CLASSROOM LANGUAGE

ALFONSO GONZÁLEZ
I.E.S. FERNANDO DE MENA. MATHEMATICS DEPARTMENT

Classroom language:
Watch out!: class or group (la gente) ¹ classroom (la habitación)
Try not to make any noise as you enter/leave
Quiet, please = Silence, please
How are you getting on? = ¿Cómo estáis?
to take the register: pasar lista (When teacher is taking the register, you must answer present)
I’m gonna call out your names and will you please answer PRESENT
Who’s not here today?
to be absent: faltar
absence: ausencia, falta de asistencia (unexcused absence « excused absence)
I suggest you fill up these empty places
Would you like to come back to the front
We’ve a lot of catching up to do = Tenemos mucho que recuperar
We still have a couple of minutes left
For the last thing today, let’s…
That’s all for today

volunteer /ˌvɒlənˈtɪə/: voluntario (also verb: to volunteer to do sth)

Who would like to read/do next exercise, etc.?
Read _____ out
to read aloud: leer en voz alta
Anna, your turn
Hard lines! = ¡Mala suerte!
Never mind! = ¡No pasa nada!
Never mind ______ = It doesn’t really matter ______
Take your time
You need more practice
to move aside: apartarse a un lado
Don’t interrupt!
You have made a lot of progress
Very ingenious /ɪnˈdʒiːniəs/!
Almost. Try again Keep trying! Keep practicing Keep on working hard!
Keep up the good work! That’s the attitude
Very good! Well done! Very fine! That’s nice! Marvellous! Jolly good! Fantastic!
Right! Yes! That’s correct!
Speak louder!
Everybody work individually/by yourselves/independently « Put your heads together
Come out and write it on the board
Rub it off = borra (la pizarra)
rubber: goma (US eraser) (board rubber: borrador de la pizarra)
keep/put away your calculators in your satchels « take your calculators, please
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16 ¬ What is this?
The key thing is…
See what I mean?
Do you want a clue/hint?
To think outside the box = to think imaginatively using new ideas instead of traditional or expected ideas
Ok, carry on = Ok, go ahead
Silence! This is no laughing matter

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siempre y cuando se respete la mención de su autoría, y sea sin ánimo de lucro. En otros casos se requiere el permiso
del autor (alfonsogonzalopez@yahoo.es) 1
 CLASSROOM LANGUAGE
ALFONSO GONZÁLEZ
I.E.S. FERNANDO DE MENA. MATHEMATICS DEPARTMENT

Please, not prompting = Por favor, no “soplar”

Not my fault! =¡no tengo la culpa!
What’s going on? = ¿Qué está pasando?

What’s the Spanish for ___ ? = What does _____ mean?

compulsory « voluntary, optional
to strike - struck - struck or stricken through sth: tachar algo the top left-hand
to put a box around: recuadrar corner of page top of page
poster /ˈpəʊstər/: mural (sign: letrero, cartel)

exercise, activity
tick: marca de comprobación
due date: fecha de entrega
statement (of a problem), question: enunciado
idem /ˈɪdɛm/ or /ˈʌɪdɛm/: ídem (the same, likewise) bottom of page the bottom right-hand
corner of page
section: apartado de un ejercicio
unit: tema (unidad didáctica)
lesson: clase (como día; We’ve got four lessons each week) class
worksheets, fotocopies
course notes, class notes, maths notes: apuntes
diary /ˈdaɪəri/: agenda
to dictate: dictar
scheme /ˈskiːm/: esquema
syllabus /ˈsɪləbəs/: temario, programación
scientific /ˌsaɪənˈtɪfɪk/: adj. científico scientist: n. científico (person) scientifical
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(course), subject : materia, asignatura
methodology /ˌmɛθəˈdɒlədʒi/
educational attention to diversity, measures to attention to diversity
Social Studies: Ciencias Sociales
Civics (class): Educación Cívica (Ética)

to prepare for the exam: estudiar un examen

to take an exam /ɪgˈzæm/ (in): hacer un examen, examinarse (de)
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to pass the exam: aprobar el examen (pass: aprobado; US passing grade)

John passed the English exam
Did you pass the exam?
to pass (in) subject, to get a pass in subject: aprobar una asignatura
I passed (in) French
I didn't get a pass in maths
to fail the exam: suspender el examen (failing grade: suspenso; informal fail)
I failed English
Eduardo received a failing grade in algebra and will have to take that subject again
to fail a subject: suspender una asignatura
to take a subject again: repetir una asignatura
to cheat in an exam: copiar en un examen
to correct: corregir (un ejercicio, etc) ¬ in the sense of revise the possible mistakes of an exercise

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subject also means tema, cuestión
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to sit (for) an exam(ination) (in) = examinarse (de) ← more formal

