Laboratory Works - Higher Education

 MP3 AUDIO 5.1 1. You’ll hear five speakers talking about problems they or their relatives face while studying. Fill in the chart with the information given in the recording. Be especially precise with the column “Your solution to the problem”; here, you’re supposed to give your personal advice to avoid or ease the problems mentioned by the speakers.

Speaker	Problem	Signs of the Problem	Your Solution to the Problem
1	examination	Testing only facts	Introduction of the tests which would test students’ learning abilities
2	Preparation to the exams	tired face, sleepless nights etc.	Arrange a plan or schedule when this or that subject should be learnt
3	Getting to university	Sleepless nights	Arrange a plan or schedule when this or that subject should be learnt
4	Score system	Understated self-esteem, diffidence
5	Assessments with the help of technology	Problems with technology (registration on online testing sites, starvation)	Development and improvement of such kind of examination

 2. Have you ever experienced problems while studying?  What were these problems like? How did you cope with them?When opening the book, I start crying,having headache, fear, extreme sadness, blur, cannot concentrate, anxious and hatred. I felt so hopeless, restless, useless, sad, headache, trouble sleeping.  I was moody, angry, very fatigue, no appetite, extreme sadness, loneliness and headache.I try to solve such kind of problems by refocusing on more pleasant and interesting things from time to time. I talk to my mom, go out with friends.3. What are other difficulties that contemporary university students face while studying? When do the problems usually occur? Are there special stresses that cause them? Do you agree that the quality learning is “the travel of hardships”? Give account of about 100 words on the questions mentioned.
The social side of student life can be the most enjoyable and for some students it will be their first taste of independence. You'll make new friends, discover new and exciting opportunities and get involved in things that you have never tried before. However, some people find themselves unprepared and the responsibility that comes with this new-found freedom hard to deal with, such as:·                            dealing with changing friendships
·                            coping with new financial demands
·                            balancing social life with academic life
 These are some of the common transitional issues that students face:§                       Loneliness; lack of connection, social life, or friends
§                       Roommate conflicts or relationship issues
§                       Depression and anxiety
§                       Using unhealthy coping behaviors such as binge drinking
§                       Inappropriate study/academic skills
§                       Uncertainty about major and purpose in college
I completely agree with the statement that the quality learning is “the travel of hardships because it is proved by me own example that the quality of your studying depends on your ability to solve all your problems which rise almost every day.
  MP3 AUDIO 5.2 Listen to a talk given by a university advisor to a group of students and answer the following questions:1.   What is the standard grading system in the USA?
2.   What are the ‘special grades’ that the speaker mentions in the recording?
3. Comment on the standard grading system in your country?4. Do schools and colleges practice non-standard grading systems? What are they?5. Give examples of other grading systems throughout the world? Which of them do you think are efficient for the students’ academic assessment? 

1. it’s the grading system of A, B, C, D, E or F. At the end of each semester, you will be given a grade for the quality and quantity of your work in a given class. A student’s academic standing is determined by the number of credits (classes) completed and his or her GPA.

2. the special grades are called satisfactory and non-satisfactory grades. It includes the grading system of A, B, C, D, E or F.3.This system, with minor changes, has been in use in Russian schools since 1837. Between 1917 and 1935, the Communist government had tried to implement a radically new evaluation system with no grades at all, but it never fully took root.Qualifiers + and – are often used to add some degree of differentiation between the grades, e.g. 4+ is better than 4 but not as good as 5–. Grading varies greatly from school to school, university to university and even teacher to teacher, and tends to be entirely subjective even for courses that lend themselves to objective marking such as mathematics and applied sciences. Even though the grades technically range from "1" to "5", "1" is not very common and is rarely given for academic reasons—in many cases a "1" is given as a result of failure to show up for an exam or to answer any questions. A "2" grade usually means that the student showed little or no knowledge in a subject.
4.In Germany, school grades vary from 1 (very good, sehr gut) to 6 (insufficient, ungenügend). In the final classes of German Gymnasium schools that prepare for university studies, a point system is used with 15 points being the best grade and 0 points the worst. The percentage causes the grade can vary from teacher to teacher. The percentages shown in the table are the ones used in the "Oberstufe" (final classes).
In many high schools (Licei) grades vary within a limited range, between 2 and 8, often with each professor applying his/her own custom, even if the total theoretical interval is always from 1 to 10. When a professor wants to apply a more precise scale, instead of using the full 1–10 scale (which would have made their scale not comparable with that of other professors) they would often insert a plethora of symbols and decimals: the range between 5 and 6 would then be covered, in sequence, by 5+, 5++, 5½, 5/6, 6−−, 6−. Sufficiency starts at 6. As these symbols (except ½) have no clear mathematical value, calculating end-year averages could be somewhat arbitrary; therefore, there has been a push since 2008 with the Gelmini reform to uniform the system to the 0–10 scale.In Belgian Universities a scale from 0 to 20 is used on a per subject basis, a weighted average is then computed on scale from 0 to 20, 10 being the passing grade average per subject and 12 for the total(satisfactory). An average of 14(70%) gets you a distinction grade (cum laude), 16(80%) means high distinction (magna cum laude) and an average of 18(90%) yields the highest distinction (summa/maxima cum laude).

