Образование в Беларуси на английском языке

     The academic year is divided into two terms: the winter term and the summer term. Each term ends with examinations. At the end of the full course of study which is five years, students pass their final state exams. Many of them also prepare their senior projects, usually a research work in their future specialities. During their final year of study students are sent to practical training in their future profession to different state and private companies, banks, factories, etc. Many of them usually combine work and study. The university provides a high standard of theoretical and practical knowledge. Many subjects are learned here, both those providing fundamental theoretical background for future practical application in professions chosen by students (finance, banking, accounting, statistics, commodity expertise, etc.) and those that develop their world outlook and make them educated and knowledgeable people (political science, history of Belarus, economic geography, world economy, foreign languages). Many of the university professors are noted scholars, and a great number of advanced students are engaged in research.

     The University’s international activities are aimed at developing relations with the leading universities of the CIS countries, France, Germany, Italy, and China. For over 10 years now, we have been closely cooperating with the University Paris-1 Pantheon-Sorbonne in France. At present, the BSEU has bilateral agreements with 64 universities and research institutions from 16 countries. The Belarus State Economic University put forward an initiative to conclude bilateral cooperation agreements with several Chinese institutes in the educational sphere. The matter concerned introduction of a new educational program “2+3”, which provides for training Chinese students at an institute in China for two years and then taking an exam to get the right to continue studies at the BSEU. Chinese students will also get an opportunity to get bachelor’s degrees and to take post-graduate courses in the Belarusian establishments of higher education.

     The BSEU authorities have been also holding talks with Dalian Informatics University on training Chinese students at the BSEU for degrees in “Economic Informatics” and “Economic Cybernetics”. Creative contacts with the national and overseas universities help enrich the process of teaching with practical information and provide a wide exchange of experience, as well as conduct research on relevant issues of the economic development and identify the most promising trends of training specialists based on the needs of the national economy and domestic labor market.

      Learning foreign languages is getting increasingly popular. Many students get so successful in learning one or two of them that they can easily understand lectures delivered by visiting professors from Western countries in a foreign language. Some of them go to other countries, such as the USA, Great Britain, Germany, where they easily cope with a foreign language academic environment. Their exposure to other cultures, languages, and especially to economic realities of advanced countries gives them a lot of new experience, which will be highly valued back home.

     A lot of activity is being done outside the curriculum as well. There are many societies, sports and art circles that students are engaged in. Going to the cinema, theatre, concert halls, clubs or dancing parties is also very popular. Time at the university passes very quickly, but memories about it stay for a long time. 

     2.  Answer the following questions:

• What educational establishment do you study at?
• When was the BSEU founded?
• In what fields does it train specialists?
• How many schools are there at the University?
• How many departments are there at the University?
• What is the number of students at the University?
• How long does the usual course of studies last?
• When are state examinations held?
• What types of graduate degrees are available after completing a 5-year   

                    University program?

• What are the main forms of learning at the University?
• What are the main priorities in the organization of teaching at the  

                     University?

• What can you say about the conditions for study at the BSEU?
• The academic year is divided into three terms, isn’t it?
• Do you receive a monthly allowance? What does it size depend on?
• Is tuition free at the University? How much is tuition at BSEU today?
• How do our students spend their spare time?

 

     3. Complete the following sentences: 

     1) The university provides a high standard of theoretical and practical   

     knowledge. Many subjects are learned here, …

     2) The University’s international activities are aimed at developing relations  

     with the leading universities of …

     3) The Belarus State Economic University put forward an initiative …

     4) Creative contacts with the national and overseas universities help enrich …

     5) Learning foreign languages …

     6) Their exposure to other cultures, languages, and … 

DEVELOPING VOCABULARY 

     1. Match the following words with their definitions:  

 

     2. Match the synonyms: 

 

     3. Match English and Russian equivalents: 

 

     4. Use the words in capitals to form a word that fits in the space. 

EXAMINE   SUCCESS   QUALITY   EDUCATE   MIX   KNOW   FAIL   LUCKY   MAJOR   IMPRESS    INTELLIGENT 
 

TESTS

     All students throughout the world sit for … at some point in their lives. If students are …, they get a formal … that enables them to get a job or continue with further … .Most formal testing involves a … of techniques, but the most common form requires students to show that they have a detailed … of the subject area. Students who do not pass, are not considered as …, they simply need more time to study. Some of them are simply …. The … who pass, do so because they have made a good … on the examiner and have also succeeded in showing their …. 

