Text B. Choosing is not so easy as it looks

Jane: Hallo, Bob!

Bob: Hallo!

Jane: Oh, you've just left college, haven't you?

Bob: Yes.

Jane: What are you going to do?

Bob: Er... well, it looks like a choice between teaching or going into an office and... I think I'd much prefer to go in for teaching, because... well you get long holidays.

Jane: But, Bob, wouldn't you get bored with the same routine year after year teaching... teaching the same material to the children. And... a sense o! responsibility you need — all those children, all those parents.

Вob: Oh, look, it wouldn't be as boring as... as working in an office. Teaching is terribly stimulating. It's... new every day — I'm sure I'd enjoy it.

Jane: But I mean, there's so much variety in office work! Look at my job: I'm dealing with people and their problems, there're new situations to cope with all the time.

Bob: Yes, that's quite true, but I think there's a number of differences between teaching and office work and, well, I think I'll go in for teaching because... it really attracts me.

(From J. Jones "Functions of English". Cam., 1981)

ESSENTIAL VOCABULARY (II)

Words

appreciate υ genuinely adv responsibility n

career n job n responsible adj

challenge n profession n vital adj

choice n reliable adj vocation n

educate υ respect υ work n, υ

Word Combinations

to make/take a (careful) choice rewarding/stimulating work

to have no choice to be devoted to smth. or smb.

to be interested in to be responsible for smth.

to leave/finish school to take/accept responsibility

school leaver to have/need a sense of res-

to consider teaching (medicine, ponsibliliry

etc.) as a career to cope with smth.

to take up a carrer/a job to earn/enjoy gratitude

to go in for teaching and respect

to be in teaching (medicine, to have (no) respect for

banking, etc.) smb. or smth.

to be in/out of one's line love of smth./for smb.

 

Note: The nouns "work, job, profession, career, vocation" have more or less the same meaning. Nevertheless there is a certain diffеrence in their semantics and usage.

"Work" has the most general meaning and can be applied to anything one has to do in the way of making a living. "Job" is close to it in its meaning but tends to denote less prestigious work. Apart from that the word "job" can also denote a position in employment, in which case the difference between the words "work" and "job" is quite obvious (е.g. I'm very fond of шу job, even though it means doing a lot of work). "Profession" is work which requires advanced education and special training. Traditionally it's applied to law, medicine, architecture and military career. The word "career" itself means either a course of progress in the life of a person or has the same meaning as the word "work" and is mostly used when speaking of the choice of work. The word "vocation" means the kind of work to which a man is led by natural talents (compare with the word "calling"). It's a learned word and is seldom used in everyday speech.

Remember that thе word "work" in the meaning mentioned above is uncountable and shouldn't be used with the indefinite article or in the plural.

In contrast to it the word "job" is countable and can be used with the indefinite article.

EXERCISES

I. a) Write English equivalents of the following words and phrases. Use them in sentences of your own:

сделать выбор, иметь призвание (способности) к чему-л., интересоваться чем-то, подумать о профессии учителя, оценить, быть преданным своей работе, служить людям, жгучее стремление

II. Bead the jokes below. See how the verbs learn and s tudy are used in the context. Consult a dictionary and find out the difference in their meaning and usage. Retell the jokes in indirect speech:

1. A young teacher just beginning his career asks advice of an older member of the faculty: "What have you learned in your years of experience?"

"I've learned one thing. Often you will find while you are giving a lesson in class that there is one young upstart who always disagrees with you. Tell me, would you stop him and try to make him shut up right then and there?"

"I suppose I would."

"Well, don't. He's probably the only one who is listening to you."

2. A high-school girl seated next to a famous astronomer at a dinner party struck up a conversation asking, "What do you do in life?"

He replied, "I study astronomy."

"Dear me," said the young miss, "I finished astronomy last year."

III. Translate the sentences using the words learn and s tudy in their different meanings:

1. В молодости он изучал химию в университете. 2. Дети легко учат иностранные языки. 3. Я очень огорчился, когда узнал, что не сдал экзамен. 4. Весь вечер он занимался в своей комнате. 5. Изучите эту информацию очень внимательно- она поможет вам сделать правильный выбор. 6. Моя сестра учится, чтобы стать юристом. 7. К сожалению, он так и не научился читать и писать. 8. Вам еще предстоит научиться, как справляться с трудными проблемами на уроках.

IV. Comment on the given proverbs. Make np a situation centered round one of them:

1. Better unborn than untaught.

2. Like teacher, like pupil.

3. A little knowledge is a dangerous thing.

V. a) Fill in prepositions and adverbs where necessary:

Dialogue

Bob: What are you going to take... as a career?

John: Architecture. Actually, I've already started. I began my studies... last October.

Bob: What are you going to do when you finish?

John: Oh, I shall go back... home and practise... my native town. There's a lot of useful work to be done there — building schools, hospitals, homes... the people.

Bob: What made you decide to take... architecture as a career?

John: Well. I was good... Maths and Art... school and I think I had a certain feeling... design. My teacher encouraged... me and said I had a bent... architecture.

Воb: I find that some young people fail to take... a career because they're not sure what they want to do and what career opportunities there are.

John: Yes, that's true. But usually your personal qualities show......school, don't they? Teachers guide and encourage... the young to take... the careers... which they're best suited.

VI. Translate the sentences below into English. Use Essential Vocabulary II:

1. Любовь к детям заставила его стать учителем, и он никогда не жалел о своем выборе. 2. Похоже, придется выбирать между работой в детском саду и учебой в пединституте. 3. В моей работе нет большого разнообразия, но у нее есть свои достоинства. 4. Боюсь, что в этот раз школьникам нелегко будет справиться с заданием. 5. Успехи учеников в большой степени зависят от их учителя и его профессионального мастерства. 6. Работа в школе потребует от вас ума, такта и чувства ответственности. 7. Уважение людей можно заслужить только честным трудом. 8. Не каждый, кто получает профессию учителя в Великобритании, может найти себе работу. 9. Я работаю учителем уже много лет и могу сказать, что не смог бы найти более благородного труда. 10. Мой друг выбрал себе профессию врача, еще когда учился в школе. Он всегда был уверен, что эта работа самая важная на свете. 11. Любовь к музыке и интерес к педагогике (theory of education) заставили меня подумать о профессии учителя музыки. 12. Часто выпускникам школ бывает трудно решить, какую профессию выбрать. В этом случае учителя и родители могут помочь им сделать правильный выбор университета.

VII. Role-piaying.

Role-play the following situation:

You are at a Parent-Teachers meeting. You are discussing a problem you feel very strongly about. Among you there is a mother who's sure that children shouldn't be strictly disciplined at school, a father who has the opposite opinion, a father who tends to blame teachers for his children's faults, a grandmother who tends to spoil her grandchildren, a mother who gives other parents advice for the only reason that her daughter is at the head of the class.

VIII. Pick one of these topics and discuss it, making sure each member of the group gets a chance tospeak;

1. How to encourage a child to make better progress at school? Should parents use; praise, presents, promises of future rewards?

2. Should a child be punished? If not, how to make children obey?

3. Should children be allowed to wear clothes of their own at school? Should boys be allowed to have long hair, and girls to use make-up?

4. How can parents help teachers with out-of-school activities?

5. Should parents insist on their children doing equally well in all the subjects or should they encourage their sons and daughters to specialise in one or two subjects essential for their future career?