1 курс / English For Philology Students

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The First Universities

Before the 12th century most people were illiterate. Reading and writing skills were not considered important or necessary. Monasteries were centres of education and priests and monks were the most educated people.

But with the development of such sciences as medicine and law, organizations of general study called universities appeared in Italy and France. A university had four faculties: Theology (the study of religion), Canon Law (church laws), Medicine and Art, which included Latin grammar, rhetoric (the art of making speeches), logic, arithmetic, geometry, astronomy and music.

In the middle of the 12th century a group of professors from France came to Britain and founded schools in the town of Oxford in 1168. It was the beginning of the first English university. A second university was formed in 1209 in Cambridge. Towards the end of the 13th century colleges appeared around the universities, where other subjects were studied.

Getting an education in those times was very difficult. Printing had not yet been invented, and all the books were hand-written. That‟s why books were rare and very expensive. Only the richest people could afford buying books. If a man had twenty or thirty books, people said that he had a great library. Special rules existed for handling books. You were not to touch the books with dirty hands or put them on the table at meal times. In almost any monastery you could find one or two or more monks spending hours every day copying books.

Oxford

The first written record of the town of Oxford dates back to the year 912. Oxford University, the oldest and most famous university in Britain, was founded in the middle of the 12th century, and by 1300 there were already 1,500 students. At that time Oxford was a wealthy town, but by the middle of the 14th century it was poorer, because of the decline in trade and because of the terrible plague, which killed many people in England. The relations between the students and the

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townspeople were very unfriendly, and there was often fighting in the streets.

Nowadays there are about 12,000 students in Oxford and over 1000 teachers. Outstanding scientists work in numerous colleges of the University, teaching and doing research work in physics, chemistry, mathematics, cybernetics, literature, modern and ancient languages, art and music, philosophy, psychology.

Oxford University has a reputation of a privileged school. Many prominent political figures of the past and present times got their education at Oxford.

Cambridge

Cambridge is one of the best-known towns in the world, and the principal reason for its fame is its University, the second oldest university of Britain, which was founded in the 13th century. Today there are more than twenty colleges in Cambridge University.

The oldest college is Peterhouse, which was founded in 1284, and the most recent is Robinson College, which was opened in 1977. The most famous is probably King’s College, because of its magnificent chapel. Its choir of boys and undergraduates is also well known.

The university was only for men until 1871. In 1871 the first women‟s college was opened. Another was opened two years later and a third in 1954. In the 1970s, most colleges opened their doors to both men and women. Nowadays almost all colleges are mixed.

32. Read the text carefully, identify key points. Express your opinion on the problem in English or in Russian when being tested on your progress in independent reading.

British Universities

British universities are not open to everyone. To get a place, you normally apply in your last year at school, before you have taken your A levels. The university makes you an offer; for example, it will give you a

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place if you get at least one grade A and two Bs in your A levels. The offer depends on market forces; for popular, high-prestige courses, the university will ask for very good A level results.

The number of students on a particular course (for example, Economics at Cardiff University) is strictly limited. The system does not allow students to follow full-time courses in a casual way, having a job or living in another town as they study. Students are quite closely monitored, and have to see their teachers regularly. Consequently, drop-out and failure rates are low.

The negative side of the system was that, compared with other countries, a rather small percentage of British school-leavers actually went on to university. But there has been a dramatic improvement; the numbers have doubled over the last 20 years. One explanation of this is that in the 1980s many polytechnics and higher education colleges were given university status. As a result, many cities now have two universities – an old one and a new one. For example, in Bristol there is Bristol University and the University of the West of England; in Oxford there is Oxford University and Oxford Brookes University.

Officially, all universities in the country are equal in status. But they differ greatly in reputation and public image. In general, the older a university is, the higher its status. So the most prestigious are the ancient ones – Oxford and Cambridge – followed by long-established ones such as London, Manchester and Edinburgh.

Some of this is just based on tradition and snobbery. In fact, each university has strengths and weaknesses, and sensible students make their choices according to their own particular needs and priorities.

About half of British students go away to university, rather than attend the one closest to home. This is an expensive thing to do; the government used to give grants (money to live on during studies), whereas now students have to borrow money or get their parents to pay. But still many students find that combining study and family life is impossible.

British universities are very popular with overseas students. There are about 70,000 – mostly from Africa, the Arab world and Far Eastern countries such as Malaysia and Indonesia. The Erasmus programme arranges exchanges (from three months to one year) for students and teachers between universities in 24 countries including all the members

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of the European Union. In fact, the UK is the most popular destination, receiving over 25 percent of all Erasmus students.

33.Read the text and answer the questions:

a)What kind of teachers does the author describe in the text?

b)How does the author describe the task of a school teacher?

c)How is the task of a university teacher described?

d)What qualities are necessary for either work?

