Why take a gap year? 6 Minute English

Some students delay university to take a year off travelling. The emphasis now is on doing a productive, purposeful gap year that will look good on your CV and help you get a job. Is it a good idea? Neil and Georgina hear two students with different views and teach you related vocabulary.

This week's question
According to the Institute of Fiscal Studies, which subject studied at university will lead to the highest average earnings five years after graduating? Is it…

a) Law
b) Veterinary science
c) Medicine and dentistry

Listen to the programme to find out the answer.

𝐕𝐨𝐜𝐚𝐛𝐮𝐥𝐚𝐫𝐲
𝐠𝐚𝐩 𝐲𝐞𝐚𝐫
year between leaving school and starting university that is usually spent travelling or working

𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐛𝐚𝐜𝐤 𝐨𝐟 𝐦𝐲 𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐝
an idea we don’t think about frequently but keep stored deep in our memory

𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐝𝐮𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞
something that leads to a good or useful outcome

𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐝
what is likely to happen in the future based on current information

𝐚𝐧 𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐧 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐩𝐭
an idea that is strange and not familiar

𝐩𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥
relating to the learning of real skills which can be usefully applied

𝐌𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝟔 𝐌𝐢𝐧𝐮𝐭𝐞 𝐄𝐧𝐠𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐡 𝐞𝐩𝐢𝐬𝐨𝐝𝐞𝐬:
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[Cover: Getty Images]
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[tingting]

vocabularies I have learned in this video/programme:
1. Gap year: a year between leaving school when starting university that is usually spent for traveling and working
2. at the back of my mind: an idea we don't remember frequently but keep stored in our memory.
3. productive: it describe something that leads for a good or useful outcome
4. predicted: an estimation of what is happening in the future based on current information
5. an alien concepts: means a weird idea
6.practical: When you are doing something practical, you are doing something real and useful because you learned skills that may can use in the future

[liyacool]

I love British Council for giving the opportunity to learn English!
As for me, a gap year should be taken if you haven’t decided yet what you want to become in the future after finishing the school, maybe it’s better to work for a while and decide not in a rush what is your own career path, better to spend one year on thinking than four years in despair. Thanks.

[najatarabia]

I took a gap year to relax from the stress of studying, researching and revising before moving on to pursue a higher academic degree

[izielbluewings]

Gap year is literally an alien concept in Vietnam. Vietnamese parents don't think that it could help their children to become more employable. That's so sad!

[thuybui-qfbt]

Neil: Hello. This is 6 Minute English and I'm Neil. And joining me to do this is Georgina.
Georgina: Hello.
Neil: Now, Georgina, I know you went to university to study for a degree but before you moved from college to university, did you take a year off?
Georgina: I did.
Neil: Well, you're not alone. Many students choose to take a break from their studies to travel or gain work experience before moving on to university.
Georgina: Yes, and this is what we call a 'gap year'. Neil: And in this programme we're talking about taking a gap year and why doing this has become more important than ever. But first, as always, I need to challenge you and our listeners, Georgina, to answer a question. Are you ready?
Georgina: Ready and waiting, Neil!
Neil: According to the Institute of Fiscal Studies, which subject studied at university will lead to the highest average earnings five years after graduating? Is it... a) Law, b) Veterinary science, or c) Medicine and dentistry? What do you think, Georgina?
Georgina: Well, all are subjects that involve lots of studying... but as a guess, I think those studying veterinary science end up working as vets and earning the most money ... so it's b), I think.
Neil: OK. Well, we'll find out if you're right at the end of the programme. Let's get back to talking about gap years - as the name suggests, it's a break or gap in between your studies - we might also call it a year out. It's not a new concept - meaning idea - and there are a number of reasons why someone may choose to take one.
Georgina: That's right. The BBC's Smart Consumer podcast looked at this and heard from two students - one, Meg, took a gap year and the other, Tom, didn't. Let's hear from them now...
Meg: I knew I wanted to go to university, but... I decided I'll do it after a year out, and that way I can wait till I get my official results and apply to university with those rather than getting predicted grades and then, you know, potentially being surprised and not being able to follow the path I wanted. I just always had in the back my mind that I'd spend a year doing something productive and something that would just be good fun.
Tom: It's not something that I really knew about to be honest, I think, until I started university. It was a bit of an alien concept to me. It's something I've never thought about - it would have been far too expensive and it's not something that would have been able to rely on my parents or family members for.
Neil: Two different experiences there. So Meg said she had 'in the back of my mind' doing a gap year. That means she had the idea but didn't think about it frequently - it was stored deep in her memory.
Georgina: And she had the idea of doing something productive - that means leading to a good or useful outcome - and, of course, having fun at the same time!
Neil: She also wanted to do something while she waited for her exam results to come in, rather than applying for a university place based on predicted results which may turn out to be wrong. If something is predicted, it's an estimation of what is likely to happen in the future based on current information.
Georgina: Now, Tom had a different experience. He wasn't really aware of the gap year and described it as an alien concept - so an idea that is strange and not familiar.
Neil: Tom also mentioned a gap year would have been too expensive - but according to Chris Rea from the organisation Prospects, it needn't cost a lot of money. Speaking on BBC Radio 4's You and Yours programme, he says it's about gaining skills and being more employable...
Chris Rea: I think the experience of the gap year has become actually much more practical, partly as I say to do with university participation increasing, but also because of the demands on developing skills, specifically employability skills. Actually from an employer's point of view, certainly, any form of experience and skills acquisition that you've undertaken is valuable.
Neil: According to Chris Rea, the focus these days is for a gap year to be more practical - this adjective describes the learning of real skills which can be usefully applied.
Georgina: Yes, and these are skills that help you compete for a place at university and ultimately make you more employable - they help you get a job.
Neil: Right, but which job might earn you the most money, Georgina? Earlier I asked you, according to the Institute of Fiscal Studies, which subject studied at university will lead to the highest average earnings, five years after graduating? Is it... a) Law, b) Veterinary science, or c) Medicine and dentistry. What do you say, Georgina?
Georgina: I said veterinary science. Was I correct?
Neil: Sadly you weren't. The correct answer is c) Medicine and dentistry. According to research in the UK, graduates of medicine and dentistry earn an average of £46, 700.
Georgina: That's more than an English teacher I suspect, but that's not going to stop us recapping today's vocabulary.
Neil: OK. So, we've been talking about a gap year - that's a year between leaving school and starting university that is usually spent travelling or working.
Georgina: When we say something is at the back of my mind, we mean an idea we don't think about frequently but keep stored deep in our memory.
Neil: And when something is productive - it describes something that leads to a good or useful outcome.
Georgina: Next, we mentioned the word predicted. If something is predicted, it's an estimation of what is likely to happen in the future based on current information.
Neil: An alien concept is an idea that is strange and not familiar.
Georgina: And when you're doing something practical, you're doing something that is real and useful because you learn skills that can be used in the future.
Neil: Thank you, Georgina, for that practical run through of our vocabulary. So that's all from 6 Minute English for now. Goodbye! Georgina: Bye!

