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Real Easy English

Easy level

Talking about school

Episode 240809 / 09 Aug 2024

(Image: Getty)

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Introduction

Beth and Neil have a real conversation in easy English about school. Learn to talk about your favourite subjects.

Vocabulary

quite
a little bit

very and really
a lot

nerd
an informal word for someone who does well at school

qualifications
a record that you have completed an exam or course 

Transcript

Beth
Hello. This is Real Easy English, the podcast where we have conversations in easy English to help you learn. I’m Beth.

Neil
And I'm Neil. Remember, you can find all the vocabulary for this episode and a text version on our website: bbclearningenglish.com

Beth
How are you today, Neil?

Neil
I'm very well, thank you, Beth. How are you?

Beth
I'm good, thank you. What is the topic of our conversation today?

Neil
Well, today, Beth, we're talking about schools. We'll talk about our favourite subjects and what qualifications we have.

Beth
OK, Neil. First, can you explain the word qualifications?

Neil
Yes, a qualification is an official record that you have successfully done an exam or training for something. So, for example, you can receive a qualification in speaking English if you pass a certain exam.

Beth
OK, great. So, Neil, what qualifications did you do at school?

Neil
Well, I took all of the normal exams we do in the UK: GCSEs and then A Levels. These are school exams. And then university degrees. How about you?

Beth
Yeah, I am the same. I went to school in the UK and did all the same exams probably that you did. Did you like school?

Neil
Yes. I did like school. I think I just liked being with my friends, and I thought most subjects were quite interesting.

Beth
Yeah, I think I'm the same.

Neil
What were your favourite subjects, Beth?

Beth
I really liked English, which sounds quite predictable because now English is part of my job. But I also quite liked textiles, which was a subject all about how to make clothes, and I made a hat. So it was quite a practical subject, and I enjoyed that.

Neil
Do you still wear the hat?

Beth
I do not. It was not a good hat.

What was your favourite subject?

Neil
I also liked English, but I think my favourite subject was history.

Beth
What about your least favourite subject?

Neil
That's easy! Maths. I hate maths.

Beth
You still hate maths?

Neil
I still hate maths!

So, in this conversation about school we used words like quite, very and really. Quite good means a little bit good. Very good and really good mean a lot.

Beth
So, for example, Neil I quite like history, but you really like history. You liked it a lot at school, whereas I liked it a bit.

So, did you not like maths because you weren't very good at it?

Neil
Yes, I think I was really bad at maths, and I didn't like it because I found it very hard. How about you?

Beth
I quite liked maths. I don't think there was a subject that I didn't really like.

Neil
So, Beth, it sounds like you were good at everything at school and worked hard. So, do you think you were a nerd?

Beth
Well, a nerd is an informal word for somebody who is very good at school. So, was I a nerd? Well, I did enjoy school, and I worked hard.

And one time my friend and I asked our teacher why we hadn't been given full marks for a presentation and then she said, “Oh, I'll just give you full marks”. I think that was probably quite nerdy thing to do. So maybe!

Neil
That's verynerdy, Beth!

Beth
Let's look at the vocabulary we learned during the conversation.

We had qualification, a record that you have completed an exam or a course.

Neil
We had quite. This usually means a little.

Beth
Very and really are both used to mean a lot. So, for example, I'm very good at maths.

Neil
And nerd, which is an informal word for someone who is good at school. Like you, Beth.

Beth
Thanks. And thanks for listening to Real Easy English. We’ll be back next week to talk about our weekend plans.

Neil
Until then, you can find more programmes to improve your English on our website. Why not try some of our dramas and stories? Visit bbclearningenglish.com

Beth
Bye for now.

Neil
Goodbye.

Now try this...

Very, really and quite can all be used as adverbs and adjectives - learn some more interesting adverbs and adjectives here 

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