INTORCIA E., PEPICELLI E., English for Me, Aracne, Roma, 2017 1

CHAPTER 2, ATTENDING CLASSES

THE ITALIAN UNIVERSITY SYSTEM (DM 270/2004)

Secondary High School Final Certificate

st 1st Level First -cycle Degree 1 Level Master Degree Specialization 3 years Degree 180 credits 1 year+ 2-3 years 60 credits+ 120-180 credits

Second -cycle Degree

nd 2nd Level 2 years 2 Level 120 credits Specialization Master Degree Degree 1 year+ 1-5 years 60 credits+ DOCTORAL 60-300 credits Degree 3 years

In Italy students need a Secondary High School Certificate to join University. They are free to attend any kind of Degree Course, unless differently stated. There are some exceptions, like Medicine: you need to pass a very difficult entrance test to be admitted. The Italian university system includes first and second-cycle Degree Programmes, together with first and second-level Specialist Master's Programmes, Research Doctorates and Specializing Schools. Students begin their university career with a first-cycle Degree Course (called “Laurea” Degree) which lasts three years with 180 credits and leads to a basic degree. One university credit corresponds to 25 hours of study, including individual study, lectures, seminars, and other formative activities (i.e. stage). Each course included in the study plan is assigned a specific number of credits. Before graduating, students have to produce a short thesis; each student discusses it on her/his graduation day. It is a very formal event: students discuss their thesis in front of a Commission of 11 professors wearing a gown. After getting their first-cycle Degree, undergraduate students can either look for employment or continue their university career with a second-cycle Degree Course (called “Magistrale” Degree), a more specialized qualification that consists of two more years of study with other 120 university credits and requires a much more demanding, final thesis. Students are now graduates (also called post-graduates). This is the so-called 3+2 system. It is also possible to attend a “Single-cycle” Degree course which lasts 5 years with a total of 300 credits (i.e. Degree Course in Law at Unisannio). INTORCIA E., PEPICELLI E., English for Me, Aracne, Roma, 2017 2 Students wishing to deepen specific subjects can enroll in first- or second-level Specialist Master's Programmes, which usually involve one year of full-time study and the completion of 60 university credits. Postgraduate students interested in pursuing doctoral studies may attend a three-year Research Doctorate (PhD programme). They have to work on a specific topic carrying out a research at a very advanced level and usually get a salary.

Answer the questions below after carefully looking at the table. 1. Which title do you need to be admitted to university in Italy? 2. How many types of academic titles can be granted to students? 3. How long does the First-cycle Degree Course last? 4. How many credits do you need to complete it? 5. What options do students have after getting their First-cycle Degree? 6. Describe the features of the Second-cycle Degree Course. 7. Which options do students have after getting their Second-cycle Degree? 8. What can students do if they are interested in the academic career?

USEFUL EXPRESSIONS The … Degree Course lasts (for) … years. To complete it, you need … credits. Students can be granted … After getting their … Degree, students can either … or …

MAKING A SUMMARY Now connect your answers you have in order to make a summary of this topic. You can start like this: In order to be admitted to university in Italy, you need …

SAY IT RIGHT! Here are a few words selected from the passage above. Look up their phonetic script on the dictionary; this will help you pronounce them correctly.

word phonetic script meaning

1 attend 2 career 3 degree 4 last 5 lecture 6 obtain

INTORCIA E., PEPICELLI E., English for Me, Aracne, Roma, 2017 3

THE BRITISH EDUCATION SYSTEM

Further and higher education University

18 GCSE A Level / AS Level 17 compulsory school leaving age

16 GCSE exam Secondary 15 Grammar Comprehensive Modern 14 School School School Secondary 13 School 12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5

4 Nursery School 3

Age

In England and there are state, private and independent schools. The latter are usually selective, with an entrance test. The most traditional ones are boarding schools, called “public schools” because they were originally founded for “the public’s benefit” between the 14th and the 16th centuries. The most famous public schools are Eton, Harrow and Winchester. When they are three and four, children attend nursery school, which is not compulsory, while they have to legally attend primary and secondary education which runs from about 5 years old until they are 18 years old. The National Curriculum, which sets out the essential knowledge that all children should acquire, is divided into five Key stages:

Key stage 1 2 Key Stage 5 Age 5-7 7-11 11-14 14-16 17-18

Core subjects are English, Mathematics, Science, while foundation subjects include Art and Design, Citizenship, Computing, Design and Technology, Languages, Geography, History, Music, Physical Education. INTORCIA E., PEPICELLI E., English for Me, Aracne, Roma, 2017 4

All schools are also required to teach Religious Education (RE) at all key stages, while secondary schools must also provide sex and relationships education. At five UK children begin Elementary or Primary Education which is divided into Infant (from 5 to 7) and Junior (from 8 to 11). At twelve they can choose among: secondary modern, grammar and comprehensive schools. Other secondary high schools include technical and vocational schools. Most students attend comprehensive schools; only a minority attends Modern or Grammar schools. If they want to attend a , they have to pass an entrance test: the eleven plus, that they take while attending the final year at their Primary school. At 16 students sit their exams to obtain the so-called General Certificates of Secondary Education in the subjects they have studied: Chemistry, English, Physics, Maths, History, Geography, Art, Music, Physical Education, European Studies, Religious studies, French, etc. The GCSE is a single-subject examination set and is marked by independent examination boards. Students usually take up to ten (there is no upper or lower limit) GCSE examinations in different subjects. After obtaining a certain number of passes at Secondary High School, they continue their school career attending the so-called Sixth Form. It is a prep school for university studies where students study a few subjects at advanced level and take a higher level of examinations known as A-Levels (A: Advanced) or AS-Levels (AS: Advanced Supplementary). Passes are graded from A (the top) to E (the lowest pass grade); F stands for fail. Now they can attend University. The Sixth form was not compulsory in England and Wales before 2013; however, university entrance normally requires at least three A-level qualifications, and sometimes one AS-level. Students usually select three to four subjects from the GCSEs they have just taken. The marks attained in both sets of exams are converted into UCAS1 points, which must meet the offer made by the student’s chosen university. differs from the system used elsewhere in the UK. Basically, there are two systems: one covering England, Wales, or and one covering Scotland. The two education systems have different emphases. English, Welsh and Northern Irish students tend to sit a small number of more advanced examinations and Scottish students tend to sit a larger number of less advanced examinations.

HIGHER EDUCATION Higher education is provided by universities and other institutions that award academic titles, such as university colleges, and liberal arts colleges. It includes both the teaching and the research activities of universities, and within the realm of teaching, it includes both the undergraduate and the graduate (or postgraduate) levels. Degrees are divided into three levels: 1. Undergraduate: students have to attend courses for three years (six years for medicine, and veterinary science) to obtain the academic title called B.A. (Bachelor of Art) or B.Sc. (Bachelor of Science), with a final exam. 2. Postgraduate is a higher academic title called Master of Art (M.A.) or Master of Science (M.Sc.) after one further year of attendance and study. You have to produce an original paper in the form of a thesis on some subject.

1 UCAS stands for Universities and Colleges Admissions Service. INTORCIA E., PEPICELLI E., English for Me, Aracne, Roma, 2017 5

3. Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.): it is granted to graduate students who carry out research work for at least three years. They are usually paid for that work and can become academics.

Questions

1. How is the British education system structured? 2. How long does compulsory education last? 3. Is nursery school obligatory? 4. What is the difference between “public” and “state-funded” schools? 5. What is the length of each educational stage? 6. What is the “eleven plus”? 7. What are the most popular types of Secondary High Schools? 8. When do the most important assessments occur? 9. What can students do after taking their GCSEs? 10. What is the sixth form? 11. What are students required to do if they decide to attend college or university? 12. Is the Scottish education system the same as the one used elsewhere in the UK? 13. Who provides higher education? 14. How many types of university titles can be granted to students?