Would you Like to Be a Teacher?

There are two distinct kinds of teachers. The kind which springs to the mind more readily is the school-teacher, whose duty is to give pupils a certain, clearly-defined quantity of knowledge – this knowledge consists of the basic facts forming the foundation on which further specialization can be built. The teacher of children has the power to mould1 the development of young minds, of individual characters. A good teacher will also take pleasure in creating a thirst2 for knowledge in the child, inspiring an appreciation of education and desire for self-fulfillment. The teaching of younger children is undoubtedly a vocation3 requiring patience and dedication.

The second kind is University teaching, which, under the English system bears little or no resemblance to school teaching. The function of a lecturer in an English University is not, first and foremost4, to give knowledge in the form of facts; it is rather to provide guide-lines along which students may direct their individual duty, to provide the student with the main tools of analysis for his particular specialty, to arouse the student‟s interest in particular aspects of his subject for further research work after graduation. The lecturer is allowed more free time in which to conduct his individual research, thereby being able to make a positive contribution and keep up with current ideas in his subject.

Thus, under the English system of education, school teaching is the field of those people whose interests and talents lie in giving knowledge, while lecturing requires some original contributions to the subject on the part of the lecturer and also requires a desire to encourage an interest in a special sphere in future teachers and research-workers.

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Notes:

1.mould – формировать

2.a thirst – жажда

3.vocation – призвание

4.first and foremost – прежде всего

34.Read the text and render it in Russian or in English.

Alcot University

Guide for International Students

Welcome to the University of Alcot. We hope very much that your time here will be both highly productive and highly enjoyable, but we do recognize that it is not always easy for students from other countries to adapt to campus life in Britain. For this reason, we have produced this small factsheet which may make your first few days here a little easier.

Your Hall of Residence contains twelve rooms, all like yours. The kitchen and bathrooms are communal. In the interests of hygiene and respect for your flatmates, we would ask you to keep these shared facilities as clean and tidy as possible. These rooms will be cleaned by a member of the cleaning staff once a day (Monday to Friday). However, they are not expected to do your washing-up or tidy away your things. Please be polite and respectful to your cleaners – they have a difficult and unpleasant job to do. Your Hall Tutor will introduce himself or herself to you over the next few days. If you have any problems with anything to do with your life on campus, they are there to help you.

Student social life revolves around the Student Union, which is the large yellow building opposite the library. Inside, you will find a number of shops, bars and food outlets, as well as a launderette, two banks and a travel agent‟s. As a student at Alcot, you are automatically a member of the Union. This entitles you to use all the facilities and to vote in all Union elections and meetings. In addition, you are free to join any of the university clubs and societies and attend Union-organized events such as pop concerts and discos. See The Alcot Excalibur, the free weekly student newspaper, for further information regarding upcoming Union events.

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Regarding your course of studies, you will receive a letter in the next couple of days from your Head of Department inviting you to attend a welcome meeting for new students. You will be given further information concerning your course at this meeting. Generally, your course will consist of lectures, seminars and regular meetings with your Personal Tutor. He or she will be able to deal with any academic problems or questions you may have.

As an international student, you may have some questions that neither your hall Tutor nor your Personal Tutor are able to answer. If you have any problems, issues or concerns directly related to that fact that you are a non-British citizen, these can be referred to the International Office. Situated next to the Arts Building, the International Office is staffed by one permanent Welfare Officer and a body of trained student volunteers. They are experienced in handling issues related to visas, immigration and police registration. A confidential counseling service is also available.

Further information regarding other university facilities, such as the medical centre, sports centre, arts centre and library, can be found in the accompanying Alcot Guide for Undergraduates. This also contains useful phone numbers and a map of the campus.

Translation Practice

35. Translate this text in writing from Russian into English.

Какова студенческая жизнь? Это не только учеба, а и веселые встречи друзей, дискотеки, спортивные соревнования. Все помнят свои студенческие годы как важный период жизни каждого, кому выпало счастье поступить в вуз.

Студенческая жизнь – это сессии, посвящение в первокурсники, студенческий клуб, общежитие. Но высшая школа – прежде всего образование и наука, поэтому главной задачей студента является получение образования. На достижение этой задачи необходимо отдать все силы.

Студенческая жизнь довольно сильно отличается от школьной, хоть и различия, на первый взгляд, небольшие. Студенческая жизнь

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– это следующий шаг в получении образования, который через лекции, семинары, практикумы, лабораторные работы, курсовые работы, научно-исследовательскую деятельность приводит к основам профессионализма и мастерства.

