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I’m going to describe a memory technique called the journey method. It combines the link system and peg methods in a way that makes a very powerful tool for remembering long lists or quite complex information.

The key to the journey method is to think of a route that you know very well. It could be your route to work, or to a relative’s house. Then you need to think of the important places, the landmarks along this route. Examples of landmarks are doors, traffic lights, buildings you pass on the journey, etc. At this stage it’s a good idea to write the landmarks down on a piece of paper in the order they occur on the route. This makes sure that you have the route and landmarks very clear in your head. Now you are ready to remember your first list.

We’ll start with a simple example. You are using your route to the supermarket as the journey, and you have to remember a shopping list. The first three items on your list are coffee, milk and tomatoes. The first three landmarks on your journey are the front door, your garden and your car. You visualise hurriedly drinking a cup of coffee as you open the front door. You go outside and see it has been raining milk, and there is a big puddle of milk in your garden. Then you get to your car, and the roof is covered with tomatoes. You continue this way, making each image as memorable as possible.

Once you have mastered this method, you will find that it is a very flexible memory tool. You can have several different journeys, which can be used in either direction. You can also add events and landmarks to a route to accommodate longer lists of information, and for short lists you can just use part of a route.

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Interviewer : So why exactly does your job have a reputation for being stressful ?

Financial trader : Stress is generally driven by the feeling of er being out of control of a situation and the feeling of a situation controlling you. Trading financial markets combines both these scenarios. Your erm financial position can change in a matter of seconds and what changes that position is generally a situation beyond your control as a trader. It is possible to lose in… in seconds what may have taken you a year to make. It’s the feeling of uncertainty, being out of control, that causes the stress.

Interviewer : How do you relax in the evening?

Financial trader : I very rarely do anything work related so it’s easy to escape 'The markets'. I generally go to the gym or go for a run, especially if I’ve had a bad day. I always cook a meal rather than have a take-away to do something my brain would regard as creative. I find it quite therapeutic! More often than not I will watch some TV before going to bed as I find it helps me to wind down. If I go to bed straight after work it’s harder to sleep.

Interviewer : What do you do to beat stress at the weekend?

Financial trader : I like to be busy and active. I like the feeling of having achieved something over the weekend and it being productive. I definitely don't like wasting days. Most weekends are a mixture of household jobs like fixing something, shopping or gardening and socialising with friends. I also go to watch Arsenal at least once a week.

Interviewer : Do you think what you do to relax is an effective way to beat stress?

Financial trader : I don't think there is a specific rule about how to beat stress. I generally find that what I do is effective for me.

Interviewer : Would you consider changing your job because of the high stress factor?

Financial trader : I have considered leaving my job due to stress related factors. I do however think that an element of stress is a good thing and if used the right way can er actually be a positive thing. It can lead to a change in direction, erm success and, and stimulate you to do something new.

Interviewer : What do you enjoy about the stressful aspects of your job?

Financial trader : Having said all that, I do actually enjoy an element of uncertainty. It keeps you on your toes! I enjoy a mental challenge. Trading triggers a very wide range of emotions second by second. How you deal with and manage those emotions dictates short, medium and long term trading performance and success.

Interviewer : Do you become less stressed the longer you do the job or does it become more stressful as you go on?

Financial trader : I would say it remains constant. The source and the nature of the stress changes and how you deal with it changes due to experience, but, but, it's always there.

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Lecturer: Welcome everybody to today’s seminar. If I remember correctly, David, you’ll be leading the seminar

David: Yes, that’s right ...

Presenter: Fine and how about questions – shall we keep these to the end or would you like people to interrupt during your presentation?

David: Thanks, ehm , if anyone has a question just ask straight away ..

Lecturer: Fine, let’s go then ..

