EDUCATION AND CULTURE IN THE UNITED STATES

EDUCATION AND CULTURE IN THE UNITED STATES

Plan to the lecture 1. The Main Concepts of American Education 2. Education System in the United States 3. American Higher Education 4. Problems Facing American Education 5. US social customs and habits 6. Culture in USA 7. Festivals and Traditions in the US COMMENTARY 1. engineering – a scientific discipline of study, leading to a professional designation applicable to that industry. Areas of engineering would be: electronic, mechanical, electrical, biomedical, architectural, etc. 2. a tuition fee – a cost associated with enrolment in a college, university or institution of higher education. A fee for services provided by professors, teachers, and for laboratories, libraries and living quarters, etc. 3. a scholarship – a grant or subsidy given to a particular student showing high academic skills and potential but without adequate financial resources to enroll in a specific university. 4. the Doctor of Philosophy Degree (Ph. D) – a degree bestowed upon a given individual who has successfully completed advanced studies (post graduate) in a school of higher education. The JD degree (Juris Doctor) is the equivalent of the Ph. D in the field of law.

1. The main concepts of American education The underlying principle of the American system of education is to educate people in such a way that everyone has the opportunity to develop to his/her greatest potential. Another major purpose of education in America is to lay the ground work for achieving success in life. In the USA there is no single public education system, each state is entitled to determine independently the structure.

The very structure of education itself, which contains both public and private schools. There also private colleges and universities. All university students must pay tuition fees. Unlike the European system of higher education, individual colleges and universities in the US do not have their own entrance examinations.

2. Stages of Education System in the United States age groups 3 years old 4 years old 5 years old 6 years old 7 years old 8 years old to 11 years old stages of education nursery school kindergarten 1 st grade primary school elementary school 12 years old to 14 middle school or junior high school 15 to 17 years old high school 18 years old to 21 1 st year – freshman years old 2 nd year – sophomore 3 d year – junior 4 th year – senior 2 years 3 to 6 years 3 to 5 years Master's program Professional school (law, medicine) Doctoral program (after M. A. program) PRE-SCHOOL EDUCATION ELEMENTARY EDUCATION SECONDARY EDUCATION COLLEGE OR UNIVERSITY UNDERGRADUATE EDUCATION (bachelor's degree) GRADUATE OR PROFESSIONAL EDUCATION

MIDDLE DIVISION PROGRESS CHECK LIST GRADES 3 -3 NAME _________ TEACHER________ GRADE _________ TERM__________ Strong Progress Language Arts Reading with fluency and expression V Comprehension – literal V – inferential V Vocabulary V Phonics (word attack skills) V Spelling V Written expression V Sentence mechanics V Oral expression V Handwriting V Listening V Satis- factory Progress Impro- vement Needed Quality of Effort 1, 2, 3

3. American Universities and Colleges TO graduate from a university requires a student to complete requirements of the university, to achieve the minimum allowable grade in the required courses, and to spend the minimum time required at the university (or employment). There is wide variation in the requirements depending on which university you look at. In general, universities and colleges require students to fulfill a set of general requirements applicable to all students at the school, as well as fulfilling the specific requirements for their major field of study.

The system of credits At Haverford college (for example) they require 32 credits for graduation, 1 credit being awarded for each course taken and passed per semester. So, 4 credits per semester and 2 semesters per year equals 8 credits per year. Four years of college education multiplied by 8 credits per year equals 32 credits, or the amount needed to graduate. However, the Linguistics Department requires 10 credits of linguistics courses in order to be eligible for the Bachelor of arts degree in Linguistics. As a result, it is necessary to fulfill both requirements before being allowed to graduate, i. e. pass 32 credit of courses, 10 of which must be in the Linguistic Department.

4. Problems Facing American Education Many students simply do not study enough. Two-thirds of high school seniors do an hour or less of home-work per night. American teenagers are often distracted by part-time jobs, sports, and other school activities, TV, and socializing. Some cannot cope with emotional problems, use of illegal drugs, or simply lack motivation. The pressing problem is how to challenge the person of above-average academic ability while taking care of the average student. The problem of racial imbalance in schools exists in all parts of the United States, not just in the South. Ф. Рузвельт Дж. Кеннеди

TRADITIONS AND CUSTOMS OF THE UNITED STATES The most multicultural nation in the world, the USA identity is influenced by almost every other culture. Asian, European, African American, and South American cultures are evident in many of the country's cultural elements. the United States has a culture rich with its own peculiarities and eccentricities, both good and bad.

US social customs and habits Positivity Greetings Social interaction in business Language Religion American style American food

6. Culture in USA Art The first school of painting in the USA was the Hudson River School

Architecture The architecture is defined by different styles

Literature Just like America's art, the country's literature depicts the lives of Americans living in the heart of the country.

Sports The United States is a sportsminded country, with millions of fans who follow football, baseball, basketball and hockey, among other sports. Baseball, which was developed in colonial America and became an organized sport in the mid-1800 s, is known as America’s favorite pastime

Holidays in the USA Date Holiday Notes The first of January New Year’s Day The first Monday of January Martin Luther King, Jr. Day February 14 th Valentine’s Day The first Monday of February Presidents' Day 4 th of July Independence Day Washington’s birthday The second Monday of October Columbus Day October 31 st The fourth November Halloween Thursday December 24 th and 25 th in Thanksgiving Day Christmas Eve/Day