There are certain days in a person’s life that are highly important. We can call these “turning points.” A person’s life is one way before the event, then it changes greatly afterwards. Some examples include getting a driver’s license, getting married, having a first child, retirement, etc. Another example is graduation.
In the US, most people attend high school, so their graduation after 12th grade is a major accomplishment. After high school, many Americans go straight to work or into the military. For those who attend college and finish, they can experience graduation again.
Harmony supporting her younger brother David at his high school graduation. David went on to college at the University of Virginia.
Here are some key vocabulary words:
Diploma: (n.) The formal document that shows a student graduated from a school.
Graduation: (n.) The formal ceremony where students receive their diploma and officially receive their degree. In smaller schools like a high school, each student has his or her name called and walks across a stage to receive his or her diploma and shake hands with the principal. In larger schools like a college, graduation is done as a group.
Graduated: (v. adj.) The past tense of “graduate.” (v.)
Marked with lines representing degrees or amounts, like a “graduated cylinder.” (adj.)
Graduate: (v., n.) The act of graduating. (v.)
The person who graduates from a school. (n.)
(Be careful: Many English words are spelled the same but have a different pronunciation, if it’s a noun or verb.)
Baccalaureate: (n.) A religious service that usually takes place a few days before the graduation ceremony. It is often held in a church or chapel.
Valedictorian: (n.) The student/s in the graduating class with the highest grades.
Salutatorian: (n.) The student in the graduating class with the second-highest grades.
Commencement: (n.) This is another name for the graduation ceremony. Also, it can mean “a start,” so it represents how graduation is not so much the end of one part of life, but the beginning of a new phase!
Tassel: (n.) a bunch of loose threads held together at one end but hanging loose at the other; this is on the graduation cap.
in absentia: (adv.) This is Latin for “absent.” If a students does not attend his or her graduation ceremony, the principal may read his or her name in recognition then say in absentia.
DreyerCoaching student Hank, who went on to attend university in the Netherlands, where all the classes were in English.
What happens in a graduation ceremony?
Starting several weeks or even months in advance, seniors order graduation announcements to mail to relatives and friends. The people who receive those invitations will often mail a card and check to the graduate to express their congratulations and good wishes.
The graduation ceremony is often held in a large building on campus or in town, like a civic center. Graduates arrive a few hours early to line up and get last-minute instructions. Family and guests then come in and take their seats. In cases where seating is limited, each graduate is given a few tickets to give to people they want to invite.
The graduation ceremony usually begins as the graduates file in and take their seats. Traditionally, a band plays “Pomp and Circumstance” until all graduates have taken their seats. Next is usually a word of welcome from the school principal, president or other administrator.
During the program the valedictorian and salutatorian give their speeches, followed by the guest speaker. Most graduation speeches are known for being unremarkable. That is, most people are so thrilled to be in that moment that they never remember what their graduation speech was about. However, one exception is the now-popular graduation speech that Admiral William McRaven delivered at the University of Texas at Austin in 2014, “Make Your Bed.” The main point is, discipline yourself to make your bed first thing every morning, so that within a few moments of waking up, at least you have accomplished one positive step. You can listen to part of the speech here.
There is usually some special music during a graduation ceremony too. When I graduated from the College of William and Mary, established in 1693, the school choir sang “O God Our Help in Ages Past.” Even though William and Mary is a government university, it was fine to sing a Christian hymn during the ceremony.
Most graduation ceremonies last between one to two hours. When done, the graduates go outside, congratulate each other, take photos, and receive well-wishes from their guests. Gradually, people leave to go home, go to a party, leave for vacation, etc. For many people, graduation is the last time they will see each other, because life takes us all on different paths.
Graduation is a turning point and major event in life. You can let DreyerCoaching be your personal guide to better English! The better your English is, the more options you will have in school and life!
***
Since 2010, based in the friendly USA State of Virginia, DreyerCoaching.com has been providing customized, high-quality, real-time language instruction via the internet to a global audience in their home, school, or office. Think how comfortable, confident and successful you or your child will feel, receiving personalized guidance from college-educated teachers who are native speakers and have bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degrees plus decades of teaching experience. Whether you are looking for help with the ABCs or the SATs, or college admissions to conversational English to business writing, we serve all ages and levels to help our students make dreams come true. Discover the Dreyer Difference. Take the first step and visit DreyerCoaching.com, send Scott an email, or schedule a free consultation to get started.
自 2010 年以来，DreyerCoaching.com 总部位于友好的美国弗吉尼亚州，一直通过互联网向全球观众在家中、学校或办公室提供有制度的、高质量的实时语言教学。 想想您或您的孩子会感到多么自在、自信和成功，从受过大学教育的教师那里获得个别的指导，这些教师都是以英语为母语，拥有学士、硕士和博士学位，以及数十年的教学经验的教师。 无论是从 英语ABC的基础课程 或 SAT 的帮助，就读美国高中，大学入学申请，还是从会话英语到商务写作，我们都为所有年龄和水平的学生提供服务，帮助我们的学生实现梦想。 发觉 Dreyer 的不同之处。 迈出第一步，游览 DreyerCoaching.com网站，向 Scott 发送电子邮件，可开始安排一个免费咨询。