David: Right, ehm ..... eBay is an enormously successful company, it’s a household word in several countries, in 2005 it had a turnover of $4.55 billion and it employed 11,600 people – it’s achieved all of this in just 11 years. What’s the secret of eBay’s success? I think the key issue here is that eBay couldn’t exist without the Internet – you know there aren’t many examples of companies like this – take Amazon, for example if you don’t feel like switching your computer on you can always go round to the nearest book shop. But if you want to sell your old magazines to somebody in Germany eBay’s the only way to do it. Without the Net’s ability to bring buyers and sellers together from different locations there would be no eBay. So this is big point number one. Now, let’s move on to point two, the founders of eBay – Meg Whitman, the CEO , like all of the senior staff already had a successful business background – she brought in an experienced management team. They had a great idea but it had to be a great profitable idea – around this – the importance of profitability they built their business model. Let’s move on to point three, sound business management – did you hear of eBay during the dotcom boom years – not a lot – they were busy building their customer base and making money, they didn’t feature in stories headlining the excesses of the dotcom boom years ... Actually I’ll add another point, point four, eBay doesn’t produce, sell or ship anything itself, it provides the online marketplace for other people to do this – this gives it enormous financial power ....

Student: David, can I ask a question?

David: Sure ...

Student: What difference does that make – the point about eBay not making anything itself ..

David: Well, this means that they can use their capital very effectively – you know their capital isn’t tied up in buildings, factories, warehouses that sort of thing, again their capital isn’t tied up in things that are waiting to be sold, they haven’t got shops all over the world with sales assistants in them – all this costs – see what I mean ...

Student: Sure, I get it now ..

David: Great, now .... The only problem they’ve run into, actually that’s not true they’ve had a couple of major problems – anyway the first problem – they arrived in a couple of key markets too late – this happened in Japan and Hong Kong where Yahoo’s online marketplace had a head start. The other problem – well it’s the sort of thing we’ve all heard about – buyers receiving stolen goods or a product different from the one they thought they’d bought or no product at all, sellers putting in false bids to increase the price just before an auction finishes. eBay admits this happens but says that this sort of thing accounts for a very small percentage of all sales. OK , now I’d like to have a look at just how the company has expanded over the last 11 years ...

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Interviewer: Paul, can you tell me how you got interested in being a football manager?

Paul: Yes, well I started out as a professional footballer. I played for quite a few clubs in the lower leagues, and I even had a trial at Manchester United, although nothing came of it. In my last club, the manager encouraged me to do some coaching, which I really enjoyed. And that’s when I thought maybe I could make it as a manager.

Interviewer: So what happened next?

Paul: I started working for my coaching licence, and then I heard about a certificate in football management, and applied for a place on the course.

Interviewer: I’ve always thought that most managers just learn on the job. Were you not tempted to just give it a go anyway?

Paul: Not really. I’ve seen so many managers come and go and a lot of them, to be honest, weren’t really that good at their job. And I’m your typical footballer – I left school at 16 so I haven’t had that much of an education. I didn’t feel confident that I could deal with things like finance and negotiating with people.

Interviewer: And is that the kind of thing you learn on this course?

Paul: Yes, it really covers everything you need to know: leadership skills, talking to the media, handling pressure, public speaking. I’ve got a lot more confidence and am really looking forward to my first managerial job.

Interviewer: How does the course work in practice? I believe you’re working as well as studying.

Paul: That’s right. After I got my coaching licence I got a job as a coach with a second division team. It’s no problem combining work with studying, though. In fact you need to be playing or working in football to get on the course. It fits in well because most of the course takes place during two summer schools, one at the beginning and one at the end of the course. There are a few workshops during the year, which we fit around our schedules. So really I’m learning on the job – I can put into practice what I’ve learnt.

Interviewer: And finally, would you recommend this route into football management?

Paul: Yes, most definitely. I think all managers, even existing ones, should do the course.

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Three Symbols, a Saint and a Song

One of England’s symbols that you will recognise from football shirts around the world is the Saint George’s Cross: a red cross on a white background. This is the English flag and it is also incorporated into the Union Jack; the flag of Great Britain. The design for the flag can be traced back to the eleventh century when the English soldiers taking part in the Holy Crusades used to wear it into battle. They adopted the cross at the same time as they adopted Saint George himself; a fourth century Christian martyr, to be the Patron saint of England. Saint George’s day is England’s National day. It falls on April 24th but is not celebrated extensively. It was not until 1277 that the flag was officially declared the national flag of England.

