Education General vocabulary

preschoolers

first-grader

fresher (freshman)

sophomore

junior

senior

undergraduate

graduate student

graduate school

postgraduate student

auditor

fee-paying student

cheat

to cram

swot

crib (trot)

truant

to play hooky

extracurricular activities

to perform well

to outperform

plagiarism

report card

sick note

to underachieve/excel in a subject

to choose a major

double major

minor

college campus

compulsory courses

optional courses

dormitory (dorm)

to put oneself through college/university

research assistantship

scholarship

a GCSE (General Certificate of Secondary Education)

to ace an exam

an A level (Advanced Level Examination)

to defend the thesis/dissertation (senior thesis)

honor student

mid-term (term) paper

credit/pass

pop quiz

to fail/flunk an exam

transcript

academic degree

admission requirements

Bachelor’s degree (BA, BS)

Master’s degree (MA, MP, MS)

to be admitted to/ accepted b

to matriculate

to be expelled from/ flunked out of

to be registered for/ enrolled in a course

coeducation

to charge fees for tuition (tuition fee)

fee-paying education

educational institution

higher education institution/ college/ university

liberal arts

to take correspondence courses

to take evening courses

junior college

vocational school

boarding school

public school

magnet school

Texts for written translation Text 1 The Bologna process

Russia has officially joined the process of creating a single European higher education space. In other words by 2010 the diplomas of Russian universities will be recognized in Europe, education will be assessed in accordance with the European scale and Russia will have more opportunities to make money on teaching foreign students.

The goal is to create by 2010 a single European space for higher education, envisaging mutual recognition of university diplomas and other general standards in higher education. 40 countries participate in the creation of a single education space in Europe. They all include almost all the Western-European space, Turkey, Cyprus and Malta. Among the former Soviet republics Russia and all the Baltic states joined the process. “By signing the declaration to join the Bologna process, Russia has made another step forward in its integration into Europe. The participation of the country in the Bologna process meets the interests of Russian students, teachers and universities”, stressed Shishlov.

According to the terms of the Bologna club, the participating states undertake to reform their higher education systems by 2010 in compliance with a single standard.

They have to introduce two stages of education in universities – Baccalaureate and Magistrate, control the quality and certification of higher education in accordance with a single scheme, develop educational programmes compatible with the programs of other European universities – members of the club, as well as the single assessment of the academic merits of students. Due to the reforms the citizens of the member-states of the Bologna process will have a chance to study in work in other European countries where their diplomas are recognized.

An expansion of opportunities is envisaged not only for active students but also for those who would like to take a post-graduate or distance-learning education course.

As a fully-fledged participant of the process, Russia has to bring its legal basis in education into line with the demands of the reform. In some spheres Russian legislation is even ahead of the laws of other countries, for example it already envisages a two-stage education system, whereas a third of participants in the Bologna process have yet to impose this system. Modernisation of the Russian higher education system, including the introduction of a single state examination, is in line with the Bologna process. With the help of a single space for higher education, Russia wants to raise the quality and accessibility of education and become a competitor to the US that has ranked number one on the higher education market. According to experts, the value of this market amounts to dozens of millions of US dollars, therefore it stands to reason that Russia should try to win market share.

It is also envisaged that if Russian universities issue European standard diplomas, a new revenue item will emerge in the Russian budget – revenues from granting paid educational services to foreigners. At the same time it is clear that an increase in the level of higher education will necessitate considerable funding, to say nothing of organizational expenses.