AUDIO SCRIPTS

your vision and decisions along the way will impact on

UNIT 1  Recording 1
people. You can prevent conflict and other problems before
A = Alan  B = Bea  C = Clara they even arise. I think you’re right. That’s really key to great
leadership.
A: So, we’ve talked a lot about the importance of building a
team rather than expecting it to happen naturally. What we C: OK, you’ve convinced me! What about other things though,
haven’t talked about is leadership. Every great team needs like charisma, or curiosity or …
an effective leader. So, I was wondering, what do you guys B: Charisma can be very useful. A leader with charisma can
reckon are the top three attributes of a great leader? draw people’s attention just by walking into a room, but is it
B: Three, eh? Erm … OK, well the first that comes to mind is necessarily true of every great leader? I’m not sure.
vision. Without that, you’ve got no innovation, no goals, C: Me neither.
nowhere to lead your team. A: OK, so we’re happy with the three we’ve chosen then. Great!
C: And the vision needs to inspire others, because … let’s face So, let’s think about some specific leaders then. Which
it, it’s the others who’ll be doing all the hard work. leaders do you think demonstrate or have demonstrated our
A: It’s the only way to unite a team, isn’t it? To have a vision top three attributes … ?
everyone works towards. OK, so we’ve got one.
B: Resilience is another. You can’t get far in business if you give
up every time something knocks you down. UNIT 2  Recording 1
C: True, but isn’t that the case for every member of a team? Something that fascinates me is our perpetual desire – no
A team’s only as strong as its weakest link … so if it’s to maybe that’s unfair – our perpetual ability to overestimate
succeed, then all the members need to be resilient – to be negative things in our society. If you ask people to estimate the
able to get back up when something knocks them down. number of crimes that are committed each year, for example,
It’s not just confined to leadership qualities. they’ll always think the figure is much higher than it is. The same
B: Hmm. Fair enough. goes for estimating homelessness, poverty and so on. And yet,
A: I think if we’re going to have vision as one of our top three, the truth is we live in an era where we’re generally better off than
we also need to have communication skills. It’s all very well previous generations were. Is society perfect? No, not by a long
knowing exactly where you want to go and how to get shot. There are challenges and clearly some people are struggling,
there, but if you can’t get that across to subordinates, you’re but in general, overall, society is better than it used to be.
going nowhere. As you said, Clara, it’s the team members So, we have a propensity to assume society is worse now than
that have to achieve the vision. in the past. But why? An obvious reason for this is the news.
C: Sure, and I’d … We’re constantly bombarded with stories of violence and other
B: That’s vital if … go on. negative stories about society, and with a 24-hour news cycle
C: Well, I’d add transparency to that, too. Not as a separate these days, stories which wouldn’t have been given much
attribute, but included within communication skills. If you’re airtime before, well, they are now dwelt on and repeated to fill
not transparent about what you’re doing, rumours fly time. It’s clear there’s a correlation between the way the news is
around and miscommunication occurs. reported and our frequently negative perceptions of society
A: I’d also impress on leaders the need to listen more than talk today. Having said that, one study found that people were much
when communicating. It’s not just about telling people what more able to accurately identify crime statistics in their local
you want them to do, but also hearing their ideas, their area than across the country. Local news often examines topics
concerns, their challenges. not covered in the national news such as housing developments,
B: You’re right. Leaders that ignore others do so at their peril new businesses, charity events and so on, so it doesn’t tend to
– they miss out on potential ideas. But it’s not its own be quite so negative. This may contribute to the more realistic
category, is it? It falls into communication skills … You know, view many people have of issues in their local area.
