Pre-reading task: Scan the text and answer the questions:
1. What is higher education guaranteed and ensured by?
2. What is the higher school admission based on?
3. What are the levels of higher education?
4. What are the requirements for getting the first study degree?
5. What do the programs of higher education include?
6. What fields is the Bachelor’s degree awarded in?
Citizens of Russia have the right to education which is guaranteed by the Constitution and ensured by the broad development of compulsory secondary education, vocational, specialized secondary and higher education, extramural, correspondence and evening courses, also by the provisions of state scholarships, grants and privileges of students.
Higher education is provided by public and non-public (non-state) accredited higher educational institutions/tertiary such as universities, academies and institutes covering a wide range of fields of study.
Higher school entrance is based on the results of the Uniform State Exam usually on three subjects, passed at schools. These subjects are: mathematics, history, the Russian language and the Russian literature.
According to the two level educational system, we have:
· basic higher education -4 years of full time university level study, leading to the Bakalavr’s degree (equivalent to the Bachelor’s degree in the UK and western countries);
· postgraduate higher education - 2 years. After two years of studying post-graduates are entitled to receive the Magistr’s degree (this is equivalent to the Master’s degree in the UK or European countries). After getting the Master’s degree students can continue to study towards the doctoral degree: Kandidat Nauk degree (the first level, equivalent to Ph. D) and Doctor Nauk degree (the second highest level, equivalent to Doctor of Sciences).
These programs include professional and special courses in science, the humanities and social-economic disciplines, professional training, completion of a research paper / project and passing state final exams (degree exams).
Having obtained the Bachelor’s (Bakalavr’s) degree, students may apply for the Master’s degree programmes which are competitive, or continue their studies in the framework of the Specialist’s Diploma programmes.
The Bachelor’s degree is awarded in all fields, except medicine. Diploma project is prepared under the guidance of a scientific supervisor. Students must carry out a year of research (including practice), prepare and defend a thesis which constitute an original contribution and sit for final examinations.
Ex. 9 Match the English and Russian words and word-combinations.
| 1. the right to education 2. postgraduate course 3. the Bachelor’s degree 4. higher educational institution 5. research 6. humanities 7. subjects 8. to defend a thesis 9. state final exams | a) гуманитарные науки b) защитить диссертацию c) предметы d) вуз e) государственные экзамены f) аспирантура g) право на образование h) научная работа i) степень бакалавра |
Ex.10 Match the words to definitions.
| 1. extramural classes/courses 2. scientific supervisor 3. compulsory university 4. full time study 5. vocational 6. specialized | a) a person who is in charge of smth b) involves only one limited area c) smth that makes you do smth d) organized by a college or university for people who are not students e) the whole of a working week f) providing skills and education that prepare you for a job |
Ex. 11 Give your opinion on the following topics:
1. a) What do you think are the advantages and disadvantages of new two-level education system?
b) Is applying to university easy or stressful in your country?
2. In England university admission is based on the results of the A-level exams (an examination in a particular subject taken in schools in England and Wales usually at the age of 18), but there are a number of steps which many pupils go through in the two years before university. Here are some of the main ones. How many of them are also necessary in your country?
a. Visit the careers office at school.
b. Discuss their choice of universities with their teachers.
c. Send off for brochures from various universities, which describe the university and its courses.
d. Visit the university they are interested in (go to ‘open days’).
e. Apply to the University by filling in a form listing five choices.
f. Take school exams: the results are used to predict A-level results, and are recorded on university applications.
Section II
Text 2
