Главная страница «Первого сентября»Главная страница журнала «Английский язык»Содержание №5/2009

Тематические кейсы для подготовки учащихся к ЕГЭ

("Говорение" и "Письмо")

continued from No.4

PART 1 – SPEAKING

Кейс 2: Topic: Education and School Life. The Importance of Language Learning

Speaking 7. Role Play

Task 1. Role-play: Looking for Good Language or any Other Courses

You decided to take a summer language course / computer course in … School in Great Britain. Telephone the secretary and ask about:

• location

• length of the courses available / schedule

• course fees

• accommodation

• teachers experience

• details of the social programme

Remember to:

• be active and polite

• ask all the questions

• decide if this Language School suits you

Task 2. Role-play: Looking for a New School

You’ve moved to a new area of the city and you are looking for a new school. You are very much interested in Maths and the English language. Phone one of the nearest schools to ask about:

• subjects (classes a week)

• timetable

• class size

• uniform

• sports clubs

Remember to:

• be active and polite

• ask all the questions

• decide if this school suits you

Task 3. Role-play: Discussing a School-Leaving Party

You are talking to your classmate. You want to organize an end-of-year party at school. Plan the party and ask your friend about:

• the number of people to invite

• when and where to hold the party

• food / drink and entertainment

Remember to:

• be active and polite

• ask all the questions

Speaking 8. Simulated Situation

Task 1. Debate: Taking a Language Course

You and your friend are going to take a language course in London. You would like to stay at the same place with your friend. Discuss all of the suggested possibilities and agree on the one that suits both of you.

a host family

a youth hostel

a hotel

Remember to:

• discuss all the options

• take an active part in the conversation and be polite

• come up with ideas

• give good reasons

• find out your friend’s attitudes and take them into account

• invite your friend to come up with suggestions

• come to an agreement

Task 2. Debate: Learning Foreign Languages

You and your mother/father/friend are thinking of what foreign language you could learn at school. Discuss the following options and choose one you both like most of all.

Italian

Japanese

Latin

German

Remember to:

• discuss all the options

• take an active part in the conversation and be polite

• come up with suggestions

• give reasons

• come to an agreement

Task 3. Debate: Discussing a School-Leaving Party

You and your classmate are discussing the best place for a school-leaving party. There are 3 options to choose from. You have to decide on one of them:

at school

in a café

in the countryside near a lake

Remember to:

• discuss all the options

• take an active part in the conversation and be polite

• come up with suggestions

• give reasons

• come to an agreement

Task 4. Debate: Organizing a Special Event

You and your friend are asked to organize a special event during the Arts Week for senior classes of your school. You can choose from:

poetry-recital

picture exhibition

musical

disco

photo competition

Discuss with your friend and choose the one you both like to be responsible for.

Remember to:

• discuss all the options

• take an active part in the conversation and be polite

• come up with ideas

• give good reasons

• find out your friend’s attitudes and take them into account

• invite your friend to come up with suggestions

• come to an agreement

HELP!

Инициирование разговораРазвитие и завершение разговора

• Hello, school No. 89. Can I help you?

• Hello. I’d like to do a course at this school. Can you give me some information?

• Hello. I’d like some information on …(the Art Class course)

– Of course. What would you like to know?

• I want to improve my computer skills. Could you give me some information about your courses?

• I’d like some information on the Surfing the net classes, please.

• First of all, when does … start?

– Well , the course begins … (December 1st) and goes through to …(May 12th)

• When do the lessons begin/finish? – We have… lessons a day. Students go to school 5 days a week.

• How long does the class last?

• And on which days are the lessons? – You can choose to enrol for the Monday and Wednesday classes or attend Tuesday and Thursday classes.

• And what time are the classes? – Again you have a choice. Either 3.00 to 5.00 or 5.30 to 7.30.

• Could you also tell me what the course syllabus includes?

– Apart from doing/ learning … we will also be doing a bit of … and … as well as …

• Do you have any price rebates for schoolchildren?

