UNIT FOUR: EDUCATION

Objectives To see the different education systems in

the western countries and in China To understand the financing education in

different countries To get familiar with the structure of the

university To understand how to talk about student

life To explore your ideas of education

Day One

• 1. An introduction to the education systems in the U.S.A., England, and China

• 1) Reading: education systems in the U.S.A.

• 2) Listening: education systems in England

• 3) Speaking: education systems in China

• 2. Sum-up: expressions used to describe a college program

• Community colleges -- also known as "junior" or "two-year" college. These schools provide college courses for recent high school graduates and adults in their communities.

• Community colleges generally have fewer admissions requirements than four-year institutions and courses typically cost less than comparable courses at four-year schools.

• Most community colleges award two-year associates degrees, though some are now awarding bachelors. Many students use community college as a springboard to a four-year college or university.

Day Two

• 1. Education Systems in the U.S., the U.K. and China

• 2. Financing Education

Educational Systems in the US, the UK and the P.R.C.

Review and Supplement

Educational system in the US• Some key facts:1) No National Curriculum or national educational system (unlike the situatio

n in the UK).2) Different States regulate their own educational system while the Federal go

vernment cannot interfere.3) Studying years of primary or secondary education vary, but students receiv

e 12 years of free pre-higher education in total (primary/elementary + secondary).

4) The first year at primary school is called kindergarten; the second year is considered the first year of primary school and is referred to as the first grade.

5) Community and junior colleges provide associate degrees (副学士 ) as well as transfer curriculum (转学课程 ) to prepare students for the latter 2 years of university study to get a Bachelor’s degree.

Educational system in the US

1) 2 years for graduate study to get a Master’s degree.2) A good GRE (Graduate Record Exam) result is required for graduat

e study.3) Unit/credit system: covering a minimum amount of class hours ens

ures graduation.4) Quarter-based calendar system, semester-based calendar system, tri-

semester calendar system. (学季制，学期制，三学期制 )5) Study cost at junior/community college is substantially lower than a

t private university/college, even lower than some public ones. Therefore, many students turn to “2-year community college study + 2 year university study” strategy to save money while receiving an equally good education.

6) Students use GPA (Grade Point Average, 平均积点 ) to quantify their study result.

Educational system in the UK• Some key facts:1) Having a National Curriculum.2) Nursery school, not commonly called kindergarten.3) The name ‘public school’ (公学 ) actually stands for independent/p

rivate boarding school (私立寄宿学校 ).4) Comprehensive school, grammar school, single-sex school, co-ed sc

hool (outdated)5) O-level, AS-level & A-level of GCSE exams (普通中等教育证书

之一般水平考试，补充高级水平考试，高级水平考试 ).6) GNVQ (全国通用职业资格证书 ) or vocational A-level.

Educational system in the UK

1) 6th Form (中学的第六学级 ): preparatory courses lasting 2 years for entering the university with the first year aimed at AS-level and second year at A-level.

2) Schools in the UK never have numbers—usually the name of the district or a person.

3) FE (further education) plays an important role in connecting students’ secondary education with prospective work and university/college study.

4) University study length: 3 years of undergraduate study and 1 year of graduate study.

Educational system in China

• Some key facts:1) Also divided into four parts: pre-school, primary,

secondary and tertiary/higher education.2) Junior/senior middle school (cf. secondary & high

school).3) 9-year compulsory education.4) Secondary vocational, professional & technical

education.5) University, college, institute & vocational college.6) Entrance examination system.

Financing education

• Education expenses

• 1) Listening: financing education in the U.K. and the U.S.A

• 2) Reading: cost of university education in China

UK

• High tuition fee at about £5,000 with students paying £1,125 (since 1998) and government paying for the remaining sum.

• Privates universities ask for a much higher tuition fee.

• Foreign students have to pay more because their families do not contribute to domestic taxation.

• Tony Blair: triple the present tuition fee in 2006; government advances the money and students pay it back after they find a job. Is it good?

US

• Similar to that of UK (tuition fee on the rise; private>state/public).

• State university: $5,000 on average• Private university: $20,000 on average• No government financial coverage for

tuition fee.• More channels for students to receive grants

or loans.

