English vocabulary in use

UNIT 1: Cramming for success: study and academic work

Study and exams
cram for it--> study in a very concentrated way for a shor time.
Learn by heart memorised.
Rote-learning learning purely by repetition.
Mnemonics tricks that help you remember something
Bury yourself In your books spend the maximum time studying.
Know the subject inside out know it completely
Academic writing
composition: 50-100 words, often used for school work
essay: longer than a composition.
Assignment: a long essay, often part of the course.
Project: like an assignment, but emphasis on student's own material and topic.
Portfolio: a collection of individual pieces of work, drawing and creative work.
Dissertation: a long, research-based work, for a degree or diploma.
Thesis: a very long, original, research -based work, for a higher degree (PhD=
doctorado).
Mind map: diagram that lays out ideas for a topic and how they are connected to one
another.
First draft: first rough, version.
Plagiarism: (plagiarism form)
submit an essay: handed in
assessed: evaluated and given a grade.
Aspects of higher academic studying
Carry out research: less formal is do a research.
An academic journals consists of some papers or articles on specialized subjects.
Interlibrary-loan: system where libraries exchange books/journals with one another.
Open educational resources: online materials that can be freely used by teachers and
students anywhere.
Drop out: leave the course before the end because they cannot cope.
EDUCATION: DEBATES AND ISSUES
Selective versus comprehensive schooling: in the first one, pupils are choosen, usually
for academic reasons, for entry or in the case of some private schools, parents' ability to
pay school fees may be a factor in selection. However, comprehensive schooling
provides everyone an opportunity to enter without exams and education is free.
Elitism: when you favour a small, privileged group.
Inherent in: e.g elitism is inherent in the system. Meaning: existing as a basic part of
something.
League tables: lists of schools or colleges, from the best down to the worst, based on
exams results and other criteria.
Well-endowed: receiving a lot of money in grants, gifts from rich people.

Depress: reduce
Excel: achieve excellent standards.
Scholarships: money given to pay for studies, usually provided on the basis of academic
merit.
Bursaries: money given to pay for studies, usually provided on the basis of need.
Tertiary education: education at university or college level.
Students loans: money that students can borrow from a bank while studying and then
pay back once they are in work.
Tuition fees: money paid to receive teaching.
Other debates and issues
The three Rs: basic skills (reading, writing and arithmetic)
Literacy: the ability to read
Numeracy: The ability to do basic maths.
Curriculum reform: changes to what is covered in the national syllabus= plan of what is
to be studied.
Lifelong/ continuing education: education for all ages.
Mature students: adult students
Special needs education: education for children who cannot learn in the normal way.
One-to-one teaching: one teacher and one pupil, not a group.
Bullying: threatening behaviour.
AT WORK: COLLEAGUES AND ROUTINES
Someone is my opposite number: has the same position/ does the same jobs as me.
Counterpart is a more formal way of saying opposite number.
Rapport: communication, relationship e.g the new boss established a good rapport.
Take the initiative: make decisions without being what to do.
Hierarchical: has a structure with important and less important people.
Pecking order: a system where some people have the right to get benefits/ promotions
before the others.
Job-share: an agreement where two people each share the same job.
Talk shop: talk about work (informal).
Technician: be carefulwith the spelling.
During the day (different work patterns)
Mundane tasks: ordinary not interesting.
Meet the deadline: have something finished by a fixed day or time.
A job can be rewarding (making you feel satisfied that you have done something
important or done something well) and stimulating (encouraging new ideas and new
thinking)
workload: amount of work I have to do.
Day shift/night shift: turno de dia/ turno de noche
A job can be repetitive () and mechanical (you don't have to thing what are you doing)
knocking off: finishing work e.g All I ever think about is knocking off at three o'clock.
A job can be monotonous because it is boring and it never changes, satisfying or
challenging (that test my ability or determination)
Glamourous: very exciting, which everyone admires.
Irregular
Anti-social

