Talking of the general pattern of the system of higher education and degrees

Ivanov: I’d like to know the general pattern of the system of higher education in the USA.

Briggs: I’ll try to sketch out here what seems most important. A distinctive feature of American university is its two levels – the separation of undergraduate from graduate education. The first level is Undergraduate School of four years duration. Here the work of undergraduate students (undergraduates) during the first two years (the freshman year and the sophomore year) usually consists of broadly-based studies in humanities, social science, applied and natural science.

Barbara: I’m a sophomore at Yale and Donald is a freshman at Columbia. Indeed, the first two years at Undergraduate School are aimed at providing general education and preparing for more special studies. The last two years (the junior and senior year) are devoted almost entirely to the major discipline.

Donald: After the sophomore year, the undergraduate majors in one special subject, which means he takes the majority of courses in this one area. For instance, Barbara is majoring in French Literature. My interests are in science – I’m majoring in chemistry and biochemistry.

Briggs: If all goes well, this undergraduate education culminates in a Bachelor’s degree (BS or BA). It’s usually known as the first degree and may be a terminal qualification. But it is often considered as a background for further specialization, a step toward higher (or advanced) degree.

Ivanov: That would mean that the undergraduate education that culminates in a Bachelor’s degree can be compared to Russian institutions of higher learning which provide four-year training. What about advanced degrees, how are they obtained?

Briggs: I’m just coming to this point… The advanced degrees (the Master’s degree and the PhD) can be obtained in Graduate School, which is the second level of university education. There’re two levels of graduate school: the lower for obtaining the Master’s degree (MS or MA) and the upper level for the doctorate or the PhD, which is a research degree. A graduate student works for two or three years. Within this period of time he takes courses, passes exams, does some laboratory research under a competent professor, and on submitting a thesis he is awarded a Master’s degree, though a thesis is not always required.

Ivanov: The Master’s degree is not a research degree, right?

Briggs: No, it isn’t.

Ivanov: How does one get the PhD degree?

Briggs: Well, it’s like this. A PhD degree (Doctor of Philosophy) is basically a research degree awarded in Graduate School in recognition of achievement in research. If the graduate student is accepted into the PhD program, after obtaining a Master’s degree, he takes two or three years of advanced courses in his field of interest. During this time, he passes exams and does research preparing for his thesis. His research usually culminates in a written dissertation which most demonstrate that the doctoral student has talent and ability for independent research. He comes before a panel of experts in this field, and defends his thesis. These are professors from his university or sometimes other universities who question the candidate and finally decide whether he deserves the degree.

Ivanov: That makes a lot of things clear to me. Thanks a lot.

Memorize and reproduce Dialogue 2.

Fill in the missing remarks of the dialogue.

Maxim: I’m glad to have this opportunity to talk to you, Dr. Barton. Do you mind my asking some questions about the Universities in America?

Dr. Barton: Certainly not. Education is my business and hobby. What do you want to know?

Maxim: First, do you have a National University?

Dr. Barton: ….

Maxim: Can the students go to the University free of charge?

Dr. Barton: ….

Maxim: Most of your Universities have a central campus, don’t they?

Dr. Barton: ….

Maxim: What degrees do American Universities offer?

Dr. Barton: ….

Maxim: Do your students take an oral examination over four years of work before receiving a Bachelor’s Degree?

Dr. Barton: ….

Maxim: That clears up most of my questions, Dr. Barton. It’s good to have this information from someone directly connected with University life. I hope to visit several American Universities while I’m here in the United States.

Dr. Barton: ….

DIALOGUE 3

Talking of the cost of education

Ivanov: Is the cost of education very high?

Barbara: It has actually tripled within last twenty years or so. A student’s expenses usually include housing, because many students live away from home, food, books, and personal expenses and of course the tuition fees, which is what one pays to enroll in courses. That’s why a lot of students, for the most part unskilled, are in need of jobs to be able to continue their education. So they’re a good supply of cheep labor. And when you can get a job, the wages are usually not high, both on and off campus.

Ivanov: It must be very hard for the family budget.

Briggs: It sure is. Education is very expensive in the USA. However, we believe it to be a good investment for a lifetime.

Ivanov: Do students usually live on campus?

Barbara: Yes, most of them live in dormitories, “dorms” for short. For those who do not, the housing situation is hard because the rent is constantly on the rise.

Ivanov: What kind of financial assistance can be offered to students?

