Talking about education in england

• Good morning, ladies and gentlemen! My name is Mark Dawson. I’m going to answer your questions.

• Good morning, Mark. Please, tell us about nurseries in England, your country.

• There is no law which provides for education of the underfives. About 47 per cent of three- and four-year-olds receive their education in nursery schools or classes. In most of the cases parents or voluntary bodies organize such groups.

• Thank you, Mr. Dawson. And what can you say about primary education?

• Well, primary education in my country consists of infant and junior schools. The children do not have academic subjects, but they are taught to read, write and do some simple mathematics.

• It is clear, thank you. Your system of secondary education has changed a lot since 1970. Earlier the children took the eleven-plus examinations after the primary school and those who did it well went to grammar schools, the rest of the children went to some other types. Now it is different. The children can choose any nearest school to study. Do you like such a situation?

• Yes, of course. Our children are free now to choose any school they want. Besides it is very important to send your child to the school which is near your house. Parents don’t waste their time on a long way to school as it used to be.

• We are thankful to you, Mr. Dawson. It is always pleasure to speak to a native-English speaker and get information out of the first hands.

Vocabulary exercises:

1. Read the words paying special attention to the pronunciation of new words:

Education, to charge, to supervise, tutor, opportunity, duty, to use, popular, success, to study, subjects, summary, public, fun, lucky, unit, run, graduation, to reach, introductory, leisure, assessment, nature, national, grade, curriculum, elementary, physical, to separate, painting, to take, made, generation, vocational, state, range, establishment, exams, to expand, candidate, challenge.

2. What is the Russian for:

To send a child to school, an elementary school, a nursery school, a junior school, a primary school, a secondary (high) school, a compulsory school, a comprehensive school, a boarding school, a public school, state-supported, a private (fee-paying, independent) school, mixed (co-educational), to receive financing, to divide children into groups according to their mental abilities, to look like a workshop, to measure the inborn abilities, streaming (grouping), the least gifted children, the brightest children, to improve the quality, the National Curriculum, educationalists, an IQ test, to take assessment tests, to leave school, to take A-levels, traditional subjects.

3. Give the English equivalents to the following word combinations:

Детские сады, закон, дети младше пяти лет, трех- и четырехлетки, начальное образование, среднее образование, обеспечивать повышенный (продвинутый) уровень обучения, как это было раньше, быть благодарным, носитель английского языка, выбирать школу для ребенка, поступать в единую общедоступную школу, получать бесплатное образование, младшие классы, учиться в средней школе, коэффициент умственных способностей, зависеть от учителя, зависеть от способностей, означать, слабый ученик, ребенок средних способностей, обязательное образование, обязательные школьные предметы, вносить вклад, проверять врожденные способности, деление на потоки, в школе около 100 детей, четыре класса по 25 человек в классе, представлять нового учителя классу, картинки, (бесплатная) средняя школа, частное учебное заведение, выбирать предметы, нарисованные детьми, игрушки ручной работы, сдавать экзамен обычного уровня, получить диплом об общем среднем образовании, обеспечивать выпускников школ работой, высшее образование, степень бакалавра гуманитарных (естественных) наук.

4. Find pairs of synonyms in a and b:

a) to leave, to unite, to start, to keep, to happen, to surprise, to love, to get;

b) to adore, to depart, to obtain, to join, to astonish, to occur, to initiate, to preserve.

5. Find pairs of antonyms in a and b:

a) to remember, to lend, to send, to buy, to end, to ask, to build, to lose, to fall, to give;

b) to answer, to receive, to find, to take, to forget, to rise, to sell, to borrow, to begin, to break.

VI. Make up 5 sentences in English with new words and expressions on the topic.

VII. Translate these sentences into Russian:

1. The secondary grammar school offers a five-year course leading to the General Certificate of Education at the ordinary level.

2. A pupil can continue his studies in the Sixth form to get the same certificate but at the advanced level.

3. Comprehensive schools provide all types of secondary education for all children of a district.

4. Some subjects at this faculty are compulsory, but some are optional.

5. The pupils are streamed according to their ability to learn into A, D, C and D streams, the gifted children being in the A stream and the least able in the D stream.

6. Writing an Intelligence Quotient test each child was provided with a printed test paper usually containing 100 questions.

7. Nowadays education in England is compulsory up to the age of 16.

8. Many students come to London University only to sit for their examinations.

9. Later on pupils can choose different subjects which they will study thoroughly, it depends on their interests.

10. There are some private educational establishments in our country.

11. The teacher introduced a new pupil to his classmates.

12. School provides us with the happiest days in our lives.

13. Towards the end of the fourth year in Junior school pupils used to sit for their Eleven Plus Examination.

14. To enter a public school one was to sit for an examination and public school entrance examinations could be passed only by those who could either pay for private teaching or for some years at a preparatory school.