[ms.lunaha]

Thank you for your practical videos. Taking a gap year is at the back of my mind and also an alien concept for almost of my friends. However, my younger sister is planning to take a year off for travelling and working for herself. I hope that she finds it productive for her in the future.

[buithanhxuan]

A great video! In Vietnam, taking a gap year is an idea strange because the parents don't agree and don't support it. So, why almost students in Vietnam don't have some good skills and experiences after leaving the university😂

[marisacassoni]

To achieve great marks you need study every day. Thank you BBCLearning English team. New vocabulary is hardy but it is we need.

[gustavo]

I had understood perfectly our teatchers, but both students... good heaven, I have a lot to learn, yet!

[kellynguyen]

A gap year is considered a precious time for students who want to gain experience for themselves first. I really want to have a gap year; however, it is not a common thing in my country, Vietnam. In case that you dont enroll a university after graduting from highschool, definitely you're seemed to be a bad person or you could be judged by others, especially your neighborhood. I absolutely hate people who judge others just because of their education.

[jakkrapatk]

Why take a gap year?
Doing something productive.
Being more employable.
Learn practical skills.
Relaxing before entering a university.
University life can be more stressful.
But it allows you to do practical things in life.
Budgeting is extremely important for university life.
Happy learning and good luck!

[TheGudsProduction]

In Indonesia, taking a gap year is such an alien concept. Out tiger parents don't want their children not taking a university and have a bad future.

[tvvng]

In Vietnam, gap year is totally an alien concept which not many students think about and parents would allow. However, this was at the back of my mind for the last few months. This would be great if I just take a leap :D

[jayamohan]

Gap year is really practical, during gap year one get new exposer by traveling and meeting different people which make him more competent for getting better job.

[learnenglishwithsiddig]

Best podcasts ever😍 thank you BBC i love you from deep in my heart❤

[lgoptimus]

Thank you very much for helping us improve our English.

[laphoangkim]

1:16 veterinary (vets)

gap year ~ year out

2:12 2:38 5:22 in the back of my mind

2:23 alien concept

[maximenko_dm]

In Russia we have a gap year for becoming a perfect soldiers! Unfortunately, women have not this perfect vocation(

[capiemun]

Few months ago, taking a gap year was still an alien concept to me until i watched a video on facebook about 'a gap year'. In my opinion, taking a gap year before you become a freshman in university is a good idea. It seems so practical since you could gain much more experiences and learn some necessary skills, computer literacy for example. Therefore, you will be more productive when you come back to your studying process. If it is possible, i also want to take a gap year.

[benjaminestrada]

THANKYOU so much greetings from México