Expression. Stuck behind a desk

Mind-numbing. Extremely boring.
At work: recruitment and job satisfaction
Job ad: advertisement
Drive=strong motivation
EXPRESSION CONNECTED WITH WORKING LIFE
Maternity leave and paternity leave/ adoption leave
Perks: advantages/ extra benefits that you get in your job ffor example a car, a health
insurance,
Run-of-the-mill job: ordinary, not especial or exciting
Holiday entitlement: number of days you have the right take as a holiday.
Most people think that they are overworked and underpaid (fixed expression)
Redundancies/ lay off/ dismiss (formal)/ sack (informal) / fire
Skeleton staff: the minimum number of workers needed to keep operating
Interview panel: tribunal, the group of people interviewing someone for a job
AT WORK: CAREERS
Telesales/telemarketing: selling or marketing goods and services by phone.
Cold calling: phoning people who have not requested a call in order to try to sell them
something.
Hard sell: attempt to sell something by being very forceful or persuasive.
Part with their money: spend their money.
Shop around: look for the most convenient offer through shops.
Merchandise: mercaderias
Stock something is to keep it in stock.
Trade something up: you buy one that is of higher value than the one you had before.
People sometimes make a purchasing decision based on brand loyalty.
Supermarket sometimes sell an item for less than it cost them just so that they attract a
lot of people into the shop where they will also buy more profitable items the item
being sold at a low price is called a loss leader.
If a company finds a niche market, it finds a specialized group of customers with
particular interest that the company can meet
If an item is said to come/go under the hammer, it is sold at an auction.
Auction (sale of goods or property where people make gradually increasing bids and the
item is then sold to the highest bidder)
Red tape: bureaucracy (negative)
Reach a compromise: make a deal/ come to an agreement
Hammer out a deal: talk in detail until a business agreement is made.
Swallowed up: absorcin, taken over by a larger company.
Start-up: new company
Letting agency: agencia immobiliaria.
MANAGING A BUSINESS
Submit a tender: to supply a written offer to do a job for an agreed price

Win a tender: to be given a job, after submitting a tender

Meet/miss a deadline: to supply/ fail to supply something by the agreed time.
Penalty clause: part of the contract specifying what will happen if an agreement is
broken
An outstanding account: an account that has not yet been paid
To default on payment: to fail to pay something that had been agreed.
To distribute: to supply goods to shops and companies
To ship an order: to send out goods that have been ordered, what is sent is the shipment.
Expiry date
PROBLEMS IN BUSINESS MANAGEMENT:
How to improve Staff morale
How to encourage effective teamwork
How to avoid bankruptcy or liquidation
How to cope if the stock market crashes.
Whether to offer staff bonuses or not
How to secure enough funding
How to compete with other business in the same sector
Tuned-in: well-adjusted
Zip: energy
Entrepreneur
Risk assessment: working out how much risk might be involved in something.
DESCRIBING YOURSELF
Character and personality
Imaginative
Charming
Generous
Quick-tempered
Opportunistic
Conservative
Methodological
Conscientious
Chauvinistic: too patriotic
A born leader
Sensitive
Emotional
Tends to get carried away: becomes to excited and lose control.
Sensitive: delicate, tender (sensible)
Sensible: reasonable, rational, prudent, practical, conscious (sensato, prudente)
Stubborn: obstinate (cabezn)
Rebellious:
Courageous: brave, daring
Affectionate: showing fondness or love
Obliging: ready to help
Sentimental
Superficial
Insecure
Fun-loving

Popular
Perfectionist
Tactless
Intuitive
Gifted: having special talent or ability.
Stingy: unwilling to give or spend; not generous (tacao!)
Diligent: hard-working
Independent
Placid: calm, does not easily become excited or angry
Outgoing: friendly, sociable
Cunning: deceptive, crafty (Lord Baelish, skillful in dishonest scheme)