Text III
I Pre-reading
Answer the following questions:
1) What do you know about higher education in Great Britain?
2) What do you think are the oldest universities in Great Britain?
3) Would you like to study at Oxford University?
II Reading Higher Education in Great Britain.
There are many academic institutions in Great Britain that make up the system of higher education.
The Universities have traditionally been regarded as centres of academic learning, in contrast to polytechnics, which have focused on vocational (work-related) education. However, this distinction has gradually disappeared.
You can also study at colleges of higher education. These institutions are generally smaller than universities, and tend to concentrate on more specialized fields of study, such as education, art and design, music and drama.
There are about one hundred universities in Britain. The oldest and best-known universities are located in Oxford, Cambridge, London, Manchester, Liverpool.
The most common requirements for admission to establishments of higher education are General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE) and good A-level results. Universities choose their students after interviews.
English universities differ from each other in date of foundation, size, history, general organization, methods of instruction, way of student life.
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.
After 3 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 Degree. Research is an important feature of university work.
Answer the questions on the text:
1) What used to be the difference between universities and polytechnics?
2) What are the differences between universities and colleges of higher education?
3) What are the admission requirements?
4) How many terms does the academic year consist of?
5) When does the first term begin?
6) What degrees are awarded in British universities?
Compress the text to 5-6 sentences including the following points:
the types of academic learning;
fields of study;
admission requirements;
the academic year;
degrees.
Text IV
I Pre-reading
Answer the following questions:
1) Where can one get higher education in Great Britain?
2) Would you like to study at any college? Why?
3) What are the most prestigious universities in Russia?
II Reading Oxbridge
Oxford and Cambridge are the oldest and most prestigious universities in Great Britain. “Oxbridge” is the term which is used to refer to them collectively.
Nowadays they continue to attract many of the best brains. Both universities grew gradually, as federations of independent colleges most of which were founded in the fourteenth, fifteenth and sixteenth centuries. In both universities new colleges have been established, for example, Green College, Oxford (1979) and Robinson College, Cambridge (1977).
The colleges of Oxford and Cambridge are essentially residential institutions and they mainly use a tutorial method. The students work under direction of a tutor who directs a group of 10-15 students. Each student is to write essays and papers on the subject he is studying and submit them to the tutor regularly for correction and discussion.
Sport is a part of student’s life at Oxbridge. English students are especially been on football and boating. Social life is highly developed at English colleges. The students edit college newspapers, take part in various amateur theatricals and enjoy discussions in their debating clubs.
The universities have over a hundred societies and clubs, enough for every interest one could imagine.
Answer the questions using the information from the text.
1) What does “Oxbridge” stand for?
2) Are the colleges of Oxford and Cambridge residential institutions?
3) What does a “tutorial method” mean?
4) What can you say about sport and social life at English colleges?
Read the dialogue and say what new information about higher education in Britain you have learnt.
Dialogue
Ann: Hello, Steve! Have you got a minute?
Steve: Sure, yes. What can I do for you?
Ann: I’ve read a number of books on the British system of higher education, but I can’t make head or tail of it.
Steve: Mm…no wonder. What’s the problem?
Ann: Quite a lot of problems. What I want to discuss is the difference between a university and a college.
Steve: It’s like this, you see… The program is different. At university it is much wider. Great attention is paid to scientific subjects.
Ann: It sounds as though most people prefer a university.
Steve: Well... that rather depends.
Ann: Speaking about universities it is not quite clear about tutorials there. What is a tutorial exactly?
Steve: Oh, it is when students discuss topics with a tutor in very small groups – usually there are not more than 3 or 4 students and sometimes only one.
Ann: I see… And coming back to colleges…I’m still not terribly sure what a residential college is…
Steve: Erm… It’s a college with a hall of residence on the same grounds as the principal building. In fact all the students live in hall.
Ann: Really? And what about the teaching staff?
Steve: Actually the majority of the teaching staff live there too. But there are also quite a lot of non – residential colleges.
Ann: And you studied at university?
Steve: Yes.
Ann: I’d like to find myself in that university. What was it like?
Steve: Well… a big grey building surrounded by trees.
Ann: Beautiful?
Steve: Nothing very remarkable. Of course, there were lecture halls, classrooms and a number or laboratories.
Ann: Any facilities for sport and PE?
Steve: Let me see... Yes… A gymnasium with changing rooms and showers, tennis courts… what else , playing fields for netball and football…
Ann: I believe students spend a lot of time together, don’t they?
Steve: Definitely. We had students’ societies and clubs.
Ann: Am I right to believe that they are for those interested in drama and music?
Steve: Quite …and also politics, modern languages, literature, science and athletics.
Ann: Ah… that’s worth knowing.
Steve: And what I’d like to add is that students themselves organize all those clubs and societies. There is usually a Students’ Council or Union.
Ann: Well, Steve. Thanks very much. You’ve been most helpful.
Work with a partner or in groups of 3-4. Discuss the following:
1) A Russian and an English student are exchanging information on the variety of higher educational institutions in their countries.
2) Two students of the Academy are discussing their life. One of them is enthusiastic about everything, the other is disatisfied grumbler and finds fault with every little thing.
3) A student is speaking with a friend of his/hers about the programme and the course of study.
4) The difference between the systems of higher education in Britain and Russia.
5) Exchange information on social life of the students in your higher school, on sport and amateur activity.
6) Speak on what you think may surprise a Russian student at an English University:
a) program;
b) teaching methods:
c) students’ extra-curricular activities.
Use these prompts expressing your opinion :
I think / suppose / guess / believe
Well, my opinion is that
I wouldn’t say that
On the one hand / on the other hand
If I’m not mistaken
If my memory doesn’t fail me
As far as I know