• Do we have to pay an enrolment fee?

• One more thing. Where are the classes held? – In the room … It’s on the second floor.

• What are the basic subjects? – Maths, Russian, English.

• How many Maths / English classes a week do you have? – 4 classes a week.

• Do you have a school uniform? What is it like? (the colour of the uniform is dark blue, and the girls are allowed to wear trousers) Is it compulsory?

Завершение разговора

1. OK. Thank you. / Thank you very much!

2. You’re welcome.

USEFUL VOCABULARY

GENERAL VOCABULARY

comprehensive school / general secondary school общеобразовательная школа

boarding school школа-интернат

public school частная школа (в Великобритании); private (в Америке)

nursery ясли

nursery school / kindergarten детский сад

junior/primary начальная школа; high (старшие классы); specialised (специализированная)

with intensive English study с углублённым изучением английского языка

college(s) / gymnasium (gymnasia) / lyceum(s)

General Certificate of Education (GCE) свидетельство об образовании

The Department for Education, The Education Committee, Independent City Examination Board, English Department of the School; the local educational authorities

Parents’ Committee / Board родительский комитет

staff meeting педсовет

to observe a lesson = to attend in order to see how the lesson is conducted

time-table расписание; to draw up a timetable, to make a timetable, to put smth. on the timetable; the timetable changes

teaching load нагрузка (...hours a week)

break перемена (a fifteen-minute break)

curriculum учебный план (what subjects are taught)

National Curriculum Государственный Образовательный Стандарт

Unified National Exam = Russian National Exam Единый Государственный Экзамен

syllabus программа (this is a summary of what is to be taught in each subject on the curriculum)

extra-curricular activities/out-of-school activities / after-school activities внеклассная работа

subsidized meal оплаченное питание

innovation новшество, нововведение

DESCRIBING THE SCHOOL BUILDING

entrance hall вестибюль

assembly hall актовый зал

laboratory / lab кабинет

staff-room / teacher’s room учительская

gymnasium / gym спортивный зал

computer class кабинет информатики

workshop мастерская

library библиотека

linguaphone lab лингафонный кабинет

cloak-room гардероб

medical room медицинский кабинет

headmaster’s office канцелярия

dining room / canteen столовая

to equip оборудовать, оснащать

equipment оборудование; to be well-equipped / a poorly-equipped lab; modern equipment

to record записывать (что-то)

record-player проигрыватель; cassette-player; video-player; tape-player – магнитофон

slide слайд

slide-projector диапроектор

overhead-projector кодоскоп

scheme схема

poster плакат

stand стенд

table таблица

ASSESSMENT AND QUALIFICATIONS

to take / do an exam держать экзамен

to give an exam экзаменовать

to pass / do well in an exam выдержать экзамен

do badly in / fail an exam провалиться на экзамене

to resit (for) an exam = to take it again

to cheat in the exam списать (нечестно у кого-либо)

to crib = to copy dishonestly

entrance / school-leaving examination вступительные / выпускные экзамены

to skip / miss classes (lectures) прогулять / пропустить уроки;

to get / have a 5,4,3...; to give good/bad mark получить хорошую / плохую отметку

to make a mistake сделать ошибку

to receive grants/scholarship получать стипендию

elementary / pre-intermediate / intermediate / upper-intermediate / advanced level

to cope (with)... справиться с...; to cope with difficulties task, problem…

to acquire knowledge / skills / a habit приобретать знания, навыки, привычку

work / school habits трудовые, школьные привычки; bad / good habits; to develop good work habits

to break a habit отучить от привычки

to be in the habit of doing something иметь обыкновение что-то делать

to test / a test; to evaluate / evaluation оценивать, оценка

to assess / assessment оценивание, оценка

oral quiz устный зачёт

opportunity возможность, удобный случай; take the opportunity; offer opportunities; find (afford) an opportunity to do something; miss an opportunity; have an opportunity for (of) doing something

