MY FUTURE PROFESSION.

Date: 2015-10-07; view: 1828.

REVIEW

Task 1. Put each of the following words or phrases in its correct space in the passage below.

When children are two or three years old, they sometimes go to a (a) __________, where they learn simple games and songs. Their first real school is called a (b) __________ school. In Britain children start this school at the age of five. The (c) __________ year in Britain begins in September and is divided into three (d) __________ . Schools (e) __________ for the summer holiday in July, (f) __________ education begins at the age of about eleven, and most schools at this level are (g) __________, which mean boys and girls study together in the same classes. In Britain education is (h) __________ from five to 16 years of age, but many children choose to remain at school for another two or three years after 16 to take higher exams. Most children go to (i) __________ schools, which are maintained by the government or local education authorities, but some children go to (j) __________ schools, which can be very expensive. University courses normally last three years and then students (k) __________, which means they receive their (l) __________. At university, teaching is by (m) __________ (an individual lesson between a teacher and one or two students), (n) __________ (a class of students discussing a subject with a teacher), (o) __________ (when a teacher gives a prepared talk to a number of students) and of course private study. Most people who receive a university place are given a (p) __________ by the government to help pay their (g) __________ and living expenses.

Task 2*. Five people are speaking about their learning experiences. Complete each space with a suitable word. The first letter of each space is given.

a) I've just finished university, although I'll have to go back for my ____graduation____ ceremony in October. So now I'm the proud possessor of a d_______________ in Modern Languages. At last I can get down to earning some money and paying back my l_______________ from the government. My friend is luckier than me in this respect - she's off to the States. She has a s_______________ to study at Yale University.

b) I was known as a rather naughty, mischievous pupil, and I often used to get s_______________ out of the lesson or put in d_______________ after school. Little did the school know, however, that Dad was actually paying me to have extra Maths lessons at home with a private t_______________. And it paid off, for in my Maths exam, I surprised everyone by getting the top m_______________ in the class.

c) I left school without any q_______________, and with no real job p_______________. But then I started doing e_______________ classes at the local f_______________ education college. And now I'm a mechanic, and delighted with my job!

d) My problem was exams. I was never any good at them. Classwork fine, exams no go. For my A levels I r_______________ solidly for three months, but despite all this preparation, I got disappointing g_______________ :D for Physics, E for Chemistry, and E for Biology. The school suggested that 1 r_______________ the exams, but to be honest, I didn't fancy all that studying all over again. But I did win a p_______________ at Sports Day, for the Senior Boys Long Jump.

e) When I was 28, I decided I wanted to go back into education, as I was getting more and more interested in English literature. One option was to become a m_______________ student at a university, but I couldn't afford this full-time commitment. So in the end I signed up for a с_______________ course, or 'distance learning', as it's called. I sent my essays and a_______________ to a tutor by post and also communicated with her by e-mail. I had to study English literature from 1300 to the present day, but I chose to s_______________ in the twentieth-century novel.

Task 3. Explain the difference between:

a) to sit an exam and to set an exam

b) to take an exam and to pass an exam

c) compulsory and voluntary

d) to educate and to bring up

e) a pupil and a student

Task 4*.Complete the spaces by finding one word which fits in all three sentences.

Task 5.Translate the following from Russian into English using the vocabulary of the unit.

1. Для того чтобы получить место в университете необходимо вложить много сил в подготовку к вступительным экзаменам. Школьники начинают заранее посещать подготовительные курсы. Однако, само-мотивация также очень важна – ни один учитель не поможет вам сдать экзамены, если вы не сможете правильно организовать свое время и не начнете интенсивно готовиться. Нужно осознать, что подготовка к экзаменам – это тяжелая работа и придется пожертвовать остальными вещами, такими как общение с друзьями, например.

2. Когда я была студенткой, мы с подругой обычно созванивались поздно вечером накануне экзамена. Поскольку нам удавалось разобраться в разных вопросах, мы могли помочь друг другу. Большинство людей считает, что занятия в паре с кем-то только отвлекают, потому что вы больше разговариваете, чем работаете. Но я уверена, что одна голова – хорошо, а две – лучше! Вместо того чтобы просто зазубривать материал, вы можете еще раз просмотреть свои конспекты и докопаться до сути вместе. Это также может оказаться полезным, потому что мы бессознательно запоминаем то, что стараемся объяснить другим людям.

3. Для того чтобы улучшить свое произношение и избавиться от русского акцента Макс работал в лингафонном кабинете часами напролет. Поначалу его знание лексики тоже были ограниченными. Он очень медленно продвигался вперед, поскольку ему было невероятно трудно учить длинные тексты. Поэтому ему приходилось сидеть ночами по пять дней подряд чтобы подготовиться к обыкновенной проверочной работе. Но потом он сумел придумать очень удачные приемы для запоминания и стал использовать мнемоники и рифмовки, которые помогали ему в заучивании лексики. Он также заметил, что гораздо эффективнее заниматься небольшими получасовыми периодами, делая между ними короткие перерывы, нежели сидеть по пять часов, не поднимаясь из-за стола. Таким образом со временем его упорная работа оправдала себя – он с легкостью и блестяще сдал летние экзамены.

Anna Simonova is a second-year student of Moscow Linguistic University. She is studying English and German and training to be a teacher. When she arrives home after her summer vacation she finds the following letter waiting for her.

34 Beech Crescent

Bradfield 6

17 August 1987

Dear Anna,

I expect you will be somewhat surprised to receive a letter from a complete stranger, but Mr. Morris, whom you met when he was visiting Moscow last summer, gave me your address and told me something about you. He said you were interested in corresponding with an English girl, preferably a student, and as I am training to be a teacher, too, it would no doubt be of mutual interest if we could compare our experiences in this sphere.