… talking about dealing with changes makes me think of As well as overestimating negative aspects of society, people
flexibility. Is that one of our top three? often say in polls that they think society is getting worse. It’s not
C: It’s really important. You’ve got to adapt to changes. Being as good as it used to be, it’s more dangerous, people are less
rigid gets you nowhere. kind, and so on. No matter how much you want to avoid sounding
A: I’ve got one that I think is more crucial, though. like your grandparents, the truth is that as we get older, we all
C: Oh. What? find ourselves repeating the same cliché we heard from them,
A: Empathy. If you can’t connect emotionally to the people that things aren’t what they used to be. The psychology of this
around you, you can’t lead them successfully. is called ‘declinism’ and there are some interesting psychological
B: Some people would see a leader as strong … tough. phenomena at play. Firstly, there’s the ‘reminiscence bump’. This
A: They would, and they’d be wrong! I mean, it’s good to look describes the fact that when we’re older, we tend not to
strong and in control so people have faith in you. But you remember as much from the age between 30 to 60 as we do
don’t need to be tough in the sense of not caring about from our childhood and early adulthood, as that’s when our lives
people’s feelings. had lots of changes and new experiences. We tend to reminisce
C: I agree. Empathy helps people to recognise conflict and find about those memories more, and through their retelling, we
some kind of resolution. Without it, teams can fall apart. strengthen them so they’re at the forefront of our minds.
Relationships with partners can collapse and so on. Then, there’s the ‘positivity effect’. This describes our use of
B: More than that, actually, it helps you to consider all the ways rose-tinted glasses – those metaphorical spectacles we put on

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 when remembering the past. They filter out all the bad and A: Sounds gross. Why did you eat it?
make us think everything was all warm and cosy back then. This E: I thought it might taste better than it looked. I was wrong.
refers to both our own personal lives and society around us. I chucked most of it away. I did eat all of the microwave
Finally, there’s the ‘status quo bias’. This relates to the fact that risotto I made though. The rice was moist, but not
we like life as it is now and don’t want change, which means we underdone and the flavours were good – something I’ve
have this sense that any changes in the future will be bad. So, never managed when doing it the usual way. It only took ten
this reinforces in our minds the idea that as times change, minutes, too.
things get worse. A: One win, then.
Combine the positivity effect with the reminiscence bump and E: Yeah, I was also hopeful that the cake topping made from
the status quo bias and you’ve got people who look back strawberry ice cream would work, but it just wouldn’t whip up.
primarily on their lives before they hit the age of 30 and see I mean, I whipped it A LOT.
only the good, with this notion in the back of their minds that A: So, all these things we’re watching are total rubbish, then?
society never improves as it moves forward. So, it’s no wonder E: I wouldn’t go as far as to say that. I may have just picked the
we think things are worse today than they were. And even wrong ones, but I’m certainly more sceptical of them now.
though we know all this, we’re all destined to fall into the same A: I don’t understand. What’s the point of making beautifully
trap as those before us. So, no matter how hard we try, we’ll end shot videos that probably aren’t cheap to make and take
up sounding just like our grandparents. ages to put together if the hacks are fake? Are you sure it
wasn’t just you and you were doing it wrong?
E: Maybe, but I’m pretty proficient in the kitchen so in all
UNIT 3  Recording 1 honesty, I think it’s about the clicks.
E = Ethan  A = Ashley A: You mean click bait?
E: Yeah, I think some sites are under a lot of pressure to get
E: You know those kitchen hacks that pop up online all the people clicking onto them since it translates into advertising
time, Ashley? revenue, and that’s how most sites make money. So, they
A: What, like those videos of recipe cheats and stuff? have to keep producing enticing videos with new ideas to
E: Yeah, those. Well, I’m a bit obsessed by them. I don’t go get people watching, but I guess there are only so many
looking out for them, but they seem to find me and once I new ideas.
start watching them, I can’t stop. A: So, you’re going to stop watching them?
A: I know what you mean, it’s not as if I cook that much, but E: Hmm, I’d like to say yes, but …
somehow those videos suck me in. A: I doubt I will. There’s something mesmerising about them.
E: Have you ever actually tried any? After a long hard day in the office, they’re kind of a good way
A: What? Course not, Ethan. I don’t have time for that! to switch off.
E: Eh? But you have time to watch videos about them?! E: I know what you mean, although I suspect my kitchen
A: Oh yeah … but, er … no, I’ve never even thought about trying disasters will take some of the shine off those videos for us!
them to be honest. I just like watching them.
E: Well, I gave some of them a go this weekend.
