SCHOOL, STUDIES

SUBJECTS

I’m not very fond of school. The only subject I really enjoy is P.E. I don’t mind Art or Music, either and I always have good marks in them. Unfortunately, I hate subjects which are said to be the most important: Maths, Polish, History and Biology. I’m not the worst student in my class but I rarely get anything better than a satisfactory mark.

SUBJECTS – PRZEDMIOTY NAUCZANIA

Art – plastyka
Biology – biologia
Chemistry – chemia
English – język angielski
Polish – język polski
French – język francuski
German – język niemiecki
Spanish – język hiszpañski
Russian – język rosyjski
Italian – język włoski
Latin – łacina
Nature – nauka o środowisku
Ethics – etyka
Geography – geografia
History – historia
Information Technology (IT) – informatyka
Maths – matematyka
Music – muzyka
Philosophy – filozofia
Physical Education (P.E.) – wychowanie fizyczne
Physical Training (P.T.) – wychowanie fizyczne
Physics – fizyka
Religious Education (R.E.) – religia
Culture Studies – wiedza o kulturze
Social Studies – wiedza o społeczeństwie
Sciences – nauki ścisłe
Arts – nauki humanistyczne

MARKS

I used to be the best pupil when I was in primary school. I got only excellent and very good marks. I’m a student of a secondary school now. The teachers are more demanding and the material is more difficult so my results are rather poor. My parents are not very happy with the average marks I usually get. I know I should work harder because pass marks are not what I dream about. Moreover, if I want to study at university, I’d better have really good marks.

MARKS – OCENY

mark (GB) – ocena
grade (US) – ocena
excellent: A – celująca
very good: B – bardzo dobra
good: C – dobra
satisfactory: D – dostateczna
unsatisfactory: E – niedostateczna
failing mark – niedostateczna
pass mark – ocena dopuszczająca
good/ bad marks – dobre/ złe oceny
average marks – przeciętne oceny
semester mark (US) – ocena semestralna
assessment – ocena (postępów)
to have poor results – mieć słabe wyniki

TYPES OF SCHOOL

I wish I had brothers and sisters. I’m an only child so I’m always the centre of attention for my family. They are trying to plan my future without asking my opinion. My Dad wants me to go to a technical college although he knows I hate Physics, Chemistry and Maths. Mum would like me to attend a good grammar school. My grandparents oppose to co-educational schools so they’d rather send me to a private girls’ school. And I dream about going to a boarding school and staying far away from my family.

TYPES OF SCHOOL – RODZAJE SZKÓŁ

nursery school/ kindergarten – przedszkole
infant school (GB) – szkoła dla dzieci w wieku 5 – 7
primary school – szkoła podstawowa
middle school – gimnazjum
secondary school – szkoła średnia
grammar (GB) – liceum
high school (US) – liceum
comprehensive school (GB) – państwowa szkoła średnia
sixth form college – szkoła średnia dla licealistów, którzy zostają w szkole po 16. roku życia i chcą zdawać maturę
vocational school – szkoła zawodowa
technical college – technikum
state school (GB) – szkoła państwowa
public school (GB) – szkoła prywatna (średnia)
public school (US) – szkoła państwowa
private school – szkoła prywatna
fee-paying school – płatna szkoła
preparatory school (GB) – prywatna szkoła podstawowa
preparatory school (US) – prywatna szkoła średnia przygotowująca do studiów wyższych
college of further education
– szkoła policealna, kolegium
co-educational/ mixed school
– szkoła koedukacyjna
single sex school – szkoła niekoedukacyjna
girls/ boys school – szkoła żeńska/ męska
boarding school – szkoła z internatem
a boarder – mieszkaniec internatu

SCHOOL SYSTEM

My best friend is going to be expelled from school. He’s an extremely lazy person. He didn’t write even one composition during the last term and he hardly ever did his homework. I offered to revise with him before tests but he never had time. He has already repeated a year so now according to the school regulations he has to change school. I had no problems with promotion to the third grade of secondary school. My certificate is almost perfect so I got a prize for one of the best results at school.

