【英语趣味课堂】教育-Educations

Jana: So we have homework, tests, what about attendance¹? Should we require students to attend classes or? Sometimes people argue at university level it shouldn't be compulsory².

Peter: I think you should attend some classes at least. You're going to university, you're paying for your education so you should attend some classes but it doesn't mean if you're not attending a class that you can still get the information and study by yourself too. That's why I like internet so much because I think people can get so much information from academic institutions via the internet, they don't have to attend a physical class.

 

Jana: That's right and on the other hand you might attend physically³ but you're not really paying attention.

 

Peter:Exactly. You might as well sleep in class sometimes. It doesn't prove that you're learning⁴ if you're there. It depends on the person again I think.

 

Jana: So maybe rather than strictly⁵ checking attendance, we should check what the students have learned⁶?

 

Peter: Yes, and how do you do that?

 

Jana: That's right. Now we come back to that.

 

Peter: Testing? I don't know. I think there are other ways of finding⁷ out if students have learned things if they, you don't have to call things tests, you can set students tasks to find out if they can do the required task without calling it a test.

 

Jana: That's right and then it becomes maybe a bit more practical too.

 

Peter: Yeah, yeah, I think so. I think so.

 

Jana: Did you do a lot of projects when you were a student?

 

Peter: Not so many and I think when I studied like education has quite changed in the last twenty years or so and I think people are doing more projects than they used to do when I was a student for the first time but I really like projects because I think it's putting your knowledge to work and finding out how you can apply your knowledge to make it practical and usable so I really like projects. I wish I could give my students more projects.

 

Jana: Yeah, that's true. Maybe they'll be better than tests.

 

Peter: I think so too, yeah. It's a better way to find out if people know things if you give them a project that involves what they've studied.

 

Jana: And in the real life they won't be taking tests any more. They need to be able to apply the knowledge, right?

 

Peter: Exactly, yeah, exactly. Do you use projects a lot in your class?

 

Jana: Not as much. As you know, we have quite a strict schedule so that we need to follow but like you I also didn't have a lot of projects in my school when I was growing up but yeah, I think it's definitely⁸ something to think about.

 

Peter: Yeah. Kind of tricky⁹ to give a project in language, like making a language project. For example, I remember doing biology projects.

 

Jana: Right.

 

Peter: Then you go out and you find information and you do research so you can find stuff¹⁰ but for doing, how do you do that for a language? Do you have any ideas?

 

Jana: That's a very good question. Yeah, just to use the language, right? That's the main project isn't it?

 

Peter: Yeah, I guess. See if you can use the language in different ways like for example.

 

Jana: There is some homework for us to think about.

 

Peter: I think so too. Yeah, let's think about that.

 

重点词汇：

 

Learn Vocabulary from the lesson

compulsory

 

 

Some people it shouldn't be compulsory.

 

If something is 'compulsory,' it means that you don't have an option and you must do it. Notice the following:

 

This class is compulsory for you, but I would recommend taking it anyway, because it is very interesting.

All employees must attend a compulsory meeting on Friday.

via

 

 

You can get so much information from academic institutions via the internet.

 

Here 'via' can be replaced with 'through'. It is used to explain how something is done. Notice the following:

 

I usually drive to Indiana via Chicago.

We usually talk via Skype instead of over the phone.

task

 

 

You can find out if they can do the required task without calling it a test.

 

A 'task' is a specific project or piece of work. Notice the following:

 

We do a lot of speaking tasks in class.

Each week we have a number of specific tasks that we have to complete by the end of the week.

apply your knowledge

 

 

You can apply your knowledge to make it practical.

 

When you 'apply your knowledge,' you use something that you learned in a class or books and apply it to the real world. Notice the following:

 

You go through about three days of training before you get to apply your knowledge.

After you graduate, it can be very exciting to finally apply your knowledge.

strict

 

 

We have quite a strict schedule.

 

A 'strict' schedule is not flexible.  It is set and doesn't change from one day to the next. Notice the following:

 

In order to reach our goal, we will have to have a very strict schedule.

She is very strict as a boss at work, but very fun in her personal life.

tricky

 

It is kind of tricky to give a project in a language.

 

Something that is 'tricky' is difficult to do or handle. Notice the following:

 

It would be kind of tricky to give you directions if you don't know your way around here at all.

He is very tricky to shop for because he has everything.

 

1 attendance   

n.出席，出席人数，护理，照料

参考例句：

• The attendance of this class never dropped off.这个班的出席人数从未下降。
• The young man danced attendance on his rich aunt.这个年轻人小心侍候他有钱的姑妈。

2 compulsory   

n.强制的，必修的；规定的，义务的

参考例句：

• Is English a compulsory subject?英语是必修课吗？
• Compulsory schooling ends at sixteen.义务教育至16岁为止。

3 physically   

adj.物质上，体格上，身体上，按自然规律

参考例句：

• He was out of sorts physically,as well as disordered mentally.他浑身不舒服，心绪也很乱。
• Every time I think about it I feel physically sick.一想起那件事我就感到极恶心。

4 learning   

n.学问，学识，学习；动词learn的现在分词

参考例句：

• When you are learning to ride a bicycle,you often fall off.初学骑自行车时，常会从车上掉下来。
• Learning languages isn't just a matter of remembering words.学习语言不仅仅是记些单词的事。

5 strictly   

adv.严厉地，严格地；严密地

参考例句：

• His doctor is dieting him strictly.他的医生严格规定他的饮食。
• The guests were seated strictly in order of precedence.客人严格按照地位高低就座。

6 learned   

adj.有学问的，博学的；learn的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• He went into a rage when he learned about it.他听到这事后勃然大怒。
• In this little village,he passed for a learned man.在这个小村子里，他被视为有学问的人。

7 finding   

n.发现，发现物；调查的结果

参考例句：

• The finding makes some sense.该发现具有一定的意义。
• That's an encouraging finding.这是一个鼓舞人心的发现。

8 definitely   

adv.一定地，肯定地；明确地，确切地

参考例句：

• The team will definitely lose if he doesn't play.如果他不参加比赛，这个队肯定会输。
• I shall definitely be home before six o'clock.6点以前，我一定回家。

9 tricky   

adj.狡猾的，奸诈的；(工作等)棘手的，微妙的

参考例句：

• I'm in a rather tricky position.Can you help me out?我的处境很棘手，你能帮我吗？
• He avoided this tricky question and talked in generalities.他回避了这个非常微妙的问题，只做了个笼统的表述。

10 stuff   

n.原料，材料，东西；vt.填满；吃饱

参考例句：

• We could supply you with the stuff in the raw tomorrow.明天我们可以供应你原材料。
• He is not the stuff.他不是这个材料。