Communication activity unit 1 education

I. Study the list of characters and the opinions expressed by them. Which characters might say these things?

1. Mrs.Gwen Harvey is an Inspector of Education for Wessex. Her ideas can be described as moderately “progressive”. She agrees that a command of basic skills is necessary, but thinks that education should do more than this. It is to do with developing pupils’ artistic talents for music and art; with developing their awarenessof society and the world around them;with preparing them for leisure and private life as well as for working life.She tends to consider that discipline is too rigid and that more responsibility should be given to pupils.

2. George Thompson is headmaster of a large comprehensive school in South London. He took it over 5 years ago when it was known as a “difficult” school.Since then, through strong discipline and organization, he has brought it under control and obtained a high degree of academic success. He is strongly in favour of a return to the traditional values of education. His critics say his school is fine for brighter children, but doesn’t help the less academic ones.

3. Nicholas Gregg is in his last year at private school in Bristol, and is going to study medicine at University. He has enjoyed and has been successful in his academic education and thinks that no enormous changes are needed in the way schools are organised; languages and art subjects interest him and he thinks pupils should be able to specialize very early. He thinks teachers should be respected and should know how to keep discipline.

4. Helen Williams is in her last year at school, too, but is much more critical than Nicholas. She finds the school day boring, hates being told what to do all the time, studying series of subjects which have nothing to do with real life; she considers most of her teachers old-fashioned and resents the lack of freedom.

5. Alice Green a teacher in a school widely known as a being “progressive”. She has introduced a number of experiments in her school, especially one which has abolished streaming” children according to ability. She feels that a school’s job is to let childrendiscover what they want to do and be, and that learning to be independent is more important than subject content – “when people know what they want they can always learn it later”

6. Richard Newson has three children at school – the one where Alice Green teaches and is in two minds about education they are receiving. He says the children are interested in all the projects they do, but he is worried about whether they are being adequately prepared for passing exams and getting good jobs later; he wonders if the free atmosphere at the school reflects the relity of life outside school.

Opinions

1. Kids need education for life – filling in the tax form, driving a car, bringing up children.

2. It’s obvious that you can’t have clever kids in the same class as dull ones. The clever ones are bored, the dull ones can’t follow.

3. The purpose of education is to prepare children for working life. That means good spelling, good arithmetics , plus the habit of working hard.

4. Schools are there to protect a country’s culture. An educated person needs a broad general culture.

5. Examinations should be abolished. There should be no selrction or streaming in schools.

II. You begin an institute course of English. It is very important to know what you think about it. Is it necessary for a future engineer, economist etc. To study a foreign language? Give pros and cons.

III. You are a member of the Students’ Council. Now you are trying to come to a decision whether to give a grant to the student Alexander Gortchakov or not..There are those who are “for” and those who are “against”.

IV. The students of your institute are going to set up a Students” Debating Club. What problems of your life and studies would you raise for debate?

UNIT 2

APPLYING FOR A JOB

1. Imagine you are applying for a job. Try to find proper answers to the questions of an “interviewer”.

Interviewer: tell me in short about your work (professional) experience and marital status.

You:

Why do you feel qualified for this job?

Y.:

I.: Why are you interested in joining our company?

Y.:

I.: Don’t you think you’re too young (old) for this job?

Y.:

I.: Which is more important to you : status or money?

Y.:

I.: What is your objective and what are your long-range goals?

Y.:

I.: What worries you about the job you’re doing now?

Y.:

I.: What do you find rewarding about present job?

Y.:

I.: Why do you want to leave your present job?

Y.:

I.: How would you rate your present boss?

Y.:

I.: Describe your ideal boss

Y.:

I.: What do you do in your spare time?

Y.:

I.: Are you an ambitious person?

Y.:

I.: What are your principal interests and how do you benefit from them?

Y.:

I.: Why should we choose you?

Y.:

2 It is evident that getting a job depends on many factors. Your behaviour during an interview is often the best and often the most important stage in getting a job.

• What kind of clothing would you wear if you got an invitation for an interview?

• Be ready to speak about yourself. Your words should contain something to make people take notice of you.

• Describe briefly your experience at previous jobs and the good results you acieved there.

• A standard question you may be asked - “Why are you looking for a job?” You should be ready to .offer reasons which should sound convincing.

• Be ready to answer some unexpected questions: ”What are your strong points?” and “What are your weak points?”.

• You are a bank manager you work in a very traditional bank in Scotland. You leave decided to change your can be the possible consequences of your decision.

Consequences

Bank Lose business get more young customers …………………. ……………..…..

Employees Start wearing casual clothes think it’s frenny ………………… ………………….

Customers Be upset complain …………….…. …………….….

Bank manager Get into trouble lose his gob ………………… …………………