A: And? UNIT 4  Recording 1
E: I did five all in all. I cut an avocado in half, had one half for my
M = Magdalena  R = Ruby  J = Justin  S = Sebastian
lunch and poured lemon juice on the other half before
sticking it back in the fridge. M: This might sound a bit odd, but I was thinking the other day
A: Why? about how I visualise what I’m reading in a book and I
E: So it wouldn’t go brown. wondered if we all see the same things. Justin, you read a lot.
A: Oh, right. And did it? Go brown, I mean? J: I don’t know, Magdalena, I guess I see what I’m reading, like a
E: It did actually, yes. movie.
A: Great hack! M: What, like you’re in the cinema and you’re … the actions are
E: Then, I got a caramel sweet and fried it in a pan so it’d melt playing out in front of you?
into a flat circle – a kind of caramel wheel that I could stick in J: Yeah, it can be really vivid, like if there’s a house or
a bowl of ice cream … a gorgeous-looking caramel wheel, if something I can walk around it and see it with as much
the video was anything to go by. Well, I burnt that and it clarity as my own home … but other times, the scene’s a bit
looked like something that had got stuck on the bottom of sketchier. I just see an outline – not sure if that’s my mind or
my shoe. the description in the book’s a bit thin. Same for you?
A: Ah, I’m starting to get the picture now … M: Hmm. I don’t see moving pictures, just bits and pieces
E: Then, I tried to make a mug pizza. from the story, almost like snippets of paintings. They kind
A: Well, that doesn’t sound like something that would ever of flash in and out of my mind. And they can be pretty
work out. fuzzy, like washed-out watercolours, and just outlines, too,
E: Yes, you’d think I’d know better, but in my defence, the like you?
video made it look really easy to make. Anyway, I shoved all J: Wait, Magdalena. You don’t see the whole story unfold in
the dough ingredients into the mug and then microwaved your mind?
them to make the base. Then I added in my chopped M: No, not like you. I do hear the sounds quite clearly in my mind
tomatoes, grated cheese and a few other toppings and though, as if they’re real.
microwaved it again. J: Really? That’s cool. And what about you, Ruby? Do you see
A: Sounds quick and delicious. the stories, like me, or hea rthem like her?
E: It couldn’t have been faster. Shame it looked and tasted like R: Not exactly either.
a dog’s dinner. The dough was soggy and, well, still pretty J: What? Then … how? Sebastian, tell me you see things like I
raw and the topping just looked like sludge. do … .

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 S: Actually, I don’t tend to see much at all in the way of … well, are more about money than a fondness for the stories, which
I just see words that I’m reading. They kind of float past … leads me to believe they’re not made by comic-book lovers.
and I hear them, too. I: Ooh, that’s cynical.
J: Hear them? No pictures? M: Tell me I’m wrong.
S: No. I find it quite easy to remember texts when I’ve seen I: You’re wrong! Well, I guess it’s hard to say without knowing
them through – I can quote books really well. the backgrounds of the film-makers. I’m sure some of them
R: Oh, I’ve always wondered how you do that! have an appreciation of the stories.
S: I do sometimes get a sense of hovering on the shoulder of a J: I must admit I do get sick and tired of the same old stories all
character, but I can’t see them. I sense their emotions more the time. It does sometimes feel like a money-making scheme.
than anything, and even though I’m on their shoulder, I can’t I: I’d dispute that – about the stories I mean. Some might be
quite grasp what’s in front of me – or them I should say. formulaic, but others have shown something different,
J: Woah. I’m blown away by this. something deeper that …
M: Me, too. So, back to you, Ruby. J: Deeper? Yeah right, let’s get my checklist out – baddie tries
R: I’m probably a cross between you and Justin. I see images to take over the world – tick. Hero and baddie have a huge
and they look real, as if it’s a memory, and I might picture fight – the baddie wins – tick. CGI buildings get smashed to
every scene in my mind, but it’s more of a still than a movie. pieces to no avail – tick. Hero finally finds a way to overcome
You know, I don’t really pay much attention to the the baddie – tick. Hero gets the girl …
descriptions in the book, I tend to skim read and get to the I: OK, OK, we get the message …
good bits, which for me is the dialogue. Maybe I should read J: It’s always the same old tropes.