Donald: A student can be offered a loan. This must be repaid with interest after the student leaves the school. Then there’re grants that are awarded to needy students and they don’t have to be repaid. Many students get financial aid.

Ivanov: Is academic performance taken into consideration in awarding grants?

Donald: Not usually. But there’re also scholarships, which are awarded for academic excellence as a rule. Barbara’s got a scholarship. In Graduate School, the graduate students involved in research projects usually get fellowships.

Memorize and reproduce Dialogue 3.

Make up and act dialogues considering the following assignments.

1. You talk to your American counterpart about the cost of education in the USA and Russia.

2. You are at the English lesson. Your teacher asks you about different types of sums of money paid to support American students during their study at colleges or universities (a grant, a scholarship, a fellowship).

LISTENING

23. Listen to the Text “Instruction Conducted at Colleges and Universities”.

a) Answer the following questions.

1. Who provides instruction in American colleges and Universities?

2. What is the aim of instruction?

3. How are computers used for instruction?

4. What is a specific feature of recent decades at American colleges and universities?

5. Do levels of teaching differ in colleges and universities?

6. What universities have the largest campuses?

7. What are the leading universities?

8. What schools can be referred to as research universities?

9. What are minor universities like?

10. What stages does the American system of higher education include?

b) Read Tapescript 12A of the Text. Look up the words you do not know in your dictionary.

c) Retell the Text about instruction conducted at colleges and universities of the United States of America.

d) Compare the ways of instruction provided at American higher educational institutions with those of Russia.

24. Listen to the Text “Harvard University”.

a) You will hear some numbers in the Text. Write them down and say what these numbers refer to.

b) Check your answers with your groupmates and Tapescript 12B of the Text.

c) Retell the Text.

TAPESCRIPTS

UNIT 1

TAPESCRIPT 1A

Student life

After passing the entrance examinations your student life begins.

Oleg Petrov was accepted to the Belgorod State Technological University two and a half years ago. Now he is a third-year student at the mechanical engineering faculty. He stays at the hostel in Kostyukov Street.

Oleg is a full-time student, that is he attends classes and lectures in the daytime, whereas the University accepts a lot of young people for the correspondence course.

Petrov is a diligent student; he tries hard not to miss his classes or lectures. While in the third year he is doing quite a number of subjects. Oleg is good at Strength of Materials and Mathematics. He has passed quite successfully the winter end-of-term tests and examinations.

Petrov is in the habit of doing his homework in the University library reading room. He is a great book-lover and usually borrows magazines and fiction literature from the library. As the librarians always insist on books being returned in time, Oleg never breaks the rule.

Recently Petrov has become very interested in computers. As soon as a chance came about, he went to see some new types of computers that had been installed at the University computer center. He is also very keen on experimenting in the field of modern mechanical engineering facilities in big industrial cities in Russia.

There are a lot of serious problems to tackle here and a lot of technical books to read. Oleg is eager to get down to business, that’s why he has of late joined the scientific club at his faculty. He will surely make a very good researcher in the near future.

TAPESCRIPT 1B

The student Rob Fellows

Hello! My name’s Rob Fellows. I come from Dundee, a town on the east coast of Scotland, but I’m a student at Durham University, in the north of England. I’m studying French and German, and I can speak the languages quite well. I also know a little Spanish, so I can speak four languages. I’m enjoying the course a lot, but it’s very hard work!

I live in Durham Castle, because the Castle is part of the University, with about thirty other students. The course started two years ago, and I’m in my third year. After the course, I’m going to work in France, but I don’t know where yet.

UNIT 2

TAPESCRIPT 2A

Foreign students at the Belgorod State Technological University

Many foreign students from many countries study at the Belgorod State Technological University. They can choose from all degree courses taught at the University. The students may become civil engineers, mechanical engineers, chemical engineers, computer engineers, architects, economists, accountants and others.

The course of study at the University lasts 6 years. The first year is mainly spent at the preparatory faculty where foreigners learn Russian and some other subjects necessary for their future profession.

The entrance requirements for the University are complete secondary education equivalent to a Russian eleven-year secondary education and maximum age of 35.

Foreign students enjoy all the privileges of the Russian system of education – highly qualified teaching, the use of reading rooms, libraries and sports and cultural facilities, etc. at the University.

