Аннотация
Предлагаемый вашему вниманию материал для урока-семинара применяется в качестве дополнения к учебнику Английский язык для педагогических специальностей=English for Pedagogical Specialties авторы С.Н. Степанова, С.И. Хафизова, Т.А. Гревцева по темам «Система образования в Великобритании», «Высшее образование в США» при проведении заключительного занятия.
Предназначен для студентов 2 и 3 курсов специальности 44.02.01. ОГСЭ.04 «Дошкольное образование»
Цели: совершенствование, расширение и систематизация знаний по теме, развитие навыков устной речи, контроль овладения базовыми терминами и информацией по теме
Задача: формирование языковой и коммуникативной компетенции, необходимой для дальнейшей профессиональной деятельности и осуществления деловых контактов
Вопросы для обсуждения:
What stages of education are there in England and Wales? Which of them are compulsory?
In what institutions can children get pre-school education?
Do all primary and secondary schools in England and Wales belong to the state system? Don’t you think that independent schools sustain inequality in the field of education?
In what schools within the maintained system can children get primary education?
At what age are pupils usually transferred to secondary schools? How is it done in Russia?
What secondary schools maintained by the state do you know? Are all of them mixed?
What kind of education do grammar schools offer?
What does the term “comprehensive” imply? What types of independent schools do you know? Which are the most notable public schools? What do they train their pupils for?
What are the principal examinations taken by secondary school pupils in England? What exams are taken at the age of 18?
Possible answers:
1. There are the following stages of education in England: pre-school, primary, secondary, further, higher. Pre-school, primary, secondary are compulsory.
2. Children can get pre-school education in nursery schools or play groups. Most of these play groups are part-time private schools.
3. There are two main kinds of schools supported from public funds: county schools and voluntary schools. I feel that independent schools may sustain inequality in the field of education.
4. Children can get primary education in independent fee-paying schools set by the independent secondary schools.
5. The usual age f transfer prom primary to secondary schools is eleven. In Russia it is just the same.
6. Secondary schools maintained by the state are state comprehensive schools: county schools and voluntary schools. I think all of them are mixed.
7. Grammar schools offer brilliant knowledge in humanities.
8. The term “comprehensive” means that state schools take children of all abilities. Comprehensive education became a national policy after the 1960s. The main advantage of the comprehensive education is covering most of the children with education.
9. The term “independent school” means that it is independent fee-paying school. They are: pre-preparatory schools, preparatory schools, boarding schools. The most notable schools are: Eton, Harrow, Winchester, Rugby, Oundle, Uppingham, Charterhouse. They train their pupils for leading positions in society.
10. The principal examinations taken by secondary school pupils are: General Certificate of secondary education or Scottish Certificate of Education. At the age of 18 they take “A” Level examination.
II. Find arguments to illustrate the followings:
The system of education in England and Wales is complex and bewildering.
Administration of publicly provided schools is rather decentralized.
Comprehensive schools are the most progressive secondary schools in England.
Six-form pupils get rather narrow specialist education.
Possible answers:
1. The system of education in England and Wales is rather complicated and bewildering. To begin with, I should say that there are some stages in getting education: Pre-school education, Primary school, Secondary school, finally, Sixth form. Each of these stages has its advantages and disadvantages. In pre-school education only 47 % of 3-and 4-year-olds attend nursery schools or play groups. Besides, most of these schools are part-time private schools. In addition, 20% of children start school before the age of 5.
The second stage of education-Primary school- is divided into two: Independent schools which attend only 5% of children, they are fee-paying schools, and State primary schools, most of them are state-funded although many are run by the churches.
After Primary school begins Secondary School which is also divided into some parts: most children attend State comprehensive schools (84%), only 7% - Independent fee-paying schools. In some areas there is still an 11+ examination. If they pass it successfully they go to grammar school, if they fail the pupils go to secondary modern school. Children take General Certificate of secondary education or Scottish Certificate of Education.
