Topic Lexis: Education (Beginner)

Core words by topic

People and places
student, classmate, teacher, lecturer, tutor, principal, librarian
classroom, lab, library, campus, canteen, dormitory

Courses and study
subject, course, module, lesson, lecture, timetable, schedule, homework, assignment, project, presentation, notes, attendance

Assessment
test, quiz, exam, grade, score, mark, result, deadline, extension, feedback, rubric, pass, fail

Resources and tools
textbook, workbook, worksheet, handout, flashcard, slideshow, whiteboard, projector, laptop, reference, citation

High value collocations

• take or sit an exam
• pass or fail an exam
• do homework, submit an assignment, meet a deadline
• take notes, review notes, revise for a test
• attend a lecture, miss a class, catch up on lessons
• ask for feedback, give feedback, act on feedback
• do research, conduct a survey, collect data

Model lines

• I submitted my assignment and asked for feedback.
• We revised for the quiz and took notes from the slides.

Classroom English

• Could you explain that again
• What do you mean by this word
• Could I ask a question
• I agree to some extent
• In my opinion, the main point is clear
• The evidence suggests that attendance helps

Phrasal verbs for study

• hand in = submit. I will hand in my report tomorrow.
• hand out = give to many people. The teacher handed out a worksheet.
• look up = search for information. Look up the definition.
• go over = review. Let us go over the answers.
• keep up with = stay at the same level. It is hard to keep up with the reading.
• catch up on = do missed work. I need to catch up on lectures.
• sign up for = join. I signed up for a speaking class.
• fall behind = make slower progress. He fell behind after the flu.

Easy sentence frames

Asking for help

• Could you check my outline
• I am confused about this part
• Could I request an extension to Friday

Giving a reason

• I missed the deadline because I was sick
• I chose this topic because it is relevant

Presenting a point

• First, I will define the key term
• Next, I will give an example
• Finally, I will explain the result

Common mistakes and fixes

• ❌ I will give an exam tomorrow.
  ✅ I will take an exam tomorrow. The teacher gives an exam.
• ❌ We discussed about the topic.
  ✅ We discussed the topic.
• ❌ He did a research on air quality.
  ✅ He did research on air quality.
  ✅ He conducted a study on air quality.
• ❌ I need an information.
  ✅ I need some information.
  ✅ I need a piece of information.
• ❌ The results depends on sample size.
  ✅ The results depend on sample size.

Small grammar notes

• Uncountable nouns in education: homework, information, advice, research, equipment. Use some or a lot of, not many.
• People vs person: one person, two people. Peoples means nations.
• Each or every takes a singular verb. Every student needs an ID.
• Prepositions: apply for a course, enroll in a program, be responsible for notes, be good at math, depend on data.

Mini dialogues

A. Asking for feedback

• Student: Could you review my introduction
• Teacher: Yes. Add a clear thesis and shorten the second paragraph.

B. Group work

• A: Who will present
• B: I can present if you prepare the slides.
• A: Deal. Let us go over the key points.

C. Office hour

• Student: I want to improve my structure.
• Tutor: Start with an outline and keep one idea per paragraph.

Quick practice with answers

A. Choose the best option

1. I will (hand in or hand out) my essay on Monday.
2. We must (meet or reach) the deadline.
3. She will (sign up for or sign in) a speaking course.
4. The teacher (handed out or handed in) a worksheet.
5. I need to (catch up on or keep up with) three lectures.

Answers

1. hand in
2. meet
3. sign up for
4. handed out
5. catch up on

B. Fix the sentence
6) I want to improve my speaking skill s.
7) The teacher suggested to read more.
8) He applied in a scholarship.

Suggested answers
6) I want to improve my speaking skills.
7) The teacher suggested reading more.
8) He applied for a scholarship.

Ten minute drills

• Write ten collocations with your subject. Example: conduct an experiment, analyze data.
• Paraphrase three lesson goals in your own words.
• Record a 60 second summary of a lecture. Use at least five words from this guide.
• Create eight flashcards. Front term, back definition and an example sentence.

Seven day review plan

• Day 1 people and places
• Day 2 courses and assessment words
• Day 3 study skills verbs and phrasal verbs
• Day 4 classroom English and sentence frames
• Day 5 common mistakes and grammar notes
• Day 6 pronunciation and mini dialogues
• Day 7 write a 120 word study routine using 12 target items