TAPESCRIPT 2B

Moscow University

Universities have long been sources of scientific knowledge and culture. Moscow University is the largest and one of the oldest institutions of higher education in Russia. M. Lomonosov, the great Russian scientist, founded it in 1755.

The university trains students with a high degree of culture and knowledge. It has a lot of fine traditions and possesses excellent training facilities. Those studying at the University are students and research workers at the same time.

Sixteen faculties, which embrace 276 departments, train people in 237 specialties.

Practically, all the nationalities of the Russian Federation are represented. Some 75 per cent of the students receive scholarships.

The University’s international ties are numerous and varied. Thousand of foreign students and postgraduates study there. Many university professors and lecturers go abroad to lecture and research. In recent years, they have delivered lectures in many countries including the USA, the UK, France, Canada and other countries.

Moscow University has long-term agreements on cooperation with universities in a number of countries.

UNIT 3

TEPESCRIPT 3A

Resources of Russia

Russia is among the world’s richest countries in mineral resources. It is the biggest producer of coal, petroleum, and natural gas, as well as iron, ore, copper, zinc, lead, nicked, aluminum, and tin. Russia’s chemical industry is well developed, and the country’s enormous forests are capable of supplying all its wood and paper products. Energy is generated mostly by thermal plants using the country’s vast fossil-fuel reserves. About three-fifths of Russian farmland is used to grow crops; the remainder is given to pasture and meadow. The main product has always been grain-chiefly wheat, rye, barley, and oats – along with such industrial crops as sunflower seeds, sugar, beets, and flax.

TAPESCRIPT 3B

St. Petersburg

St Petersburg is the second largest city in Russia and one of the most beautiful cities in the world. It was founded in 1703 by Peter the Great as the “Window to the West”. Thousands of workmen were brought from all parts of Russia to build a new city on the swampy land at the mouth of the Neva River. Peter the Great was in a hurry. The work was fast and hard, and workmen dropped dead by the hundreds. However, the work went on. St Petersburg, a city of great beauty, with palaces, cathedrals, churches, and government buildings became the capital.

Under later rules, the new capital of the Russia Empire grew rapidly in wealth and beauty. Architects were brought from Western Europe to lay out the city in harmonious squares. Buildings were constructed of gray and rose-coloured granite. The Hermitage Palace and the Winter Palace, the homes of the tsars, were equal to any in Europe.

When the First World War began in 1914, the German-sounding name, St Petersburg, was changed to Petrograd. After the Great October Revolution, the city was renamed after Lenin.

During the Great Patriotic War, the city suffered a great deal. The German armies laid siege to it in 1941, and for the next year and a half it was cut off from the rest of the country. No food could be brought in, and people died of starvation. Daily shelling and air raids destroyed parts of the city, thousands of people were killed. Rebuilding took years.

Now St Petersburg is an important industrial, cultural and educational center. The population of the city is over 5 million.

St Petersburg is indeed a wonderful city. At every turn there is something to catch your eye. The Winter Palace, the Hermitage, the Russian Museum, St Isaac’s Cathedral, the Peter-and-Paul Fortress, the Admiralty building attract thousands of tourists from every corner of the world.

St Petersburg’s many museums house some of the world’s famous art collection. The Hermitage, for example, contains the richest collection of pictures in the world. The city is called Northern Venice because there are 65 rivers and canals there with artistically decorated bridges. It’s also famous for its beautiful white nights.

UNIT 4

TAPESCRIPT 4A

The Tretyakov Gallery

In a quiet little street in Moscow there is a building which is like many other old Russian houses. It was built at the end of the 19th century and was decorated by the well known painter, Victor Mikhailovich Vasnetsov. It is the Tretyakov Gallery.

More than a hundred years ago in 1856 a young business man Pavel Mikhailovich Tretyakov, the owner of the biggest linen factory in Russia, began collecting pictures by Russian painters.

Soon he decided to organize a museum of national art which must be open to all. He wanted to have in his collection everything, which showed best the development of Russian national art. He bought all the new and interesting paintings from the art galleries. The basis of his collection was founded on the works by Perov, Kramskoi, Shishkin, Surikov, Vasnetsov, Repin and many other artists of that time. Later he bought paintings by Levitan, Serov and Korovin.

In 1892 Tretyakov presented his collection to the City of Moscow. The name of its founder was given to the Gallery. Later the Tretyakov Gallery got a number of other collections devoted to ancient and Russian art of the 19th and first half of the 20th centuries.