MP3 AUDIO 5.3 Listen to a talk by a student advisor on campus. Answer the following questions.1. What are the rules for dropping a course in the talk provided?2. What warnings does the student advisor give?3. How can you avoid getting a failing grade, according to the recording?4. What are the official drop procedures for the elective courses in your country? 1. You can drop a course within the first three weeks in the semester. Besides, you should get a signature of the professor of the course you want to drop or you just need official drop card.2. However, as a result, a student’s grades can suffer. You can officially drop your course after 3 weeks of the semester. If you stop attending a course without going through official procedures, the course will remain on your schedule and as a result you will receive a failing grade.3. if you go through official procedure of getting drop, you will not have any problems.4. Classes can be officially dropped during the first 20 percent of their scheduled meeting time.  The withdrawal period begins immediately following the drop period and continues through 60 percent of the scheduled meeting time, generally between the third and tenth week of the Fall or Spring terms. MP3 AUDIO 5.4 Listen to a talk given on a college campus.1. What are the places of a college campus that the speaker mentions in the recording?2. Can you find the similar campus places in your college/university? What are other places that are worth mentioning? Characterize them briefly.3. Pick out the places from the previous task and make a similar tour around your college/university to inform the freshmen about the campus. 1. Administration complex, library, students’ centre (a post office, a bank, a theatre, a coffee shop, a travel agency).2. Campus places in our institute:- library and reading room – here you can find many books on difefrents subjects, besides, there are journals and papers which you may take if you have a library card- 2 halls of residence ;
- bank;- coffee shop.

Movie Review 2

Dangerous Minds is a 1995 American drama film directed by John N. Smith, and produced by Don Simpson and Jerry Bruckheimer. It is based on the autobiography My Posse Don't Do Homework by former U.S. Marine LouAnne Johnson, who took up a teaching position at Carlmont High School in Belmont, California, in 1989. Starring Michelle Pfeiffer as Johnson, the film was released to an overwhelmingly negative critical reception, but became a surprise box office success in the summer of 1995, leading to the creation of a short-lived television series.

Now, let’s pass on the plot of the film. In this drama, a school teacher discovers that it takes more than the ABCs to get through to a class of "uneducatable" kids. When Lou Anne Johnson a nine-year veteran of the Marine Corps with a degree in education, begins a new job at an inner-city school in California, the principal warns her that her class will be the "rejects from Hell" -- kids with severe social problems and no interest in education. While at first her African-American and Latino students scoff at Lou Anne, she ultimately gets them to open up to learning and literature, through a combination of bribery (candy bars) and intimidation (her karate training from the Marines comes in handy), and she's able to reach out to the students who need her the most. When LouAnne discovers that his life is in danger because of a personal grudge held by a recently released thug, she tries to protect him, but due to the cold attitude of the principal, he is abandoned at the crucial moment and is subsequently killed. At the end of the year, she announces to the class that she will not be continuing to teach at the school, which prompts an unbridled display of emotion from the students who refuse to let her leave. Overwhelmed, she decides to stay.

