Date taught: 16 April 2024
2B – Irish Schools
Theme: Schools in Ireland, discussing education.
break (n): (RU: перемена) a period of time between lessons when students and teachers can eat, rest, or play
EXAMPLE: English children must sometimes stay in class at break.
cafeteria (n): (RU: столовая, кафетерий) an informal restaurant in a place such as a college or hospital where you take the food to the table yourself
EXAMPLE: The school has its own cafeteria and an exciting social programme.
certificate (n): (RU: удостоверение, свидетельство) an official document stating that you have passed an examination, successfully completed a course, or achieved the necessary qualifications to work in a particular profession
EXAMPLE: Susan got a certificate when she passed the test.
compulsory (adj): (RU: обязательный) something that is compulsory must be done because of a rule or law
EXAMPLE: Compulsory subjects are maths, Irish and English.
computer (n): (RU: компьютер) a machine that stores programs and information in electronic form and can be used for a variety of processes, for example writing, calculating, and communicating on the Internet
EXAMPLE: James does all his work on the computer.
course (n): (RU: курс) a series of lessons or lectures in an academic subject or a practical skill
EXAMPLE: What kinds of courses does the school offer?
desk (n): (RU: письменный стол, парта) a table that you sit at to write or work, often with drawers in it
EXAMPLE: I was walking up and down between the rows of desks.
education system (n): (RU: система образования) the activity of educating people in schools, colleges, and universities, and all the policies and arrangements concerning this
EXAMPLE: Ireland now has one of the best education systems in the world.
examination / exam (n): (RU: экзамен) an important test of your knowledge, especially one that you take at school or university
EXAMPLE #1: What English language examinations do people take in your country?
EXAMPLE #2: I failed my exams.
experienced (adj): (RU: опытный) someone who is experienced has skill at something because they have done it a lot
EXAMPLE: Our qualified and experienced teachers provide top quality tuition with flexible timetables.
fail an exam (v): (RU: проваливать(ся) (на экзамене)) to be unsuccessful in achieving a satisfactory level or standard
EXAMPLE: I failed my exams.
fee (n): (RU: денежный взнос) an amount of money that you pay to be allowed to do something such as join an organization
EXAMPLE: Special fees for international students.
get a place at university (phrase): (RU: поступить, получить место (в университете)) to be able to attend an educational institution where students study for degrees and where academic research is done (in American English, also got in at…)
EXAMPLE: I got a place at Cambridge University. or I got in at Cambridge University.
grade (n): (RU: оценка) a letter or number that shows the quality of a student’s work
EXAMPLE: I was worried about my grades.
headmaster (n): (RU: директор школы (о мужчине)) a male teacher who is in charge of a school. A more usual word is headteacher
EXAMPLE: The headmaster was standing at the door of the class.
headmistress (n): (RU: директор школы (о женщине)) a female teacher who is in charge of a school. A more usual word is headteacher
EXAMPLE: Can I speak to the headmistress?
head teacher (n): (RU: директор школы) a teacher who is in charge of a school
EXAMPLE: At the end of the month the head teacher organized a party for all the new teachers.
homework (n): (RU: домашняя работа) work that a teacher gives a student to do out of class
EXAMPLE: I never did my homework.
language laboratory (n): (RU: лингафонный кабинет) a room containing special electronic equipment to help students learn a foreign language
EXAMPLE: The school has a language laboratory and a library.
leaving age (n): (RU: возраст при окончании обучения в школе) the time of life when you are allowed by law to leave school
EXAMPLE: Most children are happy to stay at school after the minimum leaving age of sixteen.
leaving certificate (n): (RU: аттестат) an official document stating that you have passed an examination and are able to leave education
EXAMPLE: Students take their final exams (the ‘Leaving Certificate’).
lesson (n): (RU: занятие) a period of time in which students are taught about a subject in school
EXAMPLE: How often did you have lessons with her?
location (n): (RU: местоположение, расположение) the place or position where someone or something is or where something happens
EXAMPLE: The Victoria School has a central location near the Opera House.