plays! Anyway, my mind definitely makes up the detail. It I: I wouldn’t go as far as to say they’re all like that. A few of the
really irks me when I read something that contradicts what’s films have taken a much darker look at the world. You could
in my mind and then I have to adjust it. Often, I’ll revert to my even say they’re allegories about society today. Logan
original image very quickly. springs to mind. It was a bit downbeat and made me cry,
S: So, you view the scene in the third person. but it doesn’t tick the boxes on your checklist. It’s a shame
R: Er, yeah … but there are times when I’m really close to the really, as the characters in the comic books tend to be
people – a bit like you said. It’s like I’m a shadow of them, or more nuanced than in the films and that doesn’t always
they’re a shadow of me and we’re so close that we’re almost come across.
as one. M: I blame the viewing public.
J: Now I think about it, if the book’s in the third person, I see it I: What do you mean?
as if the camera’s panned out and I’m watching from afar, M: They want candy floss viewing – or is that popcorn viewing?
but if the book’s in the first person then it’s me in the scene. I don’t know … films that entertain without requiring more
Also, you know I said earlier that I see things in detail. Well, than a few brain cells. They’re escapism, pure and simple.
I’m pretty sure I transpose something I’m already familiar J: To be fair, although I’ve been quite critical, I’d much rather
with onto the scene – it’ll be a bit like the house I mentioned watch a magic hammer being thrown at a blue giant than
– it’ll look like somewhere I’ve lived or has some kind of some intellectually demanding historical drama, any day of
bearing … my mind fills in the blanks with these … some the week.
point of reference I had as a kid or something. M: Well, there’s the answer to your original question then!
R: I think I tend to view the main female protagonist as looking That’s why they’re so popular. Because of you and your
like me, even if the book describes something different. I three brain cells!
don’t mean exactly like me, but if they say she’s tall, skinny J: Actually, joking aside, I think there are reasons that go
and blonde, I still picture her as average height and weight beyond them being easy viewing. Wherever we look these
with brown hair. days – TV news, social media – people are at odds with
M: I guess it’s your way of connecting to the character. each other, there are such polarised opinions on pretty
R: Must be. much every subject, plus there are weak economies. For lots
J: Well, this is amazing, and may well have ruined books for me of people, the world’s a pretty depressing place. It’s not
forever. I can’t help thinking that I’ll be so focused on how I’m really a surprise that they might enjoy seeing good prosper
visualising the book from now on, I won’t take any of the over evil. I think those kinds of stories help us to believe that
story in! everything will work out in the end.
I: You know, these stories were hugely popular in the 1930s
– that was the time of the Great Depression when the
UNIT 5  Recording 1 economy collapsed, so there’s something in that.
J: See! I do have more than three brain cells when I choose to
M = Mila  J = Jack  I = Izzy
use them. I can quite honestly say though, that I’d be happy
M: Anyway, I liked it, Jack, even if you didn’t. OK, shall we move not to see another superhero film for a while.
on now to talk about some of the summer releases? M: I don’t think you’re the only one. I think now some of the
J: A superhero film or two, no doubt. We can’t go for more than storylines have finished, we’ll see people starting to lose
a few months without popping up on our cinema screens. You interest in these films. Not that they’re not interested in
know, I remember when stories like these were confined to superheroes as such, just that starting again with fresh
the bookshelves of nerdy kids. I mean, what happened, Mila? stories feels a bit like going back to square one and maybe
M: The nerdy kids grew up and morphed into … not people will want something completely new.
superheroes … but successful adults with a continued I: There are new ones coming out, though. I guess they’ll have
fondness for good versus evil stories. to up their game to keep you watching, Mila.
I: Not to mention some of those nerdy kids morphed into film M: They certainly will. So, Izzy, do tell. Will any of them get my
producers, scriptwriters and directors. attention?
