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Exercise 2. Work in pairs, compose the short dialogues of different types using the information above.
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Dialogue 1 (a question – agreement with some additional information).
- The system of higher education in Russia is very complicated.
- Yes, I quite agree with you (You are right. I really think so.). There are two ways of obtaining the university degree.
Dialogue 2 (a question – disagreement with some additional information).
- The process of reforming higher education in Russia is very slow.
- No, I don`t agree with you (I don`t think so. I`m afraid you are mistaken.). A lot of changes are under way.
Dialogue 3 (a guestion – an answer).
- What diploma does the university provide?
- The university provides either a diploma of a specialist or the Bachelor degree.
Dialogue 4 (a guestion – a guestion).
- How long does the course of study last?
- Do you mean a specialist program?
Dialogue 5 (information – a question).
- A lot of changes in Russian education are under way.
- What changes are the most important?
Exercise 3. Read the text and answer the questions:
1 What is the difference between undergraduates, graduates and postgraduates?
2 Which kinds of degrees are there in the British system of higher education?
3 Which kinds of academic activity do the students perform? Which kinds of studies do they have?
4 How many students usually study in the university?
5 What opportunities does the system of higher education provide for people who do not have a formal education?
Higher education in Great Britain
There are more than 60 universities in the U.K. They are divided into free types. First, these are old universities, such as Oxford, Cambridge and Edinburgh Universities. Second, these are the 19th century universities, such as London and Manchester, and at last there are the new universities. Some years ago there were also polytechnics. After graduating from a polytechnic a student got a degree, but it was not a university degree. 31polytechnics were given university status in 1992..
English universities differ from each other in traditions, general organization, internal goverment, etc. British universities are comparatively small, the approximate number is about 7-8 thousand students. Some universities have under 3,000 students, some even less than 1,500 ones. The most famous universities in Britain are Oxford and Cambridge. They are the two oldest English universities and they both have a long and eventful history of their own. Oxford and Cambridge are regarded as being academically superior to other universities and as giving special privilege and prestige. The number of students in each of them is about 20,000. Cambridge University consists of a group of 32 independent colleges. All British universities are private institutions. Students have to pay fees and living costs, but every student may obtain a personal grant from local authorities.
The typical academic programme for university students in Great Britain is composed of a varying number of courses or subjects. The academic obligations for each subject fall into three broad types. Lectures, at which attendance is not always compulsory, often outline the general scope of the subject matter and stress the particular specialization of the lecturer. Tutorials, through individual or group discussion, reading extensively, and writing essays under the tutor's direction, ensure focused and in-depth understanding of the subject.
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Students studying for first degrees are known as «undergraduates». They have lectures, there are regular seminars. After four years the students will take their finals. Those who pass examinations successfully are given the Bachelor’s degree: Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science. Students who have completed a first degree are eligible to undertake a postgraduate degree, which includes Master's degree (typically taken in one year), Doctorate degree (typically taken in three years). The first postgraduate degree is Master of Arts, Master of Science. Doctor of Philosophy is the highest degree.
The Open University was founded in 1969 and started its first course in 1971. The Open University offers degrees for people who do not have a formal education and qualifications, or who are much older than 16. Students study at home and then post their paper off to a tutor for marking. Most courses take six years and students get a number of credits for each year’s work. About 120000 people have enrolled since then.
Vocabulary:
a polytechnic – политехнический колледж, политехникум;
approximate – приблизительный;
to regard – расценивать, рассматривать, считать;
a superior – что-л., превосходящее по качеству;
fee and living cost – плата за обучение и проживание;
fall into – делиться на категории;
attendance – посещение;
compulsory – обязательный;
to outline – обрисовать в общих чертах;
the general scope – общее представление;
a subject matter – предмет, тема;
a tutor – наставник;
eligible – имеющий право, пригодный, подходящий;
to enroll – поступать.
Exercise 4. Complete the table, using the information given above. Compare the systems of higher education in different countries.
Systems of higher education
| Country | The USA | Russia | The UK |
| Types of institutions | 1) colleges 2) universities (contains several colleges + one or more graduate schools for obtaining a master’s or a doctoral degree) | ||
| Duration of study | 1) 4 years 2) 4 years + professional work and studies (apprenticeship, internship) + scientific research | ||
| Degree | 1) Bachelor’s degree 2) Bachelor’s degree + Master’s degree + Doctoral degree | ||
| Requirements for admission | high school records, recommendations from high school teachers, the scores on the Scholastic Aptitude Tests (SAT), the impression during interviews at the university | ||
| Source of financing | public or private | ||
| Number of students | 3000 – 50000 | ||
| Types of studies | lectures, seminars, tutorials | ||
| Field of concentration | major | ||
| Assessment | credits, tests |
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Commentary:
There are also other types of educational institutions in the USA:
– two-year, or community colleges, from which students may enter many professions or may go to four-year colleges or universities. They provide for a degree of Associate of Arts (AA) or Associate of Science (AS),
– technical training institutions, at which high school graduates may take courses ranging from six months to four years in duration, and learn a wide variety of technical skills, from hair styling through business accounting to computer programming. They provide no university degree.
But in fact both these types of institutions are not considered to be higher educational establishments in Russia.
Vocabulary:
duration – продолжительность;
requirements for admission – требования к приему (здесь – поступлению);
apprenticeship – ученичество;
internship – интернатура;
associate – степень, присваиваемая выпускнику среднего специального учебного заведения;
major – профилирующая дисциплина (в какой-л. области – in); дисциплина, выбранная как специализация;
tutorial – консультация.
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