IV. Brush up your talk

4.1. Read and dramatize the dialogues with your partners. Make up your own dialogues on these models:

1. Taking Classes

A.: Kate, I’m so glad you have some time to give me some pointers for beginning my first term here.

B.: Oh, it’s no problem at all. I know just what it’s like, moving from a small town into a big city, like this. And starting college is a real change.

A.: I don’t really know what I want to major in, but I saw a huge line in the Union for undecided majors, so I just picked something for the record. The lines were much shorter in the English department.

B.: So what classes are you taking this semester?

A.: I have a biology class that sounds real interesting – it’s called eco-logy, society and evolution.

B.: Yeah, I took that. I think everyone takes those introbiology classes – it’s the easiest way to get you two semesters of the same science.

A.: That’s good to know.

B.: So what else are you taking?

A.: Some Greek civilization class, German and American History.

B.: So you’re taking 12 hours, then?

A.: Yeah, but I placed out of freshman English, so I’ll get credit for taking 15 hours.

B.: Sounds like you’re on the right track.

2. A Rough Week

A.: You don’t know how ready I am for the weekend. This has been a rough week.

B.: You’re not kidding – it must be midterm’s week for everyone. I don’t know why all the teachers give exams the same week.

A.: At least it’s over. I’m gonna party all weekend.

B.: Sounds great, man.

3. Changing the Major

A.: Dr. Williams, I need to talk with you about changing my major.

B.: Oh, hello, Sarah. Come on in.

A.: Thanks.

B.: Let me look at your file. Have you declared your major yet? Officially, I mean?

A.: Yes, I’m majoring in chemical engineering.

B.: Oh yes, here’s the form. And what do you want to change to?

A.: Business. It’s not because engineering is hard, though, Dr. Williams. I’ve finished all the math courses already. I just like the business courses I’m taking.

B.: Well, you have eighteen hours in engineering, Sarah, and only six hours in business. And the problem is you don’t need any more electives, so the eighteen hours in engineering will be extra work for you on your program. I just don’t have any place to put them except under additional electives.

A.: I see. So how much longer will it take me to graduate if I change to business?

B.: One semester, full time. You’ll have to take twelve hours of business courses that term including accounting.

A.: That’s okay. I really want to do this.

4.2*. Play the following situations:

1. A freshman is discussing the classes he/she is taking his/her term at the University with a sophomore who is eager to give some useful advice.

2. Two students are discussing a «rough» week and their plans for the weekend.

3. You are discussing the reasons for and the possibility of changing your major with your academic faculty adviser.

4.3. Read and translate the proverb:

It’s never late to learn.

4.4. Discuss the importance of education. Say what it is giving you now and what it will give you in future. Explain why every country needs more highly educated people.

Text 2. Higher Education in the USA

I. Before you read

1.1. Pronounce the words properly:

Categories, technical training institutions, requirements, applicants, subjects, maximum, consideration, recommendations, amount, tuition, major, adviser, community, transfer, degree.

1.2. Give all possible derivates, compounds and word combinations with the following words:

Teacher, book, examination, test, mistake.

1.3. Write down forms of the following words, which are necessary to find in the vocabulary:

Applicants, divided, lowest, requirements, getting, specializes, assigned, offering, overall.

1.4. Choose the right translation of the following words:

recommendation – рекомендовано, рекомендация,

рекомендательный

adviser – советовать, советник, совет

compulsory – обязательно, обязательный

technical – техника, технически, технический

private – частно, частный, часто

1.5. Study this information and remember it:

a) The periods into which the year is divided at schools, universities:

• term – one of the three periods that the year is divided into at British schools and most British universities: the autumn/spring/summer term;

• semester – one of the two periods that the year is divided into at American schools and most American universities: the first/second semester;

e.g. I took four classes in the first semester and five in the second;

• quarter – one of the four main periods that the year is divided into at some American schools and universities;

• school year/academic year – the period of the year when there are school or university classes;

e.g. In Russia the school year starts on September 1.

b) The periods in which students are taught a particular subject:

• class – a period of time usually about thirty minutes to one hour, in which a teacher teaches a group of students;

e.g. Hurry up – we have our first class in five minutes!