Let’s move on to plants and flowers. While Wales has the daffodil and the leek, Scotland the thistle and Northern Ireland the shamrock, England’s flower is of course the rose. Everybody talks about the English rose. We are used to seeing the red rose as an insignia on the England national rugby team’s shirts and it is this red rose that we usually associate with England. But the white rose is also linked to England and is used on different occasions. When we sometimes refer to a certain type of woman as being “An English Rose” we are talking about an unflawed complexion, fair skin and a faint blush of pink about the cheeks – the colours of the roses that we find in gardens all over the nation.

Besides a cross and a rose, England also has a third symbol: Three Lions. Once again, the national football team wears the three lions on the pitch and so does the English national cricket team of course.

And what about music? A national anthem? Well, England does not have an official anthem of its own but over the years the hymn “Jerusalem” has become associated with the nation and has taken on the role of national anthem. We hear it played at sporting events and even at Royal weddings or funerals. “Jerusalem” was originally written in 1804 as a poem by William Blake and the music was composed later by Hubert Parry, in 1916. It might be fitting to end this talk with what has become England’s national hymn.

Jerusalem

And did those feet in ancient time

Walk upon England’s mountains green?

And was the holy Lamb of God

On England’s pleasant pastures seen?

And did the Countenance Divine

Shine forth upon our clouded hills?

And was Jerusalem builded here

Among these dark Satanic Mills?

Bring me my Bow of burning gold;

Bring me my Arrows of desire;

Bring me my Spear; O clouds unfold!

Bring me my Chariot of fire!

I will not cease from Mental Fight,

Nor shall my Sword sleep in my hand,

Till we have built Jerusalem

In England’s green & pleasant Land.

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Presenter Oil is back in the news. I have with me today economist Dr Geoffrey Rodham, and writer and activist Susan Crane. Firstly, Dr Rodham, for those of us old enough to remember the oil crises of 1973, or the early eighties, this all seems rather familiar.

Dr Rodham. Well, in fact the situation is far more complicated now. There have been a whole string of events: Iraq is one obvious factor, but then there are the threats to oil companies in Nigeria, the crisis surrounding Yukos in Russia, not to mention the weather.

Presenter. The weather?

Dr Rodham. Yes, the hurricanes in the Gulf of Mexico over the summer have affected US supplies and contributed to the sort of prices we are seeing at the moment. And another difference today is the lack of spare capacity around, combined with much lower than average reserves.

Presenter. Susan?

Susan Crane Well, I’d like to think that high prices at the pump will start to concentrate a few minds, especially in the US. Even if oil prices go back down again, we are not talking about an inexhaustible supply. Governments and producers should be seeing this as an opportunity to take a more serious look at alternatives.

Dr Rodham. I think if the petroleum industry wants to secure its long term future it must be looking more than ever at smarter use of fuel and at renewables. Indeed some companies are already very much involved…

Susan Crane. Well, one or two have some very impressive websites…

Dr Rodham. I think if you take a global perspective, the initial efforts at diversification are impressive: transport fuel from natural gas in Thailand, using ethanol from sugar cane in Brazil…they ran a car from Berlin to Barcelona recently on only a few kilos of hydrogen.

Susan Crane. I’m encouraged by the European Bus project at the moment, which also uses hydrogen fuel cells. And the only waste product is water. It’s a good example of where oil companies and car manufacturers working together can produce an imaginative solution to future transport needs.

Presenter. How about solar power? Is it a commercial proposition for the multinationals yet?

Dr Rodham. Well, in Europe they are involved in solar panel production, and providing solar power to run service stations that can be sold to and bought back off the electricity grid. And then in Asia they are helping local communities, in the Philippines or Sri Lanka for example, to get electricity from photovoltaic cells where before they had no access to energy at all…

Susan Crane Our friends the Americans could learn a thing or two from these types of initiative…

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Interviewer Doctor Grant, could you explain in a few words what The Greenhouse Effect actually means?

