Module 2: vocabulary in use
WORK AND STUDY
1. Cramming for success: study and academic work
A. Study and exams
Cram: to study in a very concentrated way for a short time
Genius: an exceptionally clever person
Past papers: exam papers from previous years
Rote-learning: learning purely by repetition
Mnemonics: tricks that help you remember something
Bury yourself in your books: spend the maximum time studying
Intensively: in a very focused way
Know the subject inside out: kno it completely
B. Academic writing
Composition -> could be just 50 -100 words, often used for school work
Essay -> longer than a composition, more serious, 100 – 1000 words
Assignment -> a long essay, often part of a course, usually thousands of words
Project -> like an assignment, but emphasis on student’s own material and topic
Portfolio -> a collection of individual pieces of work; may include creative work as
well as writing
Dissertation -> a long, research-based work, perhaps 10 – 15,000 words, for a
degree
Thesis -> a very long, original, research-based work, perhaps 80 – 100,000
words, for a higher degree
Mind map: diagram that lays out ideas for a topic and how they are connected to
one another
First draft: first, rough version
Plagiarism: using other people’s work as if it was yours
Acknowledge: give details of
Deadline: date by which you must hand in the work
Submitted: handed in; formal
Assessed: evaluated and given a grade
Feedback: comments from the teacher/tutor
C. Aspects of higher academic study
Carry out research: less formal is do research
Academic journals: magazines with academic articles
Access it online: get hold of it on the internet
Inter-library loan: system where libraries exchange books/journals with one
another
Open educational resources: online materials that can be freely used by teachers
and students anywhere
Drop out: leave the course before the end
Finals: last exams before the end of a college/university course
Well-qualified: with the right formal qualifications
, 2. Education: debates and issues
A. Opportunity and equality
Equality of opportunity: when everyone has the same chances
Selective: pupils are chosen for entry, usually for academic reasons
Comprehensive: everyone enters without exams and education is free, paid by
the government
Schooling: education receiced at school
Elitism: when you favour a smaal, privileged group
Inherent in: existing as a basic part of something
League tables: lists of schools or colleges, from the best down to the worst
Perpetuate: make something continue
Two-tier system: a system with two seperate levels, one of which is better than
the other
Perceive: sees, considers
Better-off: richer
Well-endowed: receiving a lot of money in grants, gifts from rich people
Depressing: reducing
Less well-off: poorer
Excel: achieve an excellent standard
Scholarships: money given to pay for studies, usually provided on the basis of
academic merit
Bursaries: money given to pay for studies, usually provided on the basis of need
Tertiary: education at univeristy or college level
Student loans: money that students can borrow from a bank while studying and
then pay back once they are in work
Undergraduates: students doing a first degree
Tuition fees: money paid to receive teaching
B. Other debates and issues
The three R’s: writing, writing and arithmetic
Literacy: the ability to read
Numeracy: the ability to count/ do maths
Curriculum reform: changes to what is covered in the national syllabus
Lifelong/continuing education: education for all ages
Mature students: adult students older than the average student
Special needs education: education for children who cannot learn in the normal
way, due disability
One-to-one: one teacher and one pupil, not in group
Bullying: threatening behaviour
Guidelines: advice on how something should be done
Distraction: takes attention away
3. Applying for a job
, A. A job ad
Passion for: if you have a passion for something, you like it very much
Challenging: a positive word for something which is exciting and difficult
Fast-paced: things happen quickly
Openings: available jobs
Reporting to: if you report to someone, he/she is your boss
Previous experience: experience of this type of job before
Full training: all the training you need
Post: job
Career prospects: opportunities for promotion and career development
Leadership qualities: the ability to lead a team/group
Competitive salary: as good as, or better than, other salaries for similar jobs
Benefits package: all the extra benefits that a company offers
Subsidised: partly paid for by the company
B. A cover letter
Cover letter: a letter sent with a job application
Sir or Madam: how you start a letter when you do not know the name of a person
Hands-on: practical, direct
Field: area of business or activity
Customer-facing: dealing directly with customers
Team player: a person who is good at working with others
Managerial experience: experience of managing other people
Yours faithfully: how you finish a letter when you do not know the name of the
person you are writing to
4. Job interviews
A. Preparing for interviews
Recruiting: hiring (new staff)
Criteria: requirements you use to make a decision
Shortlisted: selected from a larger group
Trial run: a practice of something new
Boost: improve or increase
Line manager: the person who is directly responsible for your work
Body language: physical movements which show how you are feeling
Speak up: speak (more) loudly and clearly
B. During an interview
Talk us through: tell us about in more detail
Trainee: a person who is learning a new job
Professional development: training given to employees to increase their
knowledge or skills
In-house: within the company
New recruits: people who have just joined
Supervisor: the person who checks your work
Take on: start to have
Fill the post: find someone to do the job
