School & Learning
Words for education, studying, and school life
Overview
25 words for education and learning. After this lesson, you’ll be able to talk about school, studying, and your learning experiences.
Words
school /skuːl/
noun — A1
Meaning: a place where children go to learn
Examples:
- My children go to a good school.
- I walk to school every morning.
Collocations: go to school, at school, school day, school year, high school, primary school
student /ˈstjuːdnt/
noun — A1
Meaning: a person who is studying at a school or university
Examples:
- There are 30 students in my class.
- She’s a medical student at the university.
Collocations: university student, student life, a good student, student loan
teacher /ˈtiːtʃər/
noun — A1
Meaning: a person whose job is to teach
Examples:
- My English teacher is really helpful.
- She’s been a teacher for twenty years.
Collocations: school teacher, English teacher, supply teacher
Word Family: teacher (n.) → teach (v.) → teaching (n.)
class /klɑːs/
noun — A1
Meaning: a group of students taught together; a lesson
Examples:
- Our class starts at nine o’clock.
- There are 25 students in my class.
Collocations: in class, class room, first class, class teacher, attend a class
learn /lɜːn/
verb — A1
Meaning: to gain knowledge or skill by study or experience
Examples:
- I’m learning to play the guitar.
- Children learn quickly.
Collocations: learn from, learn by heart, learn a lesson, learn a language
Word Family: learn (v.) → learner (n.) → learning (n.) → learned (adj.)
study /ˈstʌdi/
verb/noun — A1
Meaning: (v.) to spend time learning; (n.) the activity of learning
Examples:
- She’s studying medicine at university.
- You need to study harder for the exam.
Collocations: study for, study hard, study abroad, case study
read /riːd/
verb — A1
Meaning: to look at written words and understand their meaning
Examples:
- I love reading books before bed.
- Can you read this for me? The text is too small.
Collocations: read a book, read aloud, read and write, easy to read
Word Family: read (v.) → reader (n.) → reading (n.) → readable (adj.)
write /raɪt/
verb — A1
Meaning: to make letters, words, or numbers on paper or a screen
Examples:
- Please write your name here.
- She writes a blog about travel.
Collocations: write down, write a letter, write a story, write to
Word Family: write (v.) → writer (n.) → writing (n.) → written (adj.)
speak /spiːk/
verb — A1
Meaning: to talk; to use your voice to say words
Examples:
- Do you speak English?
- He spoke to the manager about the problem.
Collocations: speak English, speak to/with, speak up, so to speak
Word Family: speak (v.) → speaker (n.) → speech (n.) → spoken (adj.)
listen /ˈlɪsn/
verb — A1
Meaning: to pay attention to sound or to someone who is talking
Examples:
- Listen carefully to what I’m saying.
- She likes to listen to music while working.
Collocations: listen to music, listen carefully, listen to someone, listen up
Word Family: listen (v.) → listener (n.) → listening (n.)
understand /ˌʌndəˈstænd/
verb — A1
Meaning: to know the meaning of something
Examples:
- I don’t understand this question.
- Do you understand what I’m saying?
Collocations: understand the problem, easy/hard to understand, understand each other
Word Family: understand (v.) → understanding (n./adj.) → misunderstand (v.)
question /ˈkwestʃən/
noun — A1
Meaning: a sentence or phrase that asks for information
Examples:
- Can I ask you a question?
- That’s a good question — let me think.
Collocations: ask a question, answer a question, good question, question mark
answer /ˈɑːnsər/
noun/verb — A1
Meaning: (n.) a response to a question; (v.) to respond
Examples:
- What’s the answer to question five?
- She didn’t answer my email.
Collocations: answer a question, the right/wrong answer, answer the phone
word /wɜːd/
noun — A1
Meaning: a single unit of language
Examples:
- What does this word mean?
- I can’t find the right words to describe it.
Collocations: in other words, word for word, key word, in a word
language /ˈlæŋɡwɪdʒ/
noun — A1
Meaning: a system of words used by people of a country or area
Examples:
- How many languages do you speak?
- English is the most widely spoken language in the world.
Collocations: foreign language, language learning, body language, first language
English /ˈɪŋɡlɪʃ/
noun/adjective — A1
Meaning: the language spoken in Britain, the US, etc.; relating to England
Examples:
- I’m learning English as a second language.
- She teaches English at a high school.
Collocations: English language, English teacher, speak English, in English
page /peɪdʒ/
noun — A1
Meaning: one side of a piece of paper in a book
Examples:
- Turn to page 42, please.
- The book has over 300 pages.
Collocations: front page, web page, page number, on this page
test /test/
noun/verb — A1
Meaning: (n.) an exam to check knowledge; (v.) to check or examine
Examples:
- We have a maths test on Friday.
- The teacher will test us on vocabulary.
Collocations: take a test, pass/fail a test, test results, driving test
example /ɪɡˈzɑːmpl/
noun — A1
Meaning: something used to show what something is like
Examples:
- Can you give me an example?
- For example, apples and oranges are fruits.
Collocations: for example, good example, set an example, an example of
idea /aɪˈdɪə/
noun — A1
Meaning: a thought or plan in your mind
Examples:
- I have a great idea!
- That’s a good idea — let’s try it.
Collocations: good/bad idea, have an idea, no idea, the idea of/behind
know /nəʊ/
verb — A1
Meaning: to have information about something in your mind
Examples:
- Do you know the answer?
- I know him — he works at the bank.
Collocations: know about, know how to, as far as I know, get to know, well known
Word Family: know (v.) → knowledge (n.) → known (adj.) → unknown (adj.)
think /θɪŋk/
verb — A1
Meaning: to use your mind to form opinions or make decisions
Examples:
- What do you think about this plan?
- I think it’s going to rain today.
Collocations: I think so, think about, think of, think carefully, think twice
Word Family: think (v.) → thinking (n.) → thinker (n.) → thought (n.)
remember /rɪˈmembər/
verb — A1
Meaning: to have something in your memory; not forget
Examples:
- I can’t remember her name.
- Remember to lock the door when you leave.
Collocations: remember to, remember that, if I remember correctly
try /traɪ/
verb — A1
Meaning: to attempt to do something
Examples:
- Try to finish your homework before dinner.
- I’ve tried calling him but he doesn’t answer.
Collocations: try to, try hard, try again, try your best, give it a try
practice /ˈpræktɪs/
noun/verb — A1
Meaning: (n.) doing something many times to get better; (v.) to do repeatedly to improve
Examples:
- You need more practice with your pronunciation.
- She practices piano every day.
Collocations: practice makes perfect, in practice, put into practice, practice session
Word Family: practice (n.) → practise (v.) → practical (adj.) → practically (adv.)
Quick Review
| Word | Type | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| school | n. | place for learning |
| student | n. | person studying |
| teacher | n. | person who teaches |
| class | n. | group of students / lesson |
| learn | v. | gain knowledge |
| study | v./n. | spend time learning |
| read | v. | look at and understand text |
| write | v. | make letters/words |
| speak | v. | use voice to say words |
| listen | v. | pay attention to sound |
| understand | v. | know the meaning of |
| question | n. | asks for information |
| answer | n./v. | response / to respond |
| word | n. | single unit of language |
| language | n. | system of words |
| English | n./adj. | the English language |
| page | n. | side of paper in a book |
| test | n./v. | exam / to check |
| example | n. | shows what something is like |
| idea | n. | thought or plan |
| know | v. | have information in mind |
| think | v. | use mind for opinions |
| remember | v. | not forget |
| try | v. | attempt to do |
| practice | n./v. | doing repeatedly to improve |