Now I’d like to speak on one of the aspect of the film, it’s the most important and memorial scene, in my opinion. I was really impressed by the scene when Lou Anne Johnson  is reading song of the lyrics by Bob Dylan aloud thus trying indirectly change their minds so that they would become more confident. Her monologue which reveals the fact that everybody in this life has choice was very colorful and just to the point so its effect was obvious on all, even the most problem students of the class. I remembered these lines immediately after her several repetition and I think it’s the great motto for such king of children, and also for many of us.

The next point which I worth mentioned is actors performance. I now embrace the movie because Michelle's portrayal brings it over the top. Michelle Pfeiffer's performance is simply wonderful; she captures the passion and warmth of her character perfectly. I was positively impressed with Renoly Santiago's honest and sensitive reading. I think that the actors’ high acting skills have made the novel so popular. All actors succeeded to represent this burning issue which seemed to be never out of date.

To sum it up, I’d like to say that I really liked this movie very much, even if its nothing new. I think every generation should have a movie in this genre - there have been so many, going back to "Goodbye, Mr. Chips", that they must mean something to each new viewer. This is pretty realistic, too, although some of it is a little sugarcoated, it helps to remember that it is a movie.  Besides, the soundtrack is marvelous, but the introduction of the movie in black and white with Coolio's "Gangsta In Paradise" is overwhelming and fits perfectly to this magnificent movie.

Film Review

The Ron Clark Story  is a 2006 television film, starring Matthew Perry. Based on the real educator Ron Clark, it centers on the title character (Perry), a white teacher from a small town, who moves to New York City and tries to make a difference in the lives of his minority students despite nobody, including the students themselves, believing in them. The film received largely positive reviews, with particular praise going to Perry's portrayal. It was nominated for three 2007 Emmy Awards and "Outstanding Lead Actor In A Miniseries Or A Movie" for Perry.
Speaking about the plot of the story, it’s the inspirational drama The Ron Clark Story tells the real-life tale of Clark (Matthew Perry), a teacher from upstate New York who moves to Manhattan and re-instills courage and hope into the lives of many down-and-out students. Via highly innovative teaching strategies and rule sets, and an ongoing, strenuous effort, Clark manages to turn several lives around and raises students' test scores to admirable levels. In the end, even when pneumonia threatens to keep Clark down, he refuses to let it. In the end Mr. Clark's class got the highest average in the state and Clark was regarded by his students as their best teacher.
As for actors performance, first of all, I’d like to begin by mentioning the fact that the director of the film,  Randa Haines , is known in the world of cinema for her great skills of directing such movies which focuses on problem children and their lives. As a consequence, such kind of films is known for the spiritual depth and unique way of raising different themes which may vary from racial conflict to the problem of Ghetto children, Besides, the mixture of such themes makes this film worth watching. Randa Haines  particular style and specific way to tell the story has made the film is worthy of  90 minutes of your time. All in all, this direction is a striking example when both direction and actors’ performance are equally great.
Speaking about actor’s performance, it’s an open secret that Matthew Perry is obviously well known as Chandler Bing on the hit comedy, "Friends," but few know that he can also be a very good dramatic actor as well. As a matter of fact, he doesn't play Ron Clark as being too serious, because the real Ron Clark isn't. He plays the part as well as it can be played. Besides, I’d like to take into consideration two other actors -  Brandon Smith and Hannah Hodson whose brilliant acting skills make us share their feelings – happiness and sorrow, hatred and love, fear and brevity. I may conclude that actors’ performance has made film excellent story for anyone to see, families, teachers, students.
In conclusion, I’d like to say that The Ron Clark Story merits superlatives of the highest order. The film is poignant, gentle and heartwarming. It's truly phenomenal what this teacher can do with these troubled students. It's so inspirational and will have you laughing, crying, and even cheering for the characters throughout the entire movie.

Questions

1. Children's education in England is normally divided into two separate stages. They begin with primary education at the age of five and this usually lasts until they are eleven. Then they move to secondary school, there they stay until they reach sixteen, seventeen or eighteen years of age.
The main categories of school are:-

• local authority maintained schools (State Schools)
  Free to all children between the ages of 5 - 16 
• independent schools. (Private/Public Schools)
  Parents pay for their children's' education.