M: Maybe Izzy, although I can’t help but think some of these films I: Well, in the summer, we’re going to see the release of …

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 making a concerted effort to clearly signpost them as a result,
UNIT 6  Recording 1
but perhaps not everyone will notice them.
We’ve all done it: downloaded an app that’s seemingly free, only I: It’s the kids that rack up huge bills buying in-game purchases
to discover somewhere along the line that we need to pay for without their parents’ consent that worry me, too. Maybe
access to the rest of the content. The ‘freemium’ pricing model they do know what they’re doing, maybe they don’t. But
as it’s known, due to some content being free and the rest being what about things like ‘loot boxes’, where you pay for a kind
paid at a premium … well, it’s been described as unethical by some. of lucky dip. You might get something really cool, or
To explore this with me today is Annie Browning, an app designer something you’ve already got. It’s basically gambling for kids,
who feels the freemium model is fair, and Imran Alvi, a consumer and a huge con if you ask me. Things like that support the
rights expert who takes a different view. Imran, let me start case for full payment at the start.
with you. A: And others would agree, which is why they’ve been taken
out of some games.
P: There’s one practice I really don’t understand and it’s the
UNIT 6  Recording 2 practice of making games really long with lots of side
quests, so that people pay to avoid them and get to the end
P = Presenter  I = Imran  A = Annie faster. They’re literally paying money to have less content.
A: Well, again … it comes down to the choice of the consumer.
P: Why aren’t you very keen on in-app purchases?
They don’t have to do that.
I: Well, aside from the fact they get in the way of our
P: Do you think that a different model will come into use at
enjoyment by asking us to stop and pay at a pivotal moment,
some point?
it’s how they can exploit our impatience, like in those apps
where you can either wait for something to be unlocked or A: I can’t see it, personally.
pay for it straight away. It’s not quite a scam, but it’s an idea I: Unfortunately, I don’t think they’re going anywhere any time
designed to make as much money as possible. soon, although I hope to be proved wrong.
P: Annie, would you like to comment on that? P: So, let’s now move onto a slightly different argument and
A: Sure. I mean, you’re obviously talking about specific apps that’s …
that unlock the next part of a story or next level of a game
after a certain amount of time, well, unless you pay. I see
what you’re saying … there’s definitely psychology involved UNIT 7  Recording 1
regarding typical behaviour and yes, it might seem 1
calculated, but the fact is the user does have a choice. They
All right, so make sure you’ve got everything you need – a pump,
don’t have to pay in that instance. They can wait until the
a patch or new inner tube, a cloth and a tyre lever. You need to
content’s unlocked for free.
push the tyre off the metal rim of the wheel with your tyre lever
I: But the app wouldn’t make any money if everyone did that, … so you can pull out the inner tube. Of course, that’s after you’ve
A: Yeah, but the choice is still there. The fact is that the taken the wheel off the bike by either using the quick release
freemium model might not be perfect, but it’s better than lever or a spanner. It’ll be much easier to handle that way. So,
many alternatives. Advertising is a notoriously unstable peel the tyre away from the rim, starting opposite the air valve.
method of payment and irritates users. Paying up front Once you’ve done that, you can then pull out the inner tube. If
brings in less money … it’s ripped, you’ll spot it immediately and you’ll need to throw it
I: Which is … away and replace it with a new one. But, if the hole isn’t easily
A: Hold on. It brings in less money and the more money visible, use your pump to fill the tube with air and feel around for
developers make, the better the products they create and they where the air’s escaping. If that doesn’t work, stick it in water
produce more of them, too, so it’s a win-win for everyone. and see where the bubbles appear. Take your patch and stick it
P: Are there any better models out there? over the hole. That should last as long as the inner tube does.
A: Not to my knowledge. I mean, there’s the subscription model Once that’s done, you can pump some air into the tube and pop
of course, which is less for game apps and more for things it back in the tyre. Actually, before you do that, it’s a good idea to
like music. With subscription, people make regular payments clean around the tyre to make sure there are no harmful objects
for access to content, and can stop paying when they want, that could puncture the tube again. When the tube is back in the
usually after a notice period. If customers subscribe over a tyre, bit by bit, work the tyre back onto the wheel rim until it’s
long period, the developer can make as much money as they good to go and you can fix your wheel back onto the bike.
can with the freemium model.