The collection is being constantly expanded by the addition of the best works of Russian painters.

There are more than forty thousand works of art, paintings, sculptures and many other examples of decorative art in the Tretyakov Gallery now.

The Tretyakov Gallery collection reflects the history of old Russia, the life, work and ideals of its people, their struggle for freedom and happiness.

TAPESCRIPT 4B

The Kremlin

The Kremlin is the heart of Moscow. It is surrounded by a high wall of 2.5 kilometers long, built by the Russian builders by order of Ivan III (1462 – 1505), and supervised by the Italian architects. The twenty towers on the Kremlin wall, which give it a unique aspect, were built for decorations and have no military significance. They were constructed in the seventeenth century when Moscow had ceased to be a fortress. Among the ancient buildings in the Kremlin are the churches and tall bell tower built in 1600 by Russian architects under Boris Godunov and known as the Bell Tower of Ivan the Great. The largest cathedral, the Uspenski (Assumption), was built in 1475 – 1479 by Aristotle Fiorovante. There are some very fine old frescoes, some of which were restored in the 20th century. It was there that the Russian tsars and emperors were crowned.

The Archangel Cathedral was built in 1505 by the Italian architect, Aleviso Novy. The tombs of the Moscow princes and tsars are here among them the graves of Ivan the Terrible, of his son Ivan, and of his second, Tsar Fyodor. The Blagoveshchensky (Annunciation) Cathedral was built in 1484 by architects from Pskov. It is noted for the unusual oil paintings done in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries by Andrei Rublev and his pupils, the greatest artists of the time.

Facing the same square is the very beautiful building known as Granovitaya Palata (Palace) which was built in the end of the 15th century by Marco Ruffo and Pietro Solari. In this palace the Moscow tsars held magnificent receptions in honour of foreign ambassadors. The Granovitaya Palace is connected with the enormous Grand Kremlin Palace.

Among other historical monuments in the Kremlin are the Tsar Cannon (sixteenth century) and the Tsar Bell (eighteenth century), both of enormous size and made by Russian masters. In a large wing of the Palace are the Armoury and a museum of applied art where imperial collections of utensils, furniture, weapon and garments of eastern and western workmanship are on display.

In the north-eastern section of the Kremlin is a beautiful building of classic design built famous Russian architect of the eighteenth century, by the most

M. Kazakov. In the square opposite this building is the former Arsenal, along the façade of which are numerous cannons captured by the Russian Army from Napoleon in 1812 – 1814.

UNIT 5

TAPESCRIPT 5 A

Some industries of the Belgorod region

The Belgorod region is an industrial and agrarian area. Industry is represented by a big iron are mining and metallurgical complex producing about one third of Russian’s iron ore, a lot of steel, rolled products, as well as by some enterprises of machine- and instrument engineering, metal processing, chemical, medical, textile and food industries, sectors of construction and building materials. They export their products to more than 30 countries.

The region has a reliable mineral raw material base at its disposal. It possesses more than 40% of all iron ore reserves explored in Russia. Some deposits of bauxites, chalk, sand, clay and granite have been discovered and developed in the Belgorod region.

The iron ore mining and metallurgical complex of the region is represented by the Stoilensky and Lebedinsky plants using an open-pit mining method, the Kursk Magnetic Anomaly iron-ore mining basin using and underground mining method and the Oskol Electrometallurgical Plant.

The total production capacity of existing iron ore mining companies amounts to 27.3 million tons of ore concentrate and sintered ore. Currently construction work at the underground mine in Yakovlevo with production capacity of 4.5 million tons of iron ore is in a full swing.

Mechanical engineering and metal working are represented basically by two production groups: the first one provides its services for the iron ore mining and metallurgical complex of the Belgorod region (mining mechanical engineering and repair of the equipment) and the second one which was developed considerably during the previous years (chemical production, manufacture of boilers and various equipment, etc.).

TAPESCRIPT 5B

Newcastle, my home town

I was born in Newcastle, a city in the north-east of England. Newcastle is on the bank of the River Tyne. It is quite big, with a population of about 200,000 people. There is a cathedral and a university. There are five bridges over the River Tyne, which link Newcastle to the next town, Gateshead, where there is one of the biggest shopping centers in the world, the Metro Center.

A few years ago, the main industries were shipbuilding and coalmining, but now the chemical and soap industries are more important.