Video: Life at a UK university https://elt.oup.com/student/identity/level02/unit01?cc=it&selLanguage=it#tracktitle

1. How many full-time university students are there in the UK? 2. How many A level grades do students need to get a place at university? 3. When do they usually apply? 4. When are exam results published? 5. How long are most degree courses? 6. What is Warwick University like? 7. When were modern campus universities built? 8. Why do students rarely have to leave the campus? 9. What are Wednesday afternoons reserved for at British universities? 10. What about university teaching methods? 11. Which role does online learning has in university studies? 12. What is the Learning grid? 13. Why do many students live in host residences? 14. Why is university seen as a stepping stone into adulthood in the UK? Writing task Write a short paragraph describing your university studies and life at your university. You can use the description of Warwick University provided in the video as a model. INTORCIA E., PEPICELLI E., English for Me, Aracne, Roma, 2017 6

EDUCATION IN THE USA

8 25

7 Ph.D. (Doctorate of Philosophy) 24

6 23

5 M.A./M.Sc. in University 22 graduate Master Degree

4 21

3 B.A. Degree 20 Undergraduate in four-year Associate 2 Junior or 19 Bachelor Degree College Degree 1 Community College 18

S.A.T. (Scholastic Assessment Test)

th 12 Senior 17 secondary 11th Secondary High Combined 16 education High 10th School Junior & 15 School Senior 9th 14 Junior High High 8th 13 School School 7th 12

6th Combined 11

5th Primary 10 primary th & Junior education 4 High Primary Primary 9 rd 3 School education education 8

2nd 7 1st 6

8 + 4 6 + 3 + 3 6 + 6 grade age

5

Kindergarten 4 3

In the USA there are private and public schools. Children aged three, four, and five attend the Kindergarten; at the age of 6 they start Primary education, followed by secondary education and university. There are three main systems, according to the place where you live, or the school you choose to attend: a. the system called 6 plus 3 plus 3: there are six years of primary education, 3 years of junior and 3 years of senior high schools; b. the system called 6 plus 6: there are six years of primary education and six years of combined Junior and Senior high school; c. the system called 8 plus 4, with 8 years of combined primary and junior high school and 4 years of secondary high school. The total number of grades is 12 and not all the schools offer the 12 grades. INTORCIA E., PEPICELLI E., English for Me, Aracne, Roma, 2017 7

During their last year of high school students sit the S.A.T. (Scholastic Assessment Test)2 if they want to attend a college or university. There are private and state colleges and universities. Foreign languages, which used to be taught at high schools only, are now being introduced during the last few years of elementary school in some areas (although in some cities, state schools don’t offer any foreign language teaching). Elementary students are usually given homework; however, the workload is lighter than in many countries. The workload increases with higher grades. Secondary school students must take certain ‘core’ curriculum courses for a prescribed number of years or terms, as determined by each State. These generally include English, Mathematics, General Science, Health, Physical Education and Social Studies or Social Sciences (which may include American History and Government, Geography, World History and Social Problems). In addition to mandatory subjects, students choose ‘electives’ (optional subjects), which supplement their future education and career plans. Electives usually comprise around half of a student’s work in grades 9 to 12. Students concentrate on four subjects each quarter and are seldom pushed beyond their capability or capacity for learning.

COLLEGE AND UNIVERSITY You can attend a Junior or Community College for two years to obtain an Associate degree. If you want, you can continue your studies at a four-year college to obtain a Bachelor of Art Degree (B.A.) or Bachelor of Science Degree (B.Sc.). At this stage you are an undergraduate. After that you can move to the second level degree – now you are a graduate – and obtain a Master of Science (M.Sc.) or a Master of Art (M.A.) at a University; it lasts one year. Then, if you wish to continue your studies, you can attend a course to become a Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.); it lasts three years. In US universities, where students often study a wide range of subjects, students who focus on one subject more than others say they are majoring in that subject. Students attending a high school or a college are called as follows: - a 1st-year student (or attending Grade 9 at a High School) is called freshman; - a 2nd- year student (or attending Grade 10 at a High School) is called sophomore; - a 3rd-year student (or attending Grade 11 at a High School) is called Junior; - a 4th-year student (or attending Grade 12 at a High School) is called Senior.

