At school abroad Study time

Have you ever thought of studying abroad? Four students who studied abroad relate their experiences …

A Divya Singh from Cardiff went to Chile C Nelson Grace from Boston went to New Zealand
I went to a talk given I lived on a farm on South
by a couple of older Island, where my host
students who had family had a vast flock
been on an exchange of about 3,000 sheep.
programme the Being a city boy, the
previous year, and it experience of farming
occurred to me that life was totally novel, but
if I could persuade I loved it and took every
my mum, this would opportunity to go out and
be just the sort of help with the work of the
break from normal farm. I also got involved
school routine that in lots of sporting
I needed. I filled in my application while holding out activities with my school, including sailing, rugby and
little hope of being selected. However I was, and was skiing – all firsts for me. I found New Zealanders so
soon immersed in a totally different educational culture, enthusiastic about everything that I used to get up with
which helped me to appreciate many aspects of my a buzz of excitement and, unlike back home, I actually
school back home. Another great advantage of my year looked forward to going into school every day. I also
abroad was that I picked up Spanish much more quickly think I matured a lot during my year abroad. I’m not so
than in classes back home and, because my teachers dependent now on my family or my teachers to make
were pretty demanding, I even feel confident writing me study, and I’ve learned to get on with all sorts of
it now. As a result, I’m considering doing Spanish and different people, even if they’re not my type. I’ve also
Latin American studies at university and perhaps after learned a bit about the value of money!
that going into the diplomatic service.
D Carmen Echevarria from Bilbao went to Scotland
B Bruce Brown from After four years in a
Sydney went to state secondary school
England in Bilbao, it was a huge
Although my parents shock to find myself
had insisted that I in a private all-girls
went, I knew what a school in the Highlands
sacrifice they were of Scotland, where
making to pay for everyone wore uniforms.
my year abroad, so Studying there was a
I was determined to complete revelation to
make the most of the me: gone were the hours
opportunity. My host family was really welcoming, but spent in the evenings
what I found hard to get used to were the seemingly memorising huge numbers of useless facts for tests the
endless days of grey drizzle and the fact that it got next day which I would forget as soon as the test was
dark so early in winter. Even so, I took every chance over. Instead, we spent a lot of time discussing issues,
to get out and meet people, make friends and get a solving problems and writing creatively. I missed my
real, in-depth experience of English life. At the same friends back home, but really appreciated learning to
time, I was keen to make an impact at school and get think in new ways and seeing that education could be
good grades, although I found the schoolwork quite so creative. I missed not sharing my classes with boys,
challenging and not really the highlight of my stay. Even but on the other hand, we probably concentrated harder
so, I learned far more than I expected, made a lot of and may have felt more relaxed about the opinions we
friends and came away with the impression that the expressed.
British are a lot more interesting than I had been given
to expect by people back home.

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 Unit 5

Reading and Use of English | 1BSU
 3 EP Read the text below.

1 EP Form nouns from these verbs. t
Decide what type of word (verb, noun, adjective or
adverb) you need for each gap.
Verb Noun t
Then, use the word given in capitals at the end of some
RVBMJGZ 
qualification of the lines to form a word that fits in the gap in the
same line.
JOUFOE 2
SFTQPOE 3
BEKVTU 4
Culture shock for international
DPNQBSF 5
students
FYJTU 6 Students going to study in another country
EFNBOE 7 usually have to make a number of cultural
EFWFMPQ 8 (0) adjustments . They may find it difficult to form ADJUST
(1) with local people and they will FRIEND
CFIBWF 
certainly have to get used to a (2) VARY
BEWJTF  of new things including food, the climate and
BQQFBS  the language. An extra difficulty may be the
different (3) which their teachers EXPECT
LOPX 
and tutors have of them in (4) with COMPARE
2 EP Each of these nouns has been formed their home country. They may be
from a verb. Write the verb next to each noun. (5) for the amount of work they PREPARE
have to do on their own or the fact that their
Verb Noun
tutors are looking for originality and a capacity

agree BHSFFNFOU for (6) thought rather than an ability DEPEND
2 BTTFTTNFOU to memorise large quantities of information.
Equally, they may sometimes be surprised by
3 GFFMJOH
the (7) of their fellow students who, BEHAVE
4 JOWPMWFNFOU although usually friendly and (8) , WELCOME
5 JOWFTUJHBUJPO may sometimes seem a little immature. As time
6 DPOGVTJPO passes, international students will find that
things become easier and what was unfamiliar
7 QSFGFSFODF
to start with will eventually seem normal.
8 BQQSPWBM

