoing and pervasive acts of antisemitic
harassment and intimidation at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). Failing to act decisively to ensure a safe learning environment for all students would be a grave dereliction of your responsibilities as President of MIT and Chair of the MIT Corporation.
This Congress will not stand idly by and allow an environment hostile to Jewish students to persist. The House believes that your institution is in violation of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act, and the inability or
unwillingness to rectify this violation through action requires accountability.
Postsecondary education is a unique opportunity for students to learn and have their ideas and beliefs challenged. However, universities receiving hundreds of millions of federal funds annually have denied
students that opportunity and have been hijacked to become venues for the promotion of terrorism, antisemitic harassment and intimidation, unlawful encampments, and in some cases, assaults and riots.
The House of Representatives will not countenance the use of federal funds to indoctrinate students into hateful, antisemitic, anti-American supporters of terrorism. Investigations into campus antisemitism by the Committee on Education and the Workforce and the Committee on Ways and Means have been expanded into a Congress-wide probe across all relevant jurisdictions to address this national crisis. The undersigned Committees will conduct oversight into the use of federal funds at MIT and its learning environment under authorities granted to each Committee.
• The Committee on Education and the Workforce has been investigating your institution since December 7, 2023. The Committee has broad jurisdiction over postsecondary education, including its compliance with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act, campus safety concerns over disruptions to the learning environment, and the awarding of federal student aid under the Higher Education Act.
• The Committee on Oversight and Accountability is investigating the sources of funding and other support flowing to groups espousing pro-Hamas propaganda and engaged in antisemitic harassment and intimidation of students. The Committee on Oversight and Accountability is the principal oversight committee of the US House of Representatives and has broad authority to investigate “any matter” at “any time” under House Rule X.
• The Committee on Ways and Means has been investigating several universities since November 15, 2023, when the Committee held a hearing entitled From Ivory Towers to Dark Corners: Investigating the Nexus Between Antisemitism, Tax-Exempt Universities, and Terror Financing. The Committee followed the hearing with letters to those institutions on January 10, 202
This slide is special for master students (MIBS & MIFB) in UUM. Also useful for readers who are interested in the topic of contemporary Islamic banking.
Synthetic Fiber Construction in lab .pptxPavel ( NSTU)
Synthetic fiber production is a fascinating and complex field that blends chemistry, engineering, and environmental science. By understanding these aspects, students can gain a comprehensive view of synthetic fiber production, its impact on society and the environment, and the potential for future innovations. Synthetic fibers play a crucial role in modern society, impacting various aspects of daily life, industry, and the environment. ynthetic fibers are integral to modern life, offering a range of benefits from cost-effectiveness and versatility to innovative applications and performance characteristics. While they pose environmental challenges, ongoing research and development aim to create more sustainable and eco-friendly alternatives. Understanding the importance of synthetic fibers helps in appreciating their role in the economy, industry, and daily life, while also emphasizing the need for sustainable practices and innovation.
A Strategic Approach: GenAI in EducationPeter Windle
Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies such as Generative AI, Image Generators and Large Language Models have had a dramatic impact on teaching, learning and assessment over the past 18 months. The most immediate threat AI posed was to Academic Integrity with Higher Education Institutes (HEIs) focusing their efforts on combating the use of GenAI in assessment. Guidelines were developed for staff and students, policies put in place too. Innovative educators have forged paths in the use of Generative AI for teaching, learning and assessments leading to pockets of transformation springing up across HEIs, often with little or no top-down guidance, support or direction.
This Gasta posits a strategic approach to integrating AI into HEIs to prepare staff, students and the curriculum for an evolving world and workplace. We will highlight the advantages of working with these technologies beyond the realm of teaching, learning and assessment by considering prompt engineering skills, industry impact, curriculum changes, and the need for staff upskilling. In contrast, not engaging strategically with Generative AI poses risks, including falling behind peers, missed opportunities and failing to ensure our graduates remain employable. The rapid evolution of AI technologies necessitates a proactive and strategic approach if we are to remain relevant.
Unit 8 - Information and Communication Technology (Paper I).pdfThiyagu K
This slides describes the basic concepts of ICT, basics of Email, Emerging Technology and Digital Initiatives in Education. This presentations aligns with the UGC Paper I syllabus.