SCHOOL SYSTEM – SYSTEM SZKOLNY

compulsory schooling – obowiązek szkolny
to attend school – uczęszczać do szkoły
curriculum – program nauczania
syllabus – program zajęć
certificate – świadectwo
school-leaving certificate – świadectwo ukończenia szkoły

Examination/ exam

I took school leaving exams last year. First, I had oral exams which seemed very difficult to me. All members of the examination board looked so serious and unfriendly that I almost got frightened. Moreover, the set of questions I drew was not the easiest one. I was not surprised when it turned out that I failed the exam. I had to re-sit it after six months. Fortunately, I did well in a written exam. I had to wait long for the result but it proved to be very good.

school report – wyniki w nauce za dany semestr
to repeat a year/ a class – powtarzać klasę
test – klasówka
pop quiz/ short test – kartkówka
composition/ essay – wypracowanie
paper – referat
to hand in sth – wręczyć
homework – praca domowa
to revise – powtarzać materiał
promotion – promocja do następnej klasy
prize – nagroda
to be promoted – dostać promocję
expulsion from school – wydalenie ze szkoły
to be expelled from school – być wyrzuconym ze szkoły
examination/ exam – egzamin
written exam – pisemny egzamin
oral exam – ustny egzamin
mock exam – próbny egzamin
final exams – egzaminy koñcowe
school leaving exams – egzaminy koñcowe
entrance exam – wstępny
examination board – komisja egzaminacyjna
to administer a test – przeprowadzić, nadzorować test
examiner – egzaminator
examinee – zdający egzamin
a set of questions – zestaw pytañ
result – wynik
performance – wyniki
assessment – ocena
score – liczba punktów
to take/ sit an exam – podchodzić do egzaminu
to pass an exam – zdać egzamin
do well in an exam – dobrze wypaść na egzaminie
to pass with flying colours – zdać śpiewająco
to fail an exam – oblać egzamin
do badly in an exam – Ÿle wypaść na egzaminie
to resit an exam – powtarzać egzamin
retake/ resit – poprawka
to bone up on sth – gruntownie przestudiować
to have a brainwave – doznać nagłego olśnienia
to scrape through – zaliczyć z trudem, ledwo przebrnąć

SCHOOL ORGANIZATION / SCHOOL LIFE

I’m a first grade student of a secondary school. I’m neither good nor bad, just average. I miss classes only when I’m ill but I’m often late because I commute to school by train. The school year started only two months ago and I feel it will be really hard. The timetable for my grade is not very convenient as we begin lessons at 8 a.m. o’clock twice a week and at 11 a.m. three times a week.

I hate my school. It’s said to be very good but in my opinion they pay too much attention to discipline. The caretaker checks if we always wear uniforms and school badges. We have to be in front of the classroom two minutes before the bell rings. I played truant last week because I really didn’t feel like going to school. I knew I would be punished but I didn’t care. My form master informed my Mum about it during the parent-teacher meeting so I’m grounded till the end of the month.

Lesson
My favourite subject at school is Maths. I always listen carefully when my teacher explains the rules of arithmetic or geometry. He often makes students draw conclusions from what he says and I take active part in every discussion. I like solving complicated mathematical tasks very much. First, I make a rough copy. Next, I check if I haven’t made a mistake. Finally, I make a final copy of it and show it to the teacher. I hardly ever learn the rules by heart; I prefer to understand everything rather than to spend hours on cramming.

TEACHER

I like my Geography teacher very much. Although she has been teaching for a year so she is not experienced yet, but she knows how to deal with students. She is rather strict and she’s always able to maintain discipline in the classroom. I respect her not only for her knowledge but also because she is patient, understanding and just. She knows how to motivate and encourage students to work hard. I believe she is a born teacher.
STUDENT
My sister is the best student in her class so no wonder she is a teacher’s pet. She is diligent and systematic but I doubt she is very intelligent. I’d rather say she is a swot and a toady. She always obtains excellent marks whereas I usually have poor ones. I’m neither dull nor clever and my form teacher says I’m lazy, reckless and cheeky. I often disturb teachers during lessons because I easily get bored. However, I never cheat in the tests.

