Education and training

Hello, friends! How is life?

First, I’d like you to do the puzzle to guess the topic of our lesson today.

So, the keyword is UNIVERSITY.

We’re going to talk about British Universities and advantages and disadvantages of going to university.

BRITISH UNIVERSITIES

England’s oldest universities are the University of Oxford (founded in the 11^th century) and the University of Cambridge (founded in 1209). Scotland also has some famous universities, among them the University of St Andrew (founded in 1413) and the University of Edinburgh (founded in 1582).

Other universities with an excellent reputation are University College London, Imperial College London and the London School of Economics.

It is worth nothing that the University of Cambridge has produced 83 Nobel Laureates to date. This is more than any other university in the world.

Listen to 5 students talking about university. Match the speakers (1-5) with the sentences (a-f). There is one sentence that you do not need.

a The speaker’s degree was essential for their job.

b The speaker thinks people with degrees should be paid more.

c The speaker think university is a waste of time.

d The speaker thinks it’s better to get a job first and go to university later.

e The speaker really enjoyed their university course.

f The speaker thinks you should choose your university course carefully.

1. I left school at 16 and started working on a market stall. Now I’ve just opened my first shop. Some of my friends who went on to university can’t find work or are in boring low-paid jobs. They had a good time at college for a few years, but I really don’t know why they bothered to stay in education. Working for yourself is the best education there is – much more useful than a degree.

2. I went straight into work after leaving school at the age of 18. I got a job in local government. But I think it was a mistake as there weren’t any chances for promotion. I think graduates get more interesting jobs, so I decided to go to university to further my career. Studying for a degree was one of the best experiences of my life. I loved my subject, and now I’m looking for a new job – better-paid and more interesting than my last one.

3. I always wanted to be a pharmacist, so I did a degree in pharmacy, followed by two year’s training. I must say the course was really hard work and I didn’t enjoy it much at the time. But I don’t regret it because without it I couldn’t have got the job I have now. The other thing is that a university education teaches you a lot about yourself. I think I’m a more confident person because I did a degree.

4. I finished my philosophy degree a few months ago, but I haven’t been able to find a job. The course was really hard work, but interesting. However, I don’t think it was a good idea to choose philosophy as many employers think it’s irrelevant. If I could go to university again, I’d study something more useful like business studies. I think it’s really important to think how the course you plan to do is going to help you get a job.

5. I got quite a shock when I got my first job after graduating from university. My boss had been in the same class as me at school! She went straight into work at 18 and now she’s earning more than me! Actually, she wants to go to university now. And I think that’s probably a much better way to do. I think you’ll get more from university if you spent some time working first.

1 c, 2 e, 3a, 4 f, 5 d.

Complete the speakers’ opinions with the words below. Then listen again and check.

1. Working for yourself is the best education there is – much more useful than a degree.

2. I think graduates get more interesting jobs.

3. A university education teaches you a lot about yourself.

4. It’s really important to think how the particular course you plan to do is going to help you get a job.

5. You’ll get more from university if you spent some time working first.

Do you agree or disagree with the opinions in exercise 2? Can you think of any other advantages and disadvantages of going to university?

Use these phrases to help you.

I (don’t) agree that …

I think that …

To my mind, …

In my view, …

In my opinion …

Yes, I agree.

That’s right.

I think so too.

I don’t agree.

On the other hand …

That may be true, but …

Listen to the fact file and complete it with appropriate words.

University in the UK:

FACT FILE

In the UK approximately 40% of school-leavers go ………. to study at the university, compared with 8% in the early 1980s.

15% of all university students are …… outside the UK. The most popular subjects with foreign students are business studies and engineering.

Most undergraduate courses take three years of full-time study …… complete.

University education is subsidised by the Government. British and EU students pay towards their tuition fees and have to pay their own living expenses. They can usually take out a Government loan for this, ……  they pay back when they reach a certain level of income.

Vocational courses are becoming more popular. 90% of people ……  take degrees in the UK go on to get ……  job or do further study.

People with degrees are likely to earn ……  average 100,000 pounds more during their working lives than non-graduates.

on, from, to, which, who, a, on

Answer the questions.

1. How has the number of students entering university changed since the early 1980s?

2. What proportion of university students are from abroad?

3. What do students have to pay for at university?

4. Where can they get money for their fees and living costs?

5. According to the text, what advantages do graduates have over people who haven’t been to university?

Do you intend to go to college or university? Why?/Why not?

If so, what do you plan to study and where do you plan to study?

Would you consider studying abroad? If yes, where would you go and why? If not, why no?