F2F Class Notes (Lily) [R]

http://www.english-online.at/education/school-dropouts/school-dropouts.htm

Some American high schools have a dropout rate of up to 50%. There are many reasons for students leaving school :

• For two thirds of the dropouts motivation is the problem. They can’t just work hard enough.
• Almost half of them said that they had missed so many classes that they could not catch up any more.
• Many said that they were not prepared well enough in their earlier school.
• For a third of them getting a job was more important than finishing school.

High school dropouts have more problems in society and in their future lives.  They are more likely to be unemployed or live in poverty. There is also a big difference in income if you compare high school dropouts with graduates. According to data by the US Census bureau Americans with a bachelor’s degree earn about  $ 50,000 , those with a high school diploma about  $28,000 and dropouts only about $ 20,000.

Many pupils do not understand the implications of dropping out of school. They often demand better teachers, more lessons to catch up in subjects and more help with learning problems. Some schools have adopted to this situation. They offer evening classes or allow students to come back at a later age.

Vocabulary

1. dropout (noun, verb)= to leave school before you are finished with it

ex. Some boys dropout of middle school to make money.

2. catch up =  to get as far as the other pupils because you have missed something

ex: I need to catch up on the final exam, because I was sick for two weeks and didn’t come to school.

3. society = people in general

ex: In our society, people like those who are honest/ people like honest people.

4. unemployed = out of work

ex: She doesn’t have enough work experience, so she is unemployed.

5. graduate = if you finish the last class of school successfully

ex: When I was 20 years old, I graduated from university.

6.bachelor’s degree = the first part of studies at a university (4 years)

ex: Employers like to hire people who have at least a bachelor’s degree.

7. demand = want

ex: I demand my daughter to learn two words everyday.

8. motivation (noun), motivate (verb) = providing with a reason to act in a certain way

ex: Money is the biggest motivation for most people to go to work.

9: implication= effect

ex: Many students don’t understand the implication of dropping out of school.

Pronunciation

society: So- SIGH- ety

dropout- drOP AO t

earlier- er- lier

more- m or    (not mao)

that- th a t (a like apple)