Discuss the following questions.

1. Was the competition for admission to your University very intense? 2. How many universities and colleges are there in the city where you live? What are they? 3. Why did you choose to enter the Linguistic University? 4. When was your university established? How many faculties are there in the University? What are they? 5. Now that you have been a student for a few months have you got used to the new methods of teaching and learning? How different are they from what you were used to at school? 6. What subjects do you study at the University? What subjects are your favourite ones? 7. What qualification is awarded to a student of your faculty after he finishes a course? 8. What optional courses are available at your faculty? 9. Are there any overseas students at the University? What courses do they take? 

3. Use the key-phrases below to make a description of someone who is a) ‘a good student’ b) ‘a poor student’. 

 

a) to be at one's best at the examination; to be a self-motivated hard-working learner; to devote time and thought to getting (acquiring) knowledge; to discipline oneself; to do one's utmost; to get systematic training; to have a fair prospect of; not to have time to lose; to keep everything in memory; to read widely; to seek more and more knowledge; to show a lively interest in learning a subject.

 

b) to attend lessons reluctantly; to be disappointed at one's hopes; to be slow to learn; to be at odds with teachers; not to be attentive; to bring up the rear (плестись в хвосте); to cram on a subject (наспех заучивать); to cut classes (прогуливать занятия); to day–dream most of the time; to do very badly at the exam; to drop out of the university; to find no stimulation in one’s studies; to have a poor memory; to leave everything to chance; to spread oneself too thin (разбрасываться, распыляться); to work halfheartedly (работать с прохладцей);

 

 

Look at the following list of language skills and decide which of them are your strongest areas (the areas where you feel most confident). Say why you think so.

 

    1. fluent speech; 2. grammar; 3. intonation and stress; 4. listening; 5. pronunciation; 6. reading; 7. speaking; 8. spelling; understanding; 10. vocabulary; 11. writing. 

 

 

Complete the following sentences according to the model.

Model: If you want to do well at your exam ….

If you want to do well at your exam you should discipline yourself. You should read widely and try to keepeverything in your memory.

 

1. If you want to be good at memorizing foreign words you …. 2. If you want to feel easy while using a foreign language you …. 3. If you don’t understand the idea of the text you …. 4. If you want to get rid of your spelling mistakes you… 5. If you want to improve your memory you … 6. If you don’t understand your teacher’s explanation you … 7. If you want to learn fluent English you … 8. If you have much difficulty in speaking and understanding you … 9. If you have a delayed reaction you …. 10. If you learn the language for a special purpose you …. 11. If you want to exercise yourself in English composition you …. 12. If you want to train your ear you … . 13. If you want to do your own research you …. 14. If you want to exercise yourself in clear thinking you … 15. If you don’t want to repeat the year you ….

Work with a partner. Make up a conversation using the cue cards below.

CUE CARD 1 A NEWCOMER  You have just arrived at a new university. Ask your group-mates about 1) the time-table 2) the number of exams they are going to take this term 3) the library and reading-rooms 4) sports facilities.

CUE CARD 2 UNIVERSITY CLUBS AND ASSOCIATIONS You have just arrived at a new university. It is orientation week and you want to know about different clubs and associations you can join. Your partner is a Student Union representative. Ask him / her about: 1) types of clubs and associations 2) meeting times 3) types of activities

CUE CARD 3 You have to give in a piece of work to your teacher. You need two more weeks to prepare it because you had difficulty obtaining the reference books. Your partner is your teacher. Find out if you can have an extension. Ask your partner about: 5) possibility of having more time 6) different sources for information 7) rules regarding late work

Role-play the following situations.

1. You think you study all day long, but each time the most important thing is not done, and it ends in bad luck and bad mood for you. Your friends help you find out what is wrong.

 

2. You are to choose a number of optional courses. Your fellow-students advise you on the most popular ones.

 

3. You’ve failed in your English exam. Your strict parent is demanding an explanation from you.

 

4. One of you is phoning the other for a chat. Ask and answer about the exam both of you are having one of these days.

 

5. Your fellow-student and you are discussing the time-table for the next week.

PART 2

CLAIMS OF POLICY

CLAIMS OF POLICY argue that certain conditions should exist. They advocate adoption of policies or courses of action (зд. линия поведения) because problems have arisen that call for solution.

 Almost always should or ought to or must is expressed in the claim. These are a few examples:

 

CLAIM OF POLICY: Improving the basic school system

should be oneof the nation’s top priorities.

 

CLAIM OF POLICY: A dress code should be introduced for all colleges and universities.

 

CLAIM OF POLICY: University teachers should be replaced by computers.

 

CLAIM OF POLICY: The system of standard marks should be abolished.

 

SUPPORT

In defending such claims you must first convince someone that a problem exists. This will require a factual claim (or you may also find it necessary to use a claim of value). Then you will be ready to introduce your policy, to persuade someone that the solution you propose will work out the problem.

 

REASSURING PEOPLE

Very often while asserting that something should or should not be done people use persuasion to influence the attitudes or the course of actions of the listener. This is how they start doing that:

 

Reassuring

Don’t you think that...?

Wouldn’t you say / agree that...

Look at it this / another way...

I can assure you that...

You can /could say /agree / argue that…

You can be quite sure that...