2, 3  

Educational Institutions in Order	England	the USA
1	primary school (age 5)	elementary school (age 6)
2	Secondary school\Comprehensive School (afe of11-16)	Junior High School (age 11)
3	GCSE examinations (age 16)	Senior High School (age 14)
4	college or university (age 18	High school (age 18): The First year – freshman The Second year- sophomores The Third Year-Juniors The Fourth Year - Seniors
6		High School graduators: -college (4 year course) -university (4 year course) -junior college (2 year course)

4.Two public examinations are set, on completion of the compulsory cycle of education at the age of sixteen, and on completion of the two voluntary years at the age of eighteen. At sixteen pupils take the General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE), introduced in 1989. It replaced two previous examinations: the Certificate of Secondary Education (CSE), which indicated satisfactory completion of secondary education, and the General Certificate of Education (GCE) which was for higher academic achievers.Pupils sit for the GCSE exams at the end of the 5-year course. They usually take as many subjects as possible. Weak students may only sit for three or four subjects. Better students will take ten subjects.  So pupils in Britain leave school at the age of 16 with examination certificates in the individual subjects they have passed.More ambitious pupils continue with very specialized studies in the sixth form. They remain at school for two more years and take their A-level examinations.

5. A-level exam

6. The National Curriculum was introduced into England, Wales and Northern Ireland as a nationwide curriculum for primary and secondary state schools following the Education Reform Act 1988. Notwithstanding its name, it does not apply to independent schools, which may set their own curricula, but it ensures that state schools of all Local Education Authorities have a common curriculum. Academies, while publicly funded, have a significant degree of autonomy in deviating from the National Curriculum.Whilst only certain subjects were included at first in subsequent years the curriculum grew to fill the entire teaching time of most state schools.

7. Full-time education is compulsory for all children aged between 5 and 17

8. 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. It is thought to be important to give children the chance to study as many subjects as possible, so that whatever their natural skills are they will have the chance to develop them. 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. At high school, students may take technical subjects such as computer programming alongside academic subjects. As in elementary school the aim is to help children develop their natural potential.

9. Some schools are now abandoning entrance exams and accept students on the basis of their previous results or an interview, during which they examine the child’s interest in the chosen field.

10. . Students continue to study subjects in the National Curriculum and take SATs at 14, and then work towards GCSEs in as many subjects as they can manage, often eight or ten. Students who hope to go to university stay on at school or go to a sixth-form college to study for A-levels in two, three or four subjects. Some secondary schools now offer more practical courses leading to GNVQs as an introduction to work-related skills.In Scotland students take the Scottish Certificate of Education (SCE). The standard grade, which is roughly equivalent to GCSE, is taken at 16 at one of three levels, and the higher grade is taken at 17. Students take five or six subjects as Highers and may then take A levels.

11. Independent schools are uniquely positioned to make a difference in the public domain. Given the societal turf independent schools occupy, the considerable resources they command, and the powerful network of caring and influential people they attract. Pupils at independent schools show greater improvement in the examination results than those at state-maintained schools. In later life, those educated outside the state-maintained system dominate the sources of state power and authority in government, law, the armed forces and finance.

12. Compulsory national curriculum subjects are:

• English
• maths
• science
• history
• geography
• modern foreign languages
• design and technology
• art and design
• music
• physical education
• citizenship
• information and communication technology (ICT)

The compulsory national curriculum subjects are the ‘core’ and ‘foundation’ subjects.

Core subjects are:

• English
• maths
• science

Foundation subjects are:

• information and communication technology (ICT)
• physical education
• citizenship

13. As public schools debated what to do with their new academic freedom, private schools and preschools became centers of innovation, with programs rediscovering prerevolutionary pedagogy and freely borrowing teaching methods from Western Europe and the United States. Serving largely Western-oriented families intent on making progress up the newly reconstructed social ladder, private schools emphasize learning English and other critical skills. 

14.They are pupils whose behavior is anti-social, aggressive, abnormal and whos ability is not equal to the tasks imposed.