Questions 1. When does compulsory education start for American students? 2. How is it structured? 3. How long does it last? 4. What is the school leaving age in the USA? 5. What is the S.A.T.? 6. Which possibilities are offered to students who wish to go on studying? 7. What is the “Community College” and which academic title does it award? 8. How are students referred to at university? 9. How many meanings does the word “grade” have when referred to education?

2 The S.A.T. is a standardized test for college admissions in the United States. Since its introduction in 1901, its name and scoring have changed several times. In 2005, the test was renamed as “S.A.T. Reasoning Test” with possible scores from 600 to 2,400 combining test results from three 800-point sections (Maths, critical reading, and writing), along with other subsections scored separately. INTORCIA E., PEPICELLI E., English for Me, Aracne, Roma, 2017 8

SPEAKING PRACTICE

What makes a university “top-ranked”? Check these websites to get info about some first-rate world universities: (top 10 world universities according to the QS World Universities 2020 rankings) http://web.mit.edu/ MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology) http://www.stanford.edu/ Stanford University http://www.harvard.edu/ Harvard University http://www.ox.ac.uk/ University of Oxford http://www.caltech.edu/ California Institute of Technology (Caltech) http://m.ethz.ch/ ETH Zurich – Swiss Federal Institute of Technology http://www.cam.ac.uk/ University of Cambridge https://www.ucl.ac.uk/ University College London http://www3.imperial.ac.uk/ Imperial College London http://www.uchicago.edu/ University of Chicago

Choose a university in an English-speaking country, then prepare a brief report to be presented to the class. You could prepare a fact sheet like this: (i.e. Harvard) University at a glance: - Established: - Coat of arms: (if any) - Motto/Logo: - Location: - Faculties: - Students: - Naming: - Other: (i.e. facilities)

Complete this mind map about the Italian university system, then prepare a short report talking about each topic. You might also refer to your own university.

social life

entrance coursework requirements The Italian university system

fees types and length of courses exams

INTORCIA E., PEPICELLI E., English for Me, Aracne, Roma, 2017 9

VOCABULARY BUILDING

UNIVERSITY STUDIES

Collocations to ask for explanation to attend classes/lectures to be good at doing sth to be granted a scholarship to be interested in to carry out a research to pay attention to be punctual for classes to do a research into … to earn/receive/be awarded/get/have/hold a Bachelor’s/ Master’s Degree/a PhD in … to enroll at a university to finish/complete studies/thesis to graduate to hand in an assignment/a paper to leave/graduate from university to make progress to pass/fail a test/an exam to practise doing sth to revise/study for an exam to study abroad to take notes to take/do/sit an exam/a test to volunteer to do sth to write/work on a thesis/dissertation on …

Phrases academic transcript matriculation number once a week cum laude mock exam placement test every day on Monday(s) the last but one every other day on my own three times a week graduation day on/in time twice a week in charge (with) on the first floor with distinction/honours

Classroom language Sorry for being late! What’s the English for …? You’re welcome! Could you say that again, please? Can I ask a question? Can you repeat, please? Shall we study this article for next lesson/lecture? INTORCIA E., PEPICELLI E., English for Me, Aracne, Roma, 2017 10

Nouns assistant exam lecture-room research atmosphere fees lecturer scholarship campus floor level senior canteen (exam) form mark sophomore commuter freshman master subject credit grade mentor thesis dean graduation professor timetable degree hall rector training department junior registration tutoring dormitory (dorm) lecture relationship university

Verbs accept copy graduate pass add debate grant pay answer discuss inform read apologize disturb join register ask enroll listen (to) revise assess evaluate locate sit attend examine meet speak cheat explain need take commute fail participate (in) write

Adjectives absent-minded convincing extensive modern acceptable costly extrovert punctual active cute friendly relaxed annoying demanding involved relaxing beneficial intelligent involving reserved bored/boring distinguished large resilient bright educated motivated serious brilliant efficient motivating smart cheap experienced professional strict