Образование в США

EDUCATION IN THE USA

1. New words

responsibility – ответственность, обязанность

demand – требования, запросы

nation-wide - общенациональный

consider – рассматривать, учитывать

undergraduate - бакалавриат

freshman year – первый курс

sophomore year – второй курс

Humanities – гуманитарные науки

junior year – предпоследний курс

senior year – последний курс

Bachelor’s degree – степень бакалавра

Master’s Degree – степень магистра

2. Read and translate the text.

Education in the United States

There is no federal educational standard in the USA. Schooling and educational programmes are the responsibility of each state; this is why one can find great differences in education from state to state. No uniform demands exist on education in schools or universities through­ out the nation. In most states attending school is obligatory for children between six and seventeen. Secondary education institutions include elementary schools and high schools.

Higher education in the USA is not nation-wide. Colleges differ a lot from each other in scale and level of education as well as in the “quality” of diplomas given. There are private and state universities. Private education is considered more prestigious. The most famous pri­vate university is Harvard. Higher education is rather expensive in the USA.

A typical American university has two levels of education: two years of undergraduate classes and two more years of graduate classes. The undergraduate years are called the freshman and the sophomore year.

During the first and the second year the students take subjects of gen­eral education: Science, Humanities and Arts. The specialization begins at the third and the fourth years, named the junior and the senior year respectively. After the fourth year at college, students get a Bachelor’s degree. Graduates may specialize further and do research. They get a Master’s Degree.

3. Exercises

№1. Give the English equivalents of the following words and word combina­tions:

федеральный стандарт образования; учебные и образователь­ные программы; универсальные требования; начальная школа; средняя школа; считается более престижным; самый известный; довольно дорогое; первый курс; второй курс; третий курс; четвер­тый курс; общеобразовательные предметы; специализация; сте­пень бакалавра; степень магистра

№2. Agree or disagree:

1. The system of education in the USA works according to the national standard.

2. Admission to elementary and high schools is free.

3. State universities are more prestigious than private ones.

4. The course in a typical American university lasts five or six years.

5. Sophomore is the second year in a university.

6. The specialization begins at the first year of studies in a university.

№3. Make up ten questions on the text.

№4. Compare education in the United States and in Russia.

№5. Fill in the blanks using the suffixes that correspond to the words given.

№6. Compare educational system in Russia, in the UK and in the USA. Answer the questions and fill the table.

Read and discuss with your groupmates:

Elementary school

THE SCHOOL YEAR/DAY

The school year runs from early September to the following June. Students attend daily from Monday to Friday. The school day in elementary school usually lasts from about 8,30 a.m. to 3.30 p.m., though kindergarten children usually attend for only half the day.

TEACHER/HOMEWORK

Students spend most of the day with their class. The class is taught most of the time by the same teacher, except a gym class, music or art. Students rarely have homework until they reach the final grades of elementary school, and even then there is very little.

RECESS/LUNCH

The school day is divided into various sections and in the morning and the afternoon students have recess, a time when they can go outside and play, for about 15 minutes. In the middle of the day students eat lunch, either a meal prepared by their parents or a hot meal which they buy from the school. The rest of the lunch period is free and spent playing.

THREE Rs

The traditional subjects for elementary school students are called the three Rs: reading, writing, and arithmetic. In addition, the students study other subjects, such as history and geography and are given a chance to do creative activities and sports.

Junior High School and High School

Different teachers/ classes to choose

Students at junior high school take different lessons from different teachers who are specialists in their subjects. Students are required to study certain subjects, but they can choose which classes they take. For example, studying a science for three years, they can choose whether to take chemistry, physics or biology. There are also many subjects that students can choose to do or to drop, without any limits at all.

More independence and responsibility

An important part of junior high school and high school is, for many students, the increasing amount of independence and responsibility they are given. Students in high school have special names: ninth-grade students are called freshmen; tenth-graders are sophomores; students in the eleventh grade are juniors, and those in the twelfth grade are seniors. As students go through these levels, they expect to have more and more freedom. Part of it comes from being away from home for longer, and having to travel further to school. Many students go to school in a school bus which picks them up near their homes and takes them back again in the evening. At the age of 16, when most Americans learn to drive, students often go to school in their own car.

Summer sessions/clubs

There are additional summer sessions which enable students to catch up with work they have missed or to take a course they did not have time for during the year.