Exploiting Artificial Intelligence for Empowering Researchers and Faculty, In...Dr. Vinod Kumar Kanvaria
Exploiting Artificial Intelligence for Empowering Researchers and Faculty,
International FDP on Fundamentals of Research in Social Sciences
at Integral University, Lucknow, 06.06.2024
By Dr. Vinod Kumar Kanvaria
Operation “Blue Star” is the only event in the history of Independent India where the state went into war with its own people. Even after about 40 years it is not clear if it was culmination of states anger over people of the region, a political game of power or start of dictatorial chapter in the democratic setup.
The people of Punjab felt alienated from main stream due to denial of their just demands during a long democratic struggle since independence. As it happen all over the word, it led to militant struggle with great loss of lives of military, police and civilian personnel. Killing of Indira Gandhi and massacre of innocent Sikhs in Delhi and other India cities was also associated with this movement.
2. About This Australian Life
What is life really like in Australia? How to do people think, interact, communicate, eat, work,
play and relax? Join three young recent arrivals from the Asia Pacific region as they experience
an 'ordinary' week in Australia. From the mundane (like buying food and doing the dishes) to the
lofty (environmental concerns, moral frameworks, community ties), our guests are immersed in
the real, intimate workings of Australian homes, families and workplaces and share their
reactions and insights via video diaries.
This Australian Life is a new 10-part series that you can watch on TV and online. We are
streaming full episodes of the program plus you can download exclusive Learning English
videos and transcripts from each episode page.
Meet Our Guests
Sujatha
Sujatha, 25, is in Australia to study horticulture. She loves dancing, singing, adventure, travel
and music - and is afraid of cockroaches. She can't swim but she would love to learn to scuba
dive. She is from India.
Lester
Lester, 22, is from Hong Kong and is studying marketing while in Australia. He loves sports,
video games and travelling. He thinks he is a nerd, but he would love to learn more about
football, and enjoys trying new things.
Astari
Astari, 28, is from Indonesia. She is hoping to pursue an arts career, but in the meantime she is
working in casual jobs ranging from fruit picking to cleaning. She also teaches Indonesian
language as a volunteer. She loves the theatre, travelling, meeting people and learning their
culture.
3. Home
Episode 1: This Wild Life
Episode 2: This Football Life
Episode 3: This Acting Life
Episode 4: This Sharing Life
Episode 5: This Show Life
Episode 6: This Family Life
Episode 7: This Restaurant Life
Episode 8: This Inner City Life
Episode 9: This Outback Life
Episode 10: This Shearing Life
4. Page 1 of 1
Lester: Test 1 – Part 1 Transcript
Test 1 - Part 1 Introduction
Lester introduces himself and answers some simple questions about food and
eating.
TRANSCRIPT
Interviewer: Where are you from Lester?
Lester: I’m from Hong Kong.
Interviewer: What did you do in Hong Kong?
Lester: I worked in a fashion retail shop.
Interviewer: What’s the main meal of the day?
Lester: The main meal of the day would be dinner. A lot of people say it’s
breakfast, but I don’t really have time for that. I like to sleep in a
bit.
Interviewer: Is it better to eat one meal or several small meals?
Lester: I believe it’s better to have several small meals because people say
it’s healthier to have several small meals.
Interviewer: Do you usually eat alone?
Lester: I usually eat alone because most of my family members would be
working.
Interviewer: Do you think people eat too much fast food?
Lester: I do think people eat too much fast food these days, including
myself.
Interviewer: Do you prefer eating at home or at restaurants?
Lester: I prefer eating in restaurants because I can try different food which
is, if I eat at home normally I only have Chinese food.
5. Page 1 of 1
Lester: Test 1 – Part 2 Transcript
Test 1 - Part 2 Individual Talk/ Long Turn
Lester talks about travel in response to the question “What’s the most interesting
place you’ve visited for a holiday?”
TRANSCRIPT
Lester: The most interesting place I’ve visited for a holiday would be Japan.
Japan is a very old country and they’ve got a lot of culture and
history in there and we visited some temples and they were
amazing. They were, like, huge temples and it’s like in the middle
of the city, so it’s buildings and then out of nowhere there’s this
really old temple in there.
There is one thing that happened during the trip and it was very, I
thought it was pretty interesting. ‘Cos Japan is pretty famous for its
trendy styles and fashion and, so me and my mum thought that I
would go and get a haircut in Japan. And, after we walked into the
salon, I had a hair wet, sat down and then we found out that no-one
speaks English in the, in the salon. So I couldn’t explain to
hairdresser what kind of hairstyle did I want. So I just end up, like,
choosing a hairstyle in a magazine. And luckily it did turn out all
right and yeah it was a good haircut and I’d probably do it again if I
have a chance.
