Unit 1 Making Choice can be Hard Work

Lead In

1. Choosing a university at which you will spend the next few years of your life is not easy. It is important to make sure that you choose the right place to study. There are so many questions you have to answer. List the factors that influenced your choice of the university, e.g.:

§ university location

§ fields of study

§ …

§ …

§ …

 

2. How did you get information about the university/faculty you study at: through University Prospectus, University Open Days, from your friends,…?

 

Reading

1. Look through the advertisement of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Take notes under these headings.

§ Levels of study

§ Fields of science

§ Accommodation provided

§ Institute structure

§ Number of students

§ Location

(Adapted from MIT Web site)

 

Discuss

Ø If you had a chance would you choose MIT to study at?

Ø What information from this advertisement would help you make up your mind?

 

Focus on Language

1. Read the paragraph. What do the words in bold print refer to?

The MIT is dedicated to educating students in science, technology and other areas of scholarship that will best serve the nation in the 21st century. It offers a wide range of accommodation for its students.

 

Contextual reference Pronouns and adjectives are often used to link ideas together so that the text is easier to read. In this case they refer to a word or words mentioned earlier in the sentence or paragraph.

 

2. Read the paragraph and highlight the words in the text that refer to the words in bold.

Cambridge, US is a unique community with a strong mix of cultural and social diversity and technological innovation. Its "Squares" are rich in various international restaurants and cafes as well as unique shopping, theatres, museums, and historic sites. Located between Harvard University and MIT, Central Square is the seat of City government and is home to a rich variety of music clubs, book shops, restaurants, etc. It ’s about a 12 minute walk from Kendall Square, which is the home to MIT and the heart of Massachusetts' high tech and biotechnology industries. The main site of the MIT is located along the left bank of the Charles River. This provides a wonderful view of the Boston area. Parking in Cambridge can be expensive and hard to find so use public transportation to get to the MIT campus. The Tech shuttle and Safe Ride shuttle provide free transportation around the MIT. But the latter runs only on weekdays.

(Adapted from http://www.cambridge-usa.org/)

 

Get real

Study the web site and Prospectus of your university or faculty. Then write an advertisement of your own for university applicants. Use MIT advertisement as an example. Present your advertisement in class using the guidelines:

§ Location

§ Levels of study

§ Fields of science

§ Accommodation provided

§ Institute structure

§ Number of students

§ University rank

 

Reading

1. Match words in A with the partner in B to make common phrases related to education.

A	B
1) school- leaving	a) work
2) course of	b) qualification
3) professional	c) method
4) business	d) course
5) work	e) subject
6) method of	f) study
7) teaching	g) assessment
8) course	h) training
9) specialized	i) experience
10) academic	j) examination
11) sandwich	k) studies

 

2. Read the text about the British system of higher education. What makes it

unique?

First degree courses in the UK

The UK has an excellent reputation for higher education and research. It offers a lot of opportunities to both national and international students at undergraduate and postgraduate level.

Study help When you read a text, first try to guess the meaning of the key words and phrases from the context. At least figure out some information about the word – is it a noun? Does it seem to have something to do with color? Then when you look up the word, see if your guesses were close. Use a dictionary only if you cannot guess their meanings. While reading this text, underline the words which are new.

Degrees

The degrees vary according to the practice of each university. First degrees after leaving school are often called undergraduate. Arts, social science and pure science degrees normally last 3 years in England, Wales and Northern Ireland because

they are designed to follow a very specialized school-leaving qualification. In Scotland, they take 4 years of study because Scottish students do less specialized school-leaving examination. First degree courses that include professional training take longer. Some courses in business studies, engineering, science and technology are one year longer to allow students to undertake practical training. These are known as sandwich courses and include periods of work experience in industry and commerce.

Traditionally a university graduate will be awarded the degree of Bachelor

of Arts, Science, Engineering, Medicine etc. Later he may continue to take

graduate or postgraduate courses.

There is a second higher educational qualification in the UK, known as the

Higher National Diploma or HND. It lasts a year less than a degree course – either

two full-time or three years as a sandwich course. HNDs are vocational (or job related), so a student will not find them in purely academic subjects as history or philosophy. They are available in, for example, science subjects, engineering, business studies, hospitality and tourism management.