     5. Insert the necessary words to the following sentences:

     rectors, higher education, national school, fields of study, education, standards, abilities, integration, take into account, state policy, principles, space  

1) Every institution has several departments specializing in various… .

2) Higher educational establishments are headed by … .

3) The republic is reforming its system of … today with the aim of creating an independent, qualitatively new …, corresponding to International … .

4) The government guarantees each citizen the right to education according to his … .

5)  It trains specialists at all levels of … over a wide range of fields of study.

6) Curricula and programs … both specific features of the national system of higher education and necessity of its … to the world’s educational space.

7) The national system of higher education is based on the … of … in the field of education. 

     6. Translate from Russian into English: 

     Для абитуриента выбор факультета является поступком, первичнo задающим цель собственной жизни. Ошибки и просчеты, допущенные молодым человеком при выборе специальности, имеют довольно высокую цену. Для части абитуриентов неудача при поступлении на желанный факультет является стрессом и часто оценивается как жизненный кризис. «Счастливчики» - те молодые люди, которые продемонстрировали довольно высокий уровень знаний и умений в стрессовых ситуациях экзаменов, - зачисляются на первый курс. 

DISCOVERING LANGUAGE 

     1. Transform as in the models:

     Mоde1 1: to educate people — education of people

     to found the university, to regulate the studies, to examine students, to appoint the tutors;

     Mоde1 2: degree of a bachelor — bachelor's degree

     degree of a master, life of the students, parents of a student, the report of the scientist;

     Mоde1 3: Department of Education — Education Department

     centres of research, history of  the University, School of Management. 
 

     2. Choose a or the or no article in the following sentences: 

1) … first-year students of our University have … lot of things to do.

2) If you are not … university student at … age of 18, you have to go to … army to serve.

3) After I leave … school, I want to go to … University.

4) … women are often better teachers than … men.

5) … friend of yours is now having classes at … University.

6) … lecture was interesting on … whole.

7) I go to … University in … morning.

8) How many people go to … university in your country?

9) Nick left …. University without doing his exams.

10) You had … difficult text to translate and you did not take … trouble to consult … dictionary.

11) He is … student you wanted to speak to.

12) It is … translation from … English.

13) … two students entered … room. 

     3. Give adjectives corresponding to the following nouns: 

     illiteracy, science, education, qualification, experience, progress, ignorance, diligence, ability, competition, industry 

     4. Insert  articles to the following sentences: 

     They have come to Minsk from many towns of Belarus to acquire knowledge. ...Department of Marketing is very popular with... students. It trains highly qualified specialists. ... curriculum is on … level of ... latest scientific achievements. ... educational plan also includes higher mathematics and philosophy and other subjects. At …the end of their studies ... students prepare their graduation theses. Lectures are given in large auditoriums, whereas practical studies are held in smaller groups.

     Scientific circles have been organized for ... students to do scientific work on ... chosen theme in ... subjects in which they specialize. In making their reports ... students as ... rule first select and discuss…theme with their tutor. They have all... opportunities to enlarge knowledge and these study circles will help them in their future occupations. 

     5. Give adjectives corresponding to the following nouns: 

     illiteracy, science, education, qualification, experience, progress, ignorance, diligence, ability, competition, industry 
 
 

     6. Fill in the missing prepositions: 

     1. All the children in our country have the right ... education. 2. Thousands ... part-time students study ... correspondence. 3. Before the examination we had consultations ... grammar. 4. What are you working ... now? 5. I am preparing a report... the new achievements ... our science ... the field ... linguistics. 6. Nina was ill ... over a month, but she caught up ... the group and did not fail ... her exams. 7. When will you take your test ... literature? 8. My eldest sister studies ... the Pedagogical institute, ... the English department. She makes progress ... all her subjects and now she has a fairly good command ... the English language. 9. He is a very capable student. He is especially good ... sums. 10. His son graduated ... the BSEU and became an economist. 11. The audience was listening ... the lecture ... microeconomics ... interest. 12. The right ... education is guaranteed ... the Constitution ... the Republic of Belarus. 

FOCUS ON FUNCTION 

     ’Knowing and understanding’

     1. Study the idioms useful to say that you know or don’t know something or make conclusion.  

     A.   Knowing and not knowing