• lesson – a period in which someone teaches one person or a small number of people, used especially about particular skills such as music, swimming, or driving;

e.g. She gives English lessons to business people in the evening;

• lecture on, to give a lecture on;

e.g. a lecture on the causes of World War II, to give a series of lectures on Russian painting;

• seminar on;

e.g. to have a seminar on modern political theory.

c) Someone who teaches:

school teacher, a university teacher/a professor (АmЕ);

subject teacher, a maths/chemistry, etc. teacher, a teacher of English/ an English teacher;

principle (АmЕ)/headteacher, headmaster/headmistress (BrE);

• a vice-principal (АmЕ)/deputy headteacher/senior master/senior mistress (BrE);

• assistant teacher/instructor, a senior teacher/instructor;

• good, poor, bad, excellent, experienced, mediocre, born, superior, great teacher;

• tutor – someone who gives lessons to just one student or a small group of students;

e.g. They hired a private tutor to help Mary with her French;

• The basis of tuition in Oxford is the tutorial for which students are required to meet with their tutor once or twice a week, individually or perhaps, with one or two other students.

• A tutor in Cambridge is called an adviser;

• lecturer (BrE) – someone who teaches at university or college;

e.g. a lecturer in World Politics;

• professor – a university teacher of the highest rank in Britain, any university teacher in the USA who has a higher degree such as a Ph. D.: a linguistics professor;

e.g. He's a professor of biology at Cambridge;

• faculty (АmЕ)/teaching/academic staff (BrE)- all the teachers working at a certain school/ university.

d) Tests and examinations:

• a test – a set of spoken or written questions or practical activities, which are intended to find out how much someone knows about a subject or skill;

• a spelling/vocabulary/grammar/biology, etc. test;

• an oral/written test, an end-of-term test, a test in Literature, a test on the use of articles;

• to give smb a test/to test smb on smth, to retest smb on smth;

• to take a test on the term's work/in History;

• to have a test on smth;

• to revise for a test;

• to pass a test, to fail a test;

• test-paper, to mark test-papers;

• student's record book, to sign smb's record book;

• examination (formal) exam – an important test that you do at the end of a course of study or at the end of the school year;

e.g. How did you do in your exams? Students are not allowed to talk during the examination;

• French/biology/history, etc. exam, an exam in Psychology;

• entrance exam, an oral/written exam, school-leaving exams;

• graduate/final exam;

• final (singular) – an important exam that is taken at the end of a set of classes in the US;

e.g. I have a final in biology tomorrow;

• finals (plural) – the last exams that you take at the end of a university course in the UK;

e.g. During my finals, I was revising till 3 o’clock in the morning most days;

• to take/sit for an examination – to do a test or exam;

• to pass an examination – to achieve a good enough standard to be successful;

e.g. Only 30% of students who took the exam passed it. «Did you pass?» – «Yes, I got an A»;

• to scrape through an exam;

e.g. He scraped through his history paper;

• to fail/flunk (AmE coll.) an exam;

e.g. I failed my French exam two times. He thought he was going to flunk History but he got a C;

• to study (AmE)/revise (BrE) for an exam;

• to be examined in, to be re-examined in;

• examiner, an examinee;

• examining board;

• transcript – an official list of all courses taken by a student in the USA at a school or college showing the final grade received for each course, with definitions of the various grades given at the institution.

e) Admission to colleges and universities:

• to admit – to allow entry; to give entrance or access;

• to be admitted to a university, to be accepted by a university;

• admission – the act or process of admitting; the state or privilege of being admitted;

• to apply for admission;

e.g. She applied for admission to Moscow University;

• admission application, to submit an admission application;

• applicant/a candidate;

• university admission board, an admission office;

e.g. Before she took her entrance exams, she had submitted her admission application and her school leaving certificate to the Moscow University admission board;

• to enroll in (AmE), to enter (BrE) (a) school/university;

• reference – a statement (letter) regarding a person's character, abilities, etc.;

• referee – someone who writes a letter about someone else, describing their work or personal qualities.