23

“Education is a companion which

no misfortune can depress, no crime can destroy,

no enemy can alienate, no despotism can enslave”

Joseph Addison (1672-1719)

Learning Objectives

In this module you will

• learn how to deliver an oral presentation

• talk about universities, fields of study and subject courses

• use key words for efficient reading

• organize and develop ideas into a paragraph

• learn how to fill in an application form

• revisit subject and verb agreement

Unit 1 Making Choice can be Hard Work
	Lead In

1. Choosing the right place to study is a very personal decision that will have a lasting impact on your life. To make your choice you have to answer a lot of questions. Think of a few reasons that helped you to make up your mind, e.g.:

• university location

• fields of study

• …

• …

• …

2. How did you get information about the university and faculty you study at: through University Prospectus, University Open Days, from your friends, etc?

Reading

1. Look through the advertisement of the University of Birmingham. Take notes under these headings.

1. Levels of study

2. Fields of science

3. Accommodation provided

4. University structure

5. Number of students and staff

6. Facilities and services

7. Students life

Internationally recognised among the world’s best universities, University of Birmingham enables and inspires individuals to develop their potential so that they grow intellectually throughout life, are well equipped for work and can make an impact on society. It increases knowledge and contributes to the advancement of its application for the benefit of the world. provides diverse opportunities for study and research within a broad subject range for students at all levels. Undergraduate courses allow students to combine subjects of interest and will train the skills necessary for future career. Postgraduate programmes allow easy access to outstanding research facilities. It offers a wide range of postgraduate research opportunities - research and taught programmes, continuing professional development courses, distance learning programmes) It also offers different full and part time MBA programmes developed to meet the needs of busy professionals. is proud of over 20,000 students from the UK and 4500 students from around the world 6000 staff working in a range of academic, professional, technical roles a number of notable alumni* and academic staff, including five Nobel Prize winners includes 5 colleges - Arts and Law, Engineering and Physical Sciences, Life and Environmental Sciences, Medical and Dental Sciences, Social Sciences - each of which is divided into several schools an art gallery, geology museum and a beautiful botanic garden, Barber Institute of Fine Arts, Shakespeare Institute, Sculpture trail, Ironbridge Gorge libraries that house quite a few special collections of rare and contemporary books, journals, papers and musical references that are publicly accessible a variety of IT facilities that support learning advanced support services network including student mentors*, advice and counselling, practical support if you have a disability 2 campuses with plenty of the small town facilities – bars, shops, a hair salon, launderette, concert hall, excellent sports facilities and two banks. There is even a railway station, just two stops from New Street. provides high quality residential accommodation in student villages in single study-bedrooms with shared facilities, shared houses and three- to six-bedroom apartments with en suite facilities* organizes and supports more than 160 student groups and societies, reflecting every taste and interest – from hang gliding to rock music groups and symphony orchestra a packed calendar of various social events to enhance student life “What brings the Birmingham experience to life is a vibrant, diverse learning community that is not just talented, but constantly inquisitive.”

(Adapted and abridged from the University of Birmingham website)

-----------------------------------

alumnus (pl. alumni) - выпускник

mentor - куратор, наставник

en suite facilities - удобства индивидуального пользования

2. Look through the text and write down all the words and phrases that correspond to the following Russian words. Check the differences in their meanings in the dictionary. Make up sentences of your own with these words and phrases.

несколько

разный

много

3. Match words in A with the words in B to make phrases used in the text.

A	B
develop	collections
enhance	skills
support	potential
train	accommodation
offer	societies
reflect	student life
increase	interests
house	needs
meet	knowledge

4. Look back in the text and find words and phrases that have similar meaning.

influence	advantage
progress	excellent
famous and important	open to sb.
of a higher level	on campus
full	curious

Focus on Language

1. Look at the entry for the word book from the English-Russian Dictionary. It will help you to work with dictionaries more effectively.

Pronunciation in phonetic symbols

Part of speech

	b ook [ buk ] n. 1. книга; 2. литературное произведение; v Translation . 1. записывать, регистрировать; 2. заносить в список; 3. заказывать, бронировать места, продавать билеты (обычно заранее); приглашать, договариваться a dj. книжный, ~ learning – теоретические знания
I ~ means repeat the word The translation nformation in brackets (…) helps you to choose the right translation or shows which country this word is widely used in

2. Identify what parts of speech the words in bold are.

• Pull down the blinds before you light the lamp.

• This bright light blinds my eyes.

3. The words below have more than one meaning. Use a dictionary to find out which part of speech they are and what meanings they have. Write two sentences to illustrate different meanings of every word.

