In UK, students are more likely to discuss with teachers and other students in the class than in my country. - Sheng-Li
The seminar is a common way of teaching students on university courses in the UK and it is very likely that you will experience seminars on your course too. An important point about seminars is that students are expected to take an active part in them. The seminar may be a way of teaching and learning that is unfamiliar to you and you may have some questions about what to expect.
In this activity you will listen to a university tutor talking about the purpose of seminars. This will help you find out what to expect in seminars on your course.
Finding out about seminars
In this activity you are going to listen to an interview with Elwyn, a university tutor, who is explaining what seminars in the UK are like.
Elwyn
Instruction
Listen to the interview with Elwyn to see how many of these points he mentions. Select the tick for the points that he mentions and the cross for those he doesn't mention. Then read the feedback to check your answers. You can listen to the interview as many times as you need to.
To listen to the audio, click the play button once. You can move between parts of the audio by dragging the slider left or right.
To make a selection, click on the tick or the cross . You can click again if you wish to change your answer.
There is a transcript for you to look at if you need help: Audio transcript (pdf, 67 kb).
Seminars can be challenging if you are unfamiliar with this method of teaching.
Students are expected to take part by speaking in seminars.
Some students express their ideas spontaneously.
Seminar discussion may focus on a piece of reading or research.
It's not necessary to prepare in advance for seminars.
In seminars, the tutor guides the discussion and encourages the students to take part.
Learning through an exchange of views is central to most seminars.
Students should be willing to speak and listen to each others' opinions in seminars.
Here are the points that Elwyn mentioned, followed by those that he did not mention:
Seminars can be challenging if you are unfamiliar with this method of teaching. Students are expected to take part by speaking in seminars. Seminar discussion may focus on a piece of reading or research. In seminars, the tutor guides the discussion and encourages the students to take part. Learning through an exchange of views is central to most seminars. Students should be willing to speak and listen to each others' opinions in seminars.
Some students express their ideas spontaneously. (Elwyn says that sometimes students feel that they can't express complex ideas spontaneously) It's not necessary to prepare in advance for seminars. (Elwyn says that it is important for students to come prepared to a seminar)
The seminar is probably the most common method of teaching in use at university in the UK, so if you have not experienced seminars in your home country, it is useful to know in advance what you can expect. As Elwyn says, this style of learning can be a challenge for international students at first, and it may take a little time for you to feel comfortable about participating in seminar discussion. Even if you feel shy about the prospect of taking part in seminars, once you have made your first contribution to the discussion, you should start to feel more comfortable and enjoy this way of learning.
Listen to the interview with Elwyn again with the transcript above if you need to check your understanding. The parts of the transcript containing the answers to the listening task are highlighted.
Would you like to review the main points?
Knowing what to expect in seminars will help you prepare for them and ensure that you are able to get the most benefit from them. By taking part in seminar discussion and expressing your ideas on complex topics, you can increase you own understanding of the issues and share your own views with everyone else, so that they benefit too.
If you would like more information on seminars, go to this web link: Study methods in the UK
Finding out about seminars
once. You can move between parts of the audio by dragging the slider left or right.