I moved from Newcastle ten years ago but I often return. I miss the people, who are so warm and friendly, and I miss the wild, beautiful countryside near the city, where there are so many hills and streams.

People who are born near the River Tyne have a special name. They are called “Geordies”. I am very pleased to be a “Geordie”!

UNIT 6

TAPESCRIPT 6A

St Petersburg University

St. Petersburg University is one of the most important educational and scientific centers in the country. Its history goes back to 1819. This educational institution gave the world such outstanding public men, writers and scientists as I.P. Pavlov, I.I. Mechnikov, D.I. Mendeleyev, and others.

The University occupies many buildings not only in St. Petersburg, but also in Petrodvoretz, one of its suburbs. The main building of the University was originally Peter I’s “Twelve Colleges”. Next door to it is a two-storey building which houses the faculties of Philology and Oriental Studies. The teaching staff of the University consists of professors, assistant professors and lecturers, many of them are well-known not only in this country, but also abroad.

In October 1994 Elizabeth II, Queen of Britain, visited St. Petersburg University during her State Visit. She met professors and students in the University main hall and visited some of the laboratories. In her speech addressed to the professors, undergraduates and graduates she said:

“We know that it was not faint-hearted who first created the splendours of St. Petersburg from flat and barren wasteland; and I am confident that the young people who will emerge from the lecture halls of this University to be a new generation of builders will be able to draw on those same qualities of vision and courage”.

TAPESCRIPT 6B

Some facts of the history of education in Russia

Between the 10th and 13th centuries Russia developed a high civilization, which formed the foundation of the Russian culture in the following centuries. During this period numerous cultural treasures were accumulated. The written works of the time show that the level of knowledge on most natural phenomena was as high as that of Ancient Greece.

Monasteries were cultural and educational centers. They had large libraries and well-equipped book-making shops, in which not only church manuscripts were copied and translated but original books were written. Today we can confidently say that Ancient Rus was a state of high culture and knowledge.

In pre-revolutionary Russia there was a network of primary schools for common people. Nevertheless illiteracy among common people was very high. Well-off people taught their children in grammar schools, commercial schools or secondary schools teaching no classics.

The history of higher education begins from 1755 when the first University was founded in Moscow on the initiative of M.V. Lomonosov.

UNIT 7

TAPESCRIPT 7A

Wales

Wales has been united with England for hundreds of years, and for centuries England and Wales have formed one single political and administrative unit. The son and heir of the monarch are given the title “Prince of Wales”, but his title has no political significance.

If you look at the bottom of the map you’ll see Cardiff, the capital of Wales. Financially and industrially, Cardiff is the most important city in Wales. Most of the inhabitants of Wales live and work in this city and the adjoining area. Apart from the docks Cardiff is a beautiful city.

If you go to Wales, and can’t understand what people are saying, don’t worry! They are not speaking English, they are speaking Welsh. Quite a lot of people speak Welsh, and children learn it at school. The Welsh language is a Celtic language and is very different from English. In general, this is the only distinctive national feature left in Wales.

The Welsh are famous for their singing. A lot of Welsh people play musical instruments, too. The Welsh national costume is still worn by some girls for folk dancing and music festivals. Wales has a very strong folk culture and many people still learn Welsh as their first language.

TAPESCRIPT 7B

William Shakespeare’s birthplace

William Shakespeare was born in the centre of England in Stratford-on-Avon. It is situated on the quiet river Avon. There are no mountains there but beautiful green fields and woods. A small house with small rooms in the centre of Stratford is Shakespeare's birthplace. There is a wooden desk that Shakespeare sat at when he was a pupil of the grammar school in Stratford.

Behind the house one can see the garden where all trees and flowers that Shakespeare mentioned in his plays are growing.

Shakespeare's parents were country people.

At twenty-eight Shakespeare was in London as an actor. Some years later he became a playwright. His plays were staged at a London theatre “The Globe”.

In the church where Shakespeare was buried there is a bust of Shakespeare made by a Dutch sculptor who lived near Shakespeare's Globe Theatre and saw Shakespeare many times.

Shakespeare is known as a writer of historical dramas and comedies, among them “Romeo and Juliet” and “Hamlet”.

The Shakespeare Memorial Theatre in Stratford has the best stage in England. One can see Shakespeare's plays there with best actors and actresses of England.

