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English: skills for learning
English: skills for learning

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Glossary

SWE_1 Glossary


Browse the glossary using this index

Special | A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z | ALL

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A

abstract nouns

(Noun, plural) Names of ideas, states or qualities. These cannot be seen or touched.


acronym

(Noun) A word made up of the initial letters of many words. For example: FAQ (frequently asked questions) and DIY (do it yourself)


assignment

(Noun) A particular task you are asked to do in the context of your job or studies. At university, an assignment may be an essay, a report or an oral presentation which is  submitted to your tutor for a mark and comments


autobiographical recount

(Noun) A text that describes events in your own life


autonomy

(Noun) Possibility to decide what tasks should be carried out and in what way they could be done.


B

bilingual dictionary

(Noun) A bilingual dictionary is a dictionary that provides a translation from one language to another.


biographical recount

(Noun) A text that describes events in a person’s life.


C

collocations

(Noun,plural) Words that normally precede or follow a word.


concept

(Noun) A general idea such as ‘development’ and ‘education’. Unlike an object, a place or a person, a concept cannot be touched or seen.


concrete nouns

(Noun, plural) Things that we can physically see and touch.


D

deforestation

(Noun) Removing trees from forests by cutting or burning them.


E

essay

(Noun) A formal piece of writing that deals with a specific topic It has an introduction, body paragraphs and a conclusion.  


evaluate

(Verb) To examine something in order to judge its value, importance, quality or condition.


evidence

(Noun) Information that can help to support a point you make. This information is taken from source texts or audio-visual materials.


explanation

(Noun) The act of making something clear by giving reasons and details.


F

feedback

(Noun) Comments and advice on the content of students’ assignments.


G

gist

(Noun) The overall meaning of a text. If you understand the gist, you have understood the key ideas of a text but not all of the details.


I

idiom

(Noun) Group of words whose meaning is different from the meaning of individual words. For example the expression ‘it’s a piece of cake’ means ‘it is easy’. Idioms usually express abstract ideas in a concrete and visual way.


J

job satisfaction

(Noun) How much a person enjoys their job.


job scope

(Noun) The variety of tasks you are asked to do. A broad job scope gives the employee a chance to carry out a range of different tasks.


M

mind-map

(Noun) A mind map is a diagram showing a key idea and other associated ideas and information. The key idea is at the centre of the diagram and the other concepts are linked to it. Mind maps can be used to organise ideas taken from a reading.


N

noun group

(Noun) A group of words used to name things, people or concepts. A noun group is made up of a main noun and other words that give further information about the noun.

The main noun is in bold in these examples: a spectrum microscope; a difficult question to answer; the man who discovered penicillin.


O

online forum

(Noun) An online meeting place where participants discuss their ideas in writing. An example is a tutor group forum where students can share ideas with other students.


P

plagiarism

(Noun) Copying words, ideas or information from source material and presenting them in writing without acknowledging where they have been taken from.


primate species

(Noun) A group of animals that includes monkeys, apes and humans.


R

reflection

(Noun) The process of thinking back on past experiences.


relevance

(Noun) The extent to which something is directly connected to the issue being discussed, to a person or to a specific situation.


reliable

(Adjective) Able to be trusted and dependable. 


research

(Noun) In-depth investigation and study to find information about a specific topic. (Also, verb) The act of doing this.


role

(Noun) A job that is highly regulated and requires the employee to work in a certain way following a large number of rules.


S

skim

(Verb) The act of reading a text very quickly in order to get a first impression or the general gist of the text.


sources

(Noun,plural) Document or audio-visual material that provides information about a topic. Examples of sources include: books, journals, magazines, newspapers, websites, dictionaries, audio and video clips.


T

topic

(Noun) The subject or item of discussion in an academic text, e.g. a paragraph, an essay, a report, a presentation.



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