CEPT Practice B2 Level Extended Listening about a woman's work as a music teacher

 

You will hear Leonie Steiner talking to an interviewer about her work as a music teacher in a school.

1 Leonie first starting learning the piano

A with a relative.

B at primary school.

C with a private teacher.

2 Leonie started giving music lessons

A for the pleasure of seeing others learn.

B because she needed some extra money.

C to see if she was suited to teaching.

3 Leonie most likes to teach students who

A have great natural talent at an early age.

B need good teaching to develop their talent.

C have previously been taught badly.

4 Leonie thinks that schools should

A employ far more music teachers.

B buy good musical instruments.

C ensure that all their pupils pass music exams.

5 Leonie thinks the problem with singing in schools is that

A many students are too embarrassed to sing.

B few students want to learn how to sing.

C singing is not often taught in them nowadays.

6 Leonie believes her success as a music teacher is a result of

A choosing a particular age group of children to teach.

B the training she received as a student teacher.

C a natural ability to communicate with young people.

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Audioscript

Interviewer: I have with me Leonie Steiner, who's had a

distinguished career both as a pianist and as a music teacher.

Leonie, who was your first-ever piano teacher?

Leonie: There's a long piano-playing tradition in my family

and from a very early age I was keen to start playing. In earlier

generations fathers and mothers had taught daughters and sons,

but both of mine were working full-time, so from the beginning

they had me taught at home by a tutor. That would have

been shortly before my first year at primary school, where I also

had lessons.

Interviewer: And when did you actually start giving lessons?

Leonie: In my late teens, by which time I was giving solo

performances. Some professional musicians give private classes

to make enough to live on, or perhaps to find out whether they

Would make good teachers, but for me it was never a conscious

decision to become a teacher. I'd always enjoyed working

with younger students. doing what I could to help them develop

as musicians. and without realising it I was becoming a teacher.

And ever since then, that- together with performing - is what I've

done.

Interviewer: And what kind of students do you prefer?

Leonie: I'd say (26) those who perhaps aren't naturally brilliant.

but respond well to intensive teaching and go on to become top

performers. More so than those who seem to have been born

to play at the highest level, or students who've been taught the

wrong way and need to get rid of bad musical habits. That can

be hard work for both pupil and teacher.

Interviewer: And what do you think of the standard of music

education in our schools nowadays?

Leonie: It varies widely. I get the Impression there's been a

general shift away from putting pressure on students to achieve

exam success to a more skills-based approach, and I think that's

to be welcomed. The media sometimes talk about a shortage

of qualified music teachers but I'm not convinced. I'd say

there's a much greater need to invest in new pianos. violins and

so on. ensuring they're top quality so that students really like the

sound they make. Because the key to success is making sure

pupils enjoy their music lessons, both in terms of playing and

singing.

Interviewer: Do school music lessons normally include singing

these days?

Leonie: In the majority of cases they still do, and it's generally

popular among pupils, but a lot of them are afraid of doing

so in public because of what other people mav say or think.

That's a great pity, I think, and if a child wants to sing, I feel

strongly that they should always be encouraged to do so.

Interviewer: You're very highly regarded by your ex-students,

many of whom have gone on to have successful careers. What

do you think has made you such a good teacher?

Leonie: Well, if that's true it probably has something to

do with the fact I've always found it easy to get on with those

of a different generation, whether they're at primary school,

secondary school or university. In that respect I don't think I

would've benefited from actually being trained at college as a

music teacher.

Interviewer: Looking back over your career, what big decisions

have you had to make?

Leonie: Well, in my late thirties J wondered whether I'd still have

the energy needed to keep doing lessons as I got older, but once

into my forties I found that wasn't an issue. Also around then,

I was offered the position of assistant head. and I had to

think carefully about that because I would've been on a much

l:!lgher salary. but in the end I said 'no'. It would also have

meant I had less time for doing lessons, and for performing. My

response to an offer of work In another country was the same,

though I found it much easier to make up my mind about that

one. I've never regretted staying here.

Interviewer: Thank you Leonie.

1 C 

2 A 

3 B

4 B 

5 A 

6 C