I went there with my mum and actually it was a very special trip for
both of us ‘cos we were both working at the time and we just didn’t
have a lot of time to spend with each other and it’s hard to get time
to spend with each other for the whole week and yeah, during that
week we just know a whole lot more about each other and that’s
why it’s so special.
6. Page 1 of 1
Lester: Test 1 – Part 3 Transcript
Test 1 - Part 3 Discussion
Lester discusses travel and tourism in depth. Does he think he’s a tourist or a
traveller?
TRANSCRIPT
Interviewer: Is tourism always good for places?
Lester: It can be good for a place because it brings a lot of money and more
people get jobs. But if it’s, if it relies too much on tourism then it
will turn into a very commercial place like Venice.
Interviewer: Should we all travel to other countries?
Lester: I think we should travel as much as possible because we can
experience different cultures around the world and try different
foods and meet different people and it is something that you cannot
learn from a book or television.
Interviewer: Are you a tourist or a traveller?
Lester: I consider myself as a traveller because I’m here to study in
Australia. I’m not just comin’ over for a holiday.
Interviewer: What do you think about ecotourism?
Lester: What do you mean by ecotourism?
Interviewer: Ecotourism is tourism that is sensitive to the environment.
Lester: I believe that ecotourism can be a good thing ‘cos, especially now
environmentally friendly is a big trend now. And after people
experiencing the wildlife they might appreciate it more.
Interviewer: Is it better to take one long holiday or several short ones?
Lester: It’s hard to say because if you take a long trip you can learn more
about the culture of a place and if you take several short trips you
can go to more different places and see a bit more. So if you’re
really interested in one place or a culture then you should spend
more time in that place, whereas if you want to see just one thing
from a country then you should just take a short holiday. So I think
a long holiday and a short holiday - a mix of them would be perfect.
7. Page 1 of 1
Lester: Test 2 – Part 2 Transcript
Test 2 - Part 2 Individual Talk / Long Turn
Lester answers at length the question “What’s the most important celebration or
festival in your country?”
TRANSCRIPT
Lester: In my country the most important celebration would be Chinese New
Year.
Normally it’s between January and February, depending on the
Chinese calendar and usually we’ll have fireworks and a lion dance
because we believe that both of these things will chase away the
bad fortune from the past year.
There’s a lion costume with very colourful and a lot of decorations
on it and there will be two people controlling the costume and what
we do is we hang a lettuce on our roof, on the ceiling of our house.
And there will be a little scroll hanging under the lettuce. So the
lion will have to jump up and eat the lettuce and the head. The guy
that controls the head of the lion will untie the scroll and the scroll
will drop and usually there’s something good about, like good
fortune or good health written on it.
During Chinese New Year we’ll go visit our elders and all the
relatives will go to their house and have a gathering. Normally the
adults will gamble and they play the game of mah-jong and the kids
will just get around, play video games or go down to the park, kick a
football. And then at night we’ll have a huge feast and, with a huge
pot with all kinds of food in there.
Towards the end you feel very disappointed ‘cos it means that the
end of the holidays and go back to school or work and yeah but it’s a
great, it’s a great atmosphere during Chinese New Year.
8. Page 1 of 1
Lester: Test 2 – Part 3 Transcript
Test 2 - Part 3 Discussion
Lester generalises about festivals and discusses why people celebrate them.
TRANSCRIPT
Interviewer: Do you take part in Australian celebrations?
Lester: No I haven’t yet because I was away during most of the Australian
celebration like Christmas and New Year. I was travelling in Europe.
And because I work in a pub so most of the holidays I have to go to
work so I didn’t really get a chance to go out and celebrate with my
friends.
Interviewer: Do people do similar things for celebrations?
Lester: Yeah it is very similar how we celebrate. We all gather with our
family members and have a great feast and we’ll have fireworks in
some special occasions.
Interviewer: Why do people celebrate festivals?
Lester: I think people celebrate festivals because they want to get together
with their family and the relatives and because everyone’s working
it’s very hard for them to get a chance to gather a huge, the whole
family together and have a good time. And most important it’s fun
to celebrate festivals.
Interviewer: Can celebrations become too commercial?
