Life at college and University

•The Oldest Universities

• University Degrees

• Redbrick Universities

• Polytechnics

• Colleges of Education

•Further Education Colleges

•The Open University

The academic year in Britain’s universities, Polytechnics, Colleges of Education is divided into three terms, which usually run from the beginning of October to the middle of December, from the middle of January to the end of March, and from the middle of April to the end of June or the beginning of July.

There are 46 universities in Britain. The oldest and best-known universities are located in Oxford, Cambridge, London, Leeds, Manchester, Liverpool, Edinburgh, Southampton, Cardiff, Bristol, and Birmingham.

Good A-level results in at least two subjects are necessary to get a place at a university. However, good exam passes alone are not enough. Universities choose their students after interviews. For all British citizens a place at a university brings with it a grant from their local education authority.

English universities greatly differ from each other. They differ in date of foundation, size, history, tradition, general organization, methods of instruction, way of student life.

After three years of study a university graduate will leave with the Degree of Bachelor of Arts, Science, Engineering, Medicine, etc. Later he may continue to take a Master’s Degree and then a Doctor’s Degree7. Research is an important feature of university work.

The two intellectual eyes of Britain – Oxford and Cambridge Universities – date from the twelfth and thirteenth centuries.

The Scottish universities of St. Andrews, Glasgow, Aberdeen and Edinburgh date from the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries.

In the nineteenth and the early part of the twentieth centuries the so-called Redbrick universities were founded. These include London, Manchester, Leeds, Liverpool, Sheffield, and Birmingham. During the late sixties and early seventies some 20 ‘new’ universities were set up. Sometimes they are called ‘concrete and glass’ universities. Among them are the universities of Sussex, York, East Anglia and some others.

During these years the Government set up thirty Polytechnics. The Polytechnics, like the universities, offer first and higher degrees. Some of them offer full-time and sandwich courses. Colleges of Education provide two-year courses in teacher education or sometimes three years if the graduate specializes in some particular subject.

Some of those who decide to leave school at the age of 16 may go to a further education college where they can follow a course in typing, engineering, town planning, cooking, or hairdressing, full-time or part-time. Further education colleges have strong ties with commerce and industry.

There is an interesting form of studies which is called the Open University. It is intended for people who study in their own free time and who ‘attend’ lectures by watching television and listening to the radio. They keep in touch by phone and letter with their tutors and attend summer schools. The Open University students have no formal qualifications and would be unable to enter ordinary universities.

Some 80,000 overseas students study at British universities or further education colleges or train in nursing, law, banking or in industry.

References:

1) Redbrick universities – «Краснокирпичные» университеты (разговорное название университетов, появившихся в XIX – начале XX в.);

2) College of Education – педагогический колледж (трехгодичный педагогический институт; в 1965 г. такие колледжи получили статус университета);

3) Open University – Открытый университет, университет для всех (функционирует с 1971 г.);

4) grant – стипендия (обыкн. выплачивается студентам из средств государственного бюджета или местных органов власти);

5) Bachelor of Arts – бакалавр искусств (обладатель степени бакалавра по одной из гуманитарных или математических наук в университетах);

6) Master’s Degree – ученая степень магистра (присуждается университетом лицам, успешно завершившим по крайней мере год учебы и исследовательской работы после окончания университета);

7) Doctor’s Degree – ученая степень доктора;

8) St. Andrews – Сент-Андрус (приморский город-курорт в графстве Файф, Шотландия, где расположен старейший университет);

9) Aberdeen – г. Абердин (порт на Северном море в Шотландии);

10) Sheffield – г. Шеффилд (важный центр тяжелой промышленности);

11) Sussex – Суссекс (графство на юго-востоке Англии);

12) York – Йорк (важный транспортный узел на севере Англии; сохранил планировку средневекового крепостного города);

13) East Anglia – Восточная Англия (район Англии к востоку от Лондона; включает графства Кембриджшир, Эссекс, Норфолк и Суффолк);

14) sandwich course – курсы «сандвич» (для работающих; обычно при техническом колледже, где занятия чередуются с работой на предприятии).

