FUNCTIONS OF THE UNIVERSITIES
The functions of the universities are many. The primary purpose is to give young people an education designed to develop their intellectual capacities, that is the ability to judge the evidence critically, to develop independence of mind, the ability to communicate, curiosity and reasoning power. The universities have to teach how to acquire, increase and employ knowledge.
Universities train for the professions and teach special skills. They turn out teachers, doctors, engineers, lawyers, chemists, economists. But the majority of their graduates are not trained for special jobs, the education is not narrowly vocational. As knowledge grows and techniques change, they can adapt themselves and keep up-to-date.
The nation needs certain numbers of dentists and architects, lawyers and engineers, so the universities must educate people in a variety of subjects in order to meet the needs of the nation. Their main duty is to prepare well-educated people who can construct the future and adapt to it, they will have the heaviest responsibility for creating the future. To meet these needs the university divides its curriculum into two parts: the first three years are devoted to basic education and the last two years are intended for specific research work and the preparation of a diploma paper in the speciality.
Today, the main need among universities is learning power which is native ability plus the will to learn. A great teacher may inspire an individual student and set him on the road to education. But if a student lacks a solid academic foundation on which to build, the quality of university education will suffer.
GETTING INTO UNIVERSITY
ADMISSION PROCEDURES
Students are admitted to British Universities largely on the basis of their performance in the examinations for the General Certificate of Education at ordinary and advanced level. The selection procedure is rather complicated.
A student who wants to go to university applies for admission before he takes his advanced level examinations. First of all he must write to the Universities Central Council on Admissions (UCCA) and they send him a form which he has to complete. On this form he has to write down the names of six universities in order of preference. He may put down only two or three names, stating that if not accepted by these universities he could be willing to go to any other. This form, together with an account of his out-of-school activities and two references, one of which must be from the headteacher of his school, is then sent back to the UCCA.
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The UCCA sends photocopies of the form to the universities concerned. Each applicant is first considered by the university admission board. In some cases the board sends the applicant a refusal. This may happen, for example, if the board receives a form in which their university is the applicant’s sixth choice and the university already has many candidates. If there are no reasons for immediate refusal, the university admission officer passes the candidate’s papers on to the academic department concerned. One or two members of this department will then look at the candidate’s application: see what he says about himself, look at his marks at the ordinary level examinations, see what his headteacher and other referee say about him. On the basis of this, the department may make the candidate an offer (either a definite offer or a conditional one) or send him a definite rejection.
As a rule the department makes a conditional offer. This means that the candidate will be accepted by the university if he fulfills the requirements stated in the offer.
In his turn, the student may accept the offer conditionally.
When the Advanced level examination results come out in August, the university admissions department sees whether the candidate has fulfilled his conditions and, if he has, sends him a definite offer. The candidate must accept or refuse within 72 hours.
Ex.5 Insert prepositions or post verbal adverbs if necessary.
1. Students are admitted … universities … the basis … their examinations results.2. Students apply … admission … July. 3. … this form he has to write down the names … six universities … order … preference. 4. Each applicant is first considered … the university admission board. 5. If there are no reasons … immediate refusal, the university admission officer passes the candidate’s papers … … the academic department concerned.6. The advanced examination results come … … August. 7. The candidate must accept or refuse … 72 hours.
Ex. 6. Make up a scheme of admission procedures.
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An applicant
UCCA
University admission board
Academic department
How do the units cooperate with each other?
Ex.7. Talk on the admission procedures in the University where you study. Use the following phrases:
To admit, to apply for, a candidate’s application, General Certificate of Education, a reference, out-of-school activities, entrance exams, University admission board.
Ex.8. Make up a dialogue between two students (an English students and a Belarusian one) talking on the problem of admission to a higher institution.
Ex.9. Write an essay on the topic “Admission Procedures in Belarus”
I AM A STUDENT NOW
Ex.1. Try to recollect your first day at the University. Were you happy to be admitted to the University?
OUR STUDIES
Normally, we have one or two English classes a day. We are taking phonetics, grammar, speech practice, listening comprehension and reading comprehension.