I: Not more? 2
A: Well, it’s possible I guess, but not necessarily. It depends on So, you need a cable detector, a drill, a spirit level, a tape
how long they can keep hold of their customers. measure, a pencil and your shelf and brackets. The first thing is
P: It sounds like consumers are better off in terms of choice to check there are no cables or pipes running down the area
with the freemium model. I mean, they get to try something where you’re going to drill. This is where your detector comes in.
out before having to commit, unlike with the subscription Run it across the wall and see what comes up on the screen.
model. If you’re fine to continue, put the first bracket where you want
I: Yes, and I do appreciate that consumers have the power to the shelf to be and draw a line at the top of it in pencil on the
make decisions with the freemium model and I wouldn’t wall. Measure across and mark where the second bracket should
want to take that away. I just feel that developers benefit go and draw a line. Use a spirit level to make sure the lines are
more. One problem is when users don’t realise there’s a cost both level, or else the shelf could be wonky. Put the brackets
until it’s too late and then are forced to pay because they’ve back against the wall and draw circles in each hole where the
invested too much time and effort to stop by that time. screws will fit. Then, pop your goggles on, take out your drill and
A: That’s a fair point and I think developers have sometimes failed drill holes in the wall where your circles are. Insert plastic wall
to clearly signpost in-app purchases. The industry has been plugs, as these will ensure your screws fit in nice and tight.

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 Lightly tap them with a hammer if necessary. Now, place the A: But his crew did?
bracket on the wall and screw in each screw into the wall plugs. J: Yes, well fewer than 20 from the original 270, but yes. Juan
Repeat the same procedure with the second bracket and then Sebastián Elcano took over the reins.
place the shelf across both brackets. Voila! There’s your shelf. A: I suppose it’s fair enough to give Magellan the title.
3 J: What do you mean?
So, tip 600 grams of strong flour into a bowl and mix in about A: It would’ve been him who got the funding together,
seven grams of fast-action yeast with a tablespoon of salt. It’s gathered the crew. If he got them most of the way, and
best to keep that and the salt separate at this stage as the latter equipped Elcano and the others to get home, then he
can kill the former. Now, pour in 350 millilitres of warm water – deserves the credit.
it can be quite hot to the touch but not boiling. Also add a couple J: I wonder if the surviving crew members would’ve seen it
of tablespoons of sunflower oil and a dollop of honey. Use your like that.
hands to mix everything together to make a dough. Sprinkle A: No idea, but Elcano may well have thought as I do, who knows?
some flour onto your work surface and knead the bread for ten J: I guess we’ll never know. OK, next. Benjamin Franklin
minutes. That means folding it over and pushing it down again discovered electricity when he was flying a kite with his son
and again so it gets air into it. If you find that your dough’s a bit during a storm.
wet, add a bit more flour, but be careful not to add too much or A: Ah, well I think I’m getting the hang of this so I’m going to
you’ll just end up having to add more water again. Put the dough say no.
into a bread tin and cover it with plastic wrap. It’s a good idea to J: Correct. He apparently went out to try to prove the
add some oil to the inside of it so the dough doesn’t stick. Put it connection between electricity and lightning, a theory that
in a warm place for one or two hours until it’s risen. Knead it had existed for hundreds of years. I should also add that the
again and leave it to rise a second time, this time for just half an kite didn’t get struck by lightning as is often bandied about,
hour. Stick it in the oven at a temperature of 200 degrees celsius or else he probably wouldn’t have lived to tell the tale!
or 180 for fan ovens for around half an hour. To check it’s baked, A: Right.
tap the bottom and it should sound hollow inside. Leave to cool
J: OK, last one. Isaac Newton discovered gravity when an apple
and then slice and serve.
fell on his head.
A: OK, I’m going to go out on a limb here and say that despite it
being a popular belief, it’s a load of old rubbish. Am I right?