QBHF

-BOHVBHF
SFGFSFODF
Word formation 4 Work in groups. How do schools benefit from having

visits from exchange students?

Exam advice
Read the text quickly to see what it is about.
s Read before and after the gap to decide:
– what meaning the word has
– what type of word you need (noun, verb, adjective
or adverb).
s Think about how you need to change the word in
capitals to form the word you need.
s When you have finished, read the completed text to
check it makes sense.

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 Study time

Speaking | 1BSU
 
19 Now listen to check your answers. What do you

notice about where we stress words ending in
1 17 Work in pairs. Complete this extract of two
t
UJPO
t
JUZ
candidates doing Speaking Part 1. Then listen to
check your answers. 
Work in pairs. Take turns to read the words aloud.
Teacher: Nikolai, what is your favourite subject at school?
Nikolai: I find biology very interesting. That’s 
5 Think about how you can answer these two
I enjoy all science subjects a lot and 
I questions using three or four words from
can get good enough marks in my final exams, Pronunciation Exercise 2 in your answers.
I’ll study medicine 
I go to university.
Also, I’ve got a really excellent biology teacher, t
What do you particularly like about the school where

makes the subject much more fun. you study?
Teacher: And you, Martyna, how do you think you’ll use t
What plans and ambitions do you have for your
English in the future? education in the future?
Martyna: Well, I think English is an absolute necessity 6 Work in pairs. Take turns to ask and answer the
now and you just can’t get by without it. It’ll questions above. While you listen to your partner,
help me to find a job, and 
my work pay attention to whether they use the correct stress
involves travelling, it’ll really be essential. I’d like on the words from Pronunciation Exercise 2 that
to work in business, 
I think English is they use. Correct them where necessary.
really necessary for that too.
Teacher: Thank you. Nikolai, can you … 7 Work in pairs. Decide whether you will be Student A
or Student B and take some time to think about how
2 Work in pairs.
you will answer your questions. Then take turns to

How many reasons does Nikolai give for his answer? ask your partner the questions in their box.

How many situations does Martyna mention for using
English?

Why is it good to combine ideas and reasons in your 2VFTUJPOT
GPS
4UVEFOU
"
answers? t
Can you describe the school you go (went) to?

Why is it good to sound interested and enthusiastic? t
What would you like to study in the future if you had
the chance? Why?
3 Think how you can answer these two questions, t
How much homework do students in your country
combining your ideas and reasons for them. Then generally do?
work in pairs and take turns to ask and answer the t
Can you tell me what you most enjoy about learning
questions. English?
t
What is/was your favourite subject at school? Why? t
Tell me about the best teacher you have ever had.
t
How do you think you’ll use English in the future?

2VFTUJPOT
GPS
4UVEFOU
#
4 Pronunciation: word stress (2) t
Do you prefer studying alone or with other people?
With some related words, the stress is different depending Why?
on whether it is a noun, a verb or an adjective. t
Can you remember your first day at school? Tell me
about it.

18 Listen to these words. Which syllable is stressed? t
Would you like to study in a different country? Why? /
necessary necessity Why not?
t
How important are exams in your country?

Decide which syllable is stressed in each of these words. t
How important is learning English to you?

satisfying / satisfactory educate / education

Exam advice
exam / examination explain / explanation
s Listen carefully to the question and make sure your
graduate / graduation possible / possibility
answers are relevant.
prefer / preference refer / reference s Where possible, give reasons for your answer and/or
relative / relation institute / institution add some extra information.
59