Myth vs fact explainer

Myth 1: “Hard words impress examiners.”

Fact: Precise and natural collocations impress. Use curriculum reform instead of complex but awkward terms.
Mini deck items

• curriculum [কারিকুলাম, পাঠ্যক্রম]
  Collocation: curriculum reform, national curriculum
  Audio line: The government announced curriculum reform this year.
• pedagogy [পেডাগজি, শিক্ষাদান পদ্ধতি]
  Collocation: effective pedagogy, learner-centred pedagogy
  Audio line: Teacher training should include effective pedagogy.

Example 1:
Weak: The education system used a sophisticated methodology.
Better: The curriculum changed, and teacher training promoted learner-centred pedagogy.

Myth 2: “Bangla gloss makes me dependent.”

Fact: A concise Bangla gloss speeds the first pass. You still lock meaning with English examples and audio.
Mini deck items

• literacy rate [সাক্ষরতার হার]
  Collocation: improve the literacy rate
  Audio line: Rural programmes improved the literacy rate last decade.
• dropout rate [ঝরে পড়ার হার]
  Collocation: reduce the dropout rate
  Audio line: Scholarships helped reduce the dropout rate among girls.

Rule of thumb: Keep gloss short, 1 to 3 words, then rely on English examples.

Myth 3: “Memorise long lists.”

Fact: Learn in small sets with spaced review.
Weekly target: 15 items per week, 3 per day, 5 days, review on day 6.
Cycle: hear → say → write → use in a sentence.

Myth 4: “Audio is optional.”

Fact: Audio fixes stress and connected speech. Shadowing means listening then repeating immediately.
90-second loop:

1. Play the line.
2. Shadow twice.
3. Record yourself once.
4. Compare stress on the headword.

Mini deck items

• scholarship [বৃত্তি]
  Collocation: receive a scholarship, merit-based scholarship
  Audio line: She received a scholarship for her master’s.
• tuition fee [টিউশন ফি]
  Collocation: raise tuition fees, waive tuition fees
  Audio line: Some universities waive tuition fees for top students.

Myth 5: “All terms are interchangeable.”

Fact: Syllabus and curriculum differ.

• syllabus [সিলেবাস] is the list of topics for a course.
• curriculum [পাঠ্যক্রম] is the wider plan across years.

Mini deck items

• assessment [মূল্যায়ন]
  Collocation: formative assessment, high-stakes assessment
  Audio line: Formative assessment gives feedback during the course.
• enrolment [ভর্তি]
  Collocation: increase enrolment, enrolment policy
  Audio line: Online registration increased enrolment in remote areas.

Example 2:
Precise: The syllabus lists exam topics, while the curriculum sets long-term goals.

Myth 6: “Statistics sound advanced even if vague.”

Fact: Use careful language.
Phrases: a small rise, a sharp fall, remained stable, by contrast.
Pair with education nouns: enrolment gap, attendance rate, gender disparity.

Mini deck items

• attendance [উপস্থিতি]
  Collocation: track attendance, improve attendance
  Audio line: A simple SMS system improved attendance in two schools.
• disparity [বৈষম্য]
  Collocation: reduce disparity, regional disparity
  Audio line: Policies aim to reduce regional disparity in school funding.

Myth 7: “Only academic paths count.”

Fact: Vocational training is central to many policies.
Mini deck items

• vocational training [কারিগরি প্রশিক্ষণ]
  Collocation: provide vocational training, vocational curriculum
  Audio line: The centre provides vocational training for school leavers.
• inclusive education [অন্তর্ভুক্তিমূলক শিক্ষা]
  Collocation: promote inclusive education, inclusive classroom
  Audio line: Teacher aides promote inclusive education for students with disabilities.

Mini case: Using the deck for Writing Task 2

Tuhin needs stronger topic vocabulary for an essay on school funding. He selects 12 terms: curriculum, assessment, literacy rate, dropout rate, attendance, disparity, scholarship, tuition fee, vocational training, inclusive education, syllabus, enrolment. Over four evenings he runs the 90-second loop for each audio line and writes one example sentence per item. In his next draft he upgrades vague phrases to precise collocations, for example reduce the dropout rate and promote inclusive education, and his teacher notes better task response and clarity.

Mistakes to avoid

• Over-collecting rare words without collocations.
• Translating whole sentences into Bangla instead of keeping a short gloss.
• Skipping audio practice, which hides stress errors.
• Mixing syllabus and curriculum in essays.

Edge cases

• If a scholarship term differs by country, add a note in brackets.
• If your accent makes r and l close, record and compare shadowing for scholarship and literacy.
• If you prepare for UKVI or academic interviews, keep more formal lines, for example The policy aims to reduce regional disparity.

Mini glossary

• Lexis: vocabulary for a topic area.
• Collocation: words that commonly appear together, for example reduce disparity.
• Shadowing: repeat audio immediately after hearing it.
• Formative assessment: low-stakes feedback during learning.
• High-stakes assessment: tests with major consequences.