Listen to a conversation between two students.
(man) How's it going, Mary? Got your schedule all worked out for the semester?
(woman) It's coming together, actually, I just heard about my student teaching assignment.
(man) Teaching assignment? You're student teaching?
(woman) Yeah, you know I'm majoring in education so one of the requirements is to teach for a semester in a classroom, usually at the local school in town. We help teach the kids at the school one day a week. I just got my class assignment.
(man) Well, that's good.
(woman) Yeah, but I've got a scheduling problem.
(man) Uh, oh.
(woman) The day I've been assigned to teach at the school in town will be the same day my Chinese History course meets here at the university.
(man) Hmmm, well, could you wait to take the Chinese History course? Sign up for it at another semester or something.
(woman) Yeah, but, this one's taught by Dr. Zhang, he's a visiting professor. He'll only be here one semester and he’s supposed to be amazing. I’m really interested in the class since I might be visiting China.
(man) Is there another option?
(woman) Yeah, actually, the teaching assignment is on a day when I will be working with older kids, teenagers, but the school also needs a student teacher to work in a classroom with little kids, like five- and six- year olds and it’s on a different day when I am free so I could do it.
(man) So you could change your teaching assignment to a different day.
(woman) Yeah, it’s just that I really want to teach older kids.
(man) Oh!
(woman) I’m planning o n teaching older kids when I graduate, so it would be better experience for me, for my career.
Briefly summarize the problem the speakers are discussing, then state which solution you would recommend. Explain the reasons for your recommendation.
Well, the woman's problem is that she's got a scheduling problem because the day she's been assigned to teach at the school in town, meets her Chinese History course at the university. Accordingly there are two solutions for her problem : she could reschedule her Chinese History course to another semester or she could change her teaching assignment to a different day. Well, I suggest that the woman should change her teaching assignment to a different day for two reasons. First, she might not be able to take the Chinese History class in some other semester since the professor is a visiting professor who usually won't stay in the university for too long, no longer than one semester I guess. Secondly, even if the woman changes her teaching assignment she will still have to teach kids of different age groups and that'll be a great chance for her to practice handling kids of different ages. So I believe the woman should change her teaching assignment. (164 words)