15. Teaching is a career that provides challenges, excitement, personal reward and a chance to encourage and support others to achieve their goals.

There are many personal qualities and skills that make someone a good teacher.

These include:

·                 being good at explaining things

·                 being a people person and enjoy working with a wide range of people

·                 enthusiasm

·                 having a strong knowledge in particular subject areas

·                 being a good time manager

·                 ability to work in a team as well as using your own initiative

·                 keeping your cool under pressure

·                 having patience and a good sense of humour

·                 being fair-minded

·                 coping well with change

·                 enjoying a challenge.

16. memorable – the history lessons

Exciting-the last bell

Painful – I don’t habe such experience

17.I feel very very nervous I can’t even to talk in usual way with my parents. Chill usually runs down mu back.

18. Of course, written one because Iin this case I feel more comfortable as I have tima and ability to focus on my thoughts and use all my knowledge.

19. I am always the first in any of my exams because in other case I can’t bother tension.

20.I use it only for writing down my answers

21. I always feel nervuous in this case and as a result I can’t concentrne on my writing because I guesse what a teacher is thinking about what I have written.

22. I never use crib because I don’t see any use of it. I rely always only on my own knowledge.

23.i always panic before the exam but then, from the moment I enter the examination class the panic disappears.

24, Now I don’t because a teacher may easile find it out and as a result you may have big problems. As for me, I m not uset to rely on other students.

25. the most difficult thing is to see that while you are answering the exam question, a teacher is writing down (something unpleasant, I am always sure in it), Besides, it is a problem to answer to some additional question for me because I feel lack of confidence in this situation.

26. Private schools usually have greater access to resources and technology than public schools, according to the University of Michigan. Private schools usually have a smaller student body, and a lower teacher-to-pupil ratio than public schools.The Broad Foundation stated that unlike public schools, private schools have far less bureaucracy. The final say is at the school level, not the district level. Private schools tend to have more parental involvement than public schools. However, there are generally fewer minorities in private school than in public school. Also, the parents of exceptional children; whether the child is gifted or whether she needs special education services, generally find that private schools cannot give their child the services she needs. Finally, there's the cost of private education, which can easily run into the tens of thousands of dollars.

27. yes, I think that it is a good idea because in this case pupils can concentrate on the subject they are really interested.

28.  it is traditionally –7 years in our country. It’s the perfect age both emotionally and physically.

29. I don’t know for sure, it depends on a pupil himself, its aims and purposes in life, as well as his family, its 

status and further plans and priorities.

30. Nowadays more and more people think that pupils should take part in making decisions about their school life . Other people believe that pupils won`t be able to cope with such difficulties . Personallly I think that it is a good idea to allow pupils to participate in the management of the school. There is no doubt that every schoolchild should be aware of his/her significant role in life , and active participation in the school activities will teach them to gain experience and be successful in future. Some schools set up School Soviets which help the school staff solve different school problems. It will also help school pupils make up their mind in different situations.

31. Advantages

• Relatively economical.

• Equality of opportunity.

• We know whose work it is..

• Teaching staff are familiar with exams.

• Exams cause students to get down to learning

Disadvantages

• Students get little or no feedback about the detail of their performance, which is therefore a wasted as far as feedback is concerned.

having the chance to receive confirmation regarding the questions they answered well. Designing

• Badly set exams encourage surface learning, with students consciously clearing their minds of one subject as they prepare for exams in the next subject.

• Technique is too important.

• Exams only represent a snapshot of student performance, rather than a reliable indicator of it.

32. Technology can be used for assessment purposes at various levels ranging from the management of the assessment information to a fully automated assessment system. Using technology for the management of assessment information can enable information to be presented in different ways to meet the needs of different audiences (such as teachers, students, course organisers and external examiners). Not only the quality of presentation of reports but more importantly the range and scope of their content can be improved by utilising technology for this purpose. At the other extreme, in a fully automated assessment system all aspects of the system from the assessment which the student completes to the processing and administration of the marks, including the overall management of assessment information, is technology-based.

Laboratory Work. School Education

SCHOOLS AND COLLEGES

MP3 AUDIO 3.1

1. You’ll hear short descriptions of the education systems in England, the USA and Australia. Make notes on how a ‘typical’ pupil passes the system in each country.

