Listening · Unit 3: Core strategies
L33: Academic vocabulary for Parts 3 and 4
Target band 6.5 to 7
Parts 3 and 4 move from everyday life to the world of study. Students discuss research projects. Lecturers talk about history, nature and science. The words get more academic, and so do the answers. This lesson gives you the core academic words that appear again and again.
Why this matters
In Part 4, many answers are academic nouns, like habitat or evidence. If you don't know the word, you can't spell it. And if you can't spell it, you get zero. Learning these words also helps you in Reading and Writing, so the effort pays you three times.
Studying and research
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| assignment | a piece of work for a course |
| seminar | a small class discussion |
| tutor | a teacher who guides a small group |
| module | one part of a course |
| dissertation | a long final project |
| survey / questionnaire | a set of questions for many people |
| data | facts and numbers collected |
| sample | the group of people studied |
| findings | what the research discovered |
| evidence | facts that support an idea |
| analysis | studying data carefully |
| method / methodology | how the research was done |
Environment and nature
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| habitat | where an animal or plant lives |
| species | a type of animal or plant |
| ecosystem | living things and their environment together |
| pollution | harmful things in air, water or land |
| emissions | gases released, like from cars |
| renewable | can be used again, like solar power |
| conservation | protecting nature |
| drought | a long period without rain |
| climate | the usual weather of a place |
Science and the body
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| organism | a living thing |
| nutrient | something in food that helps growth |
| predator / prey | the hunter / the hunted |
| migration | moving from one place to another |
| experiment | a scientific test |
| temperature | how hot or cold something is |
History and society
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| ancient | very old |
| century | 100 years |
| civilisation | an advanced society |
| settlement | a place where people live |
| archaeology | the study of the past through objects |
| population | the number of people |
| urban / rural | city / countryside |
A smart way to learn
Learn word families, not single words. If you know analyse, also learn analysis, analytical and analyst. The test might use any of them.
| Verb | Noun | Adjective |
|---|---|---|
| analyse | analysis | analytical |
| protect | protection | protective |
| migrate | migration | migratory |
| pollute | pollution | polluted |
Try it yourself
Fill the gap with one word from this lesson.
- Polar bears are losing their natural __________ because the ice is melting.
- The students sent a __________ to 200 people.
- Wind and solar are examples of __________ energy.
Show the answers
1) habitat. 2) questionnaire (or survey). 3) renewable.
Honest note
You don't need to know every academic word in English. But these core words appear so often that learning them is one of the best uses of your time.
Your task today
Pick ten words from this lesson. Write them on cards with the meaning on the back. Test yourself every evening this week.