China

• In the past, free university education.• Recent years witnessed sky-rocketing tuition fees

nationwide.• At present, ¥5,000 (7,000?) on average; about half

of that for normal university students (may not be true these days).

• Government pays for half of total fee (another ¥5,000/7000) for educating a university student.

• The ratio of tuition fee against per capita income is much higher than that in UK and US.

• The Cost of Education or educational budget is an annual approximation of the expenses that the student will incur for the particular academic year

• One of the biggest expenses you may face is college tuition. Whether a child goes to a private or public college, the price tag for education can be very hefty. Since these costs keep going up — increases in college tuition consistently exceed the rate of inflation — planning ahead is essential.

• COMPARING COSTSWhile tuition may be the largest single expense of attending college, it isn't the only one. Whether students live on campus or commute from home, they must pay for books, food, transportation, and other expenses — many of which aren't covered by scholarships or loans. While these costs apply no matter where your child attends, you'll find that they vary, just as tuition does, from school to school. You may want to ask your child to weigh those differences in making his or her final decision, along with choices between a rural or urban campus and a large school or a small one.

• WHAT'S AVAILABLE?

• If you don't have as much as you need to pay for higher education, schools may offer your child a package of aid:

• Scholarships or grants, which do not have to be repaid.

• Loans, which must be repaid, but usually not until after graduation. Working in certain jobs or locations can reduce the loan or postpone repayment.

• Work/study grants, which colleges offer students. Sometimes earnings are deducted from tuition and other times the student earns a salary.

Think about it.

• China is now enlarging its scope of university/college enrollment so as to increase the popularization of higher education. The figure now is more impressive than years ago. But what about job market? What about rural population? What about sky-rocketing tuition fee and living expense?

Day Three

• Literacy education

• 1) Interpreting statistics: statistics on education

• 2) Reading: literacy education in India

• Statistics on education

• 1. The 4 countries with the highest post-secondary education rates — Canada: 37.4; Guam: 34.4; USA: 32.2; Japan: 31.7.

• The 4 countries with the lowest post-secondary education rates — Central Africa Republic, Myanmar (Burma), Tonga, Uganda, all with 0.1%.

• 2. China’s post-secondary education rate is 1%, ranking 83rd, among the bottom 20% (bottom one fifth) of the 100 countries.

• 3. There are twelve countries with 100% literacy rate — Austria, Czech Republic and Slovakia, Finland, Iceland, Ireland, Japan, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Sweden, the United Kingdom, and Western Samoa (an island country in the South Pacific Ocean).

• Niger has the lowest literacy rate — 10.8%. Pakistan has the 2nd lowest — 25.6%.

• 4. China’s literacy rate is 77.7%, ranking 63rd and standing quite some way below the middle position among the 100 countries.

• 5. The country with the highest spending ratio on education is French Guiana (a country on the northeast coast of South America), with an education expenditure of 19.2% of its GNP. The country with the 2nd highest spending ratio on education is Guadeloupe (an island country in the West Indies), with an education expenditure of 15%.

• The country with the lowest spending ratio on education is Indonesia, with a 0.9% education spending ratio. And the 2nd lowest education spending ratio is that of Mozambique — 1.2%.

• 6. China’s education spending percentage is 2.4%, ranking 85th, standing among the bottom one sixth of the 100 countries.

• China’s percentage of spending on education is just half of the average percentage.

Day Four

• 1. Criteria for choosing a university

• 2. University structure

• 1). Reading: Ball State University

• 2). Listening: institute of a university

• 3). Sum-up: expressions used for describing a university structure

• 4). Speaking: describing GDUFS

• look back at the reading passage in Atv 2 and elicit a topic for each paragraph to write out an outline on the blackboard. Do the same with the tape script of the monologue in Atv 3 (ignoring the first and the last paragraph).

• Elicit outline for present writing task. (Selecting “topics” that we want from the two outlines and arranging them in a proper order.)

• e.g.

• Paragraph 1. background

• Paragraph 2. academic structure

• Paragraph 3. academic resources and services

• Paragraph 4. facilities (non-academic)

• Paragraph 1. background

• — when established

• — location

• — number of students

• — number of teachers (+ foreign teachers?)

