Unit VII. Education

Warm-up activities

Look at the pictures.

• Can you name these Universities?

• Which of the Universities would you like to study in?

• What other higher educational institutions of Barnaul do you know?

Altai State University

Altai State University is one of the youngest universities of the city. It was founded in 1973 and had only 3 faculties: law, economics and history and philology. Now it takes the leading place among different educational institutions of the city. It is a major complex, which includes 16 faculties, 3 scientific research institutes, about 80 specialities and scientific branches, specialized educational bases, a voluminous scientific library, all this ensures a high level of students' education.

Among the faculties are: the Faculty of History, Mathematics, Physics and Technology, Chemistry, Biology, Philology, Geography, Sociology, Political Sciences, Art, Journalistic and others.

Admission to the post-graduate courses is for 56 specialties. There are preparatory courses, where about a thousand of students are being taught at a time, around 60% of whom, as a rule, successfully pass entrance exams. Nearly 2500 high school students have a special training provided by the University. Preparatory study is organized in more than 30 specially oriented classes of Barnaul secondary schools, in the Maths Lyceum, Natural Science College.

All and all about 17 thousand students are enrolled in the University studies in the full-time, evening and correspondence departments. The process of education is ensured by 72 chairs, where Academicians, Doctors and Candidates of Science work.

Altai State University has close connections with educational centres of Europe, Asia and America. The University participates in various Russian and International programs, including Soros International Program. During the last years the international cooperation of Altai State University has essentially expanded (Hamburg, Berlin, Priston Universities are the foreign partners of the University). The extensive system of grants is in operation. Teachers, postgraduates and students get many grants and scholarships of various international organizations and funds.

The University possesses modern buildings for study, student dorms, scientific research labs, a computer-stock. New information technologies for education are being worked out and widely used in the University. In July, 1997 Internet Centre was opened in Altai State University, which can provide any student with any sort of information.

The University has its own libraries and reading rooms, zoological museum, calculating centre, botanical garden, Altai History Museum and a picture gallery. There are various students’ organizations, which are responsible for solving all issues concerning students' welfare at dorms, canteens, sports organizations and social amenities.

The recent years are characterized by a substantial extension of the material and educational facilities of the University, which enable the teaching staff to train highly qualified specialists in most diverse spheres.

Glossary:

• to ensure - обеспечивать

• specially-oriented class – специализированный класс

• Lyceum - лицей

• to participate in - участвовать

• social amenity – социальное обеспечение

• to enable smb. to do smth. – помогать кому-то сделать что-то

1. Answer the questions based on the text.

1. When was Altai State University founded?

2. How many faculties did it have in 1973?

3. What were they?

4. How many faculties does it have today?

5. What are they?

6. Who is a the head of the University?

7. Who can become a student?

8. What university facilities does it have?

9. What museum are there in the ASU?

10. What departments does ASU have?

11. What departments are there at you faculty?

12. What department are you in?

13. Who is the dean of your faculty?

14. Do students pay for their education?

15. What is the payment at your faculty?

16. Do students receive scholarships?

17. How many years is it necessary to become a political scientist?

18. How many terms does the academic year consist of?

19. When do you have the examination session?

20. How many exams did you have in winter session?

21. Do you miss lectures and classes?

22. Are you always attentive at the lectures and classes?

23. Which do you prefer: to sit near the blackboard or far from it? And why?

24. What courses of lectures do you listen to?

25. Which is more useful: to work systematically or only during the session?

26. How many lectures a week do you have?

27. How many classes a day do you have?

28. What is your favorite subject?

29. Do you take part in the scientific work?

30. Where are you going to work after the graduation of the university?

2. How do we call:

1. a person who takes an exams in order to enter a uni?

2. a first year student?

3. a person who studies at a higher educational institution?

4. a student who combines (doesn’t combine) work with study?

5. a graduate who continues his studies to receive a degree?

6. a student who had been given his first degree?

7. a student who studies at the department of distant studies?

3. How do we call a room:

1. where meetings and conferences are held?

2. which is used for physical training?

3. which is used for teaching-staff for work and rest during the intervals between the lessons?

4. which is used as a place of business where students/progress, attendance and testing of knowledge are give day-by-day guidance (control)?