Teaching

UK universities and colleges use a range of teaching methods:

Lectures – given to large groups of students, sometimes up to 200. In Oxford popular lecturers can attract audiences from several faculties, while others may find themselves speaking to two or three loyal students, or maybe to no one at all.

Seminars – discussions between one member of staff and a small group of students on a previously arranged topic, which everyone has prepared. Often, one student reads out an essay or seminar paper, then everyone joins in the discussion.

Tutorials – one-to-one discussions or between a member of staff and two or three students; normally take place once a week. Students write essays for the tutor which serve the basis for the discussion and argument. At the end of the hour the students go away with a new essay title and a list of books that might be helpful in preparing for the essay.

Assessment

Students’ work may be assessed in several different ways. Most universities

and colleges still use some form of written examination. These can last up to three hours, in which time a student has to answer three or four questions in essay form. Examinations may be held each year or may come all together at the end of the course (in which case they’re known as “finals”). Very few institutions, however, rely only on finals.

Continuous assessment is an increasingly popular method of assessment,

based on the marks a student receives either in all their coursework or in a

number of selected essays and projects.

Many first degree honours courses require students to undertake research and write a dissertation, which is an extended essay on a subject of the student’s

choice. Dissertations usually replace two or more examination papers.

(Adapted from http://www.universitiesuk.ac.uk/)

 

Comprehension check

1. Read the text more carefully and answer the questions.

a) What is the first degree course title?

b) What is the difference between the course of study in Scotland and the rest of the UK?

c) What is a sandwich course?

d) How long do the first degree courses last?

e) What does HND stand for?

f) How long does HND course last?

g) In what way are tutorials different from seminars?

h) What is the main difficulty taking a written exam?

i) What do you think the advantages of “continuous assessment” are?

j) Are all students required to write an extended essay?

 

2. Look back in the text and find the words that match these definitions.

a) the qualification obtained by students who successfully complete a university or college course - …

b) a document showing that you have completed a course of study or part of your education - …

c) written, spoken or practical text to see how much a student knows about the

subject or what he/she can do - …

d) a university course that is of a higher level than a basic course - …

e) a number or letter that is given to show the standard of smb’s work or

performance or is given to smb for answering smth correctly - …

f) a period of study at a college or university that leads to an exam or a

qualification - …

g) the process of learning the skills that you need to do a job - …

h) an area of knowledge studied in a school, college, etc. - …

i) the fact of passing an exam, completing a course of training or reaching the standard necessary to do a job or take part in a competition - …

j) the last exam taken by university students at the end of their final year - …

 

Focus on Language

1. Look at the entry for the work book in the Lingvo Dictionary. It will help

you to work with dictionaries more effectively.

The pronunciation in phonetic symbols

 

The part of speech

(n. = noun, v. = verb)

	book [ buk ] n. 1. книга; 2. литературное произведение; The translation v. 1. записывать, регистрировать; 2. заносить в список; 3. заказывать, бронировать места, продавать билеты (обычно заранее); приглашать, договариваться adj. книжный, ~ learning – теоретические знания
~ means repeat the word   The translation     Information in brackets (…) helps you to choose the right translation or shows which country this word is widely used in

2. Identify what parts of speech the words in bold are.

§ Pull down the blinds before you light the lamp.

§ This bright light blinds my eyes.

3. These words have more than one meaning. Use a dictionary to find out which part of speech they are and what meanings they have. Write two sentences to illustrate different meanings of every word.

	Sentence 1	Sentence 2
book	I’ve bought a new book.	Have you already booked a room at a hotel?
train
might
last
course
honour
subject
degree
way

 

Listening

1. Before you listen check the meaning of these words and phrases with a partner or in a dictionary:

 

2. Match the words and phrases in A with the verbs they often go with in B. Some verbs are used more than once.

A		B
offer
suit		credit points
transfer		a course
cover		a qualification
specify
gain		interest
design		progress
take		a route of study
provide
develop		skills
pass		modules/subjects
broaden		an opportunity
monitor

 

3. Listen to James Couzin, Education Consultant at “Universities UK” speaking on the new modular schemes. Complete the notes.

 

Discuss

Ø Would you like to study abroad?

Ø What degrees are awarded in Russian universities?

Ø How does the pattern of learning in the UK differ from that in Russia?

Ø How is the student’s progress assessed in the UK and in Russia?

Ø How does the British system of higher education differ from the system of education in our country?

Ø Which elements of British system of higher education would you introduce in your university? Why?