mixed sex (adj): (RU: смешанный) a group that contains both males and females
EXAMPLE: The school they go to is mixed sex.
multi-media centre (n): (RU: мультимедийный центр) a place for using video, sound, and other methods of communication in computers
EXAMPLE: The school has an ultra-modern multi-media centre.
native speaker (n): (RU: носитель языка) someone who has learnt a particular language from the time that they began to speak
EXAMPLE: Claudia is a native speaker of Italian, but she also speaks English very well.
pass an exam (v): (RU: сдать экзамен) to be successful in an examination or test by achieving a satisfactory standard
EXAMPLE: Did you pass your English exam?
private school (n): (RU: частная школа) a school providing education that the children’s parents pay for directly
EXAMPLE: There are private schools and state schools.
corporal punishment (n): (RU: телесное наказание) the physical punishment of someone by hitting them
EXAMPLE: The government banned corporal punishment in 1982.
pupil/student (n): (RU: ученик) someone, especially a child, who goes to school or who has lessons in a particular subject
EXAMPLE: He’s a pupil at the Victoria School.
qualification (n): (RU: диплом, квалификация) something such as a degree or a diploma that you get when you successfully finish a course of study
EXAMPLE: They have professional qualifications.
registration form (n): (RU: регистрационный бланк) a form that you use to record names or information on an official list
EXAMPLE: Please fill out the registration form.
result (n): (RU: результат) a piece of information that is obtained by examining, studying, or calculating something
EXAMPLE: Class sizes are small and exam results are good.
single sex (adj): (RU: школа для девочек/мальчиков) a group that contains either males or females
EXAMPLE: Only about half the schools are single-sex.
social programme/activity (n): (RU: программа социального развития) a series of social events
EXAMPLE: The school has its own cafeteria and an exciting social programme.
state school (n): (RU: государственная школа) in the UK, a school that is supported with money from the government and that provides a free education for children
EXAMPLE: There are private schools and state schools.
subject (n): (RU: школьный предмет) something that you learn or teach in a school, for example English, mathematics, or biology
EXAMPLE: English is my favourite subject.
term/semester (n): (RU: семестр, четверть (учебная)) one of the periods of time into which the year is divided for students. In the UK, there are usually three terms: the autumn term, the spring term, and the summer term
EXAMPLE: It was the end of term and the students were doing their exams.
timetable (n): (RU: расписание) a list of the times of lessons or courses at a school, college, or university
EXAMPLE: Our qualified and experienced teachers provide top quality tuition with flexible timetables.
tuition (n): (RU: обучение) the work that a teacher does when they teach a particular subject, especially to one person or to a small group
EXAMPLE: Our qualified and experienced teachers provide top quality tuition with flexible timetables.
university (n): (RU: университет) an educational institution where students study for degrees and where academic research is done
EXAMPLE: I went to university.
Grammar Focus: Used to
| We use used to + infinitive to talk about past states. Latin and Greek used to be important school subjects. We also use used to + infinitive to talk about past actions that happened many times. Teachers used to hit children. We can use the past simple instead of used to. Boys and girls used to go/went to different schools. However, we cannot use used to for past actions that happened once. The government banned corporal punishment. (not |
We use used to to talk about past states and past actions that happened many times.
My family used to live in Rome.
We used to go out for a meal every Saturday.
We can always use the past simple instead of used to, but we cannot use used to for actions that happened only once.
We used to live in Rome. = We lived in Rome.
My family moved back to London in 1995.
NOT: My family used to move back to London in 1995.
| Affirmative & Negative | |||||
| I | used to didn’t use to | like walk to | school. | ||
| He/She/It | |||||
| You/We/They | |||||
| Question | |||||
| Did | I | use to | like walk to | school? | |
| he/she/it | |||||
| you/we/they | |||||
| Short answer | |||||
| Did you use to like school? | Yes, I did. / No, I didn’t. | ||||
Additional Listening and Watching:
Attribution: Image by freepik
English With Dixie 