【英语趣味课堂】西班牙的教育-Spanish Education

Chris: So Adelina, I guess it's not polite to ask a girl for her age, but you must be more or less like me, 31, you're in your early 30s or maybe a bit less?

 

Ade: Well I just turned 34.

 

Chris: Wow! Well you wouldn't say that. Well, what's your profession, what do you do?

 

Ade: I'm a translator.

 

Chris: Oh wow, translator. And how long do you have to study for that, let's say if you want to become a translator, how many years of study is that?

 

Ade: In that time it was five years, but now I think they cut it one year, so now it's only four.

 

Audio¹ Slide Show

Audio Slide Show

Chris: But you did five?

 

Ade: Yeah, I did five plus another year because I did a specialization² master.

 

Chris: Oh right. And you did this in Spain?

 

Ade: The master?

 

Chris: The formation³, I mean the study.

 

Ade: Well the study, the university, I did it in Granada. It's one of the best school of translators and interpreters that we have here in Spain. But the master, I did it in London.

 

Chris: Okay, right. And generally not only university or high school, but generally the education system in Spain, you think it's good, you think it's a good system?

 

Ade: I don't know, I'm not into that anymore. But I don't think it's good, I don't like it, no. No, because I think there are so many things that needs to be changed because we need to improve our education system with the time. We are in a technology era⁴, okay, so I don't think they need to learn ... I don't know, the Second World War, you know, because it's not useful anymore. So I think there is a lack of languages in Spain. People don't speak languages at all, so they should focus a little bit more in teaching⁵ the kids how to speak another ... more foreign languages, you know. Plus, I think also there is a lack of ... make the kids unique. So you cannot teach everyone the same thing because each person has potential and special skills. So I think the teacher shall be know a lot their students and focus on their abilities and their skills and try to grow them, to make the kid be ... I don't know, but more talented, more creative and this world will be much better, I think.

 

Chris: Yeah, it's true. Parents only want the best for their children and they choose for their children. And when you talk about teachers, I mean teachers as well, they don' t... I don't think they care the most, I mean maybe in their first year, but when they are 10 years in teaching, I don't think they will really focus on one kid and saying, "Let's go talk to their parents because this kid really has to do this or that."

 

Ade: Yeah, I don't know, lately I see a lot of news that the children are aggressive and is the poor situation of the teachers,they become like victims. But I think also that if the teenagers are aggressive it's because they feel lost, they don't know what to do with their lives. And that becomes frustration⁶, and with the frustration comes the aggressive attitude, you know.

 

Chris: Yeah. Well it's only now if you look in Spain, as you say, on the other hand people study ... parents put a lot of money in their kids to study and have their diploma and then finally they graduate, but there's no job or maybe shall we leave that for another time, this discussion⁷?

 

Ade: Yeah. But the thing is that it's too much theory and not practice. So they need to practice what they're going to do in the future you know. But I cannot save the world, so this is a topic, it really, really get out of my nerves⁸. So yeah, as you said, maybe just stop in this point.

 

Chris: Okay. Well, thank you very much.

 

重点词汇：

 

Learn Vocabulary from the lesson

let's say

 

How long do you have to study for that, let's say, if you want to become a translator.

 

We use the phrase 'let's say' to introduce a possible, but unreal situation. Notice the following:

 

Let's say you win the lottery⁹. What would you buy?

Let's say we get lost. How can we contact each other?

cut

 

 

They cut it one year.

 

Here, cut means to reduce or shorten¹⁰. Notice the following:

 

We cut the meeting short ten minutes.

We cut our vacation short because of the weather.

era

 

We are in the technology era.

 

An era is a distinct¹¹ time period in history. Notice the following:

 

Some think the 50's was the golden era.

It was the end of an era.

only the best

 

They only want the best for their childen

 

When you want 'only the best' then you expect high standards. Notice the following:

 

He stays in only the best hotels.

Every parent wants only the best for their children.

what to do with your life

 

They don't know what to do with their lives.

 

This phrase refers to one's life plans. Notice the following:

 

I've always known what I wanted to do with my life.

He is not sure what to do with his life.

1 audio   

n./adj.音频(响)(的)；声音(的)，听觉(的)

参考例句：

• Often,the meeting is recorded on audio or video media for later reference.通常这种会议会以视频或者音频形式记录下来，供以后查阅。
• You don't even have to pay for audio programs.你大可不必为自己听这些节目付费。

2 specialization   

n.特别化；专门化；（意义的）限定；特化（作用）

参考例句：

• The production line involves a high degree of specialization of labour. 生产线要求工人高度专业化。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• There has been increased economic specialization throughout the country. 整个国家的经济专门化程度越来越高。 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 formation   

n.形成，组成；形成物，结构；队形，排列

参考例句：

• This is the formation of a new government.这是新政府的构成。
• The aircraft are flying in formation.飞机编队飞行。

4 era   

n.时代，年代，纪元，阶段

参考例句：

• We are living in the information era.我们生活在信息时代。
• We are living in a great historic era.我们正处在一个伟大的历史时代。

5 teaching   

n.教学，执教，任教，讲授；(复数)教诲

参考例句：

• We all agree in adopting the new teaching method. 我们一致同意采取新的教学方法。
• He created a new system of teaching foreign languages.他创造了一种新的外语教学体系。

6 frustration   

n.挫折，失败，失效，落空

参考例句：

• He had to fight back tears of frustration.他不得不强忍住失意的泪水。
• He beat his hands on the steering wheel in frustration.他沮丧地用手打了几下方向盘。

7 discussion   

n.讨论，谈论；论述

参考例句：

• It is certain he will come to the discussion.他肯定会来参加讨论。
• After months of discussion,a peace agreement is gradually taking shape.经过几个月的商讨，和平协议渐渐有了眉目。

8 nerves   

n.神经紧张 vt.鼓起勇气

参考例句：

• What he said at the meeting strung her nerves up. 他在会议上的发言使她的神经很紧张。
• At the end of a day's teaching, her nerves were absolutely shattered. 教了一天课，她精疲力竭。

9 lottery   

n.抽彩；碰运气的事，难于算计的事

参考例句：

• He won no less than ￡5000 in the lottery.他居然中了5000英镑的奖券。
• They thought themselves lucky in the lottery of life.他们认为自己是变幻莫测的人生中的幸运者。

10 shorten   

vt.弄短，缩小，减少

参考例句：

• Minor accidents can shorten the life of a car.小事故会缩短汽车寿命。
• My dress is too long I must shorten it.我的连衣裙太长了，我得把它截短些。

11 distinct   

adj.种类不同的，有区别的，清楚的，明显的

参考例句：

• I had the distinct impression that I was being followed.我清楚地感觉到有人跟踪我。
• The party split into two distinct groups.该党分裂成两个截然不同的团体。