雅思IELTS詞彙：教育與學習
教育相關詞彙在Speaking（口說）考試中出現得又早又頻繁：Part 1幾乎一定會問到你的學業或學校科目，Part 2題卡（cue card）經常出現你喜歡的科目或花了很長時間才學會的技能，Part 3則會延伸到更廣的主題，例如考試、經費和教學方法的改變。同一批片語也直接適用於關於教育政策或學習的Writing（寫作）Task 2作文，所以在Speaking和Writing兩邊都派得上用場。
考官評Lexical Resource（詞彙資源）時，會注意考生是否只會用「study」和「learn」這兩個動詞，還是能自然地用出更具體的詞語搭配，例如「cover the syllabus」、「academic pressure」、「a well-rounded education」，並且偶爾正確使用慣用語，例如「get to grips with a subject」。重點是片語要貼合想表達的論點，而不是光聽起來很厲害。
反覆出現的錯誤有三個：從另一種語言直接翻譯片語，結果通常很接近但有點不自然；每個科目都只用同樣兩三個形容詞，例如「good」或「hard」；以及硬塞一個很有野心的慣用語，卻和考生真正想表達的意思不太吻合。
這個主題會出現在哪裡
- Part 1關於你自己生活的暖身題目，例如「What subject did you enjoy most at school?」，下方還有另外4題。
- Part 2針對題卡進行1～2分鐘的個人陳述，例如Describe a subject you enjoyed at school, Describe a skill that took you a long time to learn。
- Part 3較抽象的追問，也是精準用語最重要的地方，例如「Should students be allowed to choose all of their own subjects?」。
- Writing Task 2關於「教育與學習」的作文題目，同樣會獎勵這些片語：你能說出口的詞語搭配，就能寫進作文。
與其說…不如說…
想法相同，用詞更精準。左欄是大多數考生最先想到的說法；右欄是考官聽起來更精準的說法。
| 常見說法 | 更好的說法 |
|---|---|
| study hard | put in the hours revising精準說明努力的程度和投入的方向 |
| a good student | a diligent student說出具體的特質，而不是單純稱讚 |
| learn a lot of information | absorb the material自然的詞語搭配，取代籠統的說法 |
| do badly in a subject | fall behind in a subject描述表現不佳的更自然說法 |
| get good marks | do well academically聽起來像自然的口語英文，而不是翻譯腔 |
| study by myself | study independently用一個精準的詞取代彆扭的片語 |
| understand a subject well | get to grips with a subject考官認可、比較少見的慣用片語 |
| give up studying | drop out of school描述提早結束學業的精確用語 |
依分數分類的片語
每個片語都附上意思，以及一個你實際說得出口的句子。請學整個句子，而不是只學單獨的單字。
Band 6：基本片語
清楚、正確、常見。用這些就能撐起整個回答，而且聽起來不像背好的。
-
pass an exam
詞語搭配以要求的標準通過考試
I studied every evening to pass an exam in maths.
-
do homework
詞語搭配完成老師在課堂以外指派的功課
I always try to do homework as soon as I get home from school.
-
take a course
詞語搭配報名並修讀一門課程
I decided to take a course in graphic design last year.
-
get a degree
詞語搭配完成大學學位
My sister worked hard to get a degree in economics.
-
attend school
詞語搭配定期上學
Children in my country usually attend school from the age of six.
-
study for a test
詞語搭配複習教材，為考試做準備
I stayed up late last night to study for a test the next morning.
-
a difficult subject
詞語搭配難以理解的學科
Physics was always a difficult subject for me at school.
-
take notes
詞語搭配在上課時記下重要資訊
I always take notes during lectures so I don't forget anything.
-
a useful skill
詞語搭配在現實生活中對你有幫助的能力
Learning to type quickly turned out to be a useful skill.
-
hand in an assignment
詞語搭配把完成的作業交給老師
I had to hand in an assignment before Friday afternoon.
