I. Find the English correspondences for the following words and expressions in the text.
Училище (ПТУ), техникум, университет, академия, институт, Российская Академия наук, многоуровневая система, сокращенная программа, диплом о неполном высшем образовании, диплом специалиста, бакалавр, магистр, аспирантура, ректор, проректор, профессор, доцент, старший преподаватель, ассистент, самостоятельная работа студента (СРС), аудиторная нагрузка, Всероссийский Фестиваль «Студенческая Весна», творческая деятельность, научно-исследовательская работа студентов (НИРС), аттестация, Госстандарт высшего профессионального образования, Закон об Образовании, дипломный проект, диссертация.
II. Answer the questions.
1. What type of educational programmes (general or professional) is provided by university level higher education institutions?
2. How many university level higher learning institutions are there in the Russian Federation?
3. What is the basic principle of the education organization in our country?
4. Why does the role of universities in the system of higher learning become important?
5. In what way do the students obtain practical experience when studying in higher schools?
6. What are the requirements for the applicants for free of charge education? Do you find state unified exams an effective measurement of students’ excellence at school?
7. What is your attitude to the possibility of getting fee-paying higher education?
8. How is an academic year organized in Russia?
9. What is the traditional structure of a Russian higher school?
10. Does the All-Russia festival “Student Spring” fulfill the task to make the best use of students’ talents? What arrangements are usually provided in the framework of the festival?
III. Read the following information to write a table like the one in exercise 1 of unit 3 in the previous chapter about the current system of Russian university degrees.
Students in the Russian Federation can get a higher education through full-time or part-time (evening or correspondence) courses. All higher schools are controlled by the state and are uniformly administered. Since 1992, Russian higher education has had a multi-level structure meaning that degrees now may be obtained at three levels instead of at only one level, as in the former Soviet Union. In addition to the traditional Specialist Diploma, an Intermediate Diploma (at least two years of study), a Bakalavr Diploma (at least four years of study), and a Magistr Diploma (six years of study) were introduced after the changes in the early 1990's and are modelled on the Anglo-Saxon system of Bachelor's and Master's Degrees. Magistr degree programmes are based on Bakalavr degree programmes, while Specialist Diploma programmes are not. In order to establish the relationship between these qualifications in the future, the Government of the Russian Federation adopted the State Educational Standard of Higher Professional Education of August 1994.
Along with academic courses for undergraduates graduate courses in a great variety of fields are offered. If a person finishes a graduate course and writes a thesis on a chosen scientific problem, he or she receives a candidate’s or a doctoral degree.
The system of public education is being constantly improved and that is a logical process. At present most universities in Russia offer Bachelor, Specialist, Master, post-graduate degree programmes. According to changes in the federal law on education approved in 2007 Russian higher schools have to switch to a two-level system. This means that the majority of universities will be enrolling students into Bachelor’s and Master’s programmes. This change results from the ideas of the Bologna process and aims to provide students with academic mobility.
IV. Make up an oral presentation about Russian higher education system suggesting the examples from your own experience. Deliver it in class.
V. Work in small groups and discuss the following questions. Use the expressions introducing your point of view (see the annex).
1. At what age do you think you should:
– stop listening to your parents and teachers and do what you feel is right?
– be financially independent?
– leave the family home?
2. Have you ever taken your parents’ or teachers’ advice and regretted it?
3. Do you intend to follow in your parents’ footsteps? Why?
VI. Work with your partner. Decide whether you agree or disagree with the following statements using the functional language given in the annex for proving your opinion.
1. Once young people have had a taste of freedom, it’s difficult for them to go back and live with their parents.
2. The more qualifications you have got behind you, the better your chances are of getting a good job.
3. Whether or not you succeed in life is up to you; nobody else can help.
4. Before choosing a University course and starting a career, it’s best to get out of
your system and take a gap year.
VII. Ponder on the following items and present your ideas in class:
– effectiveness of the higher education system in our country;
– ways of improving the Russian higher school system;
– advantages and disadvantages of the change to the Bachelor’s and Master’s system;
– factors stimulating students’ academic mobility;
– innovative methods of teaching and learning.
