Institutions of Higher Learning in the United States
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(by Lynn Visson)

The institutions that provide higher learning in the US are mainly colleges and universities. The difference between these two types of institutions is that a university always has graduate programs. Some colleges have graduate programs, too, while others have only a four-year liberal arts undergraduate program. Liberal arts are subjects that give students a general education and teach them to think, rather than those subjects that develop specialized skills. The liberal arts course culminates in a Bachelor's Degree, either а ВA (Bachelor of Arts) or BS (Bachelor of Science). The kind of degree is stated on the student's college diploma.1

A college student is known as an undergraduate, while someone continuing his studies in a graduate school program is a graduate student.2 Like high schools, colleges and universities are either public/state/municipal (free) or private (charge tuition).

At the beginning of his first term/semester he will have an "orientation week" before college classes begin. If he is living in a dormitory (known colloquially as dorm) he will get to know his roommate and other students in the building. Deans, administrators, professors, and older students will introduce him to life on the college campus, the facilities available to him within the university and nearby. He must register for courses which he chooses from the course catalogue which lists all the courses and seminars offered by the various departments. While some universities have Divisions, e.g. "Division of the Humanities," most American universities have only departments. A department is headed by a chairman, e.g. the chairman of the history department. A student is registered for or enrolled in a course. A student can be taking a few courses without being enrolled in a degree program. He may sign up to take evening courses. A student who received his course materials and examinations in the mail is taking correspondence courses, though today these are mostly conducted on-line and have been given the name distance or e-learning.

While the courses of study in American educational institutions differ, most colleges and universities require a basic/introductory (core) course in the natural sciences, the humanities and the social sciences. These may include a survey course, generally a lecture course providing broad coverage of a considerableamount of material or a lengthy time period, e.g. "A Survey of French Literature, 1200-2000," or "Introductory Biology." Each college course is worth a certain number of credits, corresponding to the number of hours a week the course is taught. A three-hour a week course is thus worth three credits, and the student must have a minimum number of credits in order to graduate.

After his first year the student is likely to take more seminars and smaller lecture courses rather than the broad survey courses he took as a freshman. In his second year of study the college student usually will have to choose/declare a major or field of concentration, his field of specialization in which he will have to take a required number of courses. He may choose a second field, in which he will have to take a smaller number of courses, known as his minor. If he wishes to specialize in two subjects of equal interest to him (e.g., French and Italian, or history and government), this is a double major. The student can also take3 optional courses known as electives. If he attends the lectures but does not take exams or write papers for a course, he is an auditor. They can also take courses that will not count towards a degree, known as non-degree courses.

To enroll in an advanced course a student may first have to take a required preliminary course known as a prerequisite. If a student does not have enough time to finish writing a paper or term paper for a course, he can ask for an extension – extra time for his research. Then he can hand in the paper at a later date. In some universities he will be required to write a senior thesis4.

And if he cannot take a scheduled exam5 because of illness or an emergency situation, he can ask for a make-up exam, i.e. an exam to "make up" what he has missed. A very good student can receive his bachelor's degree "with honors"6. Once the student has received his university diploma he is said to have graduated from university7, and he is a graduate or an alumnus8 of that university.

A student who wants to go to graduate school applies to a university graduate department in his chosen field. After a year or twoin a Master's degree program, which includes courses, a comprehensive exam, and often writing a thesis, he will receive a MA (Master of Arts) or a MS (Master of Science) degree.9

To get a doctoral degree/doctorate/ Ph.D. degree the candidate will have to take a required number of courses in his chosen field, pass a written exam (and possibly an oral one known as "orals,") and write a doctoral thesis/dissertation. He will do so under the supervision of a thesis adviser. Then he will have to defend the thesis/dissertation. The successful candidate is then awarded/conferred a Ph.D. degree in his specific subject; e.g. "John has a Ph.D./a doctorate/ in Spanish literature."