When pupils are 16-18 they can enter the Sixth form but only 45% continue it with full-time education after 16. The rest go to work or join employment training schemes. 8% go to “public” schools, 25% (if the pupils take an “A” exam) can learn in the sixth form of a secondary school (state or private) or in a separate Sixth Form College. And only 14% go to colleges of Further Education.
2. Administration of publicly provided schools is rather decentralized. For many years the education service has been characterized by change. The provision of maintained school education is the responsibility of local educational authorities (LEAs). They employ teachers and other staff, provide and maintain buildings, supply equipment and materials, provide grants to students proceeding to further and higher education. The Department of Education and Science maintains overall control although local educational authorities and head teachers have considerable powers in planning and administration. Plans were introduced into Parliament in 1988 for more centralized control, including a national curriculum.
3. Comprehensive schools are the most progressive secondary schools in England. About 90% of secondary schools in Britain are now comprehensive. They take pupils of all abilities or aptitude from their local area. They provide a wide range of secondary education for all or most of the children from their local area. However, some comprehensive schools do not have full range of academic courses for six-formers. Pupils can go either to a grammar school or to a six-form college to get the courses they want.
4. After getting the General Certificate of Secondary Education, to take an “A” level examination, pupils have to have two more years of study either in the sixth form of a secondary school, or in a separate sixth-form college. Only 45% of pupils continue with full-time education after 16. The rest go to work or join employment training schemes.
III. Use the topical vocabulary in answering the following questions:
Do many children in England and Wales attend pre-school institutions? Why?
Have all maintained schools equal opportunities to provide the same level of education? Prove your point of view.
How can you prove that in spite of all changes made during the recent years the system of education in England and Wales is still class-divided and selective.
What are the British government’s education policies? What do you think of the main aim of the publicly maintained system of education which is officially stated as followers: “… to give all children an education suited to their particular abilities.”?
What is your opinion of the fact that administration of publicly provided schools is not centralized? What do you think of schools’ freedom to choose textbooks, include various subjects into the curriculum, specify the material for learning, appoint and dismiss teachers?
What subjects are usually included in a primary school curriculum? What is the aim of primary education? What methods are used in primary schools?
What types of secondary schools are there in Britain?
Why do you think most children in grammar schools are from rich families?
How can you account for the fact that the percentage of those attending comprehensive schools is becoming a bit lower nowadays?
How can you account for the fact that independent schools (especially public schools) which are not very numerous are the most significant?
What is your opinion of the specialist preparation in the six form?
Possible answers:
1. Only 47% of children in England and Wales attend pre-school institutions. They attend nursery schools or play groups. Most of them are part-time private schools.
2. They are organized in a number of different ways. Different areas have different ways and systems of education: full-time education, part-time education, and tripartite system, class-divided and selective system of education. They sustain inequality of opportunity.
3. In spite of all changes and alternations made during the resent years the system of education in England and Wales is still class-divided and selective. Let’s turn to Pre-school education. English children must go to schools when they are five. First they go to infant schools where they learn first steps in reading, writing and counting numbers. The curriculums for “strong” and “weak” groups are different. When children come to the junior school for the first time, they are divided into “streams” - A, B and C – on the basis of their infant school marks or sometimes after special tests. The brightest children go to A-stream, the least gifted – to the C stream.
4. There is the Department of Education and Science. It maintains overall control over educational establishments. The responsibility of local education authorities (LEAs) is the provision of maintained school education. Plans were introduced into Parliament in 1988 for more centralized control, including a national curriculum for all schools. I feel positive about the main aim of the publicly maintained system “… to give all children an education suited to their particular abilities.” I think it is impossible to have objective criteria to measure the abilities of pupils. It is very individual.
5. From one hand the fact that administration of publicly provided schools is not centralized is not bad. The schools have more freedom of value curriculums, textbooks, subjects and ways of teaching… But from the other hand it is impossible to maintain more centralized control over the activities of teaching in different types of schools. My personal opinion of schools’ freedom to choose textbooks, include various subjects into the curriculum, etc – it is not a bad idea especially in the field of appointing and dismissing teachers.