VIII. Make sentences from the following words and translate them into Russian:

1. Authority, necessary, schools, Local, provides, equipment, Education, with.

2. Schools, of 5 to 16, children, from, attend, the age, must.

3. Who, in, school, your, taught, English?

4. Teachers, encourage, children, different, primary, things, to study, in, schools.

5. Different, after, pupils, establishments, enter, higher, school, secondary.

6. What, finances, these, organization, play groups, nursery?

7. A, we, gave, good, him, lesson.

8. Responsible, for, are, you, what?

9. Teacher, a, good, various, of, methods, teaching, uses, at, lesson, the.

10. Education, employ, Local, teachers, Authorities, other, and, staff.

IX. Translate the following sentences into English:

1. Некоторые предметы в школе обязательны, другие факультативны, ученики могут выбирать их сами.

2. Этот ученик сдал экзамены, получил свидетельство о среднем образовании и решил пойти работать.

3. Детей в английских школах обычно делят на потоки по их способностям. В общедоступных школах в одном классе учатся дети с различными способностями.

4. Обязательное образование в Англии начинается с 5 лет и заканчивается в 16 лет.

5. Государственные школы подразделяются в Англии на грамматические, современные и общедоступные. Они дают различное образование.

6. Частные школы Англии – это платные школы, которые имеют многовековую историю и традиции.

7. Уровень способностей и уровень знаний у этих детей различные. Способные дети помещаются в поток А, менее способные учатся в потоке Б. Программы, методы обучения в потоках различны.

8. Введение общедоступных школ повсеместно в Англии покончило бы с системой отбора в возрасте 11 лет.

9. В российской школе все ученики сдают одинаковые экзамены, чтобы получить аттестат зрелости, а в английских школах эти экзамены могут быть разных уровней – обычного и продвинутого.

10. В Англии нет единой системы среднего образования. Программы, учебные предметы, выбор учебников – все зависит от местных органов образования.

11. Вчера я присутствовала на уроке физики и видела много интересных опытов.

12. Наше местное управление образования финансирует этот проект.

13. В каком высшем учебном заведении учится ваш сын?

14. Сама жизнь преподнесла им хороший урок.

15. Кто сможет перевести этот текст на английский язык?

16. Мы были ответственны за проведение праздника в начальной школе.

17. Наш университет принимает студентов на разные факультеты и отделения.

9. Translate the text into English using new words and word-combinations:

Обязательное образование в Англии начинается с 5 лет, когда дети начинают учиться в начальной школе. В 11 лет они переходят в единую общедоступную школу, которая во многих районах страны заменила грамматические и современные школы. До введения общедоступных школ дети в возрасте 11 лет обычно сдавали экзамен, который состоял из теста на определение коэффициента умственной одаренности, теста по английскому языку и арифметике.

Те, кто сдавал экзамены успешно, шли в грамматические школы, обеспечивавшие классическое образование, другие попадали в современные школы, дававшие общее образование с практической направленностью. Такой отбор в 11 лет подвергался критике со стороны методистов и учителей. В настоящее время дети могут поступать в общедоступную школу независимо от их способностей.

В 16 лет большинство детей сдают экзамены на получение аттестата о среднем образовании. На этом обязательное обучение заканчивается. Некоторые дети решают оставить школу и идут работать, другие остаются в школе еще на 2 года. Дети выбирают три предмета, которые они изучают, и сдают экзамены в конце курса по этим предметам на аттестат о среднем образовании продвинутого уровня. Кроме государственных школ, которые обеспечивают бесплатное обучение, существуют и платные частные школы.

9. Correct the statements if they are wrong:

1. The educational system and types of schools vary from region to region.

2. The Local Education Authority employs workers and other staff, provides and maintains sports grounds, supplies food and drinks.

3. The core subjects are Physical Training, Music and Art.

4. Schooling is compulsory for children from 7 to 16.

5. Primary education includes infant and junior schools.

6. At 14 the child goes to secondary school.

7. The most able children take more academic courses while those of lesser abilities follow practical courses as well as core subjects.