 

ON HIGHER EDUCATION

Nobody doubts these days that progress in the world depends on progress in education, higher education in particular.

In Britain, for example, about 71 per cent of pupils continue studying after the age of 16. The proportion of young people entering Universities has risen, from one in eight in 1980 to almost about one in three at present.

English universities usually consist of colleges. The academic year is divided into three terms. The course lasts three or four years, depending on the subject area: arts, science, law, engineering, medicine, social sciences. The structure of courses does not differ from Russian courses in size of groups, methods of teaching and close relationships with teachers. Methods of assessment differ from university to university but all British students have to undergo lengthy written examinations.

Conditions of student life in Britain differ from those in Russia.

The English assume that anyone from age eighteen is an independent being capable of making up his or her own mind and capable of looking after himself or herself. As a rule, English students try to live away from home. Like Russian students, English students receive a grant from the state for the expenses of daily living. The level of the grant depends on the income of the student and of the student’s parents. Besides, students can take out a special student loan which they do not have to repay until they are earning. Loans are not means-tested. In the opinion of the English there is one more obvious difference between British and Russian students, however. Traditionally, there has always been an enormous amount of amateur and voluntary work in Britain. It takes place in universities as well: playing in the university band, taking part in athletics or football, running university newspapers, helping the disabled and pensioners, participating in local and national voluntary groups and societies.

There is a widespread opinion that conditions may be different but goals of getting higher education are the same everywhere. Many people admit that for the majority of young people today success in life is measured in terms of the money young people earn. This materialistic outlook has seriously influenced education. Fewer and fewer young people these days acquire knowledge only for its own sake. They want to obtain prestigious diplomas to get higher wages and advancement.

Exercises

 

1. Open the brackets putting the verbs in the correct form. Do degree titles in Russia correspond to titles in Britain?

Better qualified English students almost always choose to go to older Universities. The most prestigious British Universities are Oxford and Cambridge. They (to found) in the 12^th and 13^th centuries respectively. Diplomas and degrees of the Universities (to respect) throughout the world. Their holders (to offer) better jobs.

Degree titles differ according to the practice of each University. The most common titles for a first degree, which graduates (to award) after three or four years of studies (the British have no “diploma paper” year), are Bachelor of Arts (BA) or Bachelor of Sciences (BSc). Students can continue to get a second degree title – Master of Arts (MA) or Master of Sciences (MSc) – and later Doctor of Phylosophy (PhD). The number of post graduates has increased by over 53 % in the last decade.

 

2. Read the statements about the English educational system. Say/ write whether the same is practised in Russia.

In England:

a) The academic year is split into three terms.

b) Arts, Law, Medicine, Engineering, Social Sciences are taught at Universities.

c) Progress / knowledge is assessed differently. Written exams are held everywhere.

d) Different titles are awarded.

e) When a grant is provided, the students’ income is taken into account.

f) Special student loans are given. They are repaid.

g) Huge voluntary work is done.

h) Education is influenced by the materialistic outlook of young people.

 

In Russia:

_________________________.

_________________________.

_________________________.

_________________________.

_________________________.

OXBRIDGE

· At Oxbridge

· Oxford—the Golden Heart of Britain

· A College in Oxbridge

· Cambridge—Its Past and Present

Oxford and Cambridge are the oldest and most prestigious universities in Great Britain. They are often called collectively Oxbridge. Both universities are independent. Only the education elite go to Oxford or Cambridge. Most of their students are former public schools leavers.

The normal length of the degree course is three years, after which the students take the Degree of Bachelor of Arts (B.A.). Some courses, such as languages or medicine, may be one or two years longer. The students may work for other degrees as well. The degrees are awarded at public degree ceremonies. Oxford and Cambridge cling to their traditions, such as the use of Latin at degree ceremonies. Full academic dress is worn at examinations.

Oxford and Cambridge universities consist of a number of colleges. Each college is different, but in many ways they are alike. Each college has its name, its coat of arms. Each college is governed by a Master. The larger ones have more than 400 members, the smallest colleges have less than 30. Each college offers teaching in a wide range of subjects. Within the college one will normally find a chapel, a dining hall, a library, rooms for undergraduates, fellows and the Master, and also rooms for teaching purposes.