If a college graduate wants to become a doctor, lawyer, or go into business, he may apply to medical school, law school or business school. These three schools require an undergraduate degree; a student who does not have a bachelor's degree will not be admitted to one of these professional schools. Medical school takes four years, followed by three years of internship and residence; law school involves a three-year program; and business school takes three years.

_________________

1Note the following terms:

a high school ninth-grader or a first-year college student is a "freshman."

a high school tenth-grader or a second-year college student is a "sophomore."

a high school eleventh-grader or a third-year college student is a "junior."

a high school twelfth-grader or a fourth-year college student is a "senior."

And a college student is in his second or third "year" never"course."

2At Yale, for example, there are 13 professional graduate schools (School of Medicine, School of Management, etc.). The term post-graduate is much more common in the UK than in the US, though Americans may talk about post-graduate work, meaning any course of study in graduate school.

3слушать

4 дипломная работа

5In America students take exams rather than sit for exams, as do British students

6с отличием. There are three such categories for awarding degrees, described with the Latin words for "with highest praise" – summa cum laude, "with high praise" – magna cum laude, and "with praise" – cum laude.

7 While the grammatically correct English expression is "he was graduated from Yale," and not "he graduated from Yale," the colloquial usage has taken over in standard spoken English.

8alumna, if a woman, plural alumni произносятся[ə’lʌmnəs], [ə’lʌmnə], [ə’lʌmnai]

9Other doctorates are Ed.D.(Doctor of Education), D.Sc., D.M.A. (Doctor of Musical Arts), Th.D. (Doctor of Theology), etc.

 

Active vocabulary list

1. provide v. (syn. offer, supply)– обеспечивать

2. undergraduate [ֽʌndə’ɡrædʒʊət] program – курс обучения в высшем образовательном учреждении, по окончании которого присваивается степень бакалавра (бакалавриат)

undergraduate [ֽʌndə’ɡrædʒʊət] – студент колледжа или получающий первую ступень высшего образования (в бакалавриате)

3. graduate [’ɡrædʒʊət] program – курс обучения в высшем образовательном учреждении, по окончании которого присваивается степень магистра, а после защиты диссертации степень доктора (doctoral degree=PhD).

graduate [’ɡrædʒʊət] – выпускник (колледжа, университета)

Не путать с to graduate [’ɡrædʒʊeit] from – окончить (высшее учебное заведение)

4. liberal arts – расширенный курс общеобразовательных предметов, изучаемых в бакалавриате

5. rather than – а не (e.g. We want the matter settled sooner rather than later.), вместо того чтобы (e.g. Rather than criticizing your husband, why not find out if there’s something wrong?)

6. develop v.– развивать, разрабатывать

7. state v.– 1)утверждать; 2)указывать

8. dean – декан (В американских университетах декан может возглавлять колледж и школу. В высших образовательных учреждениях Америки «школа» – примерно соответствует британскому и российскому «факультету» (faculty). Хотя слово faculty может использоваться и в значении «факультет» (среди 13 школ в Йеле есть одна, носящая название «факультет» – Faculty of Engineering). На уровне колледжа (имеется ввиду 1-я ступень высшего образовательного учреждения) факультетов нет, а есть кафедры (departments). Слово «faculty» в американском английском означает «профессорско-преподавательский состав», «Yale faculty members» – «члены профессорско-преподавательского состава Йельского университета»

9. facilities – объекты (зд. культурно-досуговые), оборудование

10. within (ant. beyond)– в пределах (вне, за пределами)

11. register for/enroll in/sign up to take (a course) – записаться на (курс)

12. take a course of – проходить курс (обучения) по какому-то предмету

13. correspondence adj. – заочный

14. conduct [kqn’dAkt] v. (a course, research) – проводить/осуществлять (курс обучения, исследование)

15. while – в то время как, хотя

16. differ v. (= be different) in smth from smth/sb– отличаться чем-то, от чего-то/кого-то