In our phonetic classes we have a lot of pronunciation practice. WE are trained to imitate native speakers. Those who have a good ear for sounds and intonation learn more quickly than others. Anyway, it is rather a hard job which takes a lot of time and effort but it has to be done if you want to make progress.
In our grammar classes we practice the use of various grammar patterns, comment on the use of tense forms. We do a lot of exercises, translation and grammar tests. We also have to pass colloquies to show our results in grammar.
In our speech practice classes we do all kinds of work. We make up dialogues, talk on various situations, role-play, do vocabulary tests. Regular practice helps us to get a good command of the language.
In our listening comprehension classes we listen to CDs, answer the teacher’s questions, discuss the texts and dialogues, write tests.
In our reading comprehension classes we read texts, do exercises, translate sentences from Russian into English.
Students sometimes complain that they are given too much assignment but if you plan your day well, you can manage it without much difficulty.
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As far as other subjects go, the term is divided between theoretical and practical work: we have a few week of lectures followed by seminars. This term we are having lectures on linguistics, history and psychology. We are to take notes at the lectures and we can manage it fairly well unless the lecturer speaks too fast so that you may find it hard to follow him. Those who miss a lecture usually copy up the notes if they wish to be successful at the exam. When we have seminars, we spend a lot of time in the reading-room revising the material.
Twice a year, in January and June, we have our end-of-term exams.
Ex. 2. Paraphrase the following or give synonyms:
1) to be available
2) to be good at grammar
3) to manage
4) to lecture
5) to miss classes
6) to be a first-year student
7) to go to classes
8) to master the language
9) to learn something quickly
to consult a dictionary
Discuss with your partner what kinds of work that you do in your classes you find:
a) the most difficult/ the easiest
b) the most enjoyable/ the least enjoyable
c) the most helpful/ the least helpful
d) stimulating/ dull
Ex.3. Discuss with your partner what kinds of work that you do in your classes you find:
e) the most difficult/ the easiest
f) the most enjoyable/ the least enjoyable
g) the most helpful/ the least helpful
stimulating/ dull
THE PROBLEM OF TRUANCY
TEXT A.
Ex.1. Before reading the text, pronounce the given words correctly:
Nightmare, truant, truancy, bullying, attitude, ignore, condone, entire.
WHAT CAN BE DONE ABOUT TRUANCY?
It’s a nightmare – you think your child’s in school, then you find out he’s been on the streets all day. And it’s not just boys who do it – teenager girls are just as likely to bunk off.
Overall, round a million UK schoolchildren play truant each year. By 2002, the Government wants to see this reduced by a third, so it’s introduced a range of measures, including computerized registration systems, extra staff to follow up non-attendance, truancy-watch schemes with the police, pupil passes and pagers.
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But none of this matters if parents don’t play their part. Teachers are the ones on the front line, but they can’t work miracles if they are not supported by you.
Don’t turn a blind eye if you think your child’s playing hooky, even if it’s only once in a while. Get to the bottom of the problem fast because, as Education Secretary David Blunkett says, “A child who isn’t in lessons is a child who isn’t learning – and it disables them for the rest of their life”.
Very often, truancy is the first sign that a child needs help. The education watchdog Ofsted found that some children failed to attend because they couldn’t read well. It is also found that anxiety over deadlines was a major problem. Kids themselves often cite bullying as their reason for dropping out – one study found that a third of girls and a quarter of boys were afraid of attending school because of it. Then there are those who dislike a particular teacher or lesson and will simply skip it.
WHAT CAN PARENTS DO?
DO have a positive attitude towards education and get involved – many truants said they were sure their parents knew but ignored.
DON’T condone truancy by taking your child out of school for shopping trips or treats. If you give them days off, they’ll start their own.
DO make dental appointments after school. Many children skip the entire day after a morning appointment.
DO keep in contact with the school and don’t be afraid to admit it if you think you’ve got a problem.
THE DANGERS OF TRUENCY
- Truants are less likely to pass exams, so more likely to be out of work or in lower-paid jobs – they may even end up homeless.
- Truancy and crime are linked. Home Office research shows that truants are three times as likely to offend as non-truants.
- Truants are at risk from drug pushers and paedophiles, who target kids who are clearly not where they should be.