Lester: I think it has become too commercial now. Take Chinese New Year
for example. A long time ago people used to prepare those
watermelon seeds and prepare all the food and decoration. But now
people are getting more, busier so they don’t have much time to
prepare all these things and they can buy it in supermarkets and
shops. So the meaning behind those things has lost a bit.
9. Page 1 of 1
Lester: Test 3 – Part 2 Transcript
Test 3 - Part 2 Individual Talk/ Long Turn
Lester describes the public transport system of his home town, Hong Kong.
TRANSCRIPT
Lester: In Hong Kong we’ve got a very well developed transportation system.
We’ve got buses, double-deck buses, taxis, trams, ferries,
underground metro and minibus. It’s, minibus is about half the size
of a bus and takes around sixteen people. A lot of people take them
‘cos they’re a bit faster than normal buses. And we use the ferry for
carrying people across the harbour because Hong Kong is formed by
an island and a peninsula.
In Hong Kong we have an underground metro system for over twenty
years and it’s very convenient. You can, ‘cos you can get to, from
the Hong Kong island to the peninsular; pretty much you can get to
everywhere and a lot of people take it because you can avoid the
traffic. Traffic in Hong Kong is a huge problem ‘cos there is so much
people in so, in a small space so we get a lot of cars in the roads.
And it’s also a very reliable system.
Buses in Hong Kong are very comfortable and very clean. Actually I
was a bit surprised when I came over to Adelaide ‘cos I saw a lot of
graffiti and tags inside the bus. You don’t really get that in Hong
Kong.
10. Page 1 of 1
Lester: Test 3 – Part 3 Transcript
Test 3 - Part 3 Discussion
Lester discusses aspects of public transport at home and abroad.
TRANSCRIPT
Interviewer: Should more people use public transport?
Lester: I think more people should use the public transport because it’s
better for the environment ‘cos you use less fuel, less people drive
and use less fuel. And it would ease the traffic problem as well ‘cos
you see a lot of people, cars on the road like a huge four by four and
there’s only one person in it and that’s almost like half or one third
of the size of a bus. So it takes a lot of space and if all those people
took public transport then traffic would be much smoother.
Interviewer: Should public transport be free?
Lester: I believe that public transport shouldn’t be free ‘cos it might lower
the quality of the public transport because of the, we don’t get
enough fundings for new buses or maintenance. So I don’t think that
public transport should be free.
Interviewer: What’s the best sort of public transport?
Lester: The best sort of public transport would have to be the underground
metro because it’s very frequent - you get one every three minutes
during rush hour and it’s, you can avoid the traffic as well. You
don’t have to get stuck in the road for half an hour and you can get
to almost everywhere in Hong Kong.
Interviewer: Is public transport good for the environment?
Lester: I believe that public transport is good for the environment because
you can move more people with one bus than a car so it would save
fuel and it would produce less emission gas because less people or
less cars on the road. But public transport does tend to generate a
bit more noise so you need a bit of a balance for that again. Like it’s
good to have a mix of public transport and like normal cars on the
road.
11. Page 1 of 1
Sujatha: Test 1 – Part 1 Transcript
Test 1 - Part 1 Introduction
Sujatha introduces herself and answers some questions about her studies.
TRANSCRIPT
Interviewer: Where are you from Sujatha?
Sujatha: I’m from Hyderabad. It is a city in the south of India. In fact it is
one of the biggest five cities in our country.
Interviewer: Do you work or are you a student?
Sujatha: Well at present I’m studying at the TAFE campus but I also work part
time. I do some work at the restaurant and sometimes I do care
work shift.
Interviewer: What subjects are you studying?
Sujatha: Well I’m studying a lot of subjects as a part of my Diploma of
Horticulture, but basically we have Botany and soil and weeds and
about chemicals like pesticides and insecticides.
Interviewer: Is it difficult?
Sujatha: Sometimes the practical aspect is difficult as it involves a lot of hard
work and physical stamina and sometimes you’re in the sun or very
cold and you still have to work in your garden, but the theory part is
quite easy for me because I’ve done bits of it before previously in
my schooling days so...
Interviewer: What will you do when you finish?
Sujatha: Well I’m thinking of going into management of landscapes or maybe
parks or botanical gardens. I’m more interested in the management
side because I wouldn’t have to put in a lot of physical labour into it
and just manage people and use my knowledge in the theory
instead.