UNIT 8  Recording 1 J: There’s truth in it just as with the others. He had to leave
A = Ahmed  J = Jennie college for a while because of a small, irritating problem
known as ‘the plague’, so … he went back to his childhood
J: So, let’s play a little game. I’m going to name some famous home and then one day, while wandering in the apple
historical events and I want you to tell me if each one orchard, he saw an apple fall and it made him ponder the
happened or not. reason behind objects always falling down and not up or in
A: All right. some other direction.
J: So, Christopher Columbus discovered the Americas and A: So, it kickstarted the whole thing.
proved the Earth wasn’t flat. J: Exactly, but it didn’t land on his head, and nor did the theory
A: Hmm, I’m not much of a history buff, but I’m pretty sure come to him in a flash.
that’s true. Didn’t he sail the wrong way and think he’d A: So no sudden eureka moment then? And what about him
landed in India or something? I’m not so sure about the Earth shooting the apple off his son’s head?
being flat bit though. I’ve got a feeling even the Ancient
J: That’s a different story, as well you know …
Greeks knew it was round.
J: Indeed, Pythagoras, Aristotle and others, they all talked
about the Earth being a sphere and subsequent university
UNIT 9  Recording 1
texts saying the same thing were available in Columbus’s
time, so I doubt he worried about falling off the edge of the S = Sophie  L = Liam
Earth as is claimed.
S: I’m off on a survivation.
A: One point to me then. What about the other part?
L: A what?
J: That he discovered the Americas? Well, how could he
S: A survivation – it’s a, you know, like a holiday where you
discover a land where people already lived?
learn survival techniques.
A: Oh come on, he discovered it for European people so it’s not
L: Never heard of it. What are you doing that for then?
completely wrong. I think you need to be a bit looser with
S: Dunno, I just thought it’d be fun. Something different.
your understanding of ‘discover’ there!
L: That’s funny actually, cos just the other day, I was thinking
J: Maybe but there’s also the interpretation of America. If you
that if there was some kind of disaster, then I wouldn’t be
think of it as the USA, then he never set foot there. He
very well equipped to deal with it.
landed in the Caribbean, and on the central and south
S: You mean, if there’s not an app for it, you’ve got no chance?
coasts. And what about Leif Erikson, the Icelandic explorer.
L: Exactly! Horrible natural disaster, zombie invasion,
He’d landed and settled in Canada 500 years earlier.
whatever. I’d wither away just from not knowing how to feed
A: Ah …
myself.
J: Exactly. OK, the next one’s on the same theme. Was
S: Surely you’ve watched enough shows about stuff like that
Ferdinand Magellan the first person to sail around the world?
to manage.
A: Not a clue. His name rings a faint bell, but that’s all. I’m going
L: Yeah, you’d think so, but no. So, what exactly happens on
to say it’s true.
one of these survival holiday thingamajigs then?
J: His expedition was the first. Unfortunately, he was killed in
S: Well, some of them test your skills from the get go without
a battle in the Philippines in 1521, so he didn’t quite make
any training at all.
it round.
L: Sink or swim.
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 S: Yeah. I mean, it’d be pretty cool to test your wits to see how those others in the game, otherwise, it’s just a competition
you’d do and I doubt they’d, you know, let you die or like a race.
anything. They must track you or … there’s this one where P: OK, well that’s new, I’ve not thought about it that way
they literally take you anywhere in the world by private before.
plane and drop you in the middle of nowhere and you have N: No, but you need to know if you want to be an effective
to find your way back to civilisation. Can you imagine? games designer.
L: It must cost a bomb. P: So, Nessa, why do we play games? Is it the objective that
S: Well it’s all tailor-made so I expect so. motivates us, then?
L: So, you’re not doing that one, then. N: Er … there are suggestions that we play to develop
S: No. I’m not going to be cast away on a desert island either. physically to, you know, prepare us for whatever challenges
As nice as it sounds, I think I’d rather go somewhere like that come our way, but without risking threats of injury. I’m not
to lie on the beach, not walk up and down it for hours on end sure how appealing that theory is. It could be to develop
picking up firewood. No, I’m off on an adventure at a survival mentally, but I favour the argument that games create
training lodge. situations where we can achieve something and feel good
L: A lodge? I thought you’d be sleeping under the stars. Sounds fast. In the real world, goals can take a really long time to
far too luxurious. achieve. We might plug away at something for ages before
S: I’ll admit, the accommodation looks pretty comfortable and we get any kind of positive feedback, or achieve success.
with all mod cons – hot water, modern kitchen and the like. P: I personally think games are a good stressbuster, too.
