Questions to the Topic «Tell about yourself, the academy you study at, and your plans for the future».

1. Where are you from?

I am from Bikin (the village of …, the district of …).

2. Where do you live now?

Now I live in Khabarovsk.

3. Do you live in the hostel of the Academy?

Yes, I do.

No, I don’t. I rent a room (a flat) near the Faculty.

4. What are you?

I am a student.

5. Where do you study?

I study at the Khabarovsk Academy of Economics and Law, the law faculty.

In what course do you study? – I am a first-year (second-year) student.

6. Are you a full-time student?

Yes, I am.

7. In what field of law would you like to specialize?

I would like to specialize in criminal law (in civil law, in international law, in administrative law).

8. What languages do you read (write)?

I speak Russian. It is my native language. I speak and understand English (German, French) (a little).

9. What do you know about the history of the Academy?

10. What do you know about the history of the Law Faculty?

11. Why did you choose the Law Faculty of the Academy to study at?

12. What problems do you have studying here?

13. What subjects do you study?

14. What subject do you consider the most difficult (the simplest) one? Why?

15. What legal professions do you know?

16. What are your plans for the future? What would you like to be?

Appendix 1 The Japanese Family

Work plays a very important role in Japan. A Japanese says “I belong to my company, not I work for my company. Because work is so important, a child, especially a boy, must work very hard indeed. He begins to study seriously as soon as he starts going to school, because if he doesn’t pass all his exams he can’t go to a good school. If he doesn’t go to a good school he can’t go to a good university and so he can’t get a good job that he needs! A Japanese mother usually helps her children so that they will pass their school exams. Because of this system Japanese children don’t have as much time to play as children in many other countries.

A lot of Japanese parents “arrange” marriages for their children. This is because they feel that marriage does not only affect the young couple, but that it affects the whole family. They believe that it is important that the young couple has the same interests and that they come from the same social background. Sometimes parents go to a “matchmaker”. A matchmaker’s job is to find two similar young people and arrange for them to meet. If they like each other, a marriage is arranged for them.

The Open University

A university that calls itself “The Open University” suggests that all other universities are closed. And this is true, because they are closed to everyone who does not have the time, the opportunity or the qualification to study there. For these people, who missed the chance of going to a conventional university. The Open University was set up in 1967.

Most of its students work at home or in full time jobs and can study only in their free time. They need to study about ten hours a week. As the university is truly “open”, there are no formal entry requirements (none of the usual “A” Level examinations are asked for), and students are accepted on a “First come”.

The students are of all ages and come from very different backgrounds. Some, such as teachers, want to improve their qualifications. Others, like retired people or mothers whose families have grown up are at the Open University because they now have the time to do something they have always wanted to do.

Returning to school is different for most students, for they have forgotten or never knew how to study, to write essays or to prepare for exams. In addition to all the reading and writing assignments, students have got a lot of watching and listening to do, for there are weekly Open University lectures broadcast on BBC television and radio.

To keep people from giving up, each student gets the help and support of his own tutor/counselor who he meets regularly and can telephone in any crisis or difficulty. At the meetings students get to know other students in the course and join with them into “self-help” groups.

By the time the exams come in October you feel much more confident and optimistic about your return to student life. Your final mark is based on the exam and the written assignments done during the year.