Listening Practise 2

LearnEnglish Professionals
GLOBALISATION AUDIOSCRIPT
www.britishcouncil.org/professionals.htm
© The British Council, 2008
The United Kingdom’s international organisation for educational opportunities and cultural relations. We are registered in England as a charity.
Listen to this studio discussion about globalisation.
Optional activity:
While you listen, decide whether the following sentences are true or false.
Sentence True or false?
1. Elisabetta Deliberti is part of a violent organisation.
2. Elisabetta agrees with some of the violent protestors.
3. Elisabetta claims there is a difference between ideas and practice.
4. Elisabetta admires certain aspects of globalisation.
5. Albert Lloyd agrees with Elisabetta on certain points.
6. Elisabetta believes everyone has the same opportunities.
7. Albert believes in freedom of movement and migration.
8. Albert is not entirely in favour of globalisation.
9. Elisabetta wants to restrict people.
Presenter: We’re here to talk about the complicated question of globalisation. I have two guests – Elisabetta
Deliberti from the Forum for a Fairer World...
ED: Hello...
P: Hello, and Albert Lloyd from the International Banking Federation...
AL: Hello. Thank you for inviting me.
P: Thank you for coming, Mr. Lloyd. Ms. Deliberti...
ED: Elisabetta, please...
P: Elisabetta, if I can start with you – I think it’s fair to say that you are one of the anti-globalisation protesters...
ED: Well, yes and no. Please don’t mistake me for someone who wears a black face mask and throws stones
at police officers! I’d like to make it clear that me, and my organisation, have no association with those people...
P: Of course...
ED: ...though I may say, I do share some of their objections...
P: Such as?
ED: Well, to put it basically, we believe that globalisation may be a great ideal, but the practice is very
different...
AL: So you admit that globalisation can be a good thing...
ED: ...it could be – I believe strongly in free movement, and free trade – as long as there is a level playing
field...
P: Could you explain quite what you mean by that?
ED: Yes...quite simply, if there are equal opportunities for all...
AL: Well, of course, we believe the same thing, and we believe that there are equal opportunities – that’s the
beauty of the free market!
LearnEnglish Professionals
GLOBALISATION AUDIOSCRIPT
www.britishcouncil.org/professionals.htm
© The British Council, 2008
The United Kingdom’s international organisation for educational opportunities and cultural relations. We are registered in England as a charity.
ED: I’m afraid it isn’t that simple, Mr. Lloyd. Ask people making products for rich westerners, working for low
wages...do they have the same opportunities as a rich banker?
P: A good point...Mr. Lloyd?
AL: Of course they have the same opportunities...they can save their money, and invest in one of the new
opportunities that are opening up to them as a result of globalisation...
P: So globalisation makes everyone equal – opens up a ‘level playing field’?
ED: I don’t deny that new possibilities may open up, especially given the dynamic role of the internet, but,
again, it’s not that simple. The global capitalists won’t let anyone join them...they are happy to move money
from country to country, but restrict the right of people to move...
AL: Free movement of human resources would be impossible to police...illegal immigrants everywhere...
P: So you’re not in favour of all aspects of globalisation, then?
AL: As I said, I’m in favour of the free market. It’s people like Elisabetta here who want to restrict things...
ED: I’m not in favour of restricting anything or anyone. I just want the world’s wealth to be shared more
evenly...
AL: ...and I think that globalisation is the best way of doing that!
P: Well, it seems there is something you can agree on....Thank you, Albert Lloyd, Elisabetta Deliberti.
AL/ED: Thank you.
Answer key:
1. F
2. T
3. T
4. T
5. T
6. F
7. F
8. F
9. F
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