Oxford is one of the oldest universities in Europe. It is the second largest in Britain, after London. The town of Oxford is first mentioned in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle in 911 AD and it was popular with the early English kings (Richard Coeur de lion was probably here). The university’s earliest charter is dated to 1213.

There are now twenty-four colleges for men, five for women and another five which have both men and women members, many from overseas studying for higher degrees. Among the oldest colleges are University College, All Souls and Christ Church.

The local car industry in East Oxford gives an important addition to the city’s outlook. There’s a great deal of bicycle traffic both in Oxford and Cambridge.

Cambridge University started during the 13th century and has grown until today. Now there are more than thirty colleges.

On the banks of the Cam willow trees drown their branches into the water. The colleges line the right bank. There are beautiful college gardens with green lawns and lines of tall trees. The oldest college is Peterhouse, which was founded in 1284, and the most recent is Robinson College, which was opened in 1977. The most famous is probably King’s Collegebecause of its magnificent chapel, the largest and the most beautiful building in Cambridge and the most perfect example left of English fifteenth-century architecture. Its choir of boys and undergraduates is also very well-known.

The University was only for men until 1871, when the first women’s college was opened. In the 1970s, most colleges opened their doors to both men and women. Almost all colleges are now mixed.

Many great men studied at Cambridge, among them Desiderius Erasmus, the great Dutch scholar, Roger Bacon, the philosopher, Milton, the poet, Oliver Cromwell, the soldier, Newton, the scientist, and Kapitza, the famous Russian physicist.

The universities have over a hundred societies and clubs, enough for every interest one could imagine. Sport is part of students’ life at Oxbridge. The most popular sports are rowing and punting.

 

References:

1) degree ceremony – церемония вручения ученых степеней, званий;

2) full academic dress – парадная форма одежды;

3) coat of arms – герб;

4) undergraduate – студент университета (обыкн. Оксфордского или Кембриджского);

5) fellow – младший научный работник колледжа или университета (занимается исследованием в какой-л. области);

6) Master – мастер (титул главы некоторых колледжей в Оксфордском и Кембриджском университетах);

7) Anglo-Saxon Chronicle – «Англо-саксонский Кроникл» (вестник);

8) AD = Anno Domini – лат. нашей эры;

9) Richard Coeur de Lion – Ричард Львиное Сердце (1157-1199) (английский король с 1189 г.; последний из династии Плантагенетов; англ. the Lion heart);

10) charter – хартия, грамота; устав;

11) University College – Юниверсити-Колледж (основан в 1249 г.);

12) All Souls – Олл-Соулз, Колледж Всех Душ (основан в 1438 г.);

13) Christ Church – Крайст-Черч (один из самых крупных аристократических колледжей Оксфордского университета; основан в 1525 г.);

14) the Cam – р. Кэм (на которой стоит г. Кембридж);

15) King’s College – Кингз-Колледж, Королевский колледж (один из крупных колледжей Кембриджского университета; основан в 1441 г.);

16) Desiderius Erasmus – Дезидерий Эразм Роттердамский (1469-1536), гуманист эпохи Возрождения;

17) Roger Bacon – Роджер Бэкон (ок. 1214-1292), английский философ; профессор в Оксфорде;

18) Oliver Cromwell – Оливер Кромвель (1599-1658), деятель английской буржуазной революции XVII в.

Exercises

1. Answer the following questions.

1. What are the basic features of education in Great Britain?

2. What are the main stages of education in Britain?

3. What pre-school institutions do children under 5 go to?

4. When does selection usually take place? What do you think about selection procedures?

5. What do you think are the advantages of school uniform in Britain and other countries?

6. Do you think that computers could replace teachers in school?

7. How do public schools differ from comprehensive ones?

8. Do you think British schoolchildren have equal opportunities in getting high quality education? Why?

9. What institutions of higher education in Britain do you know? What did you learn about Oxford and Cambridge?

10. What voluntary youth organizations, political and non-political, do you know?

 

EDUCATION IN RUSSIA

Children start school at the age of six in Russia. The course of studies at school is eleven years now: four years of primary school and seven years of secondary school. Previously it was only ten years: three years of primary school and seven years of secondary school. Children under the age of six are taken to crèches and nursery schools.