Doctor Grant Well, in simple terms ... the sun heats the Earth’s surface and the Earth radiates energy back out into Space. Some of the radiation gets trapped in the atmosphere by greenhouse gases. This trapped radiation warms the atmosphere and some of it goes back down to the Earth, making it hotter than normal. This is the greenhouse effect.

Interviewer So, is carbon dioxide the problem?

Doctor Grant Yes ... and other gases too. Methane ... being released from paddy fields.... commercial oil and gas from landfills ... vegetation left to rot without oxygen ... These days there are more greenhouse gases than ever because of human activities and especially the burning of fossil fuels.

Interviewer What kind of problems do scientists foresee?

Doctor Grant Well, ice caps melting and sea levels rising mean that eventually cities like London, New York, Sydney and Tokyo will be submerged. This is difficult to imagine of course.

Interviewer It seems incredible ... no wonder scientists are worried.

Doctor Grant Well, some scientists are optimistic. They believe that positive feedbacks from ice clouds and their water vapour could have an impact on global warming. Other scientists are more sceptical. They suspect that we have been wrong in our initial analyses of the situation and might need to go back to the drawing board!

Interviewer So are you saying that some scientists don’t believe in the Greenhouse Effect?

Doctor Grant No, I wouldn’t go that far. In fact, without the Greenhouse Effect the planet would be frozen and no life forms would exist.

Interviewer Is there anything that could protect us from global warming?

Doctor Grant I’m glad you asked me that. Yes! Volcanoes! When a volcano erupts it throws debris up into the stratosphere. This protects the Earth from solar energy by scattering the sunlight. Of course the best thing that we can do is to address the problem seriously on a world level. That’s where the Kyoto Treaty enters the picture. If all of the governments in the world would commit themselves to making a real effort to work together on this issue, we might be able to slow down the process and work out a solution.

Interviewer So ...how worried do we need to be?

Doctor Grant That depends. First of all global warming isn’t going to affect all areas of the planet to the same degree. Things like the collapse of glaciers take hundreds of years so we are talking about a slow process here.

Interviewer Slow enough for us to do something to prevent a catastrophe?

Doctor Grant Well ... let’s hope so!

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Jo So what did you think of the class this morning?

Sam It was ok, but I don’t think I learnt very much.

Jo Why not? I thought she was a good teacher.

Sam I don’t know. Maybe she just talked too much. I got bored of listening toher.

Jo Yeah, but what she said was interesting. Especially when she explained thepresent perfect. It sounded soeasy.

Sam I’m not interested in the present perfect! I need to learn more words. Itdoesn’t really matter if my tenses aren’tquite right as long as people understand me.

Jo She did give us some new words though.

Sam I know but she didn’t write any of them on the board. She was too busytalking.

Jo I wrote them in my book if you want to copy them. I know that if I don’twrite new words down I’ll never rememberthem.

Sam Thanks. I’ll give your book back to you tomorrow. If I don’t see a wordwritten down I can never rememberit either and I need to write it down myself to help my memory.

Jo What about the phonemic chart? Did you find that useful?

Sam Yes, although I found it really difficult to hear the difference in thesounds she made.

Jo Yes, I’ll need to practise them too. If we use the chart every lessonthough I think it might help you to remembernew words. If you can ‘see’ the sound you need to make it might be easier.

Sam Yeah, I think you’re right. Maybe you should be my teacher!

Jo Oh I don’t think I could do that! In any case I prefer working on my own. Iknow she said we had to work ingroups for the next lesson and prepare a presentation, but I learn much morewhen I can work on my own, at myown pace.

Sam I don’t mind working with others. I really like working in a group. Thatway I can listen to what other peoplewant to say.

Jo You mean they do the work for you!

Sam No! Well, …maybe a little! You know how I like to sit, listen and draw inclass!

Jo Maybe you should draw pictures of new words rather than drawing squares andcircles all the time.