12. Page 2 of 2
Interviewer: Do you like gardening?
Sujatha: Oh yeah, I’ve always been interested in gardens and gardening since
childhood. We used to do a lot of gardening at school and that is
something I’ve got from my family I’d say because my parents and
their forefathers have always been into gardening and farming and
stuff like that.
Interviewer: What’s your favourite plant?
Sujatha: It’s quite difficult to pick one favourite but I would say I’m in love
with orchids right now because I have one at home and I’m taking
care of it every day.
13. Page 1 of 1
Sujatha: Test 1 – Part 2 Transcript
Test 1 - Part 2 Individual Talk/ Long Turn
Sujatha talks about the education system in India in response to the question: "Tell
me about your country's education system?"
TRANSCRIPT
Sujatha: Well the education system in India I would say is very developed
but then again it varies according to the rural and urban sectors of
society but most people who come into middle class bracket, they
send their children to school and they start early at kindergarten
stage and they go through the one to ten classes, then ten plus two
and usually most people finish a graduation degree in India.
I would say the standard of education in India is very high because
there is a lot of competition and almost every student and every
parent want their children to do some graduation and post
graduation and do higher studies and even at school and at college
it’s very hard to get admissions into bigger and reputed colleges so
there’s like really a lot of competition and you’ll find many students
getting more than ninety per cent out of their hundred per cent
score in the exams so yeah, there’s a whole lot of competition and
people are really gearing up for it.
I would say the friendship that we make when we are in school are
the strongest ones because that’s when we are most
impressionable and we really get to know each other very well and
we are like honest and sincere. Yeah, most of my friends right now
are from school and I think because I’ve grown up with them and
we’ve built such strong relationships my students and my teachers
that I studied with will be a very important part of my life.
14. Page 1 of 1
Sujatha: Test 1 – Part 3 Transcript
Test 1 - Part 3 Discussion
Sujatha discusses the education system in India in depth. She gives her opinion on
what should change and whether private schools are better.
TRANSCRIPT
Interviewer: What should change in India’s education system?
Sujatha: Well I would say instead of concentrating more on the scores in the
exams that students get they should have more of personality
development happening at school like more of extracurricular
activities and sports and more of a character development because
children grow up into adults at school and they should have a overall
good personality even more important than what the marks they
score in the exam.
Interviewer: Do boys or girls perform better at school?
Sujatha: Well in India we see that girls perform better than boys in most
instances because girls are usually more disciplined and they have
more pressure of performing well at school. Because if a girl doesn’t
perform well at school it’s more like “oh, you’re a girl, you’re not
even supposed to be in school” most of the time so, yeah, they do
perform better than the boys in most cases.
Interviewer: Are private schools better?
Sujatha: Well, yeah, when compared to the, most government schools,
private schools are much better because they are more disciplined,
the teachers are more interested in teaching the kids and even the
parents would pay more attention to their kids’ education because
they are paying so much of money to get them into private schools.
Interviewer: Should everyone go on to further study?
Sujatha: Yes, I think everybody should go on to do further studies because
whatever work you want to do in your life you need to know the
complete theoretical and practical aspects of it which you can really
get it by good education and that.
15. Page 1 of 1
Sujatha: Test 2 – Part 2 Transcript
Test 2 - Part 2 Individual Talk/ Long Turn
Sujatha talks at length about what she does in her spare time.
TRANSCRIPT
Sujatha: I like to play with my dog in my spare time because he is just a lot
of fun and very relaxing. And he just wants all the attention and
the loving and cuddling. We just have a small ball game or
something like that. It’s very, I mean it’s very satisfying and it
makes me very happy to see him happy and enjoying himself and
when he is like scratching and licking me and doing things it’s
really cute and fun. It’s just a nice way to take your mind off all
the terrible things that are happening in your life and just relax,
yeah.
I do manage to find a lot of things to do because ‘specially when I
have long holidays I think that’s just a lot of spare time and I
spend it sleeping, reading books and dancing a lot because I love
to learn new ways of dancing and everything. Yeah, I read a lot of
books when I have a lot of time so yeah that’s something I would
do if I have a lot of spare time.
I usually listen to a lot of music and I also dance a lot. It’s just
very relaxing and just takes my mind off the day to day activities
and puts me into a new thought process and yeah, just really
relaxing for my mind and especially when I start dancing to music,
it’s just a lot of endorphins flowing through me and it just gives me
a high, yeah.