Texto bajo licencia Creative Commons: se permite su utilización didáctica así como su reproducción impresa o digital
siempre y cuando se respete la mención de su autoría, y sea sin ánimo de lucro. En otros casos se requiere el permiso
del autor (alfonsogonzalopez@yahoo.es) 2
 CLASSROOM LANGUAGE
ALFONSO GONZÁLEZ
I.E.S. FERNANDO DE MENA. MATHEMATICS DEPARTMENT

to mark: corregir (un examen) ¬ in the sense of give a score to an exam (US to grade)
mark: (UK) nota de examen, de clase, etc (to get have good marks: tener buenas notas) (to give marks to:
poner notas a) (US grades) (qualifications)
final or total mark/grade/score: nota final
to reflect on / to think about / to analyse the exam → to make a (critical) reflection on the exam
post marks: entrega de notas

term or assessment: evaluación, trimestre

to assess: evaluar
How did you assess this student? = ¿cómo evaluó a este alumno?

remedial exam: formal examen de recuperación → to take a remedial exam

retaking exam: informal US examen de recuperación → to retake an exam
resitting exam: informal UK examen de recuperación → to resit an exam
midterm exam: examen parcial « term final exam
resit subject or course: asignatura pendiente
mock exam: simulacro de examen
make up exam: an exam that they get to take because they missed the original one, perhaps from being absent
from school that day
Time is up! ¬ al finalizar el examen
to enrol (in/for): apuntarse (a un curso) (I enrolled two different courses)
to truant: hacer novillos (US to play hooky) (truant: el que hace novillos)
to take/attend /e’tend/ classes: asistir a clases (to attend to sth: atender a)
latecomers: los que llegan tarde (punctuality « unpunctuality, lateness: impuntualidad) (to be punctual)
attendance: asistencia (personal, a un mitin, o médica)
Is my attendance necessary? = ¿es preciso que asista yo?
What was the attendance at the meeting? = ¿cuántos asistieron a la reunión?
Nursary → Primary → Secondary
to be distracted / lost in thought / absent-minded: estar distraido, despistado
despiste: momentary lapse, absent-mindedness, lapse of concentration
to get distracted (by): distraerse (por, con)
to distract sb: distraer
I was distracted and missed the train
I got distracted tuning the radio and I missed my freeway exit
The radio show distracted me and I left the house late
He’s very absent-minded
attentive: atento (también en el sentido de “cortés”)
to pay attention (to) = to be attentive
You have to be attentive in class or You have to pay attention in class
pupil /’pju:pl/: alumno
ex-student: ex-alumno
(class)mate: compañero de clase (@groupmates: compañeros de grupo)
telltale, UK informal grass: chivato (UK informal to grass/tell on sb: chivarse de alguien)
His sister-in-law grassed on him and he was arrested
A grass helped the police break the case = un soplón ayudó a la policía a resolver el caso
My brother was always telling on me when we were growing up

homework: deberes, trabajo para casa

classwork: trabajo de clase

Texto bajo licencia Creative Commons: se permite su utilización didáctica así como su reproducción impresa o digital
siempre y cuando se respete la mención de su autoría, y sea sin ánimo de lucro. En otros casos se requiere el permiso
del autor (alfonsogonzalopez@yahoo.es) 3
 CLASSROOM LANGUAGE
ALFONSO GONZÁLEZ
I.E.S. FERNANDO DE MENA. MATHEMATICS DEPARTMENT

to do one's homework: hacer los ejercicios para casa (e.g. to do my/your/his homework NOT: to do the
homework)
to set homework: mandar deberes (US to assign homework)
to do an exercise: hacer un ejercicio
I haven't done it: no lo he hecho
(to give a) summary /ˈsʌmərɪ/ (of), résumé /ˈreɪzjuːmeɪ/: (hacer un) resumen (de)
She gave a summary or résumé of what he said
to summarize, to sum up sth: resumir
I have to summarize the subject in order to give it in a five-minute presentation

review: repaso
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to revise for the exam, lesson, etc : repasar examen, tema, etc. (US to review)
to brush up: repasar, refrescar
to prepare an outline of the lesson: un esquema de la lección
to make a diagram: hacer un diagrama
to look up to sb = to respect sb
All the pupils look up to their teacher = Todos los alumnos estiman a su profesor
Haven’t you any respect?=¿No tienes ningún respeto?
to order: ordenar (en ambos sentidos, pedir y poner en orden)
to scold /scould/: reprender, regañar (no noun!) = to tell off = to rebuke /ribiuk/: regañar (rebuke:
reprimenda ® formal objurgation /ˌɒbdʒ3ːgeɪʃən/)
to lecture: dar (una) clase (in/on sth) // fam. dar una reprimenda, una charla [lecture: conferencia (≅ speech,
talk) // reprimenda] [(university) lecturer: profesor universitario no titular // conferenciante]
to deliver a lecture: dar una conferencia (@ to make/deliver a speech)
He delivered a lecture on art = dio una conferencia sobre arte
to obey: obedecer
strict: riguroso, estricto ( severe /sɪˈvɪər/, rigid)
to reply /rɪˈplaɪ/: replicar, contestar (no necesariamente de forma descortés)
to answer sb back, to talk sb back: ídem (descortésmente)
to retort: replicar con aspereza
to rejoin: replicar, responder // reincorporarse
studious: estudioso
smart, clever: listo, inteligente ↔ thick: UK opposite of clever // espeso
gifted or talented student: buen estudiante
to swot: empollar (also noun)
IQ = intelligence quotient (low IQ, high IQ)
attitude: actitud
naughty /ˈnɔːti/: travieso, malo
impish: travieso, pícaro (smile, behaviour...)
rebellious: rebelde
nerd: el tonto de la clase, un friki, un "pringao"
end of course trip: viaje de estudios, viaje fin de curso
to do well: portarse bien « to do badly
to punish sb by + ger.: castigar (punishment: castigo)
When I was small my parents used to punish me by not letting me play with my friends