8. After final examinations at secondary schools pupils can enter the Universities.

9. Find the information to prove the following:

1. At present the state school system has changed.

2. Formerly children took an exam at the end of their primary education.

3. At present there are two nationwide exam systems.

4. Pupils go to comprehensive schools automatically.

5. Parallel to the state system, there is a private education system.

XIII. Put the verbs in brackets into the correct form. Answer the questions:

1. When the National Curriculum (to be introduced) for the first time?

2. What the National Curriculum (to tell) the pupils about?

3. In what subjects pupils (to take) exams?

4. What subjects pupils must (to be taught) without taking exams?

5. What (to mean) vocational qualifications?

XIV. Answer the questions using the Vocabulary Notes:

1. What stages of education in Great Britain do you know?

2. Is schooling compulsory in this country?

3. What body can employ teachers, provide and maintain buildings, provide grants and approve curriculum?

4. How do they call head teacher?

5. When do English children begin to go to primary school?

6. What subjects do pupils learn in junior schools?

7. Why are English children divided into groups?

8. How many teachers are children taught by in primary schools?

9. What types of secondary schools do you know?

10. Are all schools free in England?

11. When do pupils take the General Certificate of Secondary Education?

12. Do pupils going on to higher education take A-level examinations in two, three or five subjects?

13. Can you name the types of higher educational establishments in England?

14. Be ready to speak on the educational system in England. Draw the scheme of the system to be more precise.

XV. Look at the time table and answer the questions:

The Time Table of the Fifth-form Pupils of St. Mary’s Comprehensive School

Time	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday
8.30–8.40	Registration	Registration	Registration	Registration	Registration
8.40–9.00	Assembly	Assembly	Assembly	Assembly	Assembly
9.00–9.45	French	Technology	SE	Art	RE
9.45–10.30	French	Science	Maths	Art	IT
10.30–11.15	Science	Science	Maths	French	Science
11.15–11.30	Break	Break	Break	Break	Break
11.30–12.15	Maths	History	English Literature	Science	Technology
12.15–13.00	Maths	History	English Literature	Science	Technology
13.00–14.00	Lunch	Lunch	Lunch	Lunch	Lunch
14.00–14.45	English	Art	PE	History	English
14.45–15.30	English	Art	PE	English	English

1. What time does school start and finish?

2. How much time do they spend for studying Maths and Science?

3. How many foreign languages do pupils study?

4. Compare this time table with the school time table in Russia.

XVI. Speak on the topics (See Appendix 1):

1. Preschool education.

2. English primary schools.

3. Secondary education in England and Russia.

4. The 11 plus examination.

5. Comprehensive schools – a new type of schools in Great Britain.

6. Fee-paying private schools.

7. Optional classes.

8. Out-of-class activities.

9. Teachers should make their lessons more interesting for pupils.

10. Children need as much help in their work as possible.

11. Public and private schools in the USA.

12. American primary education.

13. Secondary education in the USA.

14. The difference between primary and secondary education in America and Russia.

XVII. Round table (See Appendix 1):

Imagine that some of you are Englishmen who know very little about schools in Russia. The others are teachers from Russia who are interested in the system of education in Britain. They meet and compare the two systems. Find their merits and disadvantages. Agree or disagree with your partner’s statements. Use the topical Vocabulary and phrases given in appendix 1.

XVIII. Speak about the Russian system of education and the most important changes it has recently undergone (See Appendix 1).

XIX. Tell your group mates about the school you have finished (See Appendix 1).

XX. Read, translate into Russian and be ready to act out the dialogues:

1. Harry: How was the examination, Dick?

Dick: Not too bad. I think I passed in English and Mathematics. The questions were very easy. How about you, Harry?

Harry: The English and Maths papers weren’t easy for me. I hope I haven’t failed.

Dick: I think I failed the multiple-choice test. I could answer sixteen of the questions. They were very easy. But I couldn’t answer the rest. They were too difficult for me.

Harry: Tests are awful, aren’t they?

Dick: I hate them.

Harry: Oh, cheer up! Perhaps we didn’t do so badly. The fellow next to me wrote his name at the top of the paper.

Dick: Yes?

Harry: Then he sat there and looked at it for three hours! He didn’t write a word.

2. Kate: Hello, Helen!

Helen: Hi, Kate! Where are you hurrying?

Kate: To school. You know, we are meeting to go to the University today.

Helen: Why, what are you going to do there?

Kate: You see, I am a member of our optional class in Biology. Our professor wants to show us his lab.

Helen: It’s very interesting, and what kind of work do you do there?

Kate: Generally, we take a deep study of certain topics and problems we are interested in. Sometimes we carry out experiments.

Helen: Oh, it’s a serious work, isn’t it? So, I see you have definitely made up your mind to take up biology as a career, haven’t you?

Kate: I believe so. It really attracts me.

3. Dan: What form are you in now, Nelly?

Nelly: I am in the 11^th form. This year I am leaving school. I am going to enter the University.

Dan: Then good luck to you. As for me, I am already a first-year student of the Faculty of Foreign Languages of the Teacher Training Institute.

Nelly: Glad for you. I wish you success in your studies.

XXI. Develop each statement into a situation (it can be a monologue or a dialogue) (See Appendix 1):

1. Public education should be free. Any person should receive a good education at public expense.

2. Schooling should be equal and open. No one should be discriminated against because of race, religious or financial status.

3. Education is compulsory. Parents cannot decide to keep their children out of school.

4. How does the educational system work in Great Britain and in our country? Where do you find similarities? What are the differences?

XXII. Write a personal letter on one of the following topics (See Appendix 2):

1. My first day at school.

2. An ideal school teacher.

3. An ideal pupil.

4. Most people have only one or two good teachers throughout their lives.

5. Most young people have several opportunities open to them on leaving school.