UNIT 7.

EDUCATION OPTIONS

FOR SCHOOL-LEAVERS

A. Pronunciation

• Intonation on and Yes/No questions

Practise asking the following questions. Mark 🡭 (rising intonation) or 🡮 (falling intonation) of the questions.

1. Did your parents go to university? 

2. What career will you want to follow? 

3. Do you prefer academic subjects?

4. Why did he fail his final exams? 

5. What are the benefits of vocational training?

6. Does the course develop your critical thinking skills?

7. What is his plan for future jobs? 

8. Can students with university degrees find jobs more easily? 

9. How much is the tuition fee per year at that college?

10. Will you intend to study abroad after graduating from high school?

B. Vocabulary

• Words and phrases related to education after leaving school

I. Complete the sentences with the words given.

practical	scholarships	trade	qualifications	apprenticeship
degree	institutions	training	undergraduate	vocational

1. I want to get the _________________ so that I can become a doctor. 

2. For many jobs you need to have a university _________________. 

3. He supported better _________________ education, saying many students were not interested in academic courses.

4. You have to gain _________________ experience before you become a lawyer. 

5. After graduating from high school, I’ll enter the _________________ level at college to get the first degree.

6. A small group would receive intensive _________________, and then would train others.

7. We’re very proud of the five students from this school who were awarded _________________.

8. The university’s exchange scheme has cemented its links with many other academic _________________. 

9. My grandfather was a plumber by _________________.

10. His father believed that if he got a(n) _________________ to a proper trade he’d be financially secure for life.

II. Match the forms of further education institutions in Britain and their descriptions, and then write the answer in each blank.

1. Schools		A. They offer courses and qualifications in a wide range of vocational and academic subjects at many levels. They often have links with companies.
2. Sixth form colleges		B. They mainly offer higher education courses, but many also offer a range of further education courses.
3. Further and higher  education colleges		C.  The UK offers a wide range of work-based training for students seeking to build careers in specific industries. Private training companies work with colleges and employers to provide practical training and internationally-respected qualifications.
4. Private training providers		D. They offer further education qualifications such as the A-levels, the IB, and vocational qualifications.
5. Universities		E. These colleges mainly cater for students aged 16-18 and specialise in academic courses to prepare students for higher education.

III. Fill in each blank in the following sentences with the correct word below.

experience	degree	institutions	scholarship	compulsory
qualifications	reports	campus	academic	counsellor

1. She wasn’t _________________ and hated school.

2. In the USA, private colleges and universities are usually smaller than public _________________.

3. A Bachelor’s degree is usually _________________ for higher-level positions.

4. Just like American students, you will have to submit your academic _________________ as part of your application for admission to any American university or college.

5. A _________________ provides you with information, advice and support with your application.

6. They will participate in workshops and get hands-on _________________ leading classes.

7. A foreign student can apply directly to an American university for aid, a _________________ or work-study option.

8. International Baccalaureate (IB) and other international _________________ taught at International Schools in Viet Nam are equivalent to A-levels.

9. On _________________, students usually live in residence halls or dormitories that are often called dorms”.

10. A major at university is the specific field of study in which your _________________ is focused.

IV. Fill in each blank in the passage with the correct words below.

requirement	prepare	academic year	pursue	proceed
lasts	undertake	pre-university	compulsory	degrees

 

Education in Singapore is ¹ _________________ for ten years, although university bound students study for thirteen. Classes are taught in English and the ² _________________ runs from July to April.

Primary and secondary education ³ _________________ for ten years and is compulsory. At the end of Grade 10, students sit the GCE O-level examinations. Students who complete secondary education may ⁴ _________________ to pre-university education at the Junior Colleges, ⁵ _________________ certificate or diploma studies at one of the Polytechnics, or leave school and enter the workforce. In the Singaporean education system, ⁶ _________________ education lasts for three years. These three years will ⁷ _________________ students for the GCE A-level examinations.

Upon completion of GCE A-levels, students may ⁸ _________________ a bachelor’s degree at one of Singapore’s public or private universities, which is obtained after three to five years of study. Bachelor’s ⁹ _________________ in Engineering, Dentistry, Law, Building, Real Estate, Music and Architecture require four years, while Medicine requires five. The minimum English ¹⁰ _________________ for entry to a bachelor’s degree is IELTS 6.0 or equivalent.

• Prepositions

V. Complete each sentence with the correct preposition.

1. She applied _________________ a job with the local newspaper.

2. His height and reach give him a big advantage _________________ other boxers.

3. Farming is not an attractive career option _________________ many young people.

4. It is hard for low-skilled workers to earn their way out of poverty _________________ a tough job market that favours skilled and educated workers.

5. She would be their first choice _________________ the job.

6. She received an honourary degree _________________ Harvard.

7. It may be necessary _________________ him to have a training course for the job.

8. She related rising unemployment rates directly _________________ government policies.

9. What are your plans _________________ this weekend? 

10. Many young people want to get _________________ advertising or public relations.

C. Grammar

• Perfect gerunds and perfect participle clauses

I. Rewrite the sentences using perfect gerunds. You may need to change some words.

Example: I did that. I remember it. 🡪 I remember having done that.

