Speaking Education vocabulary

Question 1

subject groups: humanities

Answer 1

studies about human culture, such as literature, languages, philosophy, and history.

Chloe excels in humanities subjects. She’s adept at arts and languages.

Question 2

subject groups: sciences

Answer 2

studies about the world, such as physics, biology, chemistry, and maths.

Mark doesn’t like scientific subjects, he’s just too lazy to learn formulas.

Question 3

A for effort

Answer 3

a good mark, which is given someone for trying hard rather than for a success.

Although I’m not the smartest in my group, I often get an A for effort, because I try hard.

Question 4

bachelor’s degree

Answer 4

an undergraduate course which usually lasts 3 or 4 years.

I will receive my bachelor’s degree in two years.

Question 5

bookworm

Answer 5

a term to describe someone who really likes to read and spends a lot of time on it.

I’m a real bookworm. I won’t stop until the book is read.

Question 6

distance learning (e-learning)

Answer 6

education that takes place remotely, usually via the Internet.

Distance learning is more flexible than traditional education, because students don’t have to attend classes and can schedule their timetables as they want.

Question 7

eager beaver

Answer 7

an enthusiastic and hard-working person. My friend is an eager beaver.

He studies everything with pleasure and gets great marks.

Question 8

face-to-face classes

Answer 8

a traditional way of studying – in a classroom with a teacher.

When I was a kid, face-to-face classes had no alternatives, but nowadays a myriad of educational establishments offer online courses and individual tuition.

Question 9

higher education

Answer 9

education that is followed after high school.

I plan on getting higher education after finishing school.

Question 10

hit the books

Answer 10

begin studying hard.

I’m on my third year in the university, it is time to finally hit the books.

Question 11

individual tuition (private tuition)

Answer 11

instruction received individually or in a small group.

Individual tuition is sometimes more effective than group work.

Question 12

intensive course

Answer 12

a course that offers longer and more frequent classes.

A few years ago I took an intensive French course in the university.

Question 13

internship

Answer 13

a temporary position which students usually take to get work experience and practical knowledge. Before

I went into design industry, I took an internship in a company.

Question 14

master’s degree

Answer 14

a graduate course, which follows after bachelor’s degree. Master’s degree is often important to find a job with a higher salary.

Question 15

not the sharpest tool in the shed

Answer 15

a polite way of saying that someone isn’t very smart.

Maybe John isn’t the sharpest tool in the shed, but he’s a good friend nonetheless.

Question 16

mature student

Answer 16

someone who’s older than others.

Nowadays it’s not uncommon to face a mature student in the class. People often change professions and get a second or third degree in their mid-thirties.

Question 17

public schools

Answer 17

exclusive independent schools in the UK. My friend finished a public school a few years ago.

Question 18

schoolboy error

Answer 18

a very basic and stupid mistake.

Sam made a schoolboy error on his English test.

Question 19

single-sex schools

Answer 19

schools for either boys or girls.

My brother studied in a single-sex school.

Question 20

small fraction

Answer 20

small part.

A small fraction of students managed to pass this exam.

Question 21

state school

Answer 21

a school which is paid for by the state or country.

It is hard to find a good state school nowadays.

Question 22

subject specialist

Answer 22

a person who is very talented in one specific field.

My math teacher was a real subject specialist. Thanks to him math is my favourite subject now.

Question 23

teacher’s pet

Answer 23

student whom teachers like the most.

Hugo is a teacher’s pet, he attends all classes and manages to get good marks with poor knowledge.

Question 24

three R’s

Answer 24

basic educational skills (reading, writing, arithmetic).

Pupils in a primary school study the three R’s.

Question 25

to attend classes

Answer 25

to visit classes.

In my college, students need to attend classes five times a week.

Question 26

to fall behind with studies

Answer 26

to progress less quickly than others.

Mary was ill for two weeks, so she fell behind with her studies.

Question 27

to give feedback

Answer 27

to give some information or criticism on a subject.

I launched a project a couple of days ago and I want my friends to give me some feedback.

Question 27

to goof around: spend time doing nothing important. Sometimes I like to goof around, although my parents scold me for that.

Question 28

to learn something by heart

Answer 28

to memorize something.

Last year i had to learn a very big poem by heart for my literature class.

Question 29

to meet a deadline

Answer 29

to finish something within a time limit.

Unfortunately, we weren’t able to meet the deadline for our project.

Question 30

to pass with flying colours

Answer 30

to pass easily and with excellent result.

I’m studying hard and I will pass IELTS with flying colours.

Question 31

to play truant

Answer 31

to skip classes without permission.

During my school years I often played truant with my friends.

Question 32

to pursue studying

Answer 32

to continue studying.

Lora would like to pursue studying in the future to become a professor.

Question 33

to set aside some time

Answer 33

to take some time. I need to set aside some time to collect my thoughts.

Question 34

to sit an exam

Answer 34

to take an exam. Tomorrow I’ll have to sit a two-hour math exam.

Question 35

to take a year out

Answer 35

to spend one year working or traveling before studying in the University.

My friend took a year out and went traveling to the UK.

Question 36

tuition fees

Answer 36

money you pay for your education.

I had to pay tuition fees this summer.