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También puede ser revisar las propias opiniones, etc.

Texto bajo licencia Creative Commons: se permite su utilización didáctica así como su reproducción impresa o digital
siempre y cuando se respete la mención de su autoría, y sea sin ánimo de lucro. En otros casos se requiere el permiso
del autor (alfonsogonzalopez@yahoo.es) 4
 CLASSROOM LANGUAGE
ALFONSO GONZÁLEZ
I.E.S. FERNANDO DE MENA. MATHEMATICS DEPARTMENT

coeducational school: colegio mixto (opposite of single-sex school, or a boys-only school)

to stream sb for: UK to divide pupils by ability
They stream the kids for maths at his school

tutor = private teacher // tutor → tutorship: tutoría (to tutor: dar clases particulares)
rule of thumb: regla nemotécnica, recordatorio
riddle: acertijo, adivinanza
evacuation /ɪˌvækjuˈeɪʃən/

 folder /ˈfəʊldər/: carpeta → to fold: plegar (fold: pliegue, arruga)

file: archivador
chalk: tiza
whiteboard: pizarra tipo "Vileda"
whiteboard mark: rotulador de pizarra
ruler: regla
satchel: school bag
timetable: horario (trains, students...) (US schedule)
noticeboard: corcho (US bulletin board)
cardboard: n. cartón, cartulina // adj. de cartón
textbook: libro de texto
notebook: cuaderno
pen: bolígrafo pencil: lapicero pencilsharpener: sacapuntas biro /ˈbaɪrəʊ/: UK bolígrafo
to pencil: escribir a lápiz (pencilled: escrito a lápiz)
paperclip: clip
sellotape /ˈsɛləˌteɪp/: UK celo
scissors = a pair of scissors (thirty pair of scissors NOT: thirty scissors)
thumbtack: chincheta (to thumbtack: poner con chinchetas)
canvas /ˈkænvəs/: lienzo, tela (for painting)

 handwriting: caligrafía (e.g. illegible handwriting)

to express oneself properly: expresarse con corrección
spelling: ortografía (spelling checker: corrector ortográfico)
misspelling, spelling mistake: falta de ortografía
mispronunciation: error de pronunciación
vowel /ˈvaʊəl/: vocal
capital letter: mayúscula (small letter: minúscula)
acronym: acrónimo, siglas
In spanish when you write m.s.n.m that stands for ''metros sobre el nivel del mar''
'ilu' is an acronym of/for 'i love you'
genre /ˈʒɒnrə/: género gramatical
mother language: lengua materna
native /ˈneɪtɪv/ speaker
digital naives: que desde pequeños están acostumbrados a las nuevas tecnologías
RP (Received Pronunciation): standard English
every day speech: el hablar ordinario (la forma corriente de hablar)
to drop one's aitches ← pl. of h: no pronunciar las haches (indicio de bajo nivel cultural)
idiom: modismo, giro, lenguaje
idiomatic expression: modismo, locución, frase hecha
theoretical, theoretic /θɪəˈretɪk/: teórico

Texto bajo licencia Creative Commons: se permite su utilización didáctica así como su reproducción impresa o digital
siempre y cuando se respete la mención de su autoría, y sea sin ánimo de lucro. En otros casos se requiere el permiso
del autor (alfonsogonzalopez@yahoo.es) 5
 CLASSROOM LANGUAGE
ALFONSO GONZÁLEZ
I.E.S. FERNANDO DE MENA. MATHEMATICS DEPARTMENT

trilingual
unvoiced: (Fonét. sonido) sordo
unabridged: sin adaptar (book) ↔ adapted

Some punctuation marks:

NAME SYMBOL
full stop .
question mark ?
exclamation mark !
comma /ˈkɒmə/
4
,
colon :
semicolon ;
hyphen -
5
dash --
brackets ()
apostrophe ‘
quotations marks ““

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Be careful!: coma /ˈkəʊmə/, as unconscious state
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What’s the difference between dashes and hyphens? A hyphen (-) is used to join words or parts of words.

Texto bajo licencia Creative Commons: se permite su utilización didáctica así como su reproducción impresa o digital
siempre y cuando se respete la mención de su autoría, y sea sin ánimo de lucro. En otros casos se requiere el permiso
del autor (alfonsogonzalopez@yahoo.es) 6