Studying &Learning
Education vocabulary · passive forms · talking about how you learn
Your level · You are here
Get Talking · Section 1
5 minStart the conversation
Walk us through your education: primary → now. Two sentences max.
Think of one teacher who changed how you learn. Why?
Do you 'take' or 'do' an exam in your language? Which sounds right in English?
Grammar · Section 2
8–10 minThe passive — for processes, results and unknown actors
- Use the passive when WHO did it doesn't matter, isn't known, or is obvious.
- Form: be + past participle (am/is/are/was/were + done).
- Common in education talk: 'Exams are marked anonymously', 'The results are released in August', 'I was taught by an amazing teacher'.
- Add 'by + person' only when it matters.
Exams are marked anonymously.
The course is taught entirely in English.
I was given extra time because of my dyslexia.
The results will be published online next week.
Question 1.Passive of 'They teach the course in English':
Question 2.Passive of 'Someone marked my essay yesterday':
Question 3.Choose: 'The results ____ next Friday.'
Question 4.When do we ADD 'by + person'?
Build the sentence → spot the natural chunks → say it aloud → reply like a real conversation.
1.Rebuild the sentence — then say it aloud.
2.Rebuild the sentence — then say it aloud.
3.Rebuild the sentence — then say it aloud.
4.Rebuild the sentence — then say it aloud.
Quick check 1.Which is WRONG?
Vocabulary · Section 3
5–7 minWords & phrases to learn
take a course / a class
study a subject (NOT 'make a course')
In context
"I'm taking an online course in graphic design."
Now try it yourself
Name a course you've taken or want to take.
sit / take an exam
do an official test
In context
"I'm sitting my B2 exam in June."
Now try it yourself
When did you last sit an exam? How did it go?
pass / fail / resit an exam
the three outcomes
In context
"I failed it once and resat in September."
Now try it yourself
Have you ever had to resit anything?
get / earn a degree / qualification
complete higher education successfully
In context
"She got her degree in two years instead of three."
Now try it yourself
What degree or qualification would you love to earn?
major in / specialise in
focus on a main subject
In context
"I majored in psychology."
Now try it yourself
If you went back to study, what would you major in?
hand in / submit an assignment
turn in work for marking
In context
"The deadline to hand it in is Friday at noon."
Now try it yourself
Are you a 'last-minute submitter' or an 'early submitter'?
revise / cram
study for an exam (cram = last-minute, intense)
In context
"I revised properly for two weeks, then crammed the night before."
Now try it yourself
Are you a revisor or a crammer? Why?
lifelong learner
someone who keeps learning after school
In context
"He's a real lifelong learner — always doing a new course."
Now try it yourself
Name one lifelong learner you admire.
Pick at least three words from above and use each one in a sentence about your real life. Say each one aloud before you write.
Ask your teacher (or a partner) a question that uses one of today's words. They reply using a different word.
Rank today's words from most to least useful for you this week. Defend your top choice.
Finish: "Honestly, I'd say…" using one of today's words.
Tip: aim to reuse at least two of these words later in the Speaking and Writing tasks.
Tap an item on the left, then tap its match on the right.
Pronunciation · Section 4
3–4 minWeak 'was' /wəz/ and 'were' /wə/ in passive sentences
In passive sentences, the auxiliary 'was/were' is unstressed and reduced: /wəz/ and /wə/. The PAST PARTICIPLE carries the stress: 'I was TAUGHT by my dad.' Over-stressing 'was' makes you sound robotic. Reduce it.
- • I wəz TAUGHT by an amazing teacher.
- • The results wə RELEASED yesterday.
- • I wəz GIVEN extra time.
- • These exams ə MARKED anonymously.
Reading · Section 5
8–10 minWhy 'lifelong learning' stopped being optional
For most of the twentieth century, the deal was simple: you got a degree (or didn't) in your early twenties, and that qualification carried you through forty years of work. Today, that contract has quietly been torn up. According to a recent World Economic Forum report, around 44% of the skills used in today's jobs will need to be updated within the next five years.
That's why phrases like 'lifelong learner' are no longer LinkedIn fluff. Online courses are now taken by hundreds of millions of adults every year; micro-credentials are being recognised by major employers; and skills like data literacy, prompt design and basic coding are being added to job descriptions that, ten years ago, would never have mentioned them. The message is clear: a degree is now the start of your learning journey, not the end of it.
