Unit 8. Higher education s 1. Answer the questions:
1. What is the social purpose of education?
2. From the economical viewpoint, what role does education play in a society?
Ç 2. Read the words and phrases from the text below and match them with their Russian equivalents.
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& 3. Read the text about education. Translate it into Russian.
Education in the largest sense is any act or experience that has a formative effect on the mind, character, or physical ability of an individual. In its technical sense, education is the process by which society deliberately transmits its accumulated knowledge, skills, and values from one generation to another. The purpose of education up to its highest levels is to develop every individual to their full potential.
H
igher
education, also called tertiary, third stage, or post secondary
education, is the non-compulsory
educational level that follows the completion
of a high or secondary school. Tertiary education is normally taken
to include 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 as a source
of trained and educated personnel
for the rest of the economy.
Ç 4. You are going to read about Bologna Process in Russia. Here are four parts of the text, but they are in the wrong order. Decide on the right order:
1) |
2) |
3) |
4) |
Move towards bologna process in russia
a) In October 2007 Russia enacted a law that replaces the traditional five year model of education with a two tiered approach: a four year bachelor (BSc, Bachelor of Science or BA, Bachelor of Arts) degree followed by a two year Master's degree. |
b) Since 2003, when it co-signed the Bologna Declaration, Russia has been in the process of migrating from its traditional education model, incompatible with existing Western academic degrees, to a modernized degree structure. |
c) Defenders of Bologna process argue that the final years of the specialist program were formal and useless: academic schedules were relaxed and undemanding, allowing students to work elsewhere. Cutting the five year specialist program to a four year BSc/BA will not decrease the actual academic content of most of these programs. |
d) The job market is generally unprepared for the change and critics predict that a stand alone BSc/BA diplomas will not be recognized as "real" university education in the foreseeable future, rendering the degree unnecessary and undesirable without further specialization. Institutions like MFTI or MIFI have practiced two tier breakdown of their specialist programs for decades and switched to Bologna process designations well in advance of the 2007 law, but an absolute majority of their students complete all six years of MSc/MA (formerly specialist) curriculum, regarding BSc/BA stage as useless in real life. |
# 5. Fill in the gaps with the following words and phrases:
a) Bachelor's; b) defend a thesis; c) Diploma of Incomplete Higher Education (HE); d) Doctoral programmes; e) final research paper/ Diploma project; f) Master programmes; g) Master's degree; h) Medicine; i) Specialist Diploma programmes; j) State final exams; k) the School Leaving Certificate; l) The Specialist degree. |
University level studies in early 2010 s:
1. The first stage consists of at least two years of a higher education study programme. On leaving university, students may ask for the 1)____ which entitles them to obtain jobs that require some HE training but not a degree and to continue their studies.
2) ____ degree programmes last for at least 4 years of full-time university-level study. The programmes are elaborated in accordance with the State Educational Standards which regulate 50% of the content, the other 50% being developed by the university. The programmes include professional and special courses in Science, professional training, completion of 3)___ and taking 4)_____. Having obtained the Bachelor's degree, students may apply to enter the 5) _____or continue their studies in the framework of 6) ____. The Bachelor degree is awarded in all fields except 7) ____ where the first stage takes six years.
Holders of the Bachelor’s are admitted to enter the Specialist Diploma and Master’s programmes. Access to these programmes is competitive.
8
)
____ is awarded after successful completion of two years of full-time
studies. Students must complete advanced studies, prepare and
9)
_____ and take final examinations. The Specialist Diploma can be
earned in two ways: upon completion of at least 1 year's study after
the Bachelor programme or upon completion of five to six years'
continuous study beyond 10)
____. The Specialist Diploma is a professional qualification that
gives the right to exercise professional activities and to apply for
11)
____. 12____
is now being discontinued in universities that take part in the
Bologna process, so new students do not have this option.
6. Do the following:
a) Complete the diagram with the missing qualifications and study periods.
b) Using the diagram describe the two ways and the successive stages to acquire higher education in Russia.
c) How was the situation different when your parents were at university?
ERROR WARNING! Know = already have the information; find out = get the information.
Study
= learn
about a subject through books / a course: I'm
studying law; I'm studying for my exams. We
don't use any other prepositions after study:
NOT
I Learn = get new knowledge or skills: I'm learning English; I'm learning to knit. I learned a lot from my father. He learned about his appointment by telephone yesterday. Last week I learned that I had been promoted.
Note
that we say you are taking
a course, NOT
NB*5Prepositions after learn: learn about, learn from, learn to:
I
learned a lot from this course. NOT
|
s7. Underline the correct words in each sentence.
I would really like to learn about / study about the ancient Egyptians.
We need to find out/ know where to buy the tickets for the concert.
I got into trouble at school because I didn't know / find out the basics.
I did well in the test because I had known / learned how to spell all of the words on the list.
Excuse me, do you find out / know where the nearest post office is?
It was difficult for me to learn /study at home, because it was very little space.
I want to learn how / study how to drive a car.
I
think you can only really learn
from / learn on experience.
^ 8. Discuss these questions with a partner.
Do you get stressed out if you've got an exam?
What do you do the night before an exam?
What's the hardest course you have done?
Do you know anyone who's dropped out of university? Do you know why?
Have you got any essays or homework you have to hand in soon? When's the deadline?
& 9. Read the article about higher education in the United-States. Note some similarities and differences between Russian and American systems of higher education.