GENERAL AND VOCATIONAL EDUCATION

Date: 2015-10-07; view: 2012.

General education aims at producing intelligent, responsible, well-informed citizens. It is designed to transmit a common cultural heritage rather than to develop trained specialists.

Almost all elementary education is general education. In every coun­try, primary school pupils are taught skills they will use throughout their life, such as reading, writing, and arithmetic. They also receive instruc­tion in different subjects, including geography, history, etc. In most coun­tries almost all young people continue their general education in second­ary schools.

The aim of vocational education is primarily to prepare the students for a job. Some secondary schools specialize in vocational programs. Technical schools are vocational secondary schools, where students are taught more technical subjects, such as carpentry, metalwork, and elec­tronics. Technical school students are required to take some general ed­ucation courses and vocational training. Universities and separate pro­fessional schools prepare students for careers in such fields as agricul­ture, architecture, business, engineering, law, medicine, music, teach­ing, etc.

EXERCISE 12. Find in the texts English equivalents for these words and word combinations:

в широком смысле, обучаются навыкам, получают знания, о себе, полезная схема, пути (способы) обучения, официальный, неофициальный, повседневная жизнь, например, слушая, стараясь, с хорошими манерами, ездить на велосипеде, звонить по те­лефону, по их собственной инициативе, книжный магазин, сдавать экзамены, в большинстве стран, раннее детство, кто отвечает (в j ответственности), во главе, вовремя, с приблизительно одинаковой скоростью, одноклассники, должны сдавать экзамены, степень, оценка их успеха, одаренные дети, дети с физическими или умственными недостатками, обучение для взрослых, продолжить после окончания школы, большое количество денег, граждане, общее образование, профессиональное образование, ставит целью, умный, ответственный, хорошо информированный, передавать общее культурное наследство, больше чем, подготовленные специалисты, начальное образование, на протяжении всей жизни, средние школы, профессиональные программы, плотничное дело, слесарное дело, профессиональная подготовка, отдельный, техника, юриспруденция.

EXERCISE 13. a) Find in the texts the words, which have the similar J meanings as the following words:

to contain, to believe, the means, to study, to get, a kind, to talk, data^| various, to be responsible for, a diploma, to want, to continue;

b) Find in the texts the words, which have the opposite meanings \ to the following words:

informal, narrow, bad, different, the beginning, old, to give up, small, before.

EXERCISE 14. Fill in the gaps with the missing words in the following sentences; the first letter of each word has been given to help you:

1. T... their life people are learning different kinds of skills. 2. They g... knowledge about the world. 3. We'll discuss the education using one useful s... 4. Children learn to r... a bicycle. 5. On their own i..., people may visit a museum. 6. The students have to p... exams. 7. They are in c… of education. 8. The students are working at about the same s... 9. Learners may e... a degree. 10. His certificate is a m... of his success over the years.

EXERCISE 15. Find in the texts, translate, and analyze:

a) grammar forms with the ending -ing:

EXERCISE 17. Try to compare the educational systems of Russia, the UK, the USA. Answer the questions and complete the grid:

EXERCISE 18. Agree or disagree with the following statements; add some more information:

1.There are two types of education. 2. One useful scheme for discuss­ing education is to divide the ways of learning into two types. 3. Infor­mal education involves people in learning during their daily life. 4. For­mal education is the instruction given at different kinds of colleges. 5. At the end of learning, learners do not earn a diploma or a certificate.

EXERCISE 19. a) Read and translate the following dialogue;

b) memorize and dramatize the dialogue;