17. require v. (syn. demand) – требовать

18. survey – n. обзор; v. обозревать, делать обзор

19. considerable (syn. large, great, huge) – огромный, значительный

20. amount (syn. quantity, number) – количество

21. a certain (given, particular) number – определенное количество

22. credit – условное очко, начисляемое за прослушивание какого-л. курса (за один курс может быть начислено несколько очков); студент обязан набрать на данном году обучение такое число курсов, чтобы число очков за них было не ниже определенного значения; русские эмигранты называют это кредит б) запись в зачетной книжке об успешной сдаче того или иного курса

23. correspond to smth. – соответствовать чему-то

24. in order to – (для того) чтобы

25. be likely/unlikely to do smth – вероятно/маловероятно, что кто-то сделает что-то

26. specialize v. (syn. major - mainly Am.E) in smth – специализироваться в какой-либо области во время обучения в вузе; specialization in smth

27. optional (elective) (ant. obligatory, compulsory, required)– факультативный, по выбору

28. auditor [‘ɔ:dɪtə] – вольный слушатель

29. preliminary – предварительный

30. write/defend senior/doctoral thesis [‘θi:sɪs] – написать/защитить дипломную работу/кандидатскую диссертацию

31. degree in– степень (a master’s degree in English literature); do/ take a degree (She’s doing a degree at Exeter University).

32. apply v. to smb (the personnel officer) for smth(a position of…) – обратиться к (сотруднику отдела кадров) с заявлением о (приеме на работу в качестве…)

33. pass v. a (written/oral) exam – сдать (письменный/устный) экзамен ≠ take an exam – сдавать экзамен

34. be awarded smth (a prize, a diploma, a degree, a scholarship) v. – дать, присвоить, присудить (награду, диплом, степень, стипендию)

35. admit v. – признавать, принимать; admission – вход, прием, допущение

36. involve v. (syn. include) – включать, вовлекать

 

Question for discussion:

1. What’s the difference between a university and college in the American education system?

2. What are liberal arts and what does the liberal arts course culminate in? Is there an analogue of the liberal arts course in the Russian institutions of higher learning?

3. What terms are used in American colleges for each year students? Are there any corresponding terms in Russian?

4. Explain what the orientation week is. Do freshmen in your university have an orientation week?

5. How does a student enrolled in a degree course choose subjects to study? Explain how the American system of credits functions. Have the students of your university got an opportunity to select courses by themselves?

6. What opportunities are provided in the US for those who can’t afford to take a full-time university graduate course?

7. What kind of courses do American students generally take in the first year? When are they to choose their field of concentration? When do the students of your university have to declare their specialization?

8. Give definitions of the terms major, minor, double major.

9. What is an auditor? Are there auditors in your university?

10. Can the students of your university ask for extension if they haven’t had enough time to finish a term/course paper? Is writing and defending senior theses optional or compulsory at your university?

11. What terms are normally used for the Russian expression «сдавать экзамен» in the American and British English?

12. Describe the graduate school program in American universities. What does each stage culminate in?

 

Text 2

A Single Youth Culture

Youth culture and youth subcultures have been a subject of research since the early 1930s. Concise Oxford Dictionary describes subculture as “cultural group within a larger culture often having beliefs or interests at variance with those of the larger culture”. Subcultures are often considered to be attached to a social class. Empirical observation carried out by sociologists find that youth sub-cultures have a distinct individual style. They have certain ways of dressing (i.e. shoes, clothing and hairstyles), speaking (i.e. slang), listening to music and gathering in similar places. Some sociologies believe that youth subcultures have important positive functions in easing the transition from childhood to full adult life.

To concentrate on the bikers of the 60's seems fitting. This was one large youth culture and it still exists as a smaller section of society. Although there are variants of bike-boys they were broadly from a working class background and were seen as outsiders and loners linked by the love of motor-bikes and heavy rock music. Their style was masculine and their appearance was aggressive. The motor-cycle outfit looked tough with its leather studs, denim and heavy leather boots. Hair was worn long in a greasy swept-back style and many were tattooed on the hands, arms and chest. A typical evening for the bike boys would consist of the same activities: a drink and a game of darts in their local pub, a game of pinball and a coffee in the coffee bar and general horseplay and chatter in a club.