L: Sounds like a bit of a cheat to me. Not so much survivalist as N: Yeah, games can push us into a state of mindfulness, as we
pretending to get a bit closer to nature. shut everything else out and focus on the here and now.
S: Ooh, you sceptic you. It is my precious time off, I’ll have you That’s a good way to alleviate stress, although of course
know, and I don’t want to go back to work more tense than that’s assuming you don’t keep suffering humiliating
when I left! defeats!
L: I’m just pulling your leg. What kind of stuff will you do? P: As is usually the case with me!
S: It’s like navigation and being able to start a fire, forage for N: And there’s the fact that games can raise levels of optimism
food and all that. and joy. Actually, one thing that I don’t think’s talked about
L: Well, they’re all pretty handy skills in a dreadful apocalypse. enough is the improved hand-eye coordination we get when
Imagine being able to navigate via the sun and the stars, like playing video games. Did you know that in certain medical
in the olden days! Is that what you hope to get out of this circles, surgeons who play games regularly can be quicker
whole thing then? New skills? I mean, I can see the and make fewer mistakes than others?
attraction of being a little bit more independent. We rely so P: No, but that’s really interesting! OK, let’s talk specifically
much on others for our very basic needs, and as I said about video games then, now you mention them. Are video
before, it’s a bit scary to realise just how dependent we are. games like other games, is it about having an objective?
S: There’s that, but I think I just want to connect a bit more N: Hmm, achievement is a key motivation, sure, but there’s also
with nature. I’m not trying to sound like some kind of hippy, competence to consider. One theory says that’s only
but I spend a lot of time stuck indoors, it might be nice to get achieved through what’s called ‘flow’ – that’s the complete
outside for a bit. mental focus that a person achieves when they’re so
L: Sounds like human rewilding. Have you heard of that? engaged they want to keep playing, but not challenged
S: No, what is it? so much they feel disheartened and give up. It’s that
L: It’s basically what you’ve just described. You know how some optimal combination that games designers really need to
people are putting wildlife back into areas where humans think about.
have created some kind of imbalance? P: I imagine that’s hard.
S: Not really, but I get what you mean. N: Yes. There’s also social interaction of course, and
L: Well, human rewilding’s about trying to reconnect humans cooperation, especially in multi-player games. Plus
with the world around them, returning them to the natural aesthetics.
world they used to inhabit but no longer do. P: What do you mean by aesthetics?
S: Huh, guess that’s what I’ll be doing on my trip then! N: It means, like emotions. There’s a pivotal paper from 2004
that identified eight ‘aesthetics’ that players experience,
like the ability to create whole new worlds in your mind,
UNIT 10  Recording 1 voice your opinion, get involved in the story, discover new
lands. Designers tend to focus primarily on the game
P = Presenter  N = Nessa mechanics, like the actions, the visuals and the processes
P: Before we can even think about games design, we need to involved, whereas those things should really come after
understand the psychology behind games – what they are, thinking about what aesthetics they want to inspire among
why we play them and what keeps us playing them. So, I’m gamers. Those should then help to determine the
here with lecturer in games design Nessa Parks, to find out mechanics. I think some games would have been a lot better
more about this. Nessa, can we start right at the beginning? if the developers had done it that way.
What exactly is a game? P: Well, that’s certainly a different way of thinking about it. By
N: Well, there’s a well-known games designer called Chris the way, back to those surgeons who play video games, …  
Crawford, and he says that a game has an objective, as
opposed to a toy, which doesn’t.
P: OK, that makes sense.
N: But when a person works towards that objective alone, it’s a
puzzle because there’s no conflict. It’s only a game when it’s
done with others. And you have to be able to influence

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