Beth Hello. This is Real Easy English, the podcast where we have conversations in easy English to help you learn. I’m Beth.
Neil And I’m Neil. Remember, you can find all the vocabulary for this episode and a text version on our website: bbclearningenglish.com
Beth How are you today, Neil?
Neil I’m very well, thank you, Beth. How are you?
Beth I’m good, thank you. What is the topic of our conversation today?
Neil Well, today, Beth, we’re talking about schools. We’ll talk about our favourite subjects and what qualifications we have.
Beth OK, Neil. First, can you explain the word qualifications?
Neil Yes, a qualification is an official record that you have successfully done an exam or training for something. So, for example, you can receive a qualification in speaking English if you pass a certain exam.
Beth OK, great. So, Neil, what qualifications did you do at school?
Neil Well, I took all of the normal exams we do in the UK: GCSEs and then A Levels. These are school exams. And then university degrees. How about you?
Beth Yeah, I am the same. I went to school in the UK and did all the same exams probably that you did. Did you like school?
Neil Yes. I did like school. I think I just liked being with my friends, and I thought most subjects were quite interesting.
Beth Yeah, I think I’m the same.
Neil What were your favourite subjects, Beth?
Beth I really liked English, which sounds quite predictable because now English is part of my job. But I also quite liked textiles, which was a subject all about how to make clothes, and I made a hat. So it was quite a practical subject, and I enjoyed that.
Neil Do you still wear the hat?
Beth I do not. It was not a good hat.
What was your favourite subject?
Neil I also liked English, but I think my favourite subject was history.
Beth What about your least favourite subject?
Neil That’s easy! Maths. I hate maths.
Beth You still hate maths?
Neil I still hate maths!
So, in this conversation about school we used words like quite, very and really. Quite good means a little bit good. Very good and really good mean a lot.
Beth So, for example, Neil I quite like history, but you really like history. You liked it a lot at school, whereas I liked it a bit.
So, did you not like maths because you weren’t very good at it?
Neil Yes, I think I was really bad at maths, and I didn’t like it because I found it very hard. How about you?
Beth I quite liked maths. I don’t think there was a subject that I didn’t really like.
Neil So, Beth, it sounds like you were good at everything at school and worked hard. So, do you think you were a nerd?
Beth Well, a nerd is an informal word for somebody who is very good at school. So, was I a nerd? Well, I did enjoy school, and I worked hard.
And one time my friend and I asked our teacher why we hadn’t been given full marks for a presentation and then she said, “Oh, I’ll just give you full marks”. I think that was probably quite nerdy thing to do. So maybe!
Neil That’s very nerdy, Beth!
Beth Let’s look at the vocabulary we learned during the conversation.
We had qualification, a record that you have completed an exam or a course.
Neil We had quite. This usually means a little.
Beth** Very** and really are both used to mean a lot. So, for example, I’m very good at maths.
Neil And nerd, which is an informal word for someone who is good at school. Like you, Beth.
Beth Thanks. And thanks for listening to Real Easy English. We’ll be back next week to talk about our weekend plans.
Neil Until then, you can find more programmes to improve your English on our website. Why not try some of our dramas and stories? Visit bbclearningenglish.com
Beth Bye for now.
Neil Goodbye.