WORK AND STUDY
1. Cramming for success: study and academic work
A. Study and exams
Cram: to study in a very concentrated way for a short time
Genius: an exceptionally clever person
Past papers: exam papers from previous years
Rote-learning: learning purely by repetition
Mnemonics: tricks that help you remember something
Bury yourself in your books: spend the maximum time studying
Intensively: in a very focused way
Know the subject inside out: kno it completely
B. Academic writing
Composition -> could be just 50 -100 words, often used for school work
Essay -> longer than a composition, more serious, 100 – 1000 words
Assignment -> a long essay, often part of a course, usually thousands of words
Project -> like an assignment, but emphasis on student’s own material and topic
Portfolio -> a collection of individual pieces of work; may include creative work as
well as writing
Dissertation -> a long, research-based work, perhaps 10 – 15,000 words, for a
degree
Thesis -> a very long, original, research-based work, perhaps 80 – 100,000
words, for a higher degree
Mind map: diagram that lays out ideas for a topic and how they are connected to
one another
First draft: first, rough version
Plagiarism: using other people’s work as if it was yours
Acknowledge: give details of
Deadline: date by which you must hand in the work
Submitted: handed in; formal
Assessed: evaluated and given a grade
Feedback: comments from the teacher/tutor
C. Aspects of higher academic study
Carry out research: less formal is do research
Academic journals: magazines with academic articles
Access it online: get hold of it on the internet
Inter-library loan: system where libraries exchange books/journals with one
another
Open educational resources: online materials that can be freely used by teachers
and students anywhere
Drop out: leave the course before the end
Finals: last exams before the end of a college/university course
Well-qualified: with the right formal qualifications
, 2. Education: debates and issues
A. Opportunity and equality
Equality of opportunity: when everyone has the same chances
Selective: pupils are chosen for entry, usually for academic reasons
Comprehensive: everyone enters without exams and education is free, paid by
the government
Schooling: education receiced at school
Elitism: when you favour a smaal, privileged group
Inherent in: existing as a basic part of something
League tables: lists of schools or colleges, from the best down to the worst
Perpetuate: make something continue
Two-tier system: a system with two seperate levels, one of which is better than
the other
Perceive: sees, considers
Better-off: richer
Well-endowed: receiving a lot of money in grants, gifts from rich people
Depressing: reducing
Less well-off: poorer
Excel: achieve an excellent standard
Scholarships: money given to pay for studies, usually provided on the basis of
academic merit
Bursaries: money given to pay for studies, usually provided on the basis of need
Tertiary: education at univeristy or college level
Student loans: money that students can borrow from a bank while studying and
then pay back once they are in work
Undergraduates: students doing a first degree
Tuition fees: money paid to receive teaching
B. Other debates and issues
The three R’s: writing, writing and arithmetic
Literacy: the ability to read
Numeracy: the ability to count/ do maths
Curriculum reform: changes to what is covered in the national syllabus
Lifelong/continuing education: education for all ages
Mature students: adult students older than the average student
Special needs education: education for children who cannot learn in the normal
way, due disability
One-to-one: one teacher and one pupil, not in group
Bullying: threatening behaviour
Guidelines: advice on how something should be done
Distraction: takes attention away
3. Applying for a job
, A. A job ad
Passion for: if you have a passion for something, you like it very much
Challenging: a positive word for something which is exciting and difficult
Fast-paced: things happen quickly
Openings: available jobs
Reporting to: if you report to someone, he/she is your boss
Previous experience: experience of this type of job before
Full training: all the training you need
Post: job
Career prospects: opportunities for promotion and career development
Leadership qualities: the ability to lead a team/group
Competitive salary: as good as, or better than, other salaries for similar jobs
Benefits package: all the extra benefits that a company offers
Subsidised: partly paid for by the company
B. A cover letter
Cover letter: a letter sent with a job application
Sir or Madam: how you start a letter when you do not know the name of a person
Hands-on: practical, direct
Field: area of business or activity
Customer-facing: dealing directly with customers
Team player: a person who is good at working with others
Managerial experience: experience of managing other people
Yours faithfully: how you finish a letter when you do not know the name of the
person you are writing to
4. Job interviews
A. Preparing for interviews
Recruiting: hiring (new staff)
Criteria: requirements you use to make a decision
Shortlisted: selected from a larger group
Trial run: a practice of something new
Boost: improve or increase
Line manager: the person who is directly responsible for your work
Body language: physical movements which show how you are feeling
Speak up: speak (more) loudly and clearly
B. During an interview
Talk us through: tell us about in more detail
Trainee: a person who is learning a new job
Professional development: training given to employees to increase their
knowledge or skills
In-house: within the company
New recruits: people who have just joined
Supervisor: the person who checks your work
Take on: start to have
Fill the post: find someone to do the job
