Schooling

during Lockdowns

 
 
 

Vocabulary

chaos	quarantine	government
cancel	worldwide	do, does/did/done
stress	mean (3)	mean/meant/meant
GCSE	obviously	take/took/taken
rob	build up	build/built/built
spare	spare time	achievement
due to	break (3)	go/went/gone
closure	rehearse	break/broke/broken
prepare	uncertain	have/had/had
fresh	as long as	current (3)
case (3)	get to (2)	get/got/got
wake up	important	think/thought/thought
difficult	sit/sat/sat	see/saw/seen
both	check (2)	one-by-one
anxiety	anymore	know/knew/known
form (3)	grade (2)	what’s going on
get in (2)	based on	worry (worried)
continue	get out (2)	environment (2)
entrance	change (2)	opportunity
predict	go out (2)	entrance exam

 
 
 
 
 

Video: Schooling During Lockdowns

 
 
 
 

Transcript

“It’s chaos.”

“This has caused a lot of anxiety and stress.”

“The future is uncertain.”

Schools are closed. Exams are canceled. Students worldwide are learning from home.

.     .     .     .     .     .     .     .

 

1. Name: Anya
Age: 15
Country: UK

I’m currently in year eleven, which means I’m meant to be taking my GCSEs this year. But due to covid-19, these have obviously been canceled. This has caused a lot of anxiety and stress as we’ve been working so hard these past years.

And now that build up and that achievement has been robbed away from us.

.     .     .     .     .     .     .     .

 

Name: Alma
Age: 14
Country: Denmark

I go to an art school in my spare time, and I usually have an art break every day. I also dance in a dance company — we have rehearsed for a whole year.

But sadly, the show has been canceled due to the coronavirus.

This is my parents’ home office for these days.

And here is the desk I usually sit and do my schoolwork.

For me, it’s very important to get out and do some exercise, especially when we are in quarantine. As long as we have the possibility to go out and get fresh air, I think we have to use it.

One of the saddest things about being in quarantine is that I can’t get to see my friends every day. And I really love my friends, and they are really important to me.

.     .     .     .     .     .     .     .

 

Name: Unai
Age: 13
Country: Spain

I live in Madrid. Madrid is one of the cities that has the most coronavirus cases in Spain.

I wake up at around eight o’clock. Here I have my lessons and check one-by-one if I have any homework.

Difficult to study

I have been studying for around two hours, but it’s very difficult for me to study, because I have one brother and one sister, both of whom are little.

It’s chaos.

.     .     .     .     .     .     .     .

 

Name: Anya
Age: 15
Country: UK

As no one really knows what’s going on anymore — not the government, not the teachers, not us — which means for those certain grades, we need for our six form, we don’t know what that means because it’s based on predicted grades, so it’s quite stressful, because we don’t know if we’re going to get in or not.

.     .     .     .     .     .     .     .

 

Name: Masato
Age: 14
Country: Japan

There is anxiety. The future is uncertain. But I like studying. So I want to continue learning in any environment. I think school closure is a good opportunity for me to change myself.

There is a high school entrance exam in February 2021. I’m worried about it. But I want to prepare for it because no matter what happens, I want to do my best.

*     *     *     *     *     *     *

 

 

Questions

1. At this moment, children go to school every day. True or false?

2. Has lockdown disrupted the educational process for Anya in Great Britain?

3. Did Alma from Denmark complain about studying from home?

4. Is Alma an introvert or extrovert?

5. It is very easy and convenient for Unai (from Madrid, Spain) to study at home. Is this right or wrong?

6. Everyone has all the right information and knows what will happen in the future. Is this correct or incorrect?

7. Has Masato in Japan slacked off? Has he become lazy and not study?

8. Are all the students very happy about the lockdown and self-isolation?

 

A. My city is in a lockdown and everyone is self-isolating. Yes or no?

B. Do you enjoy or like staying at home? I love staying at, I enjoy staying at home, in the middle, so-so, yes and no, I don’t like being cooped up at home or I hate staying at home.

C. What do you do at home, during the quarantine?

D. Do you communicate with your teachers and friends? How do they feel?

E. Will things change as a result of the pandemic? What will happen in the future?