Educational Institutions in Order	England	the USA	Australia
1	primary school (age 5)	elementary school (age 6)	Primary school (age 5- 11)
2	Secondary school\Comprehensive School (afe of11-16)	Junior High School (age 11)	Intermediate school (age 11-12)
3	GCSE examinations (age 16)	Senior High School (age 14)	High School (age 12-13)
4	After GCSE Some children: -start working -take vocational courses Other children: -stay at school for 2 years (A level)	High school (age 18): The First year – freshman The Second year- sophomores The Third Year-Juniors The Fourth Year - Seniors	After General Exam: -leave school at 16 -go on and pass the university examinations
6	college or university (age 18)	High School graduators: -college (4 year course) -university (4 year course) -junior college (2 year course)

2. Listen again and check your knowledge of the education systems in Britain and the USA. Fill in the gaps in these sentences.

1.    Before they start school, very young children in Britain may go to a kindergarten where they play with other children and learn to socialize.

2.    British children start primary school at the age of 5 and move to a secondary school at 11 or 13. At the age of 18 or 19 they may go on to higher education at a university, polytechnic or college.

3.    At the age of 16, British pupils take GCSE exams. They may stay on at school to take more two years later when they are in the sixth form.

4.    A British school or university year is divided into three terms; in America the year is divided into two terms.

5.    In Britain, private boarding schools are known as private schools – in the USA, this term refers to the normal kind or state schools.

6.    At the end of a university course, graduates are awarded a degree - probably a BA (Bachelor of Arts), BSc (Bachelor of Science) or Bed (Bachelor of Education); post-graduates can take a further course or do research and write a diploma in the hope of getting an MA (Master of Arts) or a PhD (Doctor of Philosophy).

3. What are the main differences between the education system in Russia and those described in the recording? Give a brief account of the education system in Russia

The educational system in Russia: Today's educational system in Russia is federal, centralized. Currently, it consists of: pre-school education, primary education, secondary education within 5 years, full secondary education, higher education. Formal education is from 7 to 18 years. The duration of the school year is 34 weeks. Students are trained 5-6 days a week. In Russia, many types of secondary schools (f.e. common schools, lyceums, gymnasiums) and the variety of educational programs. In Russia, as in the UK private and public schools exist. Basic education lasts for 9 years (9 classes). It is completed by passing the exam "GIA" (State Final Attestation). After finishing 9 classes students receive an incomplete secondary education. At the end of the 11th form students pass the exam "RSE"(Russian State Exam) in order to get the certificate of finishing school.

After finishing the 9th form one can go on to a vocational school which offer programmes of academic subjects and a programme of training in a technical field, or a profession.
After finishing the 11th form of a secondary school, a lyceum or a gymnasium one can go into higher education. All applicants must take competitive exam. Higher education institution, that is institutes or universities, offer a 5-years programme of academic subjects for undergraduates in a variety of fields, as well as a graduate course and writes a thesis, he or she receives a candidates degree or a doctoral degree.

Conclusion: All in all, we can make the following conclusion of the differences. They are: the grades of education; the duration of the year; the types of school; the specification of studying programs; the age of students; types of passing exams.

FIRST DAY AT SCHOOL

MP3 AUDIO 3.2

1. You’ll hear two accounts of a first day at school – one from a little boy’s point of view, the other from a young teacher’s point of view. The first extract is taken from ‘Cider with Rosie’ by Laurie Lee (1959), the second extract is from ‘Decline and Fall’ by Evelyn Waugh (1928). How did the two protagonists feel about the first class before the day started and after it finished? Sort the adjectives in the table to characterize the emotions of the main characters on the first day at school. You will not need to use ALL the adjectives.  