	Sentence 1	Sentence 2
book	I’ve bought a new book.	Have you already booked a room at a hotel?
train
might
last
course
honour
subject
degree
way

Get real

Study the website and prospectus of your university. Then write your own advertisement for university applicants. Use the University of Birmingham text as an example. University rank

1. Levels of study

2. Fields of science

3. Accommodation provided

4. University structure

5. Location, facilities and services

6. Number of students and staff

7. Students life activities

Listening

1. B

   Subject area

   module

   efore you listen, discuss the meaning of these words and phrases with a partner. Use a dictionary if necessary.

compulsory

credit points

subject

unit of study

elective

optional

route of study

end-of-module assessment

2. Match the verbs in A with the words and phrases in B to make word combinations related to education. Translate them into your native language. Some words are used more than once.

   A		B
   offer
   suit
   transfer		a course
   cover		a qualification
   specify		credit points
   gain		one’s interest
   design		progress
   take		a route of study
   provide		an opportunity
   develop		skills
   pass		modules/subjects
   broaden
   monitor

3. Listen to James Couzin, Education Consultant at “Universities UK” speaking on the new modular schemes. Complete the notes.

Description

A modular course is made up of ____________________________________________________________________

Course organization

1. A full-time programme will require _________________________________________ each year.

2. Students have to take a number of ______________________________ or “core” modules from a list of _________ _____________________________ within the specialist area or in an associated field.

3. A number of _______________ modules are available. They focus on _______________________________

Advantages

1. Flexibility: _______________________________________________________________________________________

2. Easier to monitor the progress through ___________________________________________________________

Disadvantages

1. ___________________________________________________________________________________________________

2. ___________________________________________________________________________________________________

Questions

1. What is CAT? ______________________________________________________________________________

2. Where can I study a modular course?_______________________________________________________

(Adapted from The HERO.ac.uk site)

Reading

Read the interview by Helen Joyce from Plus Magazine with Emily Dixon, a third-

year mathematics student at Oxford and answer the questions below.

Emily, how did you choose to take the course of maths?

When it came to choosing A Levels I wasn't quite sure which route I wanted to take. I knew I definitely wanted to do maths, just because it was a subject I was good at, and it interested me more than most subjects. My teacher was very good at encouraging me to go beyond the scope of the syllabus and we went to lectures in London and at the University of Cambridge. So I knew I only got a very small glimpse of what maths was about at school. It changes dramatically when you get to university.

So, it was easy for you to choose a university, wasn’t it?

Well, as I had high grades, I was advised to consider Oxford or Cambridge. But I had lived in Cambridge all my life, so I wanted a change and I didn't want my parents checking up on me every five seconds! That’s why I considered various universities, but in the end I set my sights on Oxford, choosing to apply to St John's College.

Did you have to do exams?

Yes, I needed to achieve three A grades out of four, two of which had to be in maths and further maths. I also went for an interview at the college.

So you were offered place and started the college.

Yeap, I found my first term at university something of a shock to the system.

What do you mean?

A level maths was the sort of maths I could do; it didn't take too much hard work. And some lecture courses start where A level left off. But you do what took you two weeks at A level in one lecture maybe, or even less. Suddenly I had to come to terms with the concept of lectures and structuring my own work schedule and doing my tutorial! The first time I was thinking: 'I haven't done everything right. I don't know what to do, the tutor's going to kill me!' But they're there to help you through it. There are some people who can just look at a problem sheet and do it. I am not one of those people! But with enough work, it generally makes sense.

How long are you going to study?

For four years.

But, you don't have to do a fourth year. Three will give you a B.A.

Right. However, the fourth year gives you M.Math. For the three-year course you have to do a paper in something outside maths and for the four-year you really just do maths.

Well, have you decided on your future career yet?

I’m still undecided. There are so many things you can do with maths –but definitely not a research mathematician. I don't think I'm good enough. I think a Masters degree is as far as my maths is capable of taking me.

(Adapted and abridged from http://plus.maths.org/issue28/interview/index.html

1. What reasons did Emily have for choosing Oxford University?

2. Why did she decide on the course in mathematics?

3. How long is the course?

4. How do studies at college differ from studies at school?

5. What qualification will she get?

6. What is Emily planning to do in future?

Writing

1. Application forms mostly ask for information rather than ask questions. Match a line in A with a question in B.

A	B
First name	Where are you living at the moment?
Surname	Are you married or single?
Date of birth	Where were you born?
Country of origin	What’s your surname?
Present address	Where do you live?
Permanent address	What do you do?
Marital status	When were you born?
Occupation	How much do you earn?
Annual income	What’s your first name?