All mpec courses are based on Conversation, Communication and Interaction and our main goal is to give our students the confidence to approach any topic or idea in English. Below, you can find vocabulary and role play materials which we use during our Conversation Club sessions in Zoom, but which you can also use on your own.
For A1-A2 Levels
Please, review the vocabulary related to the topic. It will help you feel more confident when role-playing and – if you find any words that are entirely new to you, make sure you write them down and use them in the Conversation Club meeting.
Part 1: Warm Up
Preposition Dylema: At or In University?
The correct preposition is at! For example, you would say: “I’m studying at Harvard University.” Other correct examples using this preposition include:
I’m studying for a PhD at the university.
I’m an Arts major at Harvard University.
I’m at Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
She’s a professor at the Faculty of Arts and Sciences.
Questions
- Is it necessary to do further education after high school these days? What other options are there, besides education?
- What kind of post-high school education have you done?
- What was your favorite subject at university? Why did you like it?
Preposition Dilema – Field of Studies
This is where you might get confused! The correct preposition here would be in. For example, “I’m majoring in Physics at Harvard University!” You could also say “I’m studying at Harvard University, in the Physics Department.”
Other correct examples using this preposition include:
The library is in the university.
I’m a sophomore in college.
I’m in university for a master’s degree.
University or College? What is What?
There are some differences in naming between the UK and the US which can be confusing. What is often called college in the UK is called high school in the US, while college is the general noun for university study in North America. In the US the terms college and university for institutions of higher learning have different meanings.
Colleges are usually smaller (less than 5000 students), do not offer doctoral degrees, and are divided into faculties, and sometimes further into schools.
Universities are usually larger (10,000 – 50,000 students), offer doctoral degrees, focus on research, and are comprised of more than one college.
Part 2: Collocations
1)Adjectives frequently used with university
quality: elite, good, leading, prestigious, top INFORMAL, world-class Cambridge is a world-class university.
age: modern, new, old, redbrick, traditionalFounded in 1881, the University of Liverpool is the original redbrick university.
2)Verbs frequently used with university
study at university: attend, enter, go to, study atAt the age of 20 she attended university.
leave university: finish, graduate from, leaveI don’t know what he did after leaving university.
apply to university: apply toI didn’t have any idea about how to prepare for applying to university.
- How is the relationship between students and professors different from that between students and teachers at high school?
- How is university life different from high school life?
- Did you belong to any clubs at university? What kind of activities did you do with other club members?
- How important is the social aspect of university?
Part 3: More Details
- Which is the most prestigious university in the world? Why is it so respected?
- Did you study hard in high school to get into your preferred university? Explain some of your study habits.
- How did you pick your major? Were you focused on a future career? Or did you have other priorities?
- How much is your current life or job related to what you studied in university?
thirst for knowledge wants to learn
a quick learner someone who learns quickly
concentration wavers concentration is not steady
demonstrated an ability showed of what he is capable of
Student Life Collocations
mental agility ability to think quickly and clearly
gifted children children who are (very) smart
won a scholarship won an amount of money to help the student to pay for the student’s education
straight A student a student who always gets very good marks
secured a place was accepted as a student
seats of learning educational institution with a very good reputation
read do or study
proven ability ability shown by his achievements
playing truant being absent without permission
DID YOU KNOW THAT…
All mpec students are welcome to join our Conversation Club Zoom Sessions which take place every Tuesday, 6pm to 6.30 pm and Thursday from 1 to 1.30 pm from October to June. If you are not a part of the mpec community yet, please get in touch with us and we will partner with you to create the right course for your needs and goals. Live English Courses via Streaming
Self Study Suggestions:
Here is a short video encourage you to watch. You can comment and discuss it in our Whatsapp Group!