Comments:
A truant – a person who stays away from school without permission.
To play hooky – to play truant, to skip a lesson
A dead-line – a fixed date for finishing (doing) smth.
To cite – to mention.
To bully – to use strength.
To drop out – to withdraw from conventional social activities.
To condone – to overlook, or to forgive.
Ex.2. Read the sentences with the following word-combinations, translate them.
To be on the front line
to turn a blind eye
anxiety over deadlines
bulling
condone truancy
Ex.3. Find words and phrases synonymous to the ones given below:
To play truant
to miss classes
to be in danger
to mention
to violate
the feeling of fear
to overlook or to forgive truancy
not to pay attention to smth
to participate
to insult
Ex.4. Paraphrase the following phrases:
..it disables them for the rest of their life, to reduce by third, to get to the bottom of the problem, failed to attend, the reason for dropping out, a positive attitude towards education, to condone truancy, to skip the entire day, they can’t work miracles, to keep in contact, to be out of work, truants are three times as likely to offend as non truants.
Ex.5. Explain:
A nightmare, a miracle, a teenager, a truant, a non-truant, a drug pusher, a pedophile, a computerised registration system, a pupil pass, a pager.
Ex.6. Recollect the phrases from the text:
пропускать занятия
уменьшить на треть
ряд мер, в первых рядах
закрывать глаза на что-то
дойти до сути проблемы
страх за четвертные и годовые оценки
насилие
положительное отношение к учебе
прощать (просмотреть), что ребенок не ходит в школу
поддерживать контакт
игнорировать
подвергаться риску
оскорблять
Ex. 7. Think of your own sentences with the following phrases:
to play truant
turn a blind eye
to play hooky
to get to the bottom of the problem
to fail to attend, anxiety over deadlines
a reason for dropping out
to dislike a particular teacher
to get involved
to condone truancy
to skip the whole day
to keep in contact
to be out of work
to be at risk
Ex.8. Answer the questions:
1. Is truancy a problem at school?
2. Can this problem be solved only by teachers?
3. What are the main reasons of playing truant?
4. What can parents do?
5. What are the dangers of truancy?
Ex 9. Work in pairs. Ask the same questions (Ex.8) to each other and discuss the problem of students’ truancy. The following phrases will help you:
To be up to date with home assignments, to be left behind, to fail exams, to be expelled from the university, to have problems with parents, to be out of work, to be at risk from drug pushers, to be pregnant, to be in a difficulty.
Ex.10. Write an essay on students’ truancy, be ready to talk on the problem.
STUDENTS’S LIFE
Ex.1. Read the dialogue and make up your own dialogues.
AFTER THE EXAM
Millie: What did you think of the exams, Pete? I reckon they were dead easy.
Pete: Maybe they were easy enough for you but they were much too hard for me.
Millie: Oh, come on. You’ve probably done better than you think.
Pete: No, I’m dead certain I’ve failed in Latin, and most likely in French and History too. Thank goodness it’s all over though. We can forget about it now – at least until the results come out.
Mille: Yes. Now I can get on with reading all the books I’ve been wanting to read for months, but haven’t had time for.
Pete: What! … Well, it’s up to you, I suppose, but I’ve had enough of reading; I’m not going to open another book for months. Don’t you think we all deserve a break?
Millie: Well, yes … I’ll take a day or two off perhaps. And I think I’ll come to Bob’s sister’s party tomorrow night. But if I’m going to university in October, I’ll have to get down to some serious work again pretty soon.
Pete: I’ve got to get through the A level exams first. I’ll worry about university if and when I ever get there.
Millie: That’s the trouble with you. You always try to do everything at the last minute, you are a terrible procrastinator!
Pete: And you’re too serious; that’s your trouble. You never stop swotting.
Millie: Well, I like reading.
Pete: And I can’t stand it. I don’t know why I decided to try to go to university in the first place. I think I’ll run away and do something else.
Ex.2. a) Look at the guidelines below on how to beat exam stress. Match the headings with the sections.
| Time Off | Things to Avoid |
| Action Kills Worry | Learn How to Relax |
| Recognise the Symptoms |
b) After reading the given recommendations suggest your own ways of managing exam stress.
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