Back-to-school season is already here! If you’re an English learner, it’s also time for you to refocus on your studies after this well-deserved break. And what’s better than a short vocabulary list to kick off the year? Check out these 10 education-related English words and expressions that we selected for you:
1. pedagogy (noun): the function or work of a teacher; teaching method
Ex: Even though each teacher follows his own style of pedagogy, some teaching methods have been proven to be more efficient than others.
2. to brainstorm (verb): to try to develop an idea or think of new ideas
Ex: The first assignment that was given to the students was to brainstorm ideas for the school play.
3. to hit the books (phrase): to begin to study hard
Ex: Mary wants to increase her grades this year, and she is ready to hit the books.
4. to catch up (phrasal verb): do work or other tasks that one should have done earlier
Ex: The teacher noticed that one of her students was a bit behind in math, but she was confident that he would be able to catch up with the rest of the class quickly.
5. school of thought (phrase): a particular way of thinking, typically one disputed by the speaker
Ex: Even if they have different schools of thought, both students are making efforts to understand the other’s point of view.
6. to procrastinate (verb): delay or postpone something, usually related to work
Ex: I procrastinated so much during the past few days that I’m not sure I’ll be able to meet the deadline for this project.
7. mnemonic (noun): a device such as a pattern of letters, ideas, or associations that assists in remembering something
Ex: FANBOY—which refers to the first letter in the words “for,” “and,” “nor,” “but,” “or” and “yet—is a popular mnemonic to remember coordinating conjunctions in English.
8. pedantic (adjective): a person who is excessively concerned with minor details and rules or with displaying academic learning
Ex: The professor is so pedantic that he keeps interrupting his students to correct their pronunciation rather than letting them speak.
9. plagiarism (noun): the practice of taking someone else’s work or ideas and passing them off as one’s own
Ex: Because Ricardo copy-and-pasted paragraphs from Wikipedia in his essay, he was suspended from college for plagiarism.
10. to cram (verb): study intensively over a short period of time just before an examination
Ex: She spent all night cramming at the library for her exam the next day.
We hope this article gave you the motivation to hit the books. Now, it’s time to stop procrastinating and to catch up on your English lessons!