to satisfy; satisfactory удовлетворять, удовлетворительный

to be satisfied with… быть удовлетворённым чем-то

a satisfactory answer удовлетворительный ответ

to disappoint разочаровать; to be disappointed (in a person, in some idea…)

success успех

successful успешный

to be a success иметь успех

to turn to somebody for….(help, advice) обращаться к кому-то за…

to consider рассматривать, обсуждать, обдумывать; take into consideration

to communicate общаться, поддерживать связь

TEACHERS AND STUDENTS

experience опыт

to gain experience; to experience joy / happiness / excitement / satisfaction / disappointment / fear / great hardships проявлять (выражать, испытывать) радость, счастье, волнение, удовлетворение, разочарование, страх, большие трудности

qualified квалифицированный

experienced опытный

fascinating очаровательный

popular with children,to have a way with children иметь подход к детям

strict строгий

firm, lenient мягкий, снисходительный

boring скучный

irritable раздражительный

to lose one’s temper терять терпение

Head Master / Head Mistress /

Principal / Head Teacher директор

Deputy Head Teacher /

senior master / senior mistress завуч

Adviser / Class-Mistress /

Form teacher классный руководитель

сaretaker завхоз (в школе)

tutor куратор

students: pupil, schoolboy / schoolgirl, first-former; school-leaver, graduate, repeater

to be absent from school; to miss your classes; to be a truant (прогульщик); to play truant (прогуливать)

to bring a written excuse from your parents принести записку от родителей

to have a good reason иметь уважительную причину

it’s a lame excuse слабая отговорка

SCHOOL ACTIVITIES

carry out experiments проводить опыты

solve problems решать проблемы

get acquainted with somebody знакомиться с кем-то

developing a habit for… развивать привычку…

hold discussions and conversations проводить дискуссии

participat in all kinds of activities участвовать во всех мероприятиях

go on educational excursions and trips ходить (ездить) на экскурсии

hold / take part in / different contests and competitions проводить / принимать участие в / различных конкурсах и соревнованиях

Describing the School Where You Study

Plan:

1. Introduction (give general description of the place and people, some background and history)

2. Main body (good/bad points now, your problems, how things will develop in the future)

3. Ending (the school you’d like, about some changes at school)

I. VOCABULARY (POSITIVE/NEGATIVE)

1. Building / Classrooms:

(+) brightly painted/decorated, spacious, comfortable, contemporary, enormous, gorgeous, impressive, magnificent, stunning, cosy

(–) cramped, depressing, gloomy, noisy, unsightly, cluttered with, messy, old-fashioned, tasteless, drab

2. Classmates:

(+) friendly, funny, helpful, confident, highly-gifted

(–) boring, noisy, lazy

3. Teachers:

(+) encouraging, helpful, motivating, stimulating, well organised, qualified, experienced, fascinating, lenient, popular with children

(–) disorganised, boring, strict, demanding, irritable, lose one’s temper, easily angered

4. Lessons:

(+) interesting, motivating, well organised, hard-working atmosphere, stimulating

(–) long, boring, noisy, disorganised, dull, too hard

II. SOME MODELS AND USEFUL PATTERNS

1. Building, Facilities, Location

• not far from... / within walking distance of the centre / quite close to... / it is about 10 minutes walk from...

• it looks (seems) well-organised / as if nobody has looked after it for years

• it gives you the impression of being... / you are made to feel very welcome

• in general, it is a very welcoming place

• it overlooks the garden / noisy street so...

• the school is on a busy street, so noise is a problem

• it has excellent facilities including...

• the chairs are very uncomfortable and the cafeteria sells terrible food!

• the worst thing is that the classrooms are very cramped and dark, so they are rather depressing

2. Classmates

• my classmates are friendly and we have a lot of fun together

• to gain experience, to experience joy / happiness / excitement / disappointment / fear

• there are bullies at my school who hit and kick me and my mates

• we are victims of theft

• my problem is with... / school discipline is a major worry

3. Teachers and Lessons

• the teachers are encouraging and motivating, so I’m learning a lot

• sometimes the teachers are very demanding and I have a lot of homework to do

• there is a friendly/ informal/ uncomfortable... atmosphere there

• different methods and activities are used / modern teaching techniques and aids are employed

4. Possible Changes at School

• school and behaviour problems (negative influence of school environment / bullies / theft....)

• the teachers wouldn’t force their ideas on the pupils

• wearing a uniform would not be compulsory

• to be able to choose subjects and teachers / a student council makes the rules...

• a lot of...and less...

• the atmosphere would be more relaxed

Learning Foreign Languages

* to travel abroad

* to please your parents

* to get a good job

* to work on the computer

* to read English books

* to play computer games

* to see English video films

* to pass an examination

* to speak to foreign visitors

III. FOR and AGAINST

Should mobile phones and pagers be allowed in class?

YES

Kids don’t have phones and pagers for fun. They need them to communicate with their parents, especially if there’s an emergency.

Kids should use their phones responsibly.

NO

Mobile phones and pagers can be a major distraction. There’s nothing worse than someone’s phone ringing in the middle of something important.

The devices disrupt the classroom and break the students’ concentration.

Should schools have uniforms?

FOR

1. Some teachers say that uniforms help students to focus on their studies – rather than on their fashion dilemmas. They should be finding better ways to express their individuality.

2. If all the students in a school wear the same type of clothes in matching colours and styles, they tend to look smart when they are all together.

3. Uniforms “level the playing field” among students from different economic backgrounds. Students whose parents can’t afford nice clothes look the same as everyone else and don’t feel inferior.

AGAINST

1. You don’t have a chance to develop personal taste in the way you dress, clothes offer teens a healthy way to be creative. Clothes help teens express their individuality.

2. People who look scruffy usually look scruffy in their uniforms too. Uniforms only make students uncomfortable.

3. Most schools choose such horrible colours and styles that don’t suit young people at all.

Taking Exams

FOR

• exams encourage students to study

• exam grades give students an idea of their progress

• exams are the quickest way of testing students

• some students are really lazy and need pressure, they only work hard when they’ve got an exam

• exams should be combined with continuous assessment

AGAINST

• exam results may depend on how you feel on a particular day

• if students get nervous, they will not perform as well as they could

• students can cheat and get a mark they don’t deserve

• if students run out of time, they cannot show what they know

• some students do well in exams simply because they have got good memory

Reading and Speaking: Education in Great Britain

(11 years of Education)

Age Type of School
2-3VoluntaryNursery school
5-11CompulsoryPrimary school (at least 6 years)

1st Standard assessment test at the age of 7

2nd Standard assessment test at the age of 11

11-16CompulsorySecondary (Comprehensive) School (at least 5 years)

3rd Standard assessment test at the age of 14

GCSE (General Certificate of Secondary Education)

Exams: English, Maths, Science, a half GCSE in Technology and a foreign language

State School

Comprehensive/Modern

Grammar

Private School

Private/Independent

Public (exclusive private schools – single sex, boarding) – Eton, Winchester, Harrow and others

16-18VoluntarySixth Form College (Advanced Level)

A – level (advanced level) exams at the age of 18

AS – level (advanced supplementary level) – half the content as A-level

GNVQ (Greater National Vocational Qualification) may combine three A-levels or two A-levels + AS level or A-level + GNCQ

College of Further Education

(general, vocational and technical)

18+VoluntaryUniversity or College of Higher Education

Students do not pay for education, but they pay for living: rent, food, books, transport and socializing. May take grants from the local education authorities which are paid back after leaving the University.

University

91 universities

3-4 year degree course

BA-Bachelor of Art

BSc-Bachelor of Science

BEd-Bachelor of Education

College of Education

Polytechnic

47 colleges of higher education

Two-year HND courses (Higher National Diploma)

Fact File:

Terms: There are normally 3 school terms in Britain: Autumn, Spring and Summer terms.

Half-term: The schools usually have five days’ holiday halfway through each term. Sometimes schools take their pupils on trips at half-term, e.g. skiing in February or a French exchange visit.

The National Curriculum consists of 10 subjects which all children must study at school.

• Core subjects: English, Mathematics, Science

• Foundation subjects: History, Geography, a Modern Language, Technology, Art, Music, PE

After the 5th form, students have the choice to either carry on their education in a sixth form college, a college of further education or in a sixth form at school.

Holidays: These can vary from region to region. The schools usually have ten days at Christmas, ten days at Easter and six weeks in the summer from the end of July to the beginning of September.

School Meals: Students can eat lunch in the school canteen. They buy ‘dinner tickets’ at an inexpensive rate in school. Some students can have ‘free school meals’ if their parents have a low income. In recent years more and more students have decided to bring their own lunch (sandwiches), known as a ‘packed lunch’, rather than eat in the canteen. All pupils enjoy discussing how awful school food is.

School Year: In most schools the pupils spend the break-time and lunch hour in the school yard or on the school field. If the weather is bad they may spend break in the school hall – a very large room for assembly.

School Assembly: All schools must by law organize a short daily meeting for the whole school to give important information and give some form of religious worship.

School Uniform: Even more popular in recent years. Pupils sometimes wear a blazer and a school cap (more common at private schools than at state schools) or – more usually – a shirt, trousers or a skirt, and a sweater in the school colours, together with a school tie.

Reading and Speaking: Education in the USA

(12 years of Education)

Age Type of School
3-4VoluntaryNursery School
5-6VoluntaryKindergarten or Preschool
6-11CompulsoryElementary (Primary) School at least 5 years (1st–5th grades)

Public (State): Government provides with everything necessary

Private: Parents pay tuition

Home Schooling: (about 300,000 educated by parents)

11-14CompulsoryMiddle School (Junior High School) at least 5 years (6th-8th grades)

Public (State): Government provides with everything necessary

Private: Parents pay tuition

Home Schooling

14-18CompulsoryHigh School at least 4 years (9th–12th grades)

At the end of 12th grade – high school diploma

4-5 major subjects core courses + electives per year

Public (State): Government provides with everything necessary

Private: Parents pay tuition payments

Home Schooling

18 +VoluntaryHigher Education

College: A school of higher learning that grants bachelor’s degree in arts or science

University: A school of higher learning that grants a bachelor’s, master’s degree, and doctorate through different colleges within the university

Junior College 2-year course

BA – Bachelor of Arts

BS – Bachelor of Science

College Graduate School 4-5-year course

2-3-year course + thesis or dissertation

Medical School 4-year course + residency

MD – Doctor of Medicine

Law School 3-year course

JD – Doctor of Jurisprudence

State Universities

(state supported)

Private Universities

Harvard-Cambridge,

Massachusetts, for men mainly, founded in 1636;

Reading and Speaking: Education in Russia

(11 years of Education)

Age Type of School
3-5VoluntaryNursery/Kindergarten
6/7–9/10CompulsoryPrimary School

(4 years : 1st–4th forms)

In some schools, exams are taken after the 4th form to enter the 5th form.

State Schools

Government provides with everything necessary. In some state schools there are fee-paying classes.

Private Schools

Parents pay tuition payments

10-14CompulsorySecondary School

(5 years: 5th–9th form)

After the 9th form all the students take examinations in the core subjects.

General Secondary School

If a student has unsatisfactory results at the end of the year, he will be held back and asked to repeat the year.

Gymnasium

Teaching suggests that the students may select (after the 8th form) from among several orientations: Physics & Maths, the humanities, Science and economics.

Specialized School

(which specializes in a group of subjects, e.g. Maths and Physics, Biology and Chemistry, Foreign languages)

Private School

Until 1990s all schools were run by the state and were free of charge. Now, however, some of them are private and charge fees.