After school, students can choose from many extra-curricular activities. These include joining clubs based on a particular interest, e.g. chess, computers, acting or cooking, working on the school newspaper or playing in a sports team. A teacher from the school spends time with each group, but as students get older they are expected to organize and run things themselves.

PSAT/SAT/Diploma

There are 2 important ones taken by American students: PSAT (Preliminary Scholastic Aptitude Test) – an examination that high school students take, mostly to practice for SAT examination; and SAT (Scholastic Aptitude Test) – a standard test which students must pass in order to be accepted by most colleges and universities. It tests abilities in language and mathematics and is usually taken during the last year of high school. When students graduate from high school they receive a diploma.

Homecoming/Prom

During the school year there are important social activities. In the autumn homecoming, the day when former students return to the school, is celebrated with a big football game and a dance. The most important dance of the year is the Prom which is held near the end of the school year. Students take special care to find the right clothes for this event, which is usually limited to juniors and seniors. Younger students are very pleased if they have the chance to go as the guest of an older student.

Read and disscuss:

Rules for students

1872

1. Respect your schoolmaster. Obey him and accept hispunishments.

2. Do not call your classmates names or fight with them. Love an help each other.

3. Never make noises or disturb your neighbours as they work.

4.Be silent during classes. Do not talk unless it is absolutely necessary.

5.Do not leave your seat without permission.

6. No more than one student at a time may go to the washroom.

7. At the end of class, wash your hands and face. Wash your feet if they are bare.

8. Bring firewood into the classroom for the stove whenever the teacher tells you to do this chore.

9. Go quietly in and out of the classroom.

10. If the master calls your name after class, straighten the benches and tables. Sweep the room, dust, and leave everything tidy.

Texts for reading

1

The system of education in the USA varies greatly from state to state. School education in so called state public schools is free. Parents are free to choose any public school for their children. Although there are a lot of private schools, mainly religious, and parents have to pay for them. A school year starts in September and ends in June. It is divided into three terms or four quarters. 

American children start attending elementary schools at the age of 6. They continue their studies for eight years there (8 grades). Their basic subjects in the curriculum at this stage are English, Arithmetic, Natural Science, History, Geography, Foreign Language and some others. After that pupils may enter a Senior high school or if they go to a 5- or 6-year elementary school, they then attend a 3- or 4-year Junior high school, and then enter a Senior high school. Pupils graduate from high schools at the age of 18. The high schools (also known as secondary schools) are generally larger and accommodate teenagers from four or five elementary schools. During the school year the students study four or five selective subjects according to their professional interests. They must complete a certain number of courses to receive a high school diploma or a certificate of school graduation.

In order to develop social skills and encourage students’ participation in extracurricular activities every high school has an orchestra, a music band, a choir, drama groups, football, basketball and baseball teams. School becomes the centre of social life for students.

At American colleges and universities young people get higher education. They study for 4 years and get a Bachelor's degree in arts or science. If a student wants to get a Master's degree he must study for two more years and do a research work. Students who want to advance their education even further in a specific field can pursue a Doctor degree. The most famous American universities are Harvard, Princeton, Stanford, Yale, Columbia Universities.

2

In the United States, the approach varies from state to state. Most of the vocational courses are offered by community colleges. Historically, high schools have offered some vocational courses, such as home economics, typing, and auto repair, though schools have put more emphasis on academic subjects for all students because of educational reform standards.

Most colleges operate under a policy of “open admission”. This means that anyone with a high school diploma may attend, regardless of prior academic status or college entrance exam scores.

The “open admission” policy results in a wide range of students attending college classes. Students range in age from teenagers to working adults who are taking night classes to complete a degree or gain additional skills in their field. There are also students with graduate degrees who enroll to become more employable or to pursue lifelong interests.

The first type of study is to get an associate’s degree, in which a student earns the qualification after a two-year course. This degree coincides with jobs that require some level of college education but not a full four-year degree. The associate’s degree programme is also for students who are planning to obtain a bachelor’s degree at a four-year college. It allows them to complete the necessary “core” requirements before they enter the four-year college.

The second type of study provides certification in an area of training to become, for example, a computer repairperson, a medical technician, or a translator. Such certification allows for better job opportunities in many areas, as well as hiring preference or higher salary status when entering the workplace.