Question 1.What percentage of skills will need updating in the next 5 years?
Question 2.What's the writer's main message?
Q1.Major employers are starting to recognise micro-credentials.
Q2.Data literacy and basic coding used to be in most job descriptions ten years ago.
Listening · Section 6
8–10 minTwo students talking about their courses
Listening audio
Tap play to listen. Replay as many times as you need.
Show transcript
Sofia:How's the new master's going? You said it's all in English, right?
Ben:Yeah, the whole course is taught in English. It's intense — I'm taking five modules this term.
Sofia:Wow. Are the exams in English too?
Ben:Exams and assignments. Everything's marked anonymously, which I actually really like.
Sofia:And what are you majoring in again?
Ben:Data science, but I'm specialising in healthcare applications. I just handed in my first big assignment last night.
Sofia:Nice. Did you cram or revise properly?
Ben:Honestly, a bit of both. I was given an extra week because I was ill, so I actually had time to revise this one.
Sofia:When do you get the results?
Ben:They're released at the end of the month. Fingers crossed I don't have to resit anything.
Question 1.What is Ben specialising in?
Question 2.Why did Ben actually have time to revise?
Exam tip · Section 7
5 minSpeaking — describing your education in 45 seconds
Task
Describe what you've studied or are studying. Use 3 collocations from VOCAB and at least 1 passive form.
Strategy
START with the current/most recent stage. NAME the subject naturally: 'I'm majoring in… / I took a course in…'. ADD a passive detail ('The course is taught in English' / 'We're marked anonymously'). FINISH with a forward-looking sentence ('Long term, I'd like to specialise in…').
Example
I'm currently doing a master's in data science at the University of Lisbon. It's taught entirely in English, which is why I'm pushing my speaking. I'm specialising in healthcare applications, and our assignments are marked anonymously, so feedback is genuinely about the work. Long term, I'd love to be a lifelong learner — I'm already planning a short course in product design for next summer.
Practice · Section 8
8–10 minFill in the blank
Question 1.The course ____ in English.
Question 2.I'm ____ in psychology this year.
Question 3.I need to ____ my essay by Friday.
Question 4.Results ____ at the end of the month.
Question 5.Failed it once — I had to ____ in September.
There isn't one "right" answer — write a natural version, then compare with the model.
Q1.Describe a course in the PASSIVE.
Q2.Talk about an exam result in the PASSIVE FUTURE.
Q3.Use a collocation with 'sit'.
Q4.Use the phrase 'lifelong learner'.
Writing · Section 9
5 minPut it in writing
Your task
Write a 80–100 word personal statement extract describing what you study and why. Use at least 3 education collocations and 2 passive forms.
Your answer
Your work saves automatically0 words
Show model answer
I'm currently in my second year of a BA in International Communications, which is taught entirely in English at a small university in Vienna. I'm specialising in digital media, and I took an extra elective in data storytelling last semester because I think the future of communications will be shaped by people who can do both words and numbers. Assignments are marked anonymously, which has pushed me to focus on the work itself rather than impressing any single tutor. Long term, I'd love to earn a master's in media analytics.
Speaking · Section 10
10–15 minMake it a real conversation
Pairs: 'My learning life'. Three rounds. Round 1 — primary/secondary school memories. Round 2 — current course or self-study. Round 3 — what you'd love to learn next. In each round, each student must use 2 collocations and 1 passive form.
Useful phrases
- • I'm taking / I took a course in…
- • I'm majoring / specialising in…
- • The course is taught in…
- • I was given / taught / told…
- • I'd love to be a lifelong learner of…
Speaking reflection & notes
Your work saves automatically0 words
- AWhat are you studying?
- B_______________
- AWhen's your next exam?
- B_______________
- ADo you ever cram before exams?
- B_______________
Homework · Section 11
Take-homeTake it home
Record a 45-second answer to 'Tell me about your education' using 3 collocations + 1 passive.
Rewrite 5 active sentences about exams or courses in the passive.
Watch a 3-min university intro video on YouTube and note 5 education collocations.
Homework notes
Your work saves automatically0 words
Recap · Section 12
2–3 minWhat you've learned
- TAKE a course · SIT an exam · HAND IN an assignment · EARN a degree.
- Passive = be + past participle. Use for processes, results, unknown actor.
- Only add 'by + person' when it matters.
- REVISE = plan ahead · CRAM = last-minute.
- A degree is the START of your learning, not the end.