English for

English for Academics Book 2 Teacher’s Guide
© Cambridge University Press and British Council Russia 2015
www.cambridge.org/elt/english-for-academics
PHOTOCOPIABLE 
14
Lesson 1
Module 1
Reason 3: to be interesting to students you need to follow 
developments in subject and teaching methods 
Conclusion: teacher should never stop learning
5, 6  14 You may want to ask learners to agree or disagree 
with thesis statements using language for agreement/ 
disagreement and provide more reasons and examples.
Suggested answers 
Argument 1
Argument 2
Argument 3
Argument 4
Thesis 
statement
• publications 
indispensable 
for academic 
career
• approach to 
university 
education 
should be 
reconsidered
Reasons
• publications 
make rating 
higher
• bring 
recognition 
and respect
• distance 
learning 
allows choice 
and flexibility
• demands 
commitment 
and 
responsibility
• highly 
theoretical
• have to 
practise 
technology 
more
• have to give 
students 
tools for 
independent 
learning
• teachers 
can share 
research with 
students
• tools and 
methods 
developing 
all time, need 
to be part of 
changes
Evidence 
and 
examples
• Only 4% finish 
course
• support in 
literature 
– hands-on 
experience 
good for 
learning
Conclusion • publishing 
necessary 
to climb 
professional 
ladder
• have to be 
changes 
for us to be 
recognised 
worldwide
• lecturers 
need to be 
involved in 
scientific 
discovery
Audioscript 
14
1
Speaker 1: I believe academic publications are indispensable for 
a successful academic career. The main reason for this is that 
when you have publications, your rating is higher. And the 
rating influences your standing in the academic world. Another 
significant point is that, the more you share your research 
with the public, the more recognition and respect you gain. So 
publishing is necessary to climb the professional ladder.
2
Speaker 2: First of all, I think distance learning allows choice 
and flexibility because you can study whenever you have the 
opportunity and free time. I have already taken six distance 
courses and I’m sure I’ll enrol for more. But it has to be 
said that this kind of learning requires commitment and 
responsibility. According to statistics, only 4% of those who 
enrol manage to successfully finish a course. You have to plan 
your time in order not to miss deadlines or drop out.
3
Speaker 3: I wholeheartedly believe that the approach to 
university education in my country should be reconsidered, 
and there are several reasons for this. To start with, the 
approach to education here is highly theoretical. We have to 
add a practical bias to it and teach life skills. There is plenty of 
support in the literature for the idea that hands-on experience 
enhances learning. To add to that, we have to practise the 
use of technology more to facilitate learning. But I am most 
concerned about our students being so immature and 
irresponsible. It is important to provide students with tools 
and methods of independent learning, not spoon-feed them. 
So all in all there have to be changes in the system if we want 
to be recognised worldwide.