 

Get real

Visit the websites of the world famous universities and take notes on

§ degrees that they award in your field of science

§ courses available – traditional, modular, sandwich, etc.

§ admission requirements

§ types of classes

§ methods of assessment

Report back in class.

 

Role play

 

Study help Make use of every opportunity you get to practice speaking in class. Role-plays help you prepare for a real-world experience

 

You		University representative
Attract Representative’s attention.
		Offer your help.
Introduce yourself. Say what field of study you are interested in.
		Tell about the courses available in the chosen field.
Ask about the length of study and degrees/diplomas that are awarded.
		Give detailed info about the course and ask if he/she is interested in single or joint degree course.
Ask about the tuition fee and university facilities. Find out about forms of teaching and assessment.
		Answer all the questions and offer the University Prospectus.
Ask for the application form to fill in.
		Give some advice on how to fill it in correctly. Say when the admission deadline is.
Thank the representative for his/her help.
		Express hope in meeting your partner at the University.

 

 

Writing

1. Application forms mostly ask for information rather than ask questions. Match a line in A with a question in B.

 

A	B
1) First name	a) Where are you living at the moment?
2) Surname	b) Are you married or single?
3) Date of birth	c) Where were you born?
4) Country of origin	d) What’s your surname?
5) Present address	e) Where do you live?
6) Permanent address	f) What do you do?
7) Marital status	g) When were you born?
8) Occupation	h) How much do you earn?
9) Annual income	i) What’s your first name?

 

2. Fill in the application form for admission. Write in block capitals. Put N/A if the information is not applicable.

Application Form for admission as an undegraduate student   1. Personal information Title__________________________________________________________Mr/Mrs/Miss Surname__________________________________________________________________ First Name(s)______________________________________________________________ Date of birth (use figures only): date__________ month_____________ year___________ Place of birth____________________________Citizenship_________________________ Home address: street and house_______________________________________________ city____________________country______________________postcode______________ Telephone (country, area code/phone number)____________________________________ Email____________________________________________________________________ Mailing address (if different from home address)__________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________ 2. Disability/special needs If you would like to receive information on support for students with a disability tick here_______ 3. Prefered field of study first choice__________________________________________________________ second choice_______________________________________________________ third choice_________________________________________________________ 4. Which semester are you applying for? ______________________________________ 5. University entrance qualifications: Type (gymnasia, lyceum, comprehensive school, vocational school, technical school)_____ _________________________________________________________________________ Date of completion_________________________________________________________ Average grade (not necessary for foreign certificates)______________________________ 6. Professional training/practical training (please include references) Professional qualification ____________________________________________________ Duration of training from_______________________until__________________________ 7. Professional experience after training and/or other working experience (for more than 8 weeks, include references) o __________________________________________________ o __________________________________________________ o __________________________________________________ 8. University/college previously attended (if you have previously been registered as a full-time student at a university/college, please supply all information) Institution________________________________________________________________ Qualifications completed/being studied_________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________ Field of study _____________________________________________________________ Dates____________________________________________________________________   Date _____________________ Signature _________________

 

In the Realm of Science

In education as well as in many other spheres of our life there are a great number

of abbreviations. Read and remember the abbreviations to do with the degree titles, e.g. BS stands for Bachelor of Science.

Do all of them have Russian equivalents?

A.S.	Associate of Science (USA)
A.A.	Associate of Arts (USA)
A.A.S.	Associate of Applied Science (USA)
BS	Bachelor of Science
BA	Bachelor of Arts
MS	Master of Science
MA	Master of Arts
MPhil	Master of Philosophy (UK)
MBA	Master of Business Administration
PhD	Doctor of Philosophy
Hons	Honours
HND	Higher National Diploma (UK)

 

2. What degrees are awarded in Russian universities?

 

Unit 1. Progress Monitoring In this unit you have worked on the vocabulary related to the topic “Higher education”   undergraduate/graduate programme   to choose a field of study       to take a course of study   to do coursework       to study/prepare for a tutorial/essay/exam   vocational qualification       to award a (an honour) degree   end-of-course assessment       to undertake practical training   to monitor one’s progress       to design a programme of study   a modular/sandwich course       to receive marks/credit points   compulsory/optional subjects       to pass “core”/”elective” modules   classroom participation         Tick (V) the points you are confident about and cross (X) the ones you need to revise.