• — number of staff

• Paragraph 2. Academic structure

• — departments

• — courses offered: undergraduate? graduate?

• — length of courses

• — degrees offered

• Paragraph 3. academic resources and services

• — library (collection of books?)

• — laboratories

• Paragraph 4. facilities (non-academic)

• — on-campus accommodation

• — sports and recreation facilities

Guangdong University of Foreign Studies

• Guangdong University of Foreign Studies is one of the prestigious universities of international studies in China and one of the key institutions of higher learning in Guangdong Province. It is situated in the northern suburb of Guangzhou, a city with a long history and a rich cultural legacy, as well as an economic hub in south China. The main campus lies to the north of the Baiyun Hills and the other campus is not far away. With an elegant environment featuring green trees, fresh air, and a limpid creek with small bridges across it, the University is an ideal place to study.

• The University was set up in June 1995 by merging the then Guangzhou Institute of Foreign Languages and Guangzhou Institute of Foreign Trade. The former was established in 1965, then one of the three institutes of foreign languages under the direct jurisdiction of the Ministry of Education. The latter was founded in 1980, at the time one of the four institutions of its kind directly under the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Economic Cooperation.

• Currently the University offers 29 BA-degree courses in 12 faculties and 5 departments, which fall into five disciplines, namely literature, economics, management, law and engineering. The University has been actively pioneering the flexibility in degree course development in order to meet the needs of rapid social and economic changes. A new mode of education is therefore taking shape, in which different subjects of the five disciplines complement one another in coordinated development. As early as 1981, the University (then Guangzhou Institute of Foreign Languages) won the qualification to confer the Master's degree and later in 1986 it became an institution eligible to award the Doctoral degree. This stands it among the few that were the earliest entitled to do so after the country resumed the enrolment of postgraduate students. Of all the degree courses offered to the students, three are named key specialties at the provincial level and one at the national level. In addition, we have two state-designated research centres, one for research in humanities and social sciences and the other for training students of minor languages.

• Our students come from over 20 provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities in the country. And only the best candidates have a chance to be admitted to the undergraduate and postgraduate courses. Graduates from this university are expected to be able to take part in international competition with their ideological attainment and expertise. They will be advanced specialists in their field on the one hand, and developed in general qualities on the other hand, good at using the foreign language they have learned and skilful in applying information technology. As what they learn here is in high demand, our graduates enjoy a higher employment rate than graduates from most other universities.

• At present we have a 1300-strong staff, including over 250 full/associate professors and 330 lecturers. In addition, we employ more than 40 experts/lecturers from other countries. Altogether over 20,000 students are studying at the university, of whom about 9,400 are undergraduates and postgraduates, the other11,000 being self-taught learners receiving training here before taking the exams, foreign students learning Chinese, and trainees of other categories.

• As our name suggests, we attach great importance to, and actively conduct, academic and cultural exchanges with overseas institutions. Such exchanges and collaborations are on the increase and cover more and more fields. We have so far established links with over 40 universities, academic institutions and cultural organizations in other countries and regions. They include the United States of America, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Spain, Italy, Canada, Australia, Japan, Russia, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam, the Republic of Korea, Hong Kong and Macao.

Day Five

• 1. Library• 1). Listening: introduction to a library• 2). Speaking: explaining a university library• 3). Reading: making catalogue card• 2. Credit system• 1) Expression: General Statement + Specific Exam

ples• 2) Comparison: advantages and disadvantages of s

et-course system and credit system

Credit System

• Two basic systems:

1. US: USCS (United States Credit System)-GPA (grade point average, 平均积点 )

2. EU: ECTS (European credit transfer system, 欧洲学分转换制度 )

USCS• A GPA is a quantitative figure representing a student’s

accumulated grades. Each letter grade is assigned a number of points. (Different universities have different points for each grade; this being just one sample)

A+ (4.0)

A (4.0)

A- (3.7) (excellent)

C+ (2.3)

C (2.0)

C- (1.7) (average)

F (0) (failure)

B+ (3.3)

B (3.0)

B- (2.7) (above average)

D+ (1.3)

D (1.0)

D- (0.7) (poor)

USCS

• The final GPA that a student graduates with is not a simple average, it’s a weighted average (加权平均值 ). The weight is the number of credit hours predetermined by the faculty based on the course contents.