It is fair to say that social conditions have greatly improved in Britain since the 1960's and social class seems almost a thing of the past with modern politicians claiming that we are ‘all middle class’. This explains why there has been no substantial youth culture in a decade. Although bikers, as a subculture, still exist today, it appears that changes have been made as to the composition of members within the subculture; their values, beliefs and shared activities.

The 'ravers' from the eighties are a good example of another post-war youth culture. During the late 80s, young people with bandannas, brightly coloured clothes and a crazed look in their eyes were being presented as the next youth subculture. For the ravers (also known as clubbers) the shared experience is attending a rave party and possibly taking ecstasy which has become synonymous with the rave culture. This is often the only thing ravers have in commonwith each other unlike other subcultures. These parties, where extensive use of strobe lighting and psychedelic imagery was used, were attended by young males and females dressed in baggy oversized T-shirts, track suits and baggy jeans. The clothes were comfortable, brightly coloured and cheap. The intensive dancing to fast beating music, along with the use of hypnotic drugs, went hand-in-hand. This style of clothing suited excessive body movement, however, with interest coming from the fashion industry, it began to change and evolve. Baggy clothes for girls were replaced by tight body-hugging outfits made of materials such as lycra, emphasising appearance rather than comfort and practicality. It is difficult to define the common experiences that lead people to go to raves. It could be that many youths wanted to get away from the norms of every day life or problems like unemployment. Ravers appear to cut across all social divisions, classes, gender and age. Unlike the 60s bikers, ravers are not exclusive to the working class, the unemployed or dominated by male members. It is difficult to make analogies between the common experiences of an eighteen year old student and a thirty year old computer analyst both attending raves on a Saturday night.

Some social scientists argue that the age of spectacular subcultures is gone for good. This is because there are so many style and taste cultures which offer young people different ways of expressing their identity. They claim that there is too much diversity for any single youth subculture to dominate society. Nowadays identities appear to be in a constant state of change: individuals move freely from one sub-cultural group to another. Style, enjoyment, excitement, escape from boredom at work or play, being attractive to oneself have now become central life concerns. Changes in production techniques and consumer demand for a wider range of products allow greater choice not only for the youth generation, but increasingly for the middle aged and the elderly.

It is also worth noting that in recent years the subcultures that have occurred have been seen to be deviant such as the skinheads, football ‘hooligans’ and punks. They show the need for social change in a radical way. However, nowadays there are other ways of expressing hatred of norms. There are political parties and pressure groups to join, there are a number of relaxation therapies available and the use of psychologists is much more widespread. Young people face a future in which any genuine radicalism is quickly incorporated into the commercial marketing system and used to sell more commodities. Although there are a number of subcultures left in today's society like people who follow the grunge movement, there is no singular youth culture left.

 

Active vocabulary list

1. concise [kqn’sais] = brief, short

2. at variance with = different from

3. consider – считать, рассматривать. Конструкция типа ‘Нe is/was consideredto be a kind man’ переводится на русский язык «Считается/считалось, что он добрый человек». Наряду с глаголом ‘consider’ в такой конструкции могут использоваться глаголы think, believe, suppose, assume и ряд других.

4. attach v. smth to– присоединять, прикреплять что-либо к

ant. detach

5. carry out v. – выполнять, проводить

I expect my instructions to be carried out to the letter.

6. distinct [dɪ’stɪŋkt] from – особенный, четко отличающийся от

The region’s linguistic and cultural identity is quite distinct from that of the rest of the country.

7. certain adj. – определенный

syn. definite

8. similar to – аналогичный, похожий на

syn. analogous [q’nxlqgqs] to

similarity n. – сходство

syn. analogy [q’nxlqGI]

9. fitting – подходящий, уместный

syn. appropriate

10. although [ɔ:l’ðəu] = though

11. broadly = Зд. mainly

12. link v. to/with= connect

13. appearance n. – 1)внешность (syn. looks), 2) появление

appear v. – 1)появляться 2) казаться

It appears that… - Кажется, что = По-видимому (наверное, очевидно)

Nowadays identities appear to be in a constant state of change.