36. Render this text into English.

Международный день студента

Этот праздник был учрежден в 1941 году в Лондоне на Международной встрече студентов, боровшихся против фашизма, а установлен в память о расправе со студенческой демонстрацией в оккупированной немцами Праге в 1939 году.

День студента ассоциируется с молодостью, романтикой и весельем. Но история его, начавшаяся в Чехословакии во время Второй мировой войны, имеет кровавое и печальное начало. 17 ноября 1939 года многие руководители Союза студентов Чехословакии были арестованы фашистскими властями и расстреляны. Более тысячи студентов и преподавателей были отправлены в концлагеря, университеты были закрыты.

37. Render this extract from “Komsomol’skaya Pravda” into English, using key vocabulary.

Тульские студенты получат потанинскую стипендию

Каждый год в Туле, как и в других городах России, проводится конкурс на получение стипендии благотворительного фонда Потанина. В результате самые умные и креативные студенты имеют возможность получить финансовую помощь на ближайший год. Как пишет газета «Комсомольская правда», стипендия Потанина в 2011–2012 годах составляет 4 000 рублей в месяц.

Стипендиатами программы станут 1 200 студентов из 58 ведущих государственных вузов. В конкурсе на получение стипендии могут принять участие студенты и магистранты, сдавшие на «отлично» две последние сессии. Проще говоря, пропуском в первый тур является зачетка с отметками «отлично».

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Конкурсный отбор, как правило, проходит в три этапа – тестирование, деловые игры, финальные мероприятия.

Key Vocabulary

Philology – филология

Journalism – журналистика Department – отделение, кафедра

Theory – теория

To pay attention to – уделять внимание Folklore – фольклор

Enrolled – зачисленный

To devote to – посвящать

Speciality – специальность Creative – творческий Graduation – окончание (вуза)

To graduate from – оканчивать (вуз) To major in – специализироваться

To require – требовать

Accommodation – размещение, жилье

To assist smb in smth – помогать кому-то в чем-то Faculty Board – совет факультета

Dean‟s Office – деканат

Teaching assistant (instructor) – ассистент

Senior teacher – старший преподаватель

Assistant professor – доцент

First-year student (freshman) – первокурсник Second-year student (sophomore) – второкурсник Third-year student (junior) – третьекурсник Fourth-year student (senior) – четверокурсник

Teaching staff – преподавательский состав (коллектив) To head – возглавлять

To be responsible for – отвечать за General management – общее руководство

To preside at – председательствовать на

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To carry out decisions (reccomendations/ directions) – выполнять ре-

шения (рекомендации/ указания)

To approve the plan – утверждать план To hear reports of – заслушать отчеты

To award – присуждать, награждать Eligible – имеющий право

Day-to-day running of – повседневное управление, руководство

To work out study programmes – разрабатывать учебные программы To teach related subjects – преподавать смежные дисциплины

To give (deliver) lectures (seminar classes) – читать (проводить) лек-

ции (семинары)

To combine teaching with research – сочетать преподавание с иссле-

довательской деятельностью

To set (give) study material for homework – определять (выдавать)

учебный материал для домашней работы

To supervise yearly essays (diploma papers/ graduation papers, essays) –

руководить курсовыми (дипломными/ выпускными) работами

To take exams (sit for exams) – сдавать экзамены

To pass exams – сдать экзамены

To drop out of the university – отчислиться из университета

To miss lectures (classes) – пропускать лекции (занятия) To be admitted to – быть принятым в

Hall of residence – общежитие

Applicant – абитуриент

Students‟ record books – студенческие зачетные книжки

End-of-term test – зачет за семестр

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Unit 3

Higher Education in the English-Speaking Countries

1.Before reading the text answer the questions:

a)How do you understand a term “higher education”?

b)Why is it necessary for a person to be educated?

Read the text and think over the question asked in the title.

Is Higher Education Right For You?

Higher education could boost your career prospects and earning potential, while giving you the chance to immerse yourself in a subject that really interests you – and get involved in lots of other activities. Higher education is about taking your education to the next level: learning new things and getting to where you want to be. A higher education qualification could help you take charge of your future by developing skills and confidence and opening up new opportunities – whatever stage of life you're at. Even if no one else you know is thinking about going into higher education, it could still be the right choice for you. There are currently over two million higher education students in the UK. Higher education courses are offered at around 130 universities and higher education colleges, and many further education colleges. With more than 50,000 courses in a variety of academic and work-related subjects – including many that let you combine more than one subject – there's bound to be one that suits you.

2. Practice reading these words, mind the stress, translate them using a dictionary.

Higher, education, career, boost, earn, potential, immerse, involve, qualification, charge, confidence, currently, bound, suit.

3. Consult the EE dictionary and explain the meaning of underlined words.