have objective criteria to measure these abilities? 5. What's your opinion of the fact that administration of publicly provided schools

is not centralized? What do you think of schools' freedom to choose textbooks, include various subjects into the curriculum, specify

the material for learning, appoint and dismiss teachers? 6. What subjects are usually included in a primary school curriculum? What

is the aim of primary education? What methods are used in primary schools? 7. What types of secondary schools are there in Britain?

8. Why do you think most children in grammar schools are from rich families? 9. How can you account for the fact that the

percentage of those attending comprehensive schools is becoming a bit lower nowadays? 10. How can you account for the fact that

independent schools (especially public schools) which are not very numerous are the most significant? 11. What is your opinion of

the specialist preparation in the sixth form?

6.Give a brief talk on the main features of schooling in England and Wales. Use the Topical Vocabulary.

7.You are supposed to give a description of an imaginary primary or secondary school which is organized according to the English pattern. Don't

forget to give your imaginary school a name, as English schools have names not numbers. The names are often geographical (taken from the name

of the town, district, village or street in which the school is situated). Sometimes schools are named after a well-known person, e. g. Cedar Grove

School, Mary Hampden Junior School.

The following questions can be helpful:

1. What kind of school is it? What system of educational provision is in use locally for children aged 5 — 18?

2. What is the size of the school? (number of children of either sex, number of staff of either sex, age range of children, social

background of the school's catchment area if this is clear-cut)

3. What buildings and amenities does the school possess? (How many classrooms are there? Is there a hall, a library, specialist

rooms or areas, a staff room, playing fields? Are the buildings modern? Are there accommodation problems?)

4. How is teaching organized? (Streaming? Mixed ability grouping? Are classes generally taught as a single unit or is group

work or individual work the norm? What about the physical organization of the classroom — do the children sit at desks, in groups at

tables, randomly? Is the timetable fixed or flexible?)

5. What subjects are included into the curriculum? What is taught at the various age levels within the school? (Are specific

subjects taught, or is teaching arranged in more general areas like, for example, Aesthetics, Physical skills, Communication?)

6. What forms of reward and punishment are normally used?

7. What testing is done in the school and what forms of records are kept? (Are staff meetings held to discuss children's progress or

is this done informally? How are children and parents informed of progress?)

8. What system of examinations is used in the school?

9. In what way are parents involved with the school? (parents' meetings, parent-teacher association, parental help in or out of

school)

10. What do the school's general aims appear to be?

8. Say how any of the schools described by your fellow-students (Ex. 7) compares with the school you yourself attended.

9. Team up with your fellow-student to discuss one of the following problems:

1. Pre-school and primary education in Russia and England.

2. Secondary education in Russia and England.

3. Examinations in Russia and England.

One of the students is supposed to play the role of an Englishman, who knows very little about schools in Russia. The other will

represent a future teacher of English displaying much interest about pre-school institutions, primary and secondary education in

England. Try and interrupt each other with questions to get some more information. Compare the two systems. Find their merits and

disadvantages. Agree or disagree with your partner's statements if you feel like it (see Appendix). Use the Topical Vocabulary.

10. Read the following dialogue. The expressions in bold type show the ways of INSTRUCTING PEOPLE HOW TO DO THINGS. Note them

down. Be ready to act out the dialogue in class.

Experienced Teacher: Jenny, I'm sorry to have kept you waiting.

What was it you wanted to talk to me about? Beginner: Oh! I just don't know what to do. E. T.: What's the

matter?

B.: Well, you know, it's again the problem of discipline in my class. When the lunch bell rings everything becomes so awful, and the

pupils so noisy. E. T.: Oh, come on! First of all pull yourself together. Try and look on the brighter side. It can't be as bad as that. B.

Oh, honestly it is. The children slam their books shut, shuffle their feet, splash their paint-water and rush toward food and freedom,

I'm at my wits' end. What should I do? E. T.: The first and most important thing I have to tell you is that you should have fixed

rules for your pupils. And by the way, don't forget to rehearse them at the beginning of each school year.

B.: To rehearse the rules at the beginning of the year? But how? E. T.: I really do recommend that you state them calmly and dis-

passionately. When an electric buzzer shrills, your children should sit quietly in their places. While in the classroom they are not at

the beck or call of mechanical noises.

B.: Oh yes, yes certainly.

E. T.: After you've done that you should show them the way the books are closed not slammed in the respectful manner due to

books. B.: Yes, of course.

E. T.: The next thing you do is to get them used to the following commands: "Attention please. The class will rise. The class is

dismissed." Make sure you remember to avoid familiarity. Be careful not to have moods. You should always be a certainty, be

predictable.

B.: I think I understand what you mean. I should be today what

I was yesterday and will be tomorrow. E. T.: Right. And then within limits their behaviour will be also predictable.

11. Learn the clichés, instructing people how to do things:

First of all you ...

The first thing you have to do is ...

After you've done that you ...

The next thing you do is ...

Oh; and by the way, don't forget to ...

Make sure you remember to ...

Oh, and be careful not to ...

12. Use the clichés of Ex. 11 in the following situations:

1. The Home Economics teacher explains to the girls how to make a cup of tea.

The following expressions may be useful:

to fill the kettle, to boil the water, to warm the teapot, to put the tea in the teapot, to fill the pot with boiling water, to stir the tea,

to leave the tea to brew for five minutes.

2. In the course of professional studies a lecturer helps a student teacher to arouse the class' interest in the subject.

The word combinations to be used: "To have informal classes, to express one's willingness to help, to apply oneself

enthusiastically to some subject, to encourage smb. to express his views against the general background of textbook information, to

stimulate smb.'s interest in school work, to use every device, one can think of.

1. An experienced teacher gives a piece of advice to a probation teacher who finds some difficulty in teaching East London

children the English language.

The word combinations to be used: