2. HIGHER EDUCATION DISCUSSION In small groups present each other the information about a foreign university that you have prepared as your homework. The listeners can ask questions about details of studies there. After you have discussed your information, choose which university would be the most attractive place to study and present the information about it to the whole class. SKILLS 1. Which of the following skills do you think are the most important for your future career? · having technical ability · being creative · being able to communicate well · being good at solving problems · dealing with people · giving presentations 2. Watch the video about the skills the graduate engineers say they need in their current jobs. What are their priorities? http://www.careerplayer.com/tips-and-advice/engineering/key-skills-for-engineering/ from H. Němcová, English for Biologists LISTENING You will listen to a woman talking about higher education. B) Listen for the first time. Decide whether the statements are true or false (T/F) a. Each university has a separate entrance exam. T/F b. National school-leaving exams are called A levels in Scotland. T/F c. Students choose the universities they are interested in by looking at booklets. T/F d. The prospectuses are available only in the school careers offices. T/F e. UCCA stands for Universities Central Council on Admissions. T/F f. Students apply directly to the universities themselves. T/F g. You can apply for admission to more than 5 universities. T/F h. The academic year starts in September. T/F A) Listen for the second time and decide what purpose the programme has. (only 1 answer is correct) · to inform about the process of entering universities in Britain · to explain why it is best to study at Oxford or Cambridge · to instruct on communication with UCCA who help students BRITISH AND AMERICAN UNIVERSITIES Having read the texts on British and American universities (IS, study materials: Higher education UK, US, USxUK) try to complete the tables. Type of study US Degree awards Length of the course Courses Abbreviation (science) Degree in full (science) undergraduate community college → terminal→employment 2 years academic→transfer to a 4-year college/univ. A.S. Associate in Science 4 years freshman sophomore junior senior · core (1-2) (general basic/ distribution requirements) · major (3-4) · elective B.S. Bachelor of Science Master’s degree 1-2 Master of Science Doctorate degree Ph.D. (Sc.D.) Doctor of Philosophy Type of study UK Degree awards Length of the course Abbreviation (science) Degree in full (science) 3-4 B.Sc Bachelor of Science Postgraduate Master’s degree 1-2 Master of Science 3-more Ph.D from H. Němcová, English for Biologists SCIENTIFIC DISCIPLINES 1. Write a few examples of disciplines that can be studied at Masaryk University. How would you put them into groups? Which of the categories does your own area of study fit into? Adapted from E. de Chazal, S. McCarter, Oxford EAP, OUP, 2012 2. WHAT IS GEOGRAPHY? Read the two texts. Which of them do you think describes the subject of Geography better? Why? Discuss it with your neighbour. Geography is the study of Earth’s landscapes, peoples, places and environments. It is, quite simply, about the world in which we live. Geography is unique in bridging the social sciences (human geography) with the natural sciences (physical geography). Human geography concerns the understanding of the dynamics of cultures, societies and economies, and physical geography concerns the understanding of the dynamics of physical landscapes and the environment. Geography puts this understanding of social and physical processes within the context of places and regions - recognizing the great differences in cultures, political systems, economies, landscapes and environments across the world, and the links between them. Understanding the causes of differences and inequalities between places and social groups underlie much of the newer developments in human geography. Geography provides an ideal framework for relating other fields of knowledge. It is not surprising that those trained as geographers often contribute substantially to the applied management of resources and environments. http://www.rgs.org/geographytoday/what+is+geography.htm Activity prepared by E. Čoupková, CJV MU 3. Read the next extract and complete the table. Geography is a field of science dedicated to the study of the lands, the features, the inhabitants, and the phenomena of the Earth. A literal translation would be "to describe or write about the Earth". The first person to use the word "geography" was Eratosthenes (276–194 BC). Four historical traditions in geographical research are spatial analysis of the natural and the human phenomena (geography as the study of distribution), area studies (places and regions), study of the man-land relationship, and research in the Earth sciences. Nonetheless, modern geography is an all-encompassing discipline that foremost seeks to understand the Earth and all of its human and natural complexities - not merely where objects are, but how they have changed and come to be. Geography has been called "the world discipline" and "the bridge between the human and the physical science". Geography is divided into two main branches: human geography and physical geography. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geography Toponymy deals with … Cartology is mainly concerned with … The reason for interdisciplinary nature of geography … Human geography studies … Physical geography focuses on … Environmental geography is … Traditionally, geographers have been viewed the same way as cartographers and people who study place names and numbers. Although many geographers are trained in toponymy and cartology, this is not their main preoccupation. Geographers study the spatial and the temporal distribution of phenomena, processes, and features as well as the interaction of humans and their environment. Because space and place affect a variety of topics, such as economics, health, climate, plants and animals; geography is highly interdisciplinary. The interdisciplinary nature of the geographical approach depends on attentiveness to the relationship between physical and human phenomena and its spatial patterns. Geography as a discipline can be split broadly into two main subsidiary fields: human geography and physical geography. The former largely focuses on the built environment and how humans create, view, manage, and influence space. The latter examines the natural environment, and how organisms, climate, soil, water, and landforms are produced and interact. The difference between these approaches led to a third field, environmental geography, which combines the physical and the human geography, and looks at the interactions between the environment and humans. TYPES OF LEARNERS http://www4.ncsu.edu/unity/lockers/users/f/felder/public/ILSdir/styles.htm Questions 1. What different learning styles do you know? 2. What works for you when you have to learn things? 3. Give an example of your learning experience, e.g. when you learned something difficult or when you applied a really effective way. Read the text below and complete the table with typical features for each type. Active learner Reflective learner Sensing learner Intuitive learner Visual learner Verbal learner Sequential learner Global learner Vocabulary from reading 1.Complete the diagrams with verbs used in connection with information and lecture. (1^st part) apply discuss ……………… …………. information lecture ……………………. …………. ………… 2. Write three things Sensors dislike: 3. Write three things Intuitors dislike: 4. In the fourth part find words which mean: 1) unsystematically, without specific purpose 2) in small stages, one thing at a time LEARNING STYLES AND STRATEGIES ACTIVE AND REFLECTIVE * Active learners tend to retain and understand information best by doing something active with it - discussing or applying it or explaining it to others. Reflective learners prefer to think about it quietly first. * "Let's try it out and see how it works" is an active learner's phrase; "Let's think it through first" is the reflective learner's response. * Active learners tend to like group work more than reflective learners, who prefer working alone. * Sitting through lectures without getting to do anything physical but take notes is hard for both learning types, but particularly hard for active learners. SENSING AND INTUITIVE * Sensing learners tend to like learning facts, intuitive learners often prefer discovering possibilities and relationships. * Sensors often like solving problems by well-established methods and dislike complications and surprises; intuitors like innovation and dislike repetition. Sensors are more likely than intuitors to resent being tested on material that has not been explicitly covered in class. * Sensors tend to be patient with details and good at memorizing facts and doing hands-on (laboratory) work; intuitors may be better at grasping new concepts and are often comfortable with abstractions and mathematical formulations. * Sensors tend to be more practical and careful than intuitors; intuitors tend to work faster and to be more innovative than sensors. * Sensors don't like courses that have no apparent connection to the real world; intuitors don't like courses that involve a lot of memorization and routine calculations. VISUAL AND VERBAL · Visual learners remember best what they see - pictures, diagrams, flow charts, time lines, films, and demonstrations. Verbal learners get more out of words - written and spoken explanations. Everyone learns more when information is presented both visually and verbally. SEQUENTIAL AND GLOBAL * Sequential learners tend to gain understanding in linear steps, with each step following logically from the previous one. Global learners tend to learn in large jumps, absorbing material almost randomly without seeing connections, and then suddenly "getting it." * Sequential learners tend to follow logical stepwise paths in finding solutions; global learners may be able to solve complex problems quickly or put things together in novel ways once they have grasped the big picture, but they may have difficulty explaining how they did it. Homework Go to http://www.engr.ncsu.edu/learningstyles/ilsweb.html , answer the questionnaire and find your results. Then take the hand-out “What type of learner…” and find your result here as well. Compare the two results in a written comment (about 60 words). Say how much they are similar / different and to what extent you agree with them. Be prepared to share your comment with classmates during next class.