14-17 Senior School

(2 years: 10th–11th forms)

After the 11th form all the students take examinations.

General Secondary School / Gymnasium/ Specialized School/ Private School

Students continue their education in the 10–11th forms

Technical School

Lyceum or Vocational School

(where children are trained for their future jobs: ballet dancers, musicians, etc.)

Fact File:

School Year: In Russia there are nine years of compulsory education. All Russian schools are co-educational. The academic year is broken into terms (3 terms) or quarters with three breaks. The schools usually have holidays in Autumn (one week in November), Winter (10–13 days in January), Spring (one week in March) and Summer (two/three months). June is when the 9th and 11th forms take their exams.

School Week: The school week is five or six days long. Young students have 3-4 lessons a day while older ones may have up to 7 lessons. Schools in big cities often have two shifts, as their buildings are not big enough to accommodate all the students at the same time.

School Subjects: Learning foreign languages is compulsory in all schools. In some schools students can learn 2-3 foreign languages.

PART 2. WRITING

Writing 1. A Personal Letter (100–140 words)

Letter 1

This is part of a letter from your English pen-friend.

…Are you getting ready to take the Russian State Exam at the moment? I am, but I’m finding it difficult to speak on a simulated situation. How do you revise? How many hours a day do you spend revising? Have you got any advice you could give me?

Looking forward to hearing from you,

Best wishes,

Jason

Write back to Jason answering his questions.

Letter 2

This is part of a letter from your English pen-friend.

…Do your parents criticize you when you don’t do well at school? Mine seem to put me under so much pressure. What can I do? Do you think I should tell them that it’s making me unhappy? How can I explain to my parents how I feel? I try my best at school, but I just never seem to get top marks. Should I speak to a teacher?

Write back soon with your advice.

Love,

Georgia

Write back to Georgia answering her questions.

Letter 3

This is part of a letter from your English pen-friend.

…My problem is with my French lesson. Most lessons are boring. Sometimes I just have to doodle on my desk or write letters. Otherwise I’d fall asleep. My class mistress forces me to go, because she says, it’ll be good for me. I absolutely hate them! What can I do? Have you got any problems with your lessons?

Write back soon with your advice.

Love,

Mary

Write back to Mary answering her questions.

Letter 4

This is part of a letter from your English pen-friend.

…Please, help us, because we’re in terrible trouble. School discipline is a major worry. There are bullies at my school who hit and kick me and my mates. We are victims of theft. They say we have to give them our lunch money or they will really hurt us. We’re frightened of them. What shall we do?

Looking forward to hearing from you.

Best wishes,

Nick

Write back to Nick answering his questions.

Letter 5

This is part of a letter from your English pen-friend.

…My problem is with my Mum. She thinks I’m everything that’s wonderful, beautiful and clever, and she goes around saying so. It makes me feel very uncomfortable. She tells everybody that I’m going to get wonderful exam results and get some fantastic job. The truth is that I’m not very brainy at all and will be lucky just to pass my exams. How can I explain to her that I’m not as clever as she thinks?

Please, help me. I need your advice.

Write back soon.

Love,

Mary

Write back to Mary answering her questions.

Writing 2. An essay (200–250 words)

Task 1

Comment on the following statement.

Many students go on school trips. Some people say they are interesting and educational. Others say that they are a waste of time and children should learn in the classroom.

What can you say FOR and AGAINST school trips?

Task 2

Comment on the following statement.

Some people think that students should be involved in decisions about how school life is run. Other people think that only teachers should be involved in such decisions.

What is your opinion?

Task 3

Comment on the following statement.

Many young people go to university after leaving school. However, a number of school-leavers feel that university is not for them and choose not to go.

What can you say FOR and AGAINST going to university?

By Tatyana Kireeva ,
Gymnasium No. 2, Saint-Petersburg