But first of all I'd better introduce myself, at least briefly. My name is Valerie Morton — my friends call me Val. I'm twenty-two years of age and unmarried. I was born in Birmingham, but when I was two my parents moved to Coventry, where I grew up and attended primary and grammar school. I took and passed G.C.S.E. O level in eight subjects and A level in Latin, French and English. In 1983 I was admitted to the University of Bradfield on a local authority grant¹to studyFrench,withEnglishas a subsidiary subject. I graduated last summer, receiving the degree of Bachelor of Arts (BA.), and in October began a one-year training course leading to the Diploma of Education,² which will qualify me to teach in any kind of school.

From what I've said, you will gather that an English university student who wishes to take up schoolteaching — unlike a student at a College of Education — doesn't study education parallel to his special subject courses. He first of all studies his subject and having obtained a first degree — usually the BA. or B.Sc (Bachelor of Science) — takes a postgraduate diploma course at a university Department of Education. This course is exclusively concerned with training him as a teacher, usually as a secondary-school teacher.

At present I'm nearing the end of myfirst teachingpractice.³ The university term⁴ began on October 1st, but we'd already started our course by spending a fortnight in a local primary school, observing lessons in various classes and giving occasional lessons ourselves. I must admit I found it awfully difficult to teach small children, and I feel nothing but admiration for the patience and skill of primary-school teachers.

You can't imagine how strange it was at first to be back at the university studying a completely new subject in a different department. The first six weeks of term were chiefly taken up with lectures and tutorials on the theory of education, educational psychology, the history and sociology of English education, and teaching methods for French and English. In addition to this we were given a specialthree-daycourse on the use of teaching aids and were also able to watch demonstration lessons, in various schools. Then, four weeks ago, our first full-time teaching practice began. It finishes in just over a week's time, when the schools break up for Christmas. Next term will also be divided between theoretical and practical work with greater emphasis on the latter, for next term's teaching practice will be somewhat longer. In the summer term there will be a few weeks of lectures and tutorials, followed by examinations inMay.

At the moment I'm fortunate enough to be teaching at Oak Ridge, an exceptionally good comprehensive school. Incidentally, the range of subjects taught is very wide because the school is large and caters for pupils who will leave school at 16, 17 and 18. In addition to the more usual subjects, it is possible to learn, and take external examinations in, Greek, Russian, Spanish. Woodwork, metalwork, engineering, gardening, domestic science (needlework and cookery), technical drawing, astronomy, geology, economics, civics, and ancient history. It is also possible for pupils in their final year at school to take vocational subjects, such as shorthand and typing and pre-nursing courses. Thelattersubjects are, of course,an optional, and not a compulsory⁵ part of the curriculum.

The staffof the schoolare mainly young and, consequently, energetic,enthusiastic and willing to experiment.

At the moment I give eight periods⁶of French and four periods of Englisha week and observe a further ten periods, not only French and English, but also other subjects in order to become better acquainted with the forms I teach. On the whole, discipline is quite satisfactory in my lessons, even when there is no other teacher in the classroom with me. I've found that the pupils are inattentive and badly behaved only when they are bored or when they sense that the teacher is not strict enough with them. Of course, some forms are noisier and less co-operative than others and there are always a few troublemakers who try to take advantage of my inexperience.

As I already mentioned, I have to teach eight periods of French a week. The standard of pronunciation and intonation is excellent in the forms which I teach or observe; the result, no doubt, of the systematic use of the Language laboratory right from the beginning. On the other hand, the standard of written work is inferior to that of oral work. I gave one of the best forms a dictation last week and was disagreeably surprised by the numerous spelling mistakes they made.

Over the last few weeks I've had very little time to think of anything but school. Although I have only twelve teaching periods a week I spend each evening preparing lessons⁷ and drop into bed absolutely exhausted. I try to mark homework⁸, written exercises and tests in my free periods at school so that I don't have to carry a briefcase full of exercise-books home every night — quite apart from preparing and giving lessons and marking a teacher has a thousand and one other time-consuming duties attending staff meetings and meetings of the Parent-Teacher Association; sitting on committees; coaching school teams; supervising other out-of-school activities; writing school reports;⁹ answering parents' questions; organizing educational visits and holidays at home and abroad; and so on and so forth.

To be quite frank, the first two weeks at school were something of a nightmare.I felt absolutely lost in what seemed an enormous, impersonal machine and was overwhelmed by the whole business of teaching. I felt depressed because I was firmly convinced that I should be an utter failure as a teacher. Most of all I dreaded the visits of my French methods tutor from the Education Department¹⁰ of the university, who is very competent but also extremely sarcastic. However, the other members of staff have been so sympathetic and considerate, so willing to give me advice, that I have overcome my initial doubts and regained my self-confidence. Nevertheless, it still seems incredible that less than a year from now I shall be a fully-qualified teacher with 30 periods a week and a form of my own. Do you feel the same?

Well, I hope I've given you a fairly clear idea of the way in which graduate teachers are trained in England. You must bear in mind, however,that each university Department of education organizes its course in a slightly different way. I look forward to hearing about your course and your experiences at college and during teaching practice.

Best wishes,

Valerie Morton.

?VOCABULARY PRACTICE

Read the following vocabulary notes. Then do the exercises that follow.

1. A scholarship is nowadays a grant awarded for a special purpose, or in special circumstances. It is given by an individual, or in memory of him, it may be called 'a memorial scholarship'. It is given to enable, somone to study.