y V SCHOOL DAYS ‘The first speaker briefly describes the UK school system in general, the second speaker describes his experiences of being at boarding school, and the final speaker, now a teacher, reflects on her experience of school life. * How would you describe the school system in your country? * Did you enjoy your school days? * What is your opinion of children ‘going away’ to boarding school? * What would you expect the second speaker to say about his experience of boarding school? Lisa, a recent UK university graduate, explains alittle about the school system in the UK. Read the general comprehension questions below. Then play the recording through ‘once. Can you answer the questions? 1 When do you start Primary school in the UK? According to Lisa, when does compulsory education end? What is the alternative to staying at high school for sixth form? When did Lisa leave her high school? Do all the countries in the UK (England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland) share the same system of education? wauwn The ‘sixth form’ which Lisa refers to covers the final two years of academic education in English, Welsh, and Northern Irish schools (from the age of 16 to 18, usually). Lisa uses the term ‘high schoo!’ but you may hear ‘secondary school’ used too. They mean the same thing. Clear usage: word order for emphasis Lisa says: “Usually, you attend! rather than the more common form: You usually attend, Placing words such as usually, sometimes, occasionally, and often at the front of the sentence adds emphasis to the statement. 48 | ListeningUNIT 12 | School days = COBUILD CHECK: stages of education “+ She was introduced to books by her kindergarten teacher. * All children receive a primary education, many beginning before the age of five. + In elementary school, | was really shy. + The policy applies to students in Grade 1 through senior high school. * The sixth form, which comprised two years of instruction, was taught in small sets of eight to ten students. @ Now listen again, stop the recording as necessary, and complete the gaps in the sentences, which represent key points to be understood. Lisa is from the north east of England. Are there any aspects of her accent that you find difficult to understand? 1 Ifyour school has a sixth form, s-nsn to stay till you're eighteen. 2. Oryou can go to college when ... and get the same qualifications. 3 Alot of schools ... don't have a sixth form. 4 Schools in Scotland are . different. 5. In England and Wales, you go to school .. than you do in Scotland. 6 And then Northern Ireland has ... , so that’s different ... Clear usage: conditional forms Note that Lisa says: ‘Iwent to high school for seven years... If | was i years and then gone to university.’ This form of the verb, known as the ‘third conditional’, indicates that the possibili of going to school for six years rather than seven no longer exists as she has already completed her school education. Compare with this sentence: If I ived in Scotland, | would go to high school for six years. In this case the speaker is of school age and therefore can talk about the possibility of attending school for six years if she lived in or moved to Scotland now. Scotland, | would have gone for six B You are going to listen to James who attended a boarding school in the south of England. @ Read the general comprehension questions below. Then play the recording through once and answer the questions. 1 Why did his parents not send him to day schools? 2. How long did James spend at boarding schools? 3. Did he enjoy his school days? 4 Did he prefer to visit his friends’ parents’ houses or stay in school at the weekends? Section 4: What do you do? | 49James went to a ‘boarding school’. A boarding school is a school at which children live, sleep, eat, and study. The children go home to visit their families on weekends and in the holidays. Children that live at the school are called ‘boarders’. Those who go home every day are called ‘day pupils’. ‘Prep’ (preparatory) schools are usually independent schools that prepare pupils in the UK for the ‘common entrance’ exam which is taken at 14. These schools can be for boarders or day pupils. @ now listen ag I went to from the age of seven. So the best thing for me was to go and have Iwas ata . from seven till fourteen. The main difference obviously to .. .. is that | was at school most of the time. There were quite a few activities senses FOF US. A lot of the boys ., to go home quite often. That was quite good fun for ... . who had parents living overseas. You had the to yourself and all the teachers were sort of quietly Complete the phrases. .. at one school. eNVauawne .. business. Clear usage: talking about past events and actions James generally uses standard simple past forms to describe past events in his life, e.g.: ‘1 went to boarding school from the age of seven.’ ‘My parents lived in Germany at the time.’ ‘It was the logical thing to do.’ He emphasizes what his parents were doing for periods of their lives by using the continuous form of the past: “They were moving around ... ‘And note his use of would to describe regular occurrences in the past: ‘1 would stay there .. "We would occasionally be let out on the weekends. C In this recording, Laura compares her time as a student th her new life as a teacher, @ Listen to the recor \g once. Are these statements true or false? True False She enjoys chatting with the older schoolchildren. She does not get angry when the children do not pay attention in class, She would rather be a teacher than a student. She now understands that being a teacher is hard work. RWwNa 50 ListeningUNIT 12 | School days @ Now listen again and complete the gaps in the sentences to focus on some key vocabulary and grammar points. 1 There's a sort of relationship where you almost want to, kind of, be more ... with them. 2. You've got to. .. line. 3 I'm. . if they're not— you know, they're talking or if they're looking away. 4 1 do remember school ... . very tiring. 5 I wish it ... me that was at the desk. 6... writing things down. you know, being the teacher is just so much work. 7 Sol kind of now... ... some of the teachers that | had, if that makes sense. Clear usage: ‘remember’ Note the way Laura forms a sentence with remember when she has a memory of something happening in the past: ‘Ido remember schoo! being very tiring’. Other examples: I remember it being difficult. J remember leaving my phone on the school bus once. J remember having to work very hard. ‘Compare this with the use of remember when you need to remember to do something in the future: I must remember to take my book back to the library. | must remember to call John later. © match the adjectives on the left with those with similar meanings on the right. 1 chatty a odd 2 tiring b angry 3 strange exhausting 4 annoyed d grateful 5 tired e talkative 6 appreciative £ exhausted AO) ata ai8 Section 4: What do you do? | 51