American English · B2 · Unit 8
Schools and education
Schools and education
By the end you can
- Compare education in two countries
- Argue for what schools should teach
- Understand a debate about schools
Words and phrases
| American English | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| public school | a free school run by the government (British: a state school) | Both our kids go to public school. |
| should be taught | should be part of what schools teach | I think money skills should be taught in high school. |
| standardized tests | the same tests for all students in a state or country | There's too much focus on standardized tests. |
| critical thinking | thinking carefully and asking questions | Schools should teach critical thinking. |
| in my experience | from what I have seen | In my experience, kids learn more by doing. |
| fall behind | not keep up with the rest of the class | Some kids fall behind in math. |
| the PTA | the group of parents and teachers at a school | The PTA meets once a month. |
| high school | school for ages about 14 to 18 | He's a junior in high school. |
| a heavy workload | a lot of work to do | Eighth graders have a heavy workload. |
| unlike | different from | Unlike here, schools in Finland start at age seven. |
| student debt | money people owe for their college education | Student debt is a huge problem in the US. |
| one-size-fits-all | the same for everyone, whatever their needs | A one-size-fits-all approach doesn't work. |
Then talk it through
Parents discuss homework at a school meeting. In the app you have this conversation out loud or typed, with the unit's goals to tick off and corrections at the end.