16. Page 1 of 1
Sujatha: Test 2 – Part 3 Transcript
Test 2 - Part 3 Discussion
Sujatha continues to discuss spare time and leisure activities.
TRANSCRIPT
Interviewer: Did people have more leisure time in the past?
Sujatha: Well I would think, yes people had more leisure time in the past but
that’s purely because people weren’t really as ambitious and work
oriented as they are now. I feel these days people are more into
their careers and trying to get on the top and trying to be as
competitive as possible and they kind of are cutting down on their
leisure time.
Interviewer: Is there enough leisure time now?
Sujatha: Well I would say yes if you do want to take out time from your daily
activities for these things you do usually end up having time. But
it’s about your priorities again and how you want to segregate your
time into leisure time and work time. Yeah, but I do manage to find
a lot of time for my leisure activities so I think people should be able
to do that.
Interviewer: Would you work if you didn’t need the money?
Sujatha: Oh yes, initially I would like to waste some time but eventually I’ll
start working again because I do have certain passions in life and I
would like to follow them professionally.
Interviewer: Is leisure more important than work?
Sujatha: I would say there’s a good balance between work and leisure and
both are as important and none is more important than the other,
but, yeah, leisure is an important part of life, that’s when you
actually enjoy the beautiful things in life like maybe going to a trek
or spending time with your family and your parents, maybe having a
hobby or something like that.
Interviewer: What do most people do with their spare time?
Sujatha: Well, I’m not too sure, but I think woman love shopping all the time
and guys would, watching sports or maybe playing sports. Yeah, it
just depends and some children would be like stuck to video games I
would say.
17. Page 1 of 1
Sujatha: Test 3 – Part 2 Transcript
Test 3 - Part 2 Individual Talk/Long Turn
Sujatha is asked to describe a wedding she's attended.
TRANSCRIPT
Sujatha: Well, the only wedding that I was really closely observing was of
my sister’s. It was a very eventful day that day. We just started
early in the morning, dress her up in the traditional sari and wear
all the golden jewellery.
We use a lot of gold on weddings. So just wear a lot of golden
jewellery and flowers in her hair and everything. We just took
about two or three hours just to decorate the bride and then we
went to the main ceremony where the bridegroom also comes
along and then we have a lot of holy rituals happening where you
perform some kind of rituals around the fire and then you exchange
garlands and then you kind of shower each other with rice and
other interesting stuff and funny stuff.
Then we have the lunch happening when everyone sit together and
eat but the very interesting part is the bride and the bridegroom
don’t get to eat till the end of the day. They kind of are fasting on
that day and it’s very difficult on them because they are wearing all
this heavy clothes and they’re sitting through all the rituals and
they can’t eat and they watch everybody else eat.
In the evening what happens is that the bride is traditionally taken
to the groom’s house, so usually it happens in a car these days so
in a car we took my sister, me and the bridegroom, all of us we
went to the groom’s house. Yeah, that’s when the ceremony
actually ends so it’s a long day
18. Page 1 of 1
Sujatha: Test 3 – Part 3 Transcript
Test 3 - Part 3 Discussion
Sujatha continues to discuss the topic of celebrations and festivals.
TRANSCRIPT
Interviewer: Are festivals important in your country?
Sujatha: Oh yes, festivals are very important in India because most festivals
in India are religious. So people do connect a lot with the
spirituality aspect of it and it also happens to be a time when people
actually go out and meet their relatives and friends and spend some
time together.
Interviewer: Were festivals more important twenty years ago?
Sujatha: Well, I wouldn’t say that, but the way we are celebrating the
festivals has definitely changed. Like, twenty years ago you would
have people posting cards to each other on festivals but now they’re
just e-cards going online and a lot of things have changed in the way
we celebrate them like there’s more of community activity
happening now. Previously it was more of a family thing.
Interviewer: Will festivals continue to be important?
Sujatha: Yes, I think at least in India they will continue to be important
because even the younger generation are very much into the
festivals. They like to perform all the rites and rituals involved and
they just like to get together with their relatives and spend some
time together.
Interviewer: Can festivals be expensive?
Sujatha: Oh yes, festivals can be expensive. In fact, a lot of people take out
extra money out of their pockets for the festivals that are to come.
In fact a lot of offices give bonus to their employees when it’s
festival time. Especially like Divali, you have to buy the
firecrackers, new clothes and all the expensive things that you are
going to eat as specials and delicacies. Yeah, they do get expensive.