SCHOOL AREA

I go to a very modern school. The school building was built only two years ago so you can imagine that we have spacious classrooms, well-equipped laboratories and a well-stocked library with a nice reading room. On the ground floor there are the headmaster’s and the secretary’s offices, a changing room with a number of lockers for students and a canteen. The gym is large enough to do all sorts of sport activities. Corridors might be a bit wider because they are sometimes too crowded during breaks. The teacher’s room and most of the classrooms are situated on the first floor. If the weather is fine, we can go to the school yard or do sports on the playing field.

SCHOOL EQUIPMENT

Although our classroom hasn’t been redecorated for a long time I think it’s comfortable and cosy. There are

SCHOOL ORGANIZATION – ORGANIZACJA SZKOŁY

registration/ enrolment – wpis do szkoły
school year – rok szkolny
lesson – lekcja
break – przerwa
lunch break – przerwa obiadowa
register – dziennik
classroom – klasa (sala lekcyjna)
grade (US) – klasa (grupa osób)
year (GB) – klasa (grupa osób)
semester/ term – semestr
schedule/ timetable – plan lekcji
school regulations – regulamin

SCHOOL LIFE – ŻYCIE SZKOŁY

absence – nieobecność
to miss classes – opuszczać zajęcia
uniform – mundurek szkolny
school badge – tarcza szkolna,
identyfikator
assembly – apel
to be late for school – spóźnić się
to play truant – chodzić na wagary
to miss classes – opuszczać lekcje
to be late – spóźnić się
discipline – dyscyplina
behaviour – zachowanie
caretaker – woźny
bell – dzwonek
parent-teacher meeting – wywiadówka
parent-teacher association – komitet rodzicielski
schoolmate/ classmate – szkolny kolega
punishment – kara
to punish – ukarać
detention – zatrzymanie po lekcjach
reprimand – udzielać nagany
suspend – zawiesić
lesson – lekcja
topic of a lesson – temat lekcji
knowledge – wiedza
to pay attention to – uważać
to listen carefully to – słuchać uważnie
to explain – wyjaśnić
to dictate – dyktować
to draw out conclusions – wyciągać wnioski
to write down – zanotować
to make a rough copy of sth – pisać na brudno
to make a final copy – przepisać na czysto
to underline – podkreślić
to summarise – streszczać
to describe – opisać
to practise – ćwiczyć
to take part in – brać udział
to make a mistake – zrobić błąd
to correct mistakes – poprawiać błędy
to learn by hart/ memorise – uczyć się na pamięć
to cram – wkuwać
to check – sprawdzić
to solve – rozwiązać

TEACHER – NAUCZYCIEL

headmaster – dyrektor
headmistress – dyrektorka
principal (US) – dyrektor
form teacher/ tutor – wychowawca
a special needs teacher – pedagog
librarian – bibliotekarz
demanding – wymagający
lenient – mało wymagający
experienced – doświadczony

Three rows of green desks. The teacher’s desk is situated next to the blackboard. The walls are covered with drawings, posters and maps. We also have a lot of shelves where we keep books, a globe, boxes of spare chalk and other useful and unnecessary things.

STUDENT’S EQUIPMENT

My schoolbag is always heavy. I try to take only necessary equipment to school but it doesn’t change anything as I need coursebooks and exercise books every day. Perhaps my pencil case is too packed but I like to have a lot of colourful felt-tip pens and pencils. I always remember to take an eraser, a pencil sharpener and at least two ballpoint pens. My Maths teacher always wants us to have a ruler and compasses.

inexperienced – niedoświadczony
strict – surowy
trustworthy – budzący zaufanie
understanding – wyrozumiały
just – sprawiedliwy
unjust – niesprawiedliwy
patient – cierpliwy
impatient – niecierpliwy
malicious – złośliwy
to be a born teacher – być nauczycielem z powołania
to mark tests – poprawiać klasówki
to stimulate students – mobilizować uczniów
to motivate students – motywować uczniów
to encourage students – zachęcać uczniów
to arouse interest in… – rozbudzać zainteresowanie
to demand little – mało wymagać
to punish students – karać uczniów
to maintain discipline – utrzymywać dyscyplinę
to respect – szanować