LAURIE LEE	PAUL PENNYFEATHER
clumsy defeated eager embarrassed helpless panicky scary thankful worried	Angry bewildered fierce grumpy helpless nervous panicky uptight

2. Comment on each emotion in the above task using the information in the audio stories.

1. Laurie Lee

• Laurie Lee was clumsy because he didn’t know how to behave and just stood rooted to the ground.
• Laurie Lee was defeated because everything was unusual and even odd for him at school.
• Laurie Lee was eager because it was his first day ay school and he didn’t know what to expect.
• Laurie Lee was embarrassed because he attracted much attention as a new pupil.
• Laurie Lee was helpless because he didn’t know anybody who could help him or support.
• Laurie Lee was panicky because he was forced to go to school without any warning.
• Laurie Lee was scary because everything was new and even frightening for him.
• Laurie Lee was thankful because he was rescued at last by a gracious lady - the sixteen year-old junior-teacher.
• Laurie Lee was worried because he didn’t get a present from school which he was sure to receive.

2. Paul Pennyfeather

·        Paul Pennyfeather was angry because pupils annoyed him.

·        Paul Pennyfeather was bewildered by pupils’ repetition of the phrase: “Good morning, sir”.

·        Paul Pennyfeather was fierce because pupils didn’t want to keep silence.

·        Paul Pennyfeather was grumpy because of the children’s behavior.

·        Paul Pennyfeather was helpless because he didn’t know what to do exactly in this situation and how to make children calm down.

·        Paul Pennyfeather was extremely nervous because it was his first day at school

·        Paul Pennyfeather was panicky and he even didn’t know what he was to teach them because he didn’t have any experience in it.

·        Paul Pennyfeather was uptight because even the master didn’t know what to do with these pupils who seemed to be uncontrolled.

3. Here are some excerpts about school from ‘Decline and Fall’ by Evelyn Waugh. What impression about school education do you get after reading the excerpts? Give a small account of the school, the staff, and pupils described by the author.

We may conclude that the school described in the story is not elite one. According to the master’s words, there are 4 grades of schools: “Leading School, First-rate School, Good School, and School”. In his opinion, a school which is ruled by him is “pretty bad”. I think it’s caused by the teaching staff and its low quality as well as poor school equipment. The second given makes us pup the master’s professionalism and his professional tact in doubt. Although he is rather honest to Paul, he only makes him feel much more nervous and as a result helpless. He seems to be unable to give useful advice. As for the pupils, I believe that the lack of discipline is caused by the low quality of the school itself. As a result, a teacher doesn’t seem to be an example of imitation for them, they even don’t respect him. Pupils try to unsettle Paul by idling, and they quickly achieve their aim.

4. How do your own experiences of school compare with Laurie’s and Paul’s? Write an account of your first day at a new school or in a new class. Use 100-150 words.

LIVE AND LEARN

MP3 AUDIO 3.3

1. In your opinion, what are the reasons students stay away from school? Think about boredom, influence of friends, problems at school, family problems. What problems can truancy cause a student?

Some reasons for not wanting to go to school are:

• Separation anxiety (being afraid to be away from parents). This may be because some time in the past there has been an unhappy separation such as the child or parent being in hospital.
• Fear of losing a parent. The child may think something bad will happen to the parent. This could be due to:
• a parent being ill, (sometimes happens after the parent gets better)
• marriage problems and fighting
• parents separating
• knowing another child who has lost a parent or whose family has broken up.
• Fear that a parent might leave while the child is at school.
• Moving house in the early primary years when the child does not fully understand distance and space and so feels she has lost contact with her home.
• Jealousy if there is a younger brother or sister at home - the child may think the mother is doing all sorts of good things with the younger child while she is at school.
• Problems at school which could be:
• being bullied
• not having friends
• not understanding where things are - feeling lost at school
• learning problems
• not getting along with a teacher.
• Parents being unreliable about when they pick up after school. Some parents are very late picking up their children, and the children feel they have been forgotten.
• Parents’ worries. If the parents show they are worried about the school refusal, the child is more likely to believe there is something to really be worried about.

As for the consequences of truancy, although most truancy laws impose a penalty on the parent or guardian of the student, state law also imposes a direct consequence on a student by suspending the driving privileges of any student who drops out of school or is habitually absent. When a student withdraws from school entirely for any reason other than a change of residence and is not attending any other school, the school district is obligated to report this fact to the Registrar of Motor Vehicles and the juvenile court. The Registrar will then suspend the student’s driver’s license or permit or deny issuance of a license or permit if it has not been issued yet. This suspension will be in effect until the student turns 18 or until the superintendent informs the Registrar that the student is now attending school.
 