Очевидно, что в настоящее время люди постоянно меняют свой образ, находятся в постоянном поиске собственной индивидуальности.

14. outfit n. – одежда, одеяние, облачение, «прикид»

syn. a set of clothes

15. consist of – состоять из

syn. be made up of

16. claim – провозглашать, утверждать

17. substantial [səb’stænʃ(ə)l] - значительный

syn. huge, enormous, considerable

18. composition – состав

syn. constitution

19. present v. [pri’zent] – представлять

Statistics can be used to challenge theories that are presented as facts.

present someone with something – дарить, награждать

We are very pleased to be presented with this prestigious award.

20. synonymous with – быть неразрывно связанным с

syn. related to, connected with, corresponding to

wines, cheeses, and other products that have become synonymous with France

21. have (smth) in common with – иметь (что-то) общее с

This area obviously has a lot in common with other poor city areas.

22. along with – помимо, наряду с

syn. in addition to, apart from

23. however conj.– однако, тем не менее

24. evolve v. – развиваться

Syn. develop

25. replace v. smth with smth –заменить что-то чем-то

26. tight –плотно облегающий, тесный

syn. close fitting

ant. loose fitting

27. rather than – а не

28 define v. – определять

The responsibilities of each team member need to be clearly defined.

Defining the word ‘love’ can be very difficult.

29. lead (led, led) v. - вести, приводить к

30. cut across 1) пересекать

A river cut across the track about a hundred metres further on.

2) распространяться (через границы)

These problems cut across class boundaries.

31. dominate v. smth – 1) преобладать

The earthquake once again dominated the news.

Syn. prevail

2) подавлять, контролировать

As a boy, he was dominated by his mother.

32. argue v. – 1) спорить (with/about/over)

He used to argue with me over who should drive.

2) утверждать (that…)

33. for good = forever –навсегда

34. offer v. – предлагать

syn. suggest, propose

Remember the following structures

He thinks that we should offer to help.

I proposeto tell them the absolute truth. (formal)

I propose telling them what we think. (neutral)

I suggest we (should) have dinner first, and then watch the film.

I suggest going to the movies.

35. diversity [daɪ’vɜ:səti, dɪ’vɜ:səti] - разнообразие

syn. variety, variation

36. range – ряд, диапазон

37. increasingly – все больше и больше (от increase – увеличивать(ся))

38. note v. – отметить

Liz noted the changes with satisfaction.

39.occur v. [q’kE:] – происходить

syn. take place

40. deviant adj. [‘di:viənt] – отклоняющийся от нормы

(от ‘deviate’ – отклоняться)

41. face v. smth.– столкнуться с

She had to face the fact that she still missed him.

syn. be faced with

The country is now faced with the prospect of war.

42. incorporated into = included/involved into

43. commodity – товар, предмет потребления

44. a number of – ряд, некоторое количество

He has made a number of mistakes. Он сделал ряд ошибок.

the number of – число, количество

The number of mistakes he made amounted to several dozens.

Число допущенных им ошибок исчислялось несколькими десятками.

Question for discussion:

  1. How can the word subculture be defined? What makes youth subcultures distinct from others?
  2. What are the distinct characteristics of the bikers of the 60s?
  3. Why hasn’t there been any substantial youth culture in the latest decade?
  4. What is typical of the ravers of the 80s? Can ravers be called a proper subculture. Give you reasons.
  5. Why do some social scientists argue that the age of spectacular subcultures is gone for good?
  6. Why does the author of the text consider the subcultures that have appeared recently (punks, skinheads, etc.) to be deviant?
  7. What kind of future do young people face in terms of belonging to a certain subculture?

Дата: 2016-10-02, просмотров: 178.