Student A

You are a school-leaver. You would like to apply for the course in … at a European University. Talk to the university representative.

• Introduce yourself and start a conversation.

• Say what field of study you are interested in.

• Ask about the length of study and qualifications that are awarded.

• Ask about the tuition fee and university facilities.

• Ask for the application form to fill in.

• Thank the representative for his/her help.

Student B

You are a representative of a European University. Talk to a school-leaver who wants to apply for one of the courses at your university.

• Offer your help.

• Tell about the courses available in the chosen field and give detailed information on the courses.

• Ask if he/she is interested in a single or joint degree course. Answer all the questions and offer the University Prospectus.

• Give some advice on how to fill in an application form correctly. Say when the admission deadline is.

• Express hope of meeting the school-leaver at the university.

In the Realm of Science

1. In education, as well as in many other spheres of our life, there are a great number of abbreviations. Read and remember the abbreviations to do with the degree titles, e.g. BS stands for Bachelor of Science. Do all of them have Russian equivalents?

A.S.	Associate of Science (USA)
A.A.	Associate of Arts (USA)
A.A.S.	Associate of Applied Science (USA)
BS	Bachelor of Science
BA	Bachelor of Arts
MS	Master of Science
MA	Master of Arts
M.Math*	Master of Mathematics
M.Eng.*	Master of Engineering
MPhil*	Master of Philosophy (UK)
MBA	Master of Business Administration
PhD	Doctor of Philosophy
Hons^3	Honours
HND	Higher National Diploma (UK)
HNС	Higher National Certificate (UK)
FdA	Foundations degree in Arts
FdSc	Foundations degree in Sciences

M.Math – professional (taught) degree

M.Eng. – research degree

MPhil - a university course that is of a higher level than a basic course

What degrees are awarded in Russian universities?

2. Read and remember some of the terms describing academic positions.

a teacher	-	someone who teaches, especially someome whose job is teaching, especially in a school
a tutor	-	(BrE) someone who gives lessons to an individual student or a very small group (NAmE) an assistant lecturer in a college
a lecturer	-	(especially in Britain) someone who teaches at a university or college
a professor	-	(especially BrE) a university teacher of the highest rank
a full professor	-	(NAmE) a rank of university teacher, and not as a title
an associate professor	-	(in the US and Canada) a teacher at a college or university who has a rank just below the rank of a professor
an assistant professor	-	(in the US and Canada) a teacher at a college or university who has a rank just below the rank of an associate professor
staff	-	all the workers employed in an organization considered as a group (BrE) teaching staff Ç (BrE) (NAmE) the people who work at a school, college or university, but who do not teach students
faculty	-	(NAmE) all the teachers of a particular university or college
a visiting professor	-	someone who has a job at one school but works at another for a period of time.
an adjunct professor	-	someone who is on a part-time position, to do research or teach classes.
professor Emeritus	-	someone with a title showing that the person, usually a university teacher, keeps the title as an honour, although he or she has stopped working
an instructor	-	someone who teaches sb a practical skill or sport; (NAmE) a teacher below the rank of assistant professor at a college or university
a coach	-	someone who trains a person or team in sport, and helps them to improve their skills
a trainer	-	someone who trains people in the skills they need to do a job
an educator	-	someone who teaches in a school, college, or university and who is an expert in the theories and methods of education

(Longman Language Activator)

Unit 1. Progress Monitoring

In this unit you have worked on the vocabulary related to the topic “Higher education”

undergraduate/postgraduate programme		to choose a field of study
to provide accommodation		to combine subjects
to be well equipped for/with		to do a course/a paper/exams
to support societies/groups/learning		to apply to a college
different/various/a variery of/a wide range of		to monitor one’s progress
to design a programme of study		a modular course
to receive marks/credit points		compulsory/optional subjects
to pass “core”/”elective” modules		to take a course/a route of study

Tick (V) the points you are confident about and cross (X) the ones you need to revise.

Unit 2 There is So Much to Study in Science
	Lead in

1. Look at the diagram of the natural sciences and their terms. Work in teams and add four more terms of your own that go with the particular science.

2. Look at the definition of biochemistry below. Work with a partner. Give a definition of your field of study using the verbs from the Functional language box.

Example: Biochemistry examines the structure and function of living organisms

at the molecular level.

Functional language: Giving definitions

… is a science / study of …

… studies/examines/investigates/etc. …

… describes/deals with/determines/etc. …

… uses/analyses/focuses on/etc. …

Reading

1. Look through the definitions of some natural sciences dealing with environmental issues. Match the definitions with the right titles of sciences below. Mark the key words in each definition that helped you to make the right guesses. A is done as an example.

Study help

Choosing techniques appropriate for your reading goals can save you time.

Here are some reading techniques you may find helpful for reading efficiently—quickly and with good understanding.

• Guessing the new words

• Using a dictionary for new words

• Highlighting repeated or paraphrased key words.

A …is concerned with the health of our environment and the significance of pollution. It focuses around our ability to improve our understanding of the effects of pollution on plants and animals and to develop early warning markers of organisms, population or environmental health.

B …uses a high level of mathematical technique for the description and analysis of complex environmental systems. It needs complicated statistical methods in the design of experiments and interpretation of measurements in the monitoring of the environment…

C …uses scientific background to the processes which affect the environment and its management as well as considering the social, legal and policy implications of environmental issues.