Band 7：詞語搭配
天生就會放在一起的詞。從這裡開始，詞彙就會拉開Band 6和Band 7的差距。
-
get to grips with a subject
慣用語開始理解困難的事物
It took me a while to get to grips with a subject as abstract as philosophy.
-
cram for an exam
片語動詞考前在短時間內密集讀書
I try not to cram for an exam the night before it.
-
drop out of school
片語動詞在完成學業前離開學校
You shouldn't drop out of school just because one subject feels impossible.
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fall behind in a subject
片語動詞在某一科的進度比預期落後
I started to fall behind in a subject I used to find easy.
-
keep up with the coursework
片語動詞維持課程要求的學習進度
It was hard to keep up with the coursework after missing a week.
-
brush up on old material
片語動詞快速複習以前學過的內容
I like to brush up on old material before a big test.
-
cover the syllabus
詞語搭配教完或學完課程要求的所有內容
Our teacher rushed to cover the syllabus before the exam.
-
rote learning
詞語搭配靠反覆背誦來記住事實，而不是理解
I never liked rote learning because I forget things I don't understand.
-
a well-rounded education
詞語搭配培養多種能力、涵蓋多個科目的教育
My parents always wanted me to have a well-rounded education.
-
academic pressure
詞語搭配課業要求所帶來的壓力
I felt a lot of academic pressure in my final year of school.
-
broaden your horizons
慣用語獲得新的經驗和思考方式
People say travelling abroad can broaden your horizons more than any classroom.
-
get the hang of it
慣用語開始掌握做某件事的訣竅
I finally started to get the hang of it after a few lessons.
Band 8：精準用語
精準，而且常常是慣用語。只在真正合適的地方用，不要當成裝飾。
-
an uphill battle
慣用語非常困難、需要付出極大努力的事
Passing that exam felt like an uphill battle from day one.
-
food for thought
慣用語讓人認真思考的事
The lecture gave me a lot of food for thought about my future.
-
a formative experience
詞語搭配對性格或觀點有深刻塑造作用的經歷
Studying overseas was a formative experience for me.
-
an ivory tower
慣用語與現實、實際問題隔絕的環境
Some people think universities operate in an ivory tower.
-
spoon-feed students
慣用語給學生過多指導，而不是讓他們獨立思考
Good teachers challenge you instead of trying to spoon-feed students every answer.
-
a rite of passage
慣用語團體中人人都被期待要經歷的過程
Final exams felt like a rite of passage everyone at my school dreaded.
-
intellectually stimulating
詞語搭配能引發思考、讓人用腦的
The best classes I took were genuinely intellectually stimulating.
-
at the top of the class
慣用語學業表現勝過其他所有人
She was always at the top of the class in science.
自我測驗
從上方例句中挑出8個句子，並把片語拿掉。選出適合填入空格的片語：按1～4或直接點選。
第1題，共8題
大聲說出來練習
只讀過的片語還不是你的。大聲回答這些題目，數一數上方的片語中有多少是你實際用得上的。
Part 1題目
- What subject did you enjoy most at school?
- Do you prefer studying alone or in a group?
- What is your favourite way to learn new things?
- Did you enjoy homework when you were at school?
- Are you currently studying anything?
Part 3題目
- Should students be allowed to choose all of their own subjects?
- Is traditional classroom teaching still necessary in the age of online learning?
- Do you think exams are the best way to measure a student's ability?
- Should governments cover more of the cost of university education?
- Should schools focus more on practical skills than academic theory?
常見問題
在Speaking中使用「pedagogy」這類學術用字比較好嗎？
不是。「a well-rounded education」這類自然的詞語搭配，得分比在對話中聽起來不自然的罕見學術用語更高。
要達到Band 8，一定要用「an ivory tower」這類慣用語嗎？
不一定，但正確使用少量精準又自然的慣用語，是考官會連結到較高Lexical Resource分數的跡象之一。
為Speaking累積教育相關詞彙，最快的方法是什麼？
用和自己的學校或大學經驗有關的完整例句來學片語，而不是背零散的單字表。