19. Page 1 of 1
Astari: Test 1 – Part 1 Transcript
Test 1 - Part 1 Introduction
Astari is asked about where she has travelled and what she likes about living in
Australia.
TRANSCRIPT
Interviewer: Where are you from Astari?
Astari: I come from Jakarta, Indonesia. Jakarta is the capital city of
Indonesia.
Interviewer: Why did you come to Australia?
Astari: I came to Australia to live to get my residency here.
Interviewer: What do you like about living here?
Astari: I like the lifestyle in Australia. It’s very laid back and relaxing – not
so much hurry unlike in Asian countries.
Interviewer: Where else have you travelled?
Astari: I’ve travelled to other Asian countries such as Malaysia, Thailand and
Singapore and of course I’ve travelled around in my own country.
Interviewer: Where would you most like to go?
Astari: I would like very much to go to Europe, for example UK, Spain or
Netherland, but I also want to go to Dubai – and India.
Interviewer: What’s the best thing about travelling?
Astari: The best thing is the journey itself, not when you arrive at your
destination because when on your journey you are in this moment of
anticipating of what’s going to happen, the experience that you’re
going to have. That’s what’s best.
Interviewer: Is travel easier these days?
Astari: Yes, travelling is easier these days. You can buy your tickets online
nowadays and you can pick your, your transportation. You can go by
airplane, train, bus or boat. So, yeah, I think it is much easier these
days.
20. Page 1 of 1
Astari: Test 1 – Part 2 Transcript
Test 1 - Part 2 Individual Talk/ Long Turn
Astari talks about popularity of the sport of badminton in Indonesia as she is asked
to “Talk about the most popular sport in your country.”
TRANSCRIPT
Astari: The most popular sport in my country is badminton. It is popular
because it can be played by two to four players so it doesn’t need a
lot of people to do it and it only takes a small space unlike soccer
where you need a bigger space to play it on.
The funny thing about badminton is that they, instead of using balls
they use the shuttlecock. The shuttlecock is like a little ball but
had feathers stuck onto it.
Basically the game is similar to tennis and volleyball. Badminton
was introduced to Indonesia by the British. It was actually a game
from India called poona and the game was popularised by the
British before it came to Indonesia.
Sudirman Cup is the international tournament for badminton. It is
held every two years so the next one is going to be held in 2009. I
think the last country that won the cup was China and they had it
for several tournament in a row. Before that I think Indonesia has
won several cup itself.
I don’t play it often but when I play it I play it with my friends just
for fun. So we only need to use a street outside my house for
example and we don’t need actually use the net so we use some
kind of trees or anything that can divide it between me and my
opponent.
21. Page 1 of 1
Astari: Test 1 – Part 3 Transcript
Test 1 - Part 3 Discussion
Astari discusses various aspects of sports and its effects on society.
TRANSCRIPT
Interviewer: Is sport too commercial these days?
Astari: Yes, I think sport is too commercial these days. Now sport is not
meaning representing one’s country, it’s more about making money.
In cricket it used to be about one country against another for
example India against Australia but now it’s more to the club things.
So it’s not really about sports anymore, it’s more about making
money.
Interviewer: Do people watch too much sport?
Astari: Yes they do watch too much sport, maybe because they don’t have
time or they don’t have the energy to do it after hard work all day,
but, yes, I think they prefer to stay inside and watch the game.
Interviewer: Does sport get too much attention?
Astari: Yes, I think sports get too much attention, especially in Australia.
You can get news on the media about everything – a lot of things
apart from the game itself.
Interviewer: What effect does sport have on society?
Astari: I think sport brings good to society; it brings healthier society and a
happier society. I once read that when you do exercise, when
you’re exercising, your body release this hormone that makes you
happy so I guess being a very active society it means that you have a
healthy, happier society.
22. Page 1 of 1
Astari: Test 2 – Part 2 Transcript
Test 2 - Part 2 Individual Talk/ Long Turn
Astari talks about her most valued possession – her mobile phone.
TRANSCRIPT
Astari: My most valued possession is my mobile phone. It is important
because it contains not only the phone numbers of my friends and
family but also their information such as address, date of birth, their
likes and dislikes, hobbies. So it contains a lot of things.