Sam That’s a great idea! So will you be in my group for the next lesson?...

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This afternoon’s lecture is part of the study skills series, and I’m going to be talking about different ways of finding and using information. I’ll look at three different methods, and discuss the advantages and disadvantages of each one of them.

Firstly, and perhaps most obviously, there is the internet. Of course, the internet has revolutionized the way we find information. It has changed the way we work and study completely. Now, as we know, it is possible to find information about absolutely anything at all, extremely quickly, and without leaving your home.

That, of course, is its main advantage – the speed and ease with which it is possible to find information.

However, I have to say that I think these are the only advantages of using the net to find information. The disadvantages are many: firstly, there is the sheer quantity of information that the net throws at you. At first, of course, this may seem like a good thing. But then you soon realise that most of the information you have found is useless, or worse – actually misleading. The process of dividing what is good from what is rubbish is not always easy and can be very time-consuming. Actually finding exactly what you need is not easy using the internet.

That said, of course, the net is still a great place to start doing research. Once you need to deepen your knowledge, however, you will inevitably need to use a library. This is our second source of information. At first, a library may seem to have its disadvantages – you can’t stay at home to do your work! It may, at first, seem difficult for you to find your way around – where exactly are the books that I need for my subject? Learning to use a catalogue is a skill in itself! Then there is the enormous cost of running a library. However, I still believe that a good library is the best and most important source of information. The difficulties of using a catalogue can easily be overcome, especially with modern indexing methods. Not being able to study at home may seem hard at first, but there again a good library will have an atmosphere of serious academic concentration that will help you study!

The material you find in a library will be all good quality and specifically-tailored to your needs. Finally, there is, however, perhaps something that is still better than a library. This is first-hand research. Obviously, the possibility of doing first-hand research depends on your subject or field of study, but interviews with experts enable you to ask exactly the questions you want and be sure of the quality of the information you gather.

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Radio interviewer Professor Bevan, how important is motivation for a manager?

Professor Bevan Oh motivation is extremely important. I’d say it’s the most important aspect of a manager’s job. A manager’s job is to get the job done ... whatever that job might be. So a manager has to motivate the workers .... as a team and also on an individual basis. Without motivation the job just won’t get done.

Radio interviewer So how do managers go about doing this? It doesn’t sound very easy.

Professor Bevan No, it is a complicated issue. But managers have special tools. They are trained to use them to boost motivation and increase production to a maximum.

Radio interviewer Tools?

Professor Bevan Yes, tools like .... praise .... approval and .... recognition. And then there is trust ........... and expectation. They are all important for workers.

Radio interviewer And money? What about money?

Professor Bevan Yes, money is a factor but you might be surprised to learn that it comes out last on the list of these tools that we are talking about.

Radio interviewer So, what comes before money? What sort of things are more important for workers?

Professor Bevan Well ... all of the things that I have already mentioned, and then .......... job enrichment and good communication between the workers and the bosses.

Radio interviewer And have you got any examples of real life situations to back up your claims?

Professor Bevan One good example is the firm Western Electric. When managers started taking an interest in their workers there was a huge increase in production. They started to talk to the workers and encouraged them to get involved in decision making. Workers began to feel that their contributions were important. And it paid off.

Radio interviewer Productivity increased?

Professor Bevan Yes, hugely. The Swedish company Kochums is another example. The company was on the verge of collapse when managers decided to try a change in motivation practice.

Radio interviewer What did they do?

Professor Bevan Well, basically it was a change in attitude towards their workers. Managers decided to stop giving orders and to try persuading them instead.

Radio interviewer And it worked?

Professor Bevan Absolutely. In just ten years they managed to turn a 15 million dollar loss into a 100 million dollar profit.

Radio interviewer So, let’s get this straight .... are you saying that workers are not interested in earning more money?

Professor Bevan I’m saying they’re not just interested in money. It is important of course. We need toenjoy a certain standard of living. But, as I mentioned before, there are other things that are just as important; .... praise, approval, recognition, trust and expectation, job enrichment and good communication.