Higher education

Higher education, also called tertiary, third stage, or post secondary education, is the non-compulsory educational level that follows the completion of a school providing a secondary education, such as a high school or secondary school. Tertiary education normally includes undergraduate and postgraduate education, as well as vocational education and training. Colleges and universities are the main institutions that provide tertiary education. Collectively, these are sometimes known as tertiary institutions. Tertiary education generally results in the receipt of certificates, diplomas, or academic degrees.

In most developed countries a high proportion of the population, up to 50% now, enter higher education at some time in their lives. Higher education is, therefore, very important to national economies, both as a significant industry in its own right, and as a source of trained and educated personnel for the rest of the economy.

Autodidactism

Autodidactism is self-directed learning that is "learning on your own" or "by yourself", and an autodidact is a self-teacher. It is a long and very demanding process. One may become an autodidact at nearly any point in one's life. While some autodidacts may have knowledge in a particular field, they may choose to teach themselves in other, often unrelated areas. Notable autodidacts include Leonardo da Vinci (an engineer, a scientist, a mathematician), Abraham Lincoln (a U.S. president), Michael Faraday (a chemist and a physicist),  Charles Darwin  (a naturalist), Thomas Alva Edison (an inventor), George Bernard Shaw (a playwright), Frank Zappa (a composer, a recording engineer, a film director) and many other outstanding personalities.

Statements

1. Education and schooling are synonyms in the broad meaning of these terms.

2. The term ‘curriculum’ is narrower that the term ‘a syllabus’.

3. An academic discipline is a set of rules for students’ behaviour in schools or universities.

4. The humanities include the study of such subjects as literature, history, art, biology and geography.

5. Children who do receive preschool education have advantage over those who were not involved into it.

6. In most world countries secondary education is compulsory.

7. The purpose of secondary education in different countries is the same.

8. Secondary schools appeared approximately at the same time throughout the world.

9. The birth of secondary education in the USA was an economic rather than a humanitarian necessity.

10. Both undergraduate and postgraduate education aims at getting certificates, diplomas, or academic degrees.

11. You have to be an outstanding person to become an autodidact.

Step 3. Translate the education vocabulary below into English.

1	курс обучения; учебный план (в школе, университете и т. п.)
2	умение, квалификация
3	навык
	курс обучения, учебный план (в образовательном учреждении)
4	программа (курса, лекций, подготовки и т. п.)
5	учебная дисциплина, предмет
6	гуманитарные науки
7	прикладныенауки
8	дошкольное образование
9	начальное образование
10	среднее образование
11	высшее образование
12	детский сад
13	общеизвестные знания; общедоступные сведения
14	профессионально-техническое учебное заведение
15	привилегированное частное учебное заведение в Англии
16	человек, работающий в офисе
17	человек, работающий на производстве, в цеху
18	преддипломное обучение (академический курс на базе среднего образования на соискание степени бакалавра)
19	постдипломное обучение (академический курс на базе высшего образования на соискание степени магистра и доктора философии)
20	самоучка

TASK 4. You are going to listen to an interview with an American student Amy who compares the main events in the life of English people with those of the people in her country.

Step 1. Fill in the table with the ages you hear.

	Event	England	the USA	Ukraine
1	Children start elementary school.
2	Children go to junior high school.
3	School children can leave school.
4	School-leavers go to college or university.
5	Students can graduate from college or university.
6	Children can leave their parents’ home to live alone.
7	Men tend to get married.
8	Women tend to get married
9	Women usually have their first kid.
10	People usually buy their first house.
11	People can retire.
12	People usually retire.
13	People can get social security benefits.

Step 2. Fill in the last column in the step above. Be ready to compare the main events in the life of Ukrainian people with those of English and American.