1. Maybe they had stolen the money. They denied that.

🡪 They denied 

2. I reminded you to buy some food. I remember that.

🡪 I remember 

3. The phone had rung and she had answered it. Then she kept on eating.

🡪 She just kept on eating after 

4. The thief got into the house because I hadn’t locked the front door.

🡪 I forgot 

5. She felt happy because she had met her best friend again.

🡪 She felt happy after

6. I have said bad words to her. I regret it now.

🡪 I regret

7. He had driven along the road before the accident happened. He remembered it.

🡪 He could remember

8. The boys had broken the window. One of them admitted that.

🡪 One of the boys admitted

II. Combine each pair of sentences using present participles or perfect participles.

1. I knew that he was a student. I offered to pay his train ticket.

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2. She became tired of my complaints about the programme. She turned it off.

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3. He had found no one at home. He left the house in a bad temper.

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4. The criminal had removed all traces of his crime. He left the building.

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5. Tom had missed the last bus. He began to walk.

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6. He had spent all his money. He decided to go home and ask his father for a job.

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7. She didn’t want to hear the story again. She had heard it all before.

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8. We visited the museum. We decided to have lunch in the park.

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9. The tree fell across the road. It had been uprooted by the strong wind.

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10. The guests were sleeping in the next room. They were woken by the sound of breaking glass.

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III. Combine each pair of sentences using present participles or perfect participles.

1. He offered to show us the way home. He thought we were lost.

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2. He had fed the cat. He sat down to his own dinner.

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3. She had looked through the fashion magazines. She didn’t find the style that she liked.

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4. I sat in the front row in the theatre. I saw everything beautifully.

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5. The lion found his cage door open. He left the cage and walked slowly towards the zoo entrance.

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6. I had heard that the caves were dangerous. I didn’t want to go any further without a torch.

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7. The film star wore extremely fashionable clothes. She was surrounded by photographers and reporters.

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8. He passed under a ladder. He got a pot of paint fallen on his head.

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9. I had misunderstood the questions. I gave wrong answers to them.

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10. We thought he would never survive. He had fallen from such a height.

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D. Reading

I. Read the passage about further and higher education, and then answer the questions.

 

The difference between higher and further education can be a common cause of confusion. Further education is used to describe the education that occurs following compulsory post-16 secondary education, which is usually distinct from that offered in universities (higher education). It includes a few different levels such as A-Levels and Higher National Diplomas. Foundation Degrees are also a type of further education and take 2 years to complete compared with the 3-4 years of most bachelor’s degrees which are offered by both universities and colleges. Sometimes it is possible to extend a Foundation Degree to a bachelor’s degree, with one year or more of extra study.

Further education is usually taught in the sixth-form college part of a school or in independent further education colleges, as well as in other work-based, adult and community learning institutions. In the United States, further education is sometimes referred to as continuing education.

Higher education primarily describes post-18 learning that takes place at universities, as well as other colleges and institutions that award academic degrees, and professional qualifications. While higher education is the common name in the UK and Ireland, it is also known as post-secondary, tertiary and third level education.

1. What can further and higher education be used to describe?

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2. What levels does further education include?

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3. How can students with a Foundation Degree get a bachelor’s degree?

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4. Where can students attend further education?

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5. What does higher education award students?

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II. Read the passage about studying abroad for Vietnamese students, and then answer the questions.

Viet Nam has a growing youth population, and this together with an increasing prosperous middle class means that demand for university education is greater than ever before. A decade ago, fewer than 10,000 Vietnamese families could afford to send their child abroad to study. Today there are more than 100,000 Vietnamese international students around the world, most of whom are funded by their parents.

The top destinations for Vietnamese students are Australia, the US, China, Singapore and the UK. English has become the dominant foreign language in Viet Nam, with 98% of students choosing to study it over French, Japanese and German. So many students seek English-speaking countries for their higher education.

Australia is the destination of choice because Australian qualifications are recognised across the world, and transferable to Vietnamese qualifications, and many Australian universities offer scholarships to international students. Living costs in Australia compare favourably with the United States and UK, and it is closer to Viet Nam than other English- speaking countries, making visits home easier.

The USA has the second largest number of Vietnamese students. The majority of Vietnamese students, both at home and abroad, consider the American education the best in the world. They believe that the USA is the most scientifically and technologically advanced country in the world. Four out of 10 Vietnamese students in the US are studying business administration, and finance. Engineering, maths, computer science, and health professions are also common choices.

1. What do a growing youth population and an increasing prosperous middle class in Viet Nam lead to?

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2. What are the top destinations for Vietnamese students?

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3. Why do so many Vietnamese students seek English-speaking countries for their higher education?

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4. What advantages do Australian universities offer to international students?

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5. Why does studying in Australia favourable to Vietnamese students?

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6. What is the American education considered by most of Vietnamese students?

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