STUDENT – UCZEÑ

first grade/ year schoolboy – pierwszoklasista
swot – kujon
toady – lizus
teacher’s pet – pupil
telltale – skarżypyta
good student – dobry uczeñ
intelligent – inteligentny
clever – bystry
diligent – pilny
hard-working – pracowity
systematic – systematyczny
gifted – zdolny, utalentowany
excellent at… – wyśmienity
proficient at… – biegły, wprawny
obedient – posłuszny
to have good marks – mieć dobre oceny
to be good at… – być dobrym z…
to make progress – robić postępy
to master a subject – opanować przedmiot
bad student – zły uczeñ
lazy – leniwy
average – przeciętny
cheeky – bezczelny
reckless – beztroski
sloppy, untidy – niedbały
absent-minded – roztargniony
dense, dull – tępy
truant – wagarowicz
to disturb – przeszkadzać
to interrupt – przerywać
to cheat/ crib – ściągać, odpisywać
to misbehave – Ÿle się zachowywać
to disrupt – przerywać
remedial course – zajęcia wyrównawcze

SCHOOL AREA – TEREN SZKOLNY

school building – budynek szkolny
teachers’/ staffroom room – pokój nauczycielski
headmaster’s office – gabinet dyrektora
secretary’s office – sekretariat
classroom – klasa
chemistry lab/ laboratory – pracownia chemiczna
library – biblioteka
reading room – czytelnia
changing room – szatnia
gym/ gymnasium – sala gimnastyczna
assembly hall – aula
canteen – stołówka
corridor – korytarz
school yard – podwórko szkolne
(sports) field – boisko

SCHOOL FACILITIES & EQUIPMENT – WYPOSAŻENIE SZKOŁY

desk – ławka
teacher’s desk – biurko nauczyciela
chalk – kreda
blackboard – tablica
sponge – gąbka
map – mapa
globe – globus
projector – projektor
OHP/ overhead projector – rzutnik
microscope – mikroskop
tape player – magnetofon
television set – telewizor
photocopier – kserokopiarka

STUDENT’S EQUIPMENT – PRZYBORY SZKOLNE

textbook/ coursebook – podręcznik
copybook/ notebook – zeszyt
ballpoint pen – długopis
pencil – ołówek
pencil case – piórnik
felt-tipped pen – flamaster
crayon – kredka
pencil sharpener – temperówka
eraser – gumka
paints – farby
ruler – linijka
compasses – cyrkiel
glue – klej
scissors – nożyczki
correcting fluid – korektor
report card – dzienniczek ucznia
school bag – teczka szkolna

STUDIES

I have worked hard this year because I want to study at university. I’ve already chosen two faculties which seem to be interesting to me: philosophy and psychology. I dream about day studies but it is likely that I will have to find a job so evening or extramural studies will be more convenient to me.

My brother has just graduated from university. He studied law for five years and had his diploma examination last week. He was quite satisfied with the choice of faculty because he had professional tutors and lecturers and attended interesting lectures. With such a university degree he has a promising career ahead.

STUDIES – STUDIA

university – uniwersytet
technical university – politechnika
business school – szkoła biznesu
medical school – akademia medyczna
day studies – studia dzienne
extra-mural studies – studia zaoczne
evening studies – studia wieczorowe
a first degree/ undergraduate studies – studia licencjackie
graduate studies – studia magisterskie
postgraduate studies – studia podyplomowe i doktoranckie
to be admitted to university – zostać przyjętym na studia
academic year – rok akademicki
lecture – wykład
to attend a lecture – brać udział w wykładzie
dean – dziekan
vice-dean – prodziekan
rector – rektor
lecturer – wykładowca
tutor – wykładowca akademicki
lecture hall/ room – sala wykładowa
degree – stopieñ naukowy
faculty – wydział
to graduate from university – kończyć studia
to take a Master’s/ Bachelor’s degree – zrobić licencjat/ magisterium
graduate – absolwent
university degree – stopieñ naukowy
course credit – zaliczenie
examination period – sesja egzaminacyjna
diploma examination – egzamin dyplomowy
tutorial – seminarium, ćwiczenia
seminar – seminarium
entrance requirements – wymagania wstępne
grant – stypendium socjalne
tuition fee – czesne
university faculties and majors – wydziały i kierunki studiów
archaeology – archeologia
biology – biologia
computer science – informatyka
economics – ekonomia
engineering studies – inżynieria
law – prawo
mathematics – matematyka
medicine – medycyna
philology – filologia
philosophy – filozofia
physics – fizyka
political science – nauki polityczne
psychology – psychologia

EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES

My parents want me to attend some additional classes. I think they exaggerate because I already go to a language school twice a week and I have some private lessons on Mondays because I’m not very good at Maths. Mum would be very happy if I took ballet lessons but I hate classical music. Dad would rather I attended a debating club as he thinks I’m too shy and it would be beneficial to me. I’ve been thinking about an amateur theatre but there is nothing like that neither at my school nor at the leisure centre.

EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES – ZAJĘCIA POZALEKCYJNE

correspondence courses – kursy korespondencyjne
ballet school – szkoła baletowa
additional classes – zajęcia dodatkowe
optional classes – zajęcia fakultatywne
private lessons – korepetycje
debating club – klub dyskusyjny
drama group – kółko dramatyczne
amateur theatre – teatr amatorski
pottery – ceramika
language course – kurs językowy
language school – szkoła językowa
football/ rugby/ basketball etc. practice – zajęcia sportowe
choir practice – chór

Matura tip (Wskazówka maturalna)

Podczas egzaminu będziesz musiał się wykazać tym, że rozumiesz, o czym czytasz. Służą temu takie zadania, jak:

odpowiadanie na pytania do tekstu,
wypełnianie luk (gap filling) pojedynczymi słowami lub całymi zdaniami,
dopasowywanie tytułów do akapitów w tekście,
rozwiązywanie zadań typu true/false.

Pamiętaj: przeczytaj tekst kilkakrotnie, pierwszy raz po to, żeby w ogóle zrozumieć, o czym jest! Nie musisz rozumieć każdego słowa!
Dopiero czytając drugi raz, koncentruj się na konkretnym zadaniu, które masz wykonać.

Zadanie maturalne: Przeczytaj tekst poniżej, a następnie wybierz właściwą odpowiedź do każdej z luk, zaznaczając ją kółkiem.

1. a) more; b) most; c) many; d) much
2. a) as; b) along; c) about; d) to
3. a) said to be; b) say to be; c) saying to be; d) said to being
4. a) or; b) as; c) neither; d) either
5. a) made about; b) fell off; c) fell in; d) fall in
6. a) him; b) himself; c) ourselves; d) his
7. a) commited; b) made; c) did; d) hanged
8. a) although; b) therefore; c) in spite of; d) moreover
9. a) or; b) nor; c) neither; d) both
10. a) thorough; b) thoroughly; c) though; d) although

Jak rozwiązywać taki typ zadania:

wykreśl od razu wszystkie odpowiedzi, które nie pasują pod względem gramatycznym (np. są po przyimku, ale nie w formie gerund – zakończone na -ing itd.)
dopiero spośród odpowiedzi, jakie Ci zostały, wybierz tę właściwą, kierując się przede wszystkim znaczeniem (wiadomo, że jeśli tekst jest o szkole, to raczej nie pasuje słowo z zakresu żywienia itd.)
koniecznie przeczytaj tekst jeszcze raz po tym, jak go już uzupełnisz!

Mysterious schools

Do you consider your school the1………. boring place you could ever imagine? Well, maybe it has not revealed all its secrets yet.

According 2……… some students and teachers one of famous British secondary schools is haunted. Doorway leading to the most haunted place is 3……………….. located in a certain place in the school building – the problem is only few can localize 4……………….. the doorway or the mysterious place.

The school legend involves the teacher who miserably 5…………………. love, and, when the beloved refused to marry him, hanged 6……………….. The other story is linked to the unhappy boy who had 7…………… suicide there or the cleaning lady who, after falling in love with one of the teachers, jumped out of the school tower.

8 …………… nobody is able to reveal the truth, the fact is that strange things are happening in this school. Once school principals found all the windows open, next time some students heard screaming and the sound of pacing upstairs.

However, neither the school authorities 9 ………… the students are scared.