A school district may pass, at its discretion, a resolution applying the above statue to habitually absent students as well. If such a resolution is passed, the parents of a student who is absent without legitimate excuse for more than 10 consecutive school days or a total of 15 school days, will be given written notice. The parents and the student may then choose to appear before the superintendent and challenge this information. After the appearance, the superintendent may give notice of the habitual absences to the Registrar of Motor Vehicles and the juvenile court. Again, the license or permit will be suspended until the student turns 18 or receives a GED or high school diploma, or until the superintendent informs the Registrar that the student has completed at least one semester or term and has not been absent for more than 10 consecutive school days or 15 total school days.

2. You are going to listen to the interview with headmaster of East Crompton Comprehensive School Dr. Charles Greenway. For questions 1-7 choose the correct answer (A, B or C).

1     Dr Greenway implies that some children who play truant

A   do so in order to earn money.

B    behave badly in public.

C   are never punished.

2    Why do some parents take their children on holiday during term time?

A   Because it's peak season.

B   To spend time together as a family.

C   To save money.

3    Why is it difficult for schools to convince students to attend regularly?

A   Parents set a bad example for them.

B   There is no good reason to attend.

C   Some teachers behave irresponsibly.

4    How has the government reacted to truancy?

A   They have been trying to stop it for years.

B   They are only just beginning to help.

C   They think it is too late to do anything.

5    Why are the government having talks with travel agents?

A   To convince them to offer parents cheap holidays.

B    To make sure that children don't play truant.

C   To get help from them in combating truancy.

6    What are the aims of 'behaviour improvement projects'?

A   To teach parents to be nwe responsible.

B   To teach students the lessons they have missed

C   To teach students to take school more seric

7    What does Dr Greenway say about the law against truancy?

A   The law is not strict enough.

B    Parents are not often prosecuted.

C    Many parents face criminal charges.

-         3. Which of the following things would be most effective in combating truancy? Rank them and give a short account describing your choice

1.      more responsible parenting. I believe that parents are the first who are to blame for their children’s truancy because it’s parents’ duty to Set up a behavior contract with a child providing rewards for attending school and consequences for not attending. Besides, parents should teach a child relaxation techniques.

2.      more interesting lessons. I place it at the second place because I think that the learning environment is also important to student performance. Teachers must arrive on time, give students frequent praise, interact with the entire class (preferably asking open-ended questions), minimize verbal reprimands and other forms of punishment, and deemphasize competition in the classroom 

3.      teaching students to respect school. It’s very important to make your child understand why education is so important. Furthermore, it’s necessary to teach him to respect teachers and a school as a whole because a child’s future mainly depends on his school attainment.

4.      police involvement. Collaborate with your police department on truancy prevention and intervention efforts. For example, start a "truancy patrol" and engage local businesses and residents to participate. When youth are caught skipping school, they can be reported to the school system and either returned to class or home to their families.

5.      strict punishment. It’s useful only in case three things mentioned above are not effective at all.

MP3 AUDIO 3.4

1. Listen to two people discussing the issue of public vs. state schooling. What are they saying about: cost, quality of education, increased life chances? What do you agree with most?

Two people are talking about the types of school: state and public ones, their pros and cons. They begin their conversation by saying that both kinds of schools have their advantages and disadvantages. For example, public school is rather expensive while state school is free for all students. Besides, studying at state school gives you possibility to make acquaintance with different people which is rather interesting. On the contrary, public schools are traditionally only for the rich and it is resulted in a lack of variety of people who attend it. On the other hand, public school provides you with connections with people who may offer you a better job. Furthermore, better employers look for people, studying at private schools, and only in case they can’t find anyone to take a job, they might look for the students at state schools. All in all, while the biggest advantage of state schools is the fact they are free, the public schools can give you a better chance to get a really good job.

2. Think about the similarities and differences between:

-         the education system in your country/the education system in the UK or the USA

-         wearing school uniform/wearing what you like

-         state-wide exams/continual assessment

 Choose one of the above issues and write an essay of about 100-200 words.