There is a wide choice of schools nowadays: state schools, private schools, lyceums and gymnasiums. The majority of schools is free of charge, but in some (usually private ones) parents have to pay for the education of their children. In ordinary schools parents sometimes pay for additional subjects in the curriculum, such as a foreign language or arts. Though it is generally not a demand, most children can already read and write when they start their school: this makes education much easier for them.

In primary school there are three or four lessons a day, they usually ire Reading, Writing and Arithmetic. A lesson lasts forty minutes. During the first term children get used to learning and adapt to school i regulations. Beginning with the second term of the first year at school, children also take Handicrafts, Drawing, Music and Physical Education. The list of subjects under study is further extended during the second, third and fourth years and includes the World History of Arts, fundamentals of Security, History, Geography, and others. At primary schools all lessons are usually conducted by one teacher.

At the age of ten children pass to the second stage of education, known as secondary school. In secondary school there is a wide variety of subjects under study, and teachers specialize. The transition from primary to secondary school is sometimes difficult for children. After finishing the ninth form and getting the Certificate of Basic Secondary Education, schoolchildren may either continue their education in the tenth form, or leave school and go to technical (vocational) schools and colleges.

After eleven years at school the school leavers take examinations and get the Certificate of Complete Secondary Education. Those who have only excellent marks in the Certificate get a gold medal, which gives the right to enter higher school taking only one examination.

The admission to higher school is competitive and based on the system of entrance examinations, usually three or four. During the examinations the school leavers must show their abilities in the chosen field. Young people also have an option to get specialized secondary education in vocational schools after leaving the eleventh form.

Among higher educational establishments are institutes (colleges), academies and universities. The term of studying in higher school is from four to six years. Students can be involved in scientific research while studying. At the end of their final year at college, university or academy they take final examinations and get a diploma. Besides they can take postgraduate courses in the chosen field.

Exercises

1. Give the Russian equivalents of the following words and word combination:

the course of studies; primary school; secondary school; previously; crèche; lyceum; gymnasium; free of charge; curriculum; demand; to adapt; to extend; to conduct; transition; vocational school; higher school, competitive; ability; to be involved in; postgraduate courses.

 

2. Use the words and phrases of exercise 1 in the sentences of your own.

3. Give the English equivalents of the following:

детский сад; большой выбор; государственная школа; большинство школ; дополнительные предметы; первая четверть; школьные правила; включать; изучаемые предметы; выпускники; академия; выпускные экзамены.

 

4. Use the words and word combinations of exercise 3 in the sentences your own.

5. Find in the text and read the information about

• the course of studies in Russian schools;

• pre-primary educational establishments;

• types of schools existing in Russia;

• lessons in primary school;

• secondary education;

• school-leaving examinations;

• the admission to higher school;

• higher educational establishments.

 

6. Translate the words in brackets into English.

1. (Курс обучения) is eleven years.

2. Children (младше шести лет) are taken to creches and nursery schools.

3. (Большинство школ) are free of charge.

4. At the age of six children start (ходить в начальную школу).

5. After (базовой средней школы) young people can enter (технические училища).

7. Make up ten questions on the text.

8. Make up the outline of the text.

9. Retell the text using the outline.

10. Choose one point of the outline to make an extended report.

11. Translate into English.

В России в настоящее время существует несколько типов школ, как государственных, так и частных. Родители могут по своему усмотрению отдать детей в гимназию, лицей или частную школу. Иногда при поступлении в такие учебные заведения дети проходят тестирование или сдают экзамен. Стандарт образования – общий для всех школ, однако школы могут сами выбирать методы работы и учебники. Как правило, до школы дети ходят в ясли и детские сады, где приобретают навыки работы в коллективе, что делает учебу в школе легче.