6. First the pupils go to infant schools where they learn first steps in reading, writing, counting numbers. At the age of seven they go to junior schools. Their school subjects are English, Mathematics, History, Geography, Nature Study, Swimming, Music, Art, Religious Instruction and Organized Games. In primary schools pupils are mostly taught by a class teacher who teaches all subjects. Methods of teaching vary, but there is a balance between formal lessons with the teacher at the front of the classroom and activities in which children work in small groups round a table with a teacher supervisor.
7. Formally at the age of eleven children go to grammar school or secondary modern schools. At present, the state school system has changed at the secondary school level to provide, in place of grammar and secondary modern schools, a single comprehensive school system, where children at every age, find their own level according to ability.
8. Most children in grammar schools are from rich families because these institutions charge fees for the education.
9. Nowadays the percentage of those attending comprehensive schools is becoming a bit lower. The reason is that some comprehensive schools do not have the full range of academic courses for six-formers. That is why pupils can go either to a grammar school or to a six-form college to get the courses they want. Besides, parallel to the state system, there is a private educational system.
10. Independent schools (especially public schools) are not very numerous, but they are the most significant. The most notable independent schools are the so-called public schools. A public school is often a boarding school. The usual age of entry to public school for boys is 13 and the leaving age – 18. There some girls’ public schools such as Rodean modeled to a certain extent on the public school for boys.
11. Six - form pupils get rather narrow specialist education.
IV. Look for the answers to the questions:
What are the admission requirements to the colleges and universities in the USA?
What are the three types of schools in higher education?
What degrees are offered by schools of higher learning in the USA? What are the requirements for each of these degrees?
What are the peculiarities of the curricula offered by a college or a university?
What is a credit in the US system of higher education? How many credits must an underground student earn to receive a bachelor’s degree? How can they be earned?
Possible answers:
Successful aplicants at the colleges are chosen on the basis of their high school records, recommendations from their high school teachers and their scores on the Scholastic Aptitude Tests (SATs).
The system of higher education in the USAcomprises three categories of institutions: the uiniversity, which may content several colleges for undergraduate students seeking a bachelor’degree, a master’s or a doctoral degree; the technical training institutions and the two year, or community college.
A bachalor’s degree, a master’s, a doctoral degree are offered by schools of higher education. A Bachelor of Law, a Bachelor Divinity take additional three years of study and reguire first a B.A. or B.S. to be earned by a student. Graduate schools in America award Master’s and Docror’s degrees in both the arts and science. A thesis is required for a Master’s degree; a Doctor’s degree reguires a minimum of two years of course work beyond the Master’s degree level.
The period of study in an American college or University is four years. The academic year is nine months and comprises two terms or semesters. The first or fall term usually begins at the last week of August and continues until the middle of December with approximately four weeks intermission for the Christmas holidays. The second semester begins in January and continues until he end of May. The studentsare usually given three to five days for the Easter holidays. In addition to the regular academic year, many colleges offer courses of study for those who are interested in making up courswork or for those who would like to accelerate their program. Students choose a major subject and take many courses in this subject. The student’s progress is evaluated by means of tests, term papers and final examinations. Each academic year students take nine examinations. The students work is given a mark, usally in a five point scale. Letters indicate the level of achievement. “A” is the higherst mark. “F” denotes a falure.
The number of credits awarded for each course relates to the number of hours of work involved. At the undergraduate level a student generally takesabout five three-hour-a weekcourses every semester. Credits are earned by attending lectures (or lab classes) and by successfully completing assignments and examinations. One credit usually equals one hour of class per week in a sngle course. A three-credit course in Linguistics, for example, could involve one hour of lectures plus two hours of seminars every week. Most students complete 10 courses per an academic year and it usually takes them four years to complete a bachelor’degree requirement of about 40 three-hour courses or 120 credits.
In the American higher education system credits for the academic work are transferable among universities. A student can accumulate credits at one university, transfer them to a second and ultimately receive a degree from there or a third univesity.
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