“Our visitors are friendly, we know it”, said one of the students. “I am sure that all schools have got its small secrets, but they are usually not discovered by the students. You have to look very carefully if you want to notice something unusual”.

Well, perhaps since now you will explore your school more 10……………?

Rozwiązania

1. b) tylko most z podanych słów jest używane w stopniu najwyższym przymiotnika, po the – najnudniejsza szkoła

2. d) po according zawsze piszemy to – według

3. a) zwrot „mówi się o nim, że jest” ma właśnie formę is said to be (dosł. jest mówiony być). Pozostałe formy nie funkcjonują w ogóle.

4. d) mamy stałe zestawienie either… or (albo… albo)

5. c) zakochać się to po angielsku fall in love, to zdanie wymaga czasu przeszłego (zakochał się)

6. b) powiesił się, czyli sam siebie, stąd forma z -self (tak jak np. I can see myself in the mirror. – W lustrze widzę sam siebie).

7. a) samobójstwo, podobnie jak zabójstwo się popełnia (commit), a nie robi (pozostałe czasowniki), ani wiesza (hang)

8. a) chociaż, b) dlatego (nie pasuje do zdania znaczeniowo), c) mimo (mimo co?), d) co więcej (żadnego więcej tu nie ma i po tym powinien być przecinek)

9. b) neither… nor (ani… ani)

10. b) thorough – dokładny, thoroughly – dokładnie, pozostałe słowa to zupełne zmyłki: though – choć, although – chociaż

English loan words in Polish

Have you ever thought where the word “horde” in English comes from? Yes, you are right. It is Polish word “horda” that means the disorganized crowd of people – only with slighty changed spelling. Nevertheless, let`s not have illusions about importance of Polish loan words in English – they are just a tiny fraction of the linguistic borrowings from English into Polish. Even a brief glimpse on the on-going process of creating new vocabulary gives clear answers to the question: Why are there so many anglicisms in contemporary Polish? It is easy to notice that most of the borrowings relate somehow to the world of technology, information, mass media and – on general – contemporary world. On the other side, there is a massive group of loan words referring to the ”pop world” of teenagers as well as other aspects of their culture. The answer to the question: Why are the Polish young people so willing to use anglicisms in their everyday talks instead of native words? might not be so simple.

“Internet from its very beginnings was English – friendly”, says Piotrek, an internaut from the little village in Mazovia countryside, “no surprise nowadays, when I want to be brief and communicative I use IMHO (in my humble opinion) instead of Polish equivalent for it or ROTFL (rolling on the floor laughing) instead of emoticons which drive my pals mad.”

His classmate, Paula, has distinctly different opinion to Piotrek:
“To be honest, most of my friends can hardly speak English, they have no idea about reported speech, passive voice or relative clauses – but what do they do speaking Polish? They say: Babe, I spent all evening yesterday in a chatroom. Thanks. Sorry. You`re welcome. Give me a call. Have you got some cash? and so on, I could go for the whole day like that, I guess. They don`t assume how ridiculous they are!”

Some linguists predict nowadays it is inevitable for the Polish language to be more and more inundated with English words. Is it really as inevitable as night follows a day or death and taxes? I hope not. Eventually, there are the young people who can speak their mother tongue perfectly. Moreover, they can speak foreign languages very well, too. But they can easily distinct both of them.

1) My cousin Anna, who attends the same school as Piotrek, doesn`t like word loans in Polish much.
Informacja o tym, że Anna chodzi do tej samej szkoły co Piotrek jest wtrącona, rozmówca i tak wie, o którą Annę chodzi.

2) Piotrek told me about his fleeting converstation, which took part in The English Centre.
Piotrek opowiedział mi o swojej krótkiej rozmowie – tylko dodatkową informacją jest to, że rozmowa miała miejsce w Centrum Angielskim, zaimek bezpośrednio nie określa tej rozmowy.
Uwaga! To samo zdanie można sobie wyobrazić bez przecinka, wtedy znaczyłoby, że to jest „ta krótka rozmowa z Centrum Angielskiego” – informacja znajdująca się po which określa w tym przypadku rozmowę, a nie jest tylko dodatkowa.

Last but not least
W zdaniach, w których stawiamy przed zaimkiem względnym przecinek, nie używamy that.