School Life & Campus Activities
A Day at an International School in Shanghai
Join Mike for a day at an international school in Shanghai. Hear students describe classes, languages, projects, and activities while learning practical expressions for asking about school life and sharing your own perspective.
跟随麦克老师走进上海一所国际学校，听学生聊课堂、语言、创意项目和课外活动，并学习询问校园生活、表达个人看法时常用的英语。
跟隨麥克老師走進上海一所國際學校，聽學生聊課堂、語言、創意專案和課外活動，並學習詢問校園生活、表達個人看法時常用的英語。
Read the full lesson summary
In this visit to an international school in Shanghai, Mike follows a full school day and talks with students about classes, languages, projects, food, and after-school activities. He opens by asking what life and education are like at the school, then explains that he has connections in the international-school community and has been invited to film on campus. The visit includes security and check-in procedures, followed by conversations with students from different countries.
Several students describe learning Chinese from a young age and experiencing Chinese culture from a local perspective. Mike also visits creative spaces where students build projects, including game-related designs and a light, and he watches students prepare music and performances. These scenes offer useful language for describing what people are making, asking where someone is from, and reacting with interest.
The video continues through lunch, student conversations about homework and pressure, a math class, a Chinese class, an art exhibition, and extracurricular activities. Mike asks students what they think of the school, what languages they speak, and what they enjoy. Near the end, he visits the swimming facilities and reflects on the long day. Some brief speech, names, and music are difficult to identify in the available auto-captions; those parts are marked as unclear or omitted rather than guessed.
As you watch, notice how questions such as “What do you think about…?” invite an opinion, while “What’s … like?” asks for a description. Expressions such as “check it out,” “sit in on a class,” and “keep up with” are reusable in everyday conversation. The phrases are explained with optional Simplified and Traditional Chinese support. Afterward, try describing a school or learning environment you know, including its activities, opportunities, and pace. For a short speaking follow-up, compare one class or activity at this school with a learning environment you know: say what students do, what opportunities they have, and whether the pace feels easy to keep up with. This turns the listening into a practical description rather than a list of isolated school words.
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Transcript
Select an expression for its meaning · 0:00
Opening the school visit
[Opening rap lyrics omitted.] I can speak three languages fluently, and I’m learning my fourth language, which is Swedish. What’s going on, everyone? I’m visiting Yao Zhong today. I’ve got a really special episode for you. A lot of you have been asking at an international school. I used to work at one, so I have a lot of connections in the industry. Today, I’m lucky to have been invited by one of Shanghai’s most prestigious international schools to come and shoot for a day.
Try it: Choose one clear expression from this section and use it to describe a school, class, or activity you know.
Phrase cheat sheet
All phrases at a glance
Review each expression, hear it, save it, or jump to where it appears in the video.
what life and education are like
Opening the school visit · expression
Ask someone to describe what daily life and learning are like in a place or situation.
Tone and use: Natural, conversational way to invite someone to describe an experience. Ask about a school, job, city, or other unfamiliar setting.
May not fit: For a specific fact, ask a direct question instead.
Example“What’s life like in Vancouver during the winter?”
shoot for a day
Checking in at the campus · expression
Film or record something over the course of a day.
Tone and use: Informal production language; “shoot” here means film, not fire a weapon. Talk about recording a video, film, or photo project.
Example“We’re going to shoot for a day at the museum.”
security is tight
Checking in at the campus · expression
Security checks are strict or carefully controlled.
Tone and use: Informal, concise observation. Describe a place where entry is carefully checked.
Example“Security is tight at the airport, so arrive early.”
see what it’s like
Meeting students and hearing their perspectives · expression
Find out through experience what something is like.
Tone and use: Common, neutral conversational expression. Try or visit something so you can understand it firsthand.
Example“I’m taking a class to see what it’s like.”
from a local perspective
Meeting students and hearing their perspectives · expression
From the viewpoint of people who live in that place.
Tone and use: Neutral; useful when contrasting local and visitor viewpoints. Explain how a place or issue may be understood by residents.
Example“The guide explained the neighborhood from a local perspective.”
check it out
Meeting students and hearing their perspectives · phrasal verb
Go see, explore, or examine something because it seems interesting.
Tone and use: Casual and friendly. Suggest visiting a place, watching something, or taking a closer look.
Example“There’s a new café nearby—let’s check it out.”
a lot of opportunities
Talking about school life and activities · collocation
Many chances or possibilities to do or achieve something.
Tone and use: Neutral and widely used. Describe the choices or experiences available to someone.
Example“The program offers a lot of opportunities to practise speaking.”
sit in
Trying to follow a math lesson · phrasal verb
Attend a class as a visitor, usually without being a regular student.
Tone and use: Neutral; “sit in” is a set expression. Describe observing or briefly attending a lesson or meeting.
Example“I sat in on a science class during my campus visit.”
keeping up
Moving on to a Chinese class · phrasal verb
Continuing at the same pace or understanding information as it continues.
Tone and use: Common and conversational; “keep up” is used here in the -ing form. Talk about following a fast lesson, conversation, or workload.
Example“The lecturer spoke quickly, so I struggled to keep up.”
school is out
After-school activities begin · expression
The school day or school term has ended.
Tone and use: Informal, everyday wording. Say that classes have finished for the day or break.
Example“School is out, so the students are heading home.”
have the urge to
Visiting the swimming facilities · expression
Feel a sudden, strong desire to do something.
Tone and use: Neutral; often used for an impulse or spontaneous feeling. Describe a sudden wish to do an activity.
Example“I had the urge to go for a swim after work.”
Knowledge check
Practice the phrases you heard
What it means · “security is tight”