• The final GPA = letter grade value*respective credit hours/total credit hours

• If you take 5 courses with course 1, 2 and 3 with 3 credit hours, course 4 with 4 credit hours and course 5 with 2 credit hours, and receive an "A" in each of the courses, your GPA is (3x4+3x4+3x4+4x4+2x4)/(3+3+3+4+2)=(15x4)/15=4.0.

• If you want to graduate from the undergraduate course, you need at least a C; for graduate study, B is the bottom line.

ECTS

• ECTS is a student-centered system based on the student workload required to achieve the objectives of a program.

• ECTS is based on the convention that 60 credits measure the notional workload of an average full time student during one academic year.

• Credits are allocated to all educational and training components of a study program.

• One key advantage is that in this system, your acquired educational experience can be recognized by others universities or countries adopting this system.

• The calculation of grades in ECTS is similar with that in USCS, though there is no need to get a GPA but just the total amount of credits earned.

• Possible advantages to mention about set-course system:

• 1.    All ss cover basic ground.

• 2. There is no risk of ss choosing inappropriate combinations.

• 3. Teachers guide ss as to what it is necessary to study.

• 4.   It is easier to organize.

• 5.   It requires fewer teachers.

Day Six

• 1. Student life• 1) Reading: student life in the U.K.• 2) Listening: student life in the U.S• 3) Listening: students’ leisure activities in the U.K.• 4) Speaking: student life in China• 2. Definition of education• 1) Reading: proverbs about education• 2) Language: How to give a definition• 3. Chinese students’ weaknesses 1) Listening: Chinese students in foreign teachers’

eyes 2) Discussion: Chinese students’ weaknesses

• “my college”—In Britain some universities are divided into colleges. A college in fact is both a community and a building which has its own proper name ( for instance Magdalen College Exeter College, and Queen’s College in Oxford). It is not known by the name of the academic department(s) it houses (as in China). A college has its own accommodation and dining facilities. That’s why Helen in the article keeps talking about her college, which obviously is where she studies, sleeps and eats.

• Freshers’ pack — In Britain when a student has applied and been accepted by a university, the university will send him or her a pack of printed matter providing information and guidance to prepare the new ss for life in the university.

• 1. The first week for new ss is what is called Freshers’ Week. It is designed to help ss quickly meet other ss and tutors, to help them become familiar with the university’s facilities and to enable them to join clubs and societies.

• 2. Much of what they learn must come from reading rather than lectures. The tutorial system expects students to come prepared to discuss their own ideas on what they have read. Take Kate’s subject for example. The study of history requires students to weigh up different interpretations of events, their causes and their significance.

• 3. It can be inferred from Kate’s experience that students must organize their time well otherwise the many extra-curricular activities they can be involved in will make it difficult for them to give enough time for their studies.

• 4. Students are offered opportunities they never had before to try out new things. They have freedom to arrange their time for their work and to choose what they study in detail and they have a responsibility to develop independent thinking.

Discussion• Possible differences in England are: — a fre

shers’ pack being sent in advance; a greater range of clubs and societies; social introductions to tutors; less lectures, more time to be arranged by oneself; wider choice of options in the degree — less compulsory subjects; more of ss’ own ideas expected in assignments; more financial problems — things are more expensive — managing grant, loan and parental contribution.

What is education? — reading & discourse organization

• The exercises focus on the organization of ideas within the paragraph. The pattern: General Statement + Specific Examples, has already been examined in this unit.

• inert facts -- • Granted, Adams’s persona was firmly wrapped in

the mantle of failure—so much so that savvy readers soon suspected that he was protesting just a bit too much about his ignorance and ineptitude. Still, when he writes that "Nothing in education is so astonishing as the amount of ignorance it accumulates in the form of inert facts," we can, I think, take Adams at his word. "Inert facts," the material that one dutifully memorizes and then reproduces on exams, were essentially useless because they could not be actively applied to rapidly changing situations. Such "facts" simply sat there, rather like cornflakes in a bowl of milk, and became increasingly soggy.