I got my first mobile phone about ten years ago and since then I have
changed five times. I use my mobile phone mainly to listen to the
music and play games. Well, apart from communicating with my
friends and family. If I have spare time for example I’m waiting for
someone I often play games on it.
It can browse internet and then it can download games, music,
anything that I like from the internet. So that’s why I love my
mobile phone so much.
I’m too dependent on it. I cannot live without it. So for example if I
go out and I forgot my mobile phone I have to go all the way back
home and pick it up.
I can get it personalised. For example I can download screensaver
and then put it on whenever I feel like it so for example if I’m
feeling happy then I put on my bright coloured yellow or, or flower
theme for my screensaver and whenever I’m not in the mood I just
put on black.
23. Page 1 of 1
Astari: Test 2 – Part 3 Transcript
Test 2 - Part 3 Discussion
Astari discusses her favourite possessions and the value of having lots of things.
TRANSCRIPT
Interviewer: Could you live without your favourite thing?
Astari: No, I cannot live without my mobile phone. I have to bring it
everywhere because I will feel lost if I don’t have it near me.
Interviewer: Do people have too many possessions?
Astari: Yes, I think they do. They tend to buy a lot of things that they don’t
really need at that time.
Interviewer: What would you really like to own?
Astari: I would really like to own an iMac, that’s the newest computer that I
really love to have. It has the features that are better than the
previous one.
Interviewer: Why do people buy things they don’t need?
Astari: People buy things they don’t need because they feel happy when
they buy it. When I feel really low, sad or something I usually go to
the shop and buy things just to make myself happier.
Interviewer: What’s the most useless object you have?
Astari: The most useless object that I ever bought was a mug. I bought it
because I thought it was cool - big mug about this size and I thought
it was cool to have it in your workplace but somehow is just, I feel a
useless because it’s too big and you cannot bring it everywhere. You
cannot put it in your bag and then take it everywhere with you.
Interviewer: Is it better to buy things or experiences?
Astari: I like to have the experience rather than to buy things because with
experience it’s there in your memories. With items it sometimes
can be lost or stolen or whatever but with experience it’s something
that you treasure in your mind and it will be there.
24. Page 1 of 1
Astari: Test 3 – Part 2 Transcript
Test 3 - Part 2 Individual Talk/ Long Turn
Astari talks about interesting animals and the wildlife of Indonesia.
TRANSCRIPT
Astari: I’m not really experienced in talking about wildlife. I’ve been living
in the city all my life so I never actually seen a wildlife myself.
There are many interesting animals in my country. There are orang-
utans, Komodo dragons, Sumatran tiger and then birds such as
peacock and cendrawasih that can be found in Irian Jaya.
Cendrawasih is a, it’s a small bird that has a …, like a peacock but is
smaller size so their tail has a very golden yellowish colour that
stands out in the dark and their body is, most of them are brown and
black colour so their tails are really standing out even in the jungle.
My favourite animal is orang-utan. Orang-utan actually means men
of the forest: orang means men and utan means forest.
The orang-utans and the Sumatran tigers and of course the Komodo
are all under threat. That’s because their habitats are decreasing
rapidly because of human activity. For example in Borneo the
population of orang-utan is decreasing nowadays because all the
forest has been cut down whether for illegal logging or for opening a
new farming land or just because the bushfire.
25. Page 1 of 1
Astari: Test 3 – Part 3 Transcript
Test 3 - Part 3 Discussion
Astari continues to discuss wildlife and endangered animals.
TRANSCRIPT
Interviewer: What’s the greatest threat to wildlife?
Astari: I think the greatest threat to wildlife is humans because their
activities sometimes endanger their population and habitats.
Interviewer: Is it worth preserving wildlife?
Astari: Yes, it is because we need the balance between wildlife, nature and
human being; we cannot live without each other.
Interviewer: Are the large animals the most important?
Astari: Not always. Animals big or small are all important.
Interviewer: Will wildlife survive into the next century?
Astari: I think they can, with the help of humans of course. We need to
balance things that what we take from the nature we have to get
back for example if we cut down trees then we need to plant
another one.
Interviewer: Can zoos help save wildlife?
Astari: Yes a zoo can help save wildlife. It can raise awareness for people
about wildlife and they can help breed the threatened animals.
Interviewer: Can wildlife adapt to cities?
Astari: No, I don’t think wildlife can adapt to the cities. They have their
own space, their own environment and it’s not fair to them or even
to humans if they live in the city. It’s not their habitats.