D …is the scientific study of chemical and biochemical phenomena that occur in natural places. It deals with the behaviour of both natural and man-made substances in relation to atmospheric, aquatic and terrestrial environment.

E …is the science of the relationship between organisms and their environments. It is the study of harmful effects of modern civilization on the environment, with a view toward prevention or reversal through conservation.

(Adapted from Lancaster University Undergraduate Prospectus Entry 2005)

Pollution Science - A	Ecology
Environmental Management	Environmental Chemistry
Environmental Mathematics

Writing

Write the definition of your field of study. Pay attention to the key words you use.

Listening

1. Work with a partner. Choose the correct explanation of the words and phrases below. Use a dictionary if necessary.

1. If something is hands-on it is

a) theoretical b) practical c) both

2. If something is promising it

a) is bad and useless b) is unknown c) shows potential

3. If something captivated you it was

a) dead boring b) fascinating and attractive c) absolutely new to you

4 If something is familiar to you it is

a) well-known b) strange c) clear

5. If it is a procedure of something it is

a) a process or method b) a rule c) an explanation

6. If you hesitate you feel

a) brave b) unhappy c) uncertain

7. If you have a doubt about something you

a) feel scared b) hesitate c) feel angry

8. If you decide to broaden your knowledge of a subject you

a) forget about it b) think about it a lot c) learn more about it

9. If you are inquisitive you

a) are talented b) are imaginative c) want to know

more about people or things

2. Listen to John, Paul and July telling how they got interested in science. Tick (V) the correct piece of information about them.

Who…?	John	Paul	July
got interested by educational TV programs
loved reading science fiction books
was encouraged by their parents
is fond of experimenting
is going to become a research scientist
has a particular career in mind
hasn’t decided yet what to do in the future

3. Listen again and answer the questions.

1. Are they all happy with their choice of specialization?

2. Why can interest in science mean a future full of choices?

3. What are the possible disadvantages of being a research scientist?

Speaking

Work with a partner, ask each other the questions below.

• Are you happy with the choice of your subject area? Why?/Why not?

• How did you get interested in it?

• What are your plans for the future? Do you have any particular career in mind?

• Would you like to become a research scientist? Why?/Why not?

• What else except for an inquisitive mind one should have to be a research scientist?

• Do you agree that successful scientists are born rather than made? Why?/Why not?

Writing

Write a paragraph about your partner’s choice of the subject area using his/her answers to the questions above and the information in the Study help box as the guidelines to help you to organize your ideas and develop a good piece of writing.

Study help

• A paragraph is a group of related sentences that develop an idea.

• In a paragraph there is usually one idea that is more important than all the others and it is commonly found at the beginning.

• The main idea is supported by major details that grow out of it. And there are also minor details that grow out of the major ones, i.e. examples, explanations, additional information, etc.

• When you write, try to join your ideas with the linking words and phrases, e.g. first of all, moreover, besides, finally, actually, in any case.

• When you have finished, re-read and check your work.

Reading

1. You are going to read the text about the Combined Science (Natural Sciences) course. Work with a partner and make a list of subjects that you think are included in the curriculum.

2. Read the description of the Combined Science degree course offered in Lancaster University in the UK and check the predictions you have made.

Guess the meaning of the highlighted words. Check as a class.

The Combined Science degree, which includes Natural Sciences, is founded on Lancaster's tradition of flexibility and forward thinking. Following current interest in a broader, less specialized education we have brought together 25 departments offering 56 different courses from which you can take a degree adapted to your personal requirements. The scheme cuts through the conventional barriers between subjects, allowing combinations not only between the sciences, but also between the sciences and the humanities or social sciences.

Most science degrees require a specialized study of a single subject even though the majority of science graduates eventually follow careers which would be better served by a broader, less specialized education providing relevant experience in, for example, management, languages or social sciences.

Our Combined Science degree is intended for those who have a particular career in mind (for example, scientific journalism/information technology and medical or research management). It provides a means of choosing those skills and disciplines which will assist such ambitions. In particular, mature students who wish to advance an established career will find the wide choice provided by this degree well suited to their needs.

The programme of study is broad, but care has been taken not to sacrifice academic excellence. Depending on the degree course students study up to three subjects in the first year and then major in an acceptable combination of these subjects. In the second and third years students take course units in each chosen subject. One of these may be a non-science subject. In each subject there is a Combined Science tutor who advises students on their course choice.

The Natural Sciences option is available to those who wish to take at least two natural sciences. They are biological sciences, chemistry, environmental science, mathematics and physics.

The University is planning to offer a scheme called Technology for those wishing to specialize in the applied science area.

About one-third of the first year and of the final degree (second and third years) is based on coursework, including essay, tutorial, laboratory and project work. A number of our graduates have taken up PhD studies, teaching diplomas, and MS’s courses in addition to employment in a wide range of area.

(Adapted from Lancaster University Undergraduate Prospectus Entry 2005)

3. Read the text again and answer the questions.

1. How many departments are involved in training students in the Combined

Science course?

2. Who may find this course most attractive?

3. Does the combined course provide any particular career opportunities? What are they?

4. How many natural science subjects can a student take?

5. Who can help students to make the right choice of the subjects?

Study help

We remember new words much more easily if we think about them in relation to our own experience and if they have some personal meaning for us.

4. Match each item on the left with an

item on the right to make a phrase commonly used in English. Use prepositions where necessary.

specialized current wide personal barriers a wide range programme provide academic forward mature

of between

study requirements subjects excellence choice education student thinking interest a means of areas