4. Read the sentence and give the keyword:

1. a room or building containing books that can be looked at or borrowed

2. a large building at a college or university where students live

3. a computer system that allows millions of computer users around the world to exchange information

4. an amount of money that is given to someone by an educational organization to help pay for their education

5. a department or group of related departments within a university

6. someone who gives lectures, especially in a university

7. a spoken or written test of knowledge, especially an important one

8. a large building where people can see famous pieces of art

9. a place in a factory, school etc where meals are provided, usually quite cheaply

10. an amount of money given to someone, especially by the government, for a particular purpose

11. a place where many different types of flowers and plants are grown for scientific study

12. the study of politics and government

13. a scientist who has special knowledge and training in chemistry

14. someone who writes news reports for newspapers, magazines, television, or radio

15. someone who plays a musical instrument, especially very well or as a job

5. Read and translate the sentence:

1. The dormitory is new; it was rebuilt in time for the beginning of the term .

2. Do you have access to the Internet?

3. Admitted to Mills College on a full scholarship, she graduated it without a penny of help from her parents.

4. He was elected dean of the faculty of engineering in 1979.

5. He was awarded a $25,000 grant by the Rockefeller Foundation, which enabled him to finish the work.

6. He owns and operates an art gallery in downtown Phoenix that shows only his own work.

7. Students are not allowed to talk during the examination.

8. Trees and plants from every continent turn King's Park into a giant botanical garden.

9. Students on the part-time course will work from home, visiting University only for the final examination.

10. Some 50 students, mainly postgraduates, were overseas students attracted from foreign countries.

11. The group is made up of local musicians who have been performing together for several years.

12. Sociological problems are not those of economics, or of political science, or of psychology.

13. They went from the classroom into the canteen; they sat and opened their lunchboxes in their working clothes.

Task 1. Read the following words correctly:

establishment, research, voluminous, extensive, scientific, scholarship, issue, welfare, amenities, facilities, substantial, diverse, extension, sphere.

Task 2. Match Russian words and phrases to their English equivalents.

факультет отделение научно-исследовательский институт прием аспирантура подготовительные курсы вступительные экзамены средняя школа кафедра преподавательский состав грант стипендия общежитие компьютерный центр быть основанным сравнительно недавно быть одним из ведущих вузов города получать твердую базу во всех сферах знаний обеспечивать высокий уровень знаний готовит высококвалифицированных специалистов участвовать в образовательных программах числиться в списках иметь тесные связи с другими учреждениями образования открыть новую специальность давать классическое образование расширять международное сотрудничество

dormitory grant post-graduate courses entrance exams secondary school departments teaching staff chair admission faculty scholarship preparatory courses research institute computer stock to ensure a high level of education to be enrolled in the university studies to train highly-qualified specialists to give classical education to participate in educational programmes to keep close connections with other educational establishments to open a new speciality to get a solid background in all spheres of knowledge to expand international cooperation to be one of the leading educational establishments to be comparatively young

Task 3. Ask your neighbour:

когда был основан АГУ какое место занимает АГУ среди вузов города какие факультеты существуют в университете обеспечивает ли АГУ подготовку для поступающих сколько студентов обучается в АГУ каким по составу является педагогический коллектив поддерживает ли АГУ образовательные связи с другими вузами какие вспомогательные структуры существуют в АГУ

to be founded to take the leading place among other institutions faculties to provide preparatory study for applicants to be enrolled in the university studies to be like/teaching stuff to keep close connections with other institutions to possess excellent material and educational facilities

Task 4. Explain the following terms to your groupmates:

Model: preparatory courses - courses organized by the University to help the applicants to enter the University

full-time department; correspondence department; post-graduate courses; examination session; full-time student; part-time student; undergraduate student; Bachelor of Science; Master of Science; Ph.D; The Candidate of Science; The Doctor of Science; scholarship; term; tuition fee.

Task 5. Translate into English:

1. Хотя АГУ был основан сравнительно недавно, он является одним из ведущих университетов нашего города. 2. Выпускники АГУ получают твердую базу во всех сферах знаний. 3. В Университете в настоящее время на дневном, вечернем и заочном отделениях обучаются около 17 тысяч человек. 4. Опытный преподавательский состав Университета, состоящий из академиков, докторов и кандидатов наук, ассистентов, обеспечивает высокий уровень знаний студентов. 5. В университете существует 16 факультетов, которые готовят специалистов более чем 80 специальностей. 6. Учебный год делится на 2 семестра, каждый из которых заканчивается сессией. 7. Студенты, которые успешно сдают экзамены, получают стипендию. 8. Каждый год сотни молодых специалистов, недавних выпускников АГУ, начинают работать в различных отраслях национальной экономики, культуры, образования, в судах и средствах массовой информации.