english

Agnė Cicėnaitė Academic Writing Year 2, Group 2 26/10/2012

Learning English at School and at University: Differences and Similarities

English is spoken as a first language and as a second language by around 375 million people in the world. Moreover, speakers of English as a second language will soon outnumber those who speak it as a first language, according to research by the British Council. Young people start learning English nearly they start going to school. Others start or continue doing it at university. School and university are alike, because they give people education and knowledge. However, school gives people education in all subjects preparing them for university instead university gives education in a specific field preparing people for a job. On the surface at least, learning English at school and at university seems almost opposite.

One obvious difference is levels of learning English. In school pupils begin learning on the post beginner level.

English: Foreign Language Department, Iran Univers...

Keezell Hall, home of the university's English and...

Classroom scene, student as teacher

For example, a post beginner can understand a few high frequency phrases and can produce single words and set phrases. Then pupils continue with elementary and later with intermediate levels, in which the learner can speak well enough to make spontaneous interjections in conversations, tell one's own stories, and enjoy longer conversations, etc. In contrast, at university students begin with upper immediate or advanced levels. For instance, learners can understand native speakers with ease and can participate almost equally in a whole conversation with native English speakers. Then students reach the proficient level.

Other area of difference between learning English at school and at university involves conditions. Students at university can take all the newest material of learning English language and can use electronic sources in all libraries and reading-rooms of university. On the other hand, pupils at school get only textbooks and dictionaries and if...