UNIT 8

TAPESCRIPT 8A

Trafalgar Square

This famous square is so named in honour of Brit­ain's great victory over the combined French and Spanish fleets at Cape Trafalgar of the coast of Spain in 1805 during the Napoleonic war. The national hero of this battle was Lord Horatio Nelson, admiral of the British fleet. A column 185 feet high with a 17 foot statue of Nelson on top was erected in 1843. The bronze reliefs are on sides of the pedestal: the battle of the Nile in 1798 (North); Nelson's death at Trafalgar in 1805 (South); the battle of Copenhagen in 1801 (East); the battle of Cape St. Vincent in 1797 (West).

Admiral Nelson lost an eye in one battle, an arm – in another, a leg – in the third, and his life in Trafalgar. His laconic command "England expects every man to do his duty" is carved in the granite on the southern side of the pedestal.

The four lions by Landseer (English painter and sculptor, 1802 – 1873) were added in 1867. When the sculptures were unveiled over a hundred years ago, they were des­cribed as being badly modeled and badly cast. The only consolation was that they could not last more than a few years. But, a hundred years later, the lions are still there. They have seen the passing of coronation processions and royal funerals, and have been in the midst of political demonstrations too.

TAPESCRIPT 8B

Big Ben

Big Ben is the name of the huge clock on the Clock Tower of the Houses of Parliament. One can get a good view of the Tower from Westminster Bridge. The Clock Tower is 313 feet high and 41 feet square. The present clock was made by Mr. Dent. It first came into service in 1859, and, except for a few stoppages, it has run continuously ever since.

When the great bell was cast in a London foundry in 1858, the question of its name was discussed in Parliament. One member said, “Why not call it Big Ben?” There was much laughter among the members because the Chief Commissioner of Works at that time was Sir Benjamin Hall, a very tall stout man, whose nickname was 'Big Ben’. From that time, the bell has been known as Big Ben.

The Clock has four dials each 22 feet in diameter. The Bell weighs 13.5 tons. It has four little Bens round him. Big Ben strikes only once an hour but the other four tell the quarters and the half hours. At the side of Big Ben there is a huge hammer weighing over 200 kilograms. The faces of the clock are very large. The minute hands are 14 feet long, the hour hands 9 feet, and the figures are 2 feet long.

People are allowed to get inside the tower if they wish to see the work of Big Ben. There is no lift in the Tower and there are three hundred and forty steps up to Big Ben.

Above the clock is an iron lantern, which is lit after sunset when the House is sitting.

UNIT 9

TAPESCRIPT 9A

Universities

British universities are not open to everyone. To get a place, you normally apply in your last year at school, before you have taken your A levels. The university makes you an offer; for example, it will give you a place if you get at least one grade A and two Bs in your A levels. The offer depends on market forces; for popular, high-prestige courses, the university will ask for very good A level results.

The number of students on a particular course (for example, Economics at Cardiff University) is strictly limited. The system does not allow students to follow full-time courses in a casual way, having a job or living in another town as they study. Students are quite closely monitored, and have to see their teachers regularly. Consequently, drop-out and failure rates are low.

The negative side of the system was that, compared with other countries, a rather small percentage of British school-leavers actually went on to university. But there has been a dramatic improvement; the numbers have doubled over the last 20 years. One explanation of this is that in the 1980s many polytechnics and higher education colleges were given university status. As a result, many cities now have two universities – an old one and a new one. For example, in Bristol there is Bristol University and the University of the West of England; in Oxford there is Oxford University and Oxford Brookes University.

Officially, all universities in the country are equal in status. But they differ greatly in reputation and public image. In general, the older a university is, the higher its status. So the most prestigious are the ancient ones – Oxford and Cambridge – followed by long-established ones such as London, Manchester and Edinburgh.

Some of this is just based on tradition and snobbery. In fact, each university has strengths and weaknesses, and sensible students make their choices according to their own particular needs and priorities.

About half of British students go away to university, rather than attend the one closest to home. This is an expensive thing to do; the government used to give grants (money to live on during studies), whereas now students have to borrow money or get their parents to pay. But still many students find that combining study and family life is impossible.

British universities are very popular with overseas students. There are about 70,000 – mostly from Africa, the Arab world and Far Eastern countries such as Malaysia and Indonesia. The Erasmus programme arranges exchanges (from three months to one year) for students and teachers between universities in 24 countries including all the members of the European Union. In fact, the UK is the most popular destination, receiving over 25 per cent of all Erasmus students.

TAPESCRIPT 9B

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