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refresher course

refresher course

9 3.6
A short course that reviews and updates what people already know
  • noun
  • /rɪˈfrɛʃər kɔrs/
translation icon : curso de actualización
  • I'm taking a refresher course in philosophy to update my knowledge.

So now he's got to turn around again and I get to get a refresher course, you know, And this time he's spreading.

Examples

  • Consequently, Jennings oversees a continual stream of workers taking refresher courses or getting acquainted with new technology.

    Academic text (2007)
  • I'm taking a refresher course in philosophy.

  • Would you like to run a refresher course?

  • Maybe we should run that refresher course.

  • Guess it's time for a refresher course.

  • Maybe you need a refresher course.

  • All of us can use a refresher course like this once in a while.

    Blog text (24)
  • When asked, some teachers indicated that they could use a refresher course each year.

    Academic text (2006)
  • The work had its origin as a refresher course for students preparing for examinations.

    Academic text (1990)
  • Whenever we attend family reunions, the uncles give me a quick refresher course in who's officially dead and who's not.

    Fiction book (1999)

Synonyms

crash course
vsrefresher course
17 3.4

A short course that teaches important skills quickly

focuses on reviewing recent developments for familiar learners rather than rapid basics
refresher
vsrefresher course
17 4.1

A short course that reviews skills and teaches new ways to do them

focuses on learners already familiar who need catching up on recent developments
reinstruction
vsrefresher course
6.0

To teach or train someone again to refresh their skills

is a structured program aimed at already familiar learners needing recent updates

How Intensive

workshop
175 3.3
refresher course
9 3.6
course
506 1.8
lecture
365 3.1

Surface Forms

Morphology

refresher + course

The meaning 'a course that reviews and updates knowledge' is directly and compositionally built from 'refresher' (something that refreshes or renews knowledge) plus 'course' (a series of lessons). This noun+noun pattern is transparent and common across languages, so a B1 learner who knows both constituent words will readily infer the MWE meaning.

Etymology

The noun refresher course comes from the simple idea that a short course will refresh your memory, like cool water bringing a tired plant back to life. So it means a short class to 'review' what you already know and to 'catch up' on new information.