Учебно-методический комплекс дисциплины сд(М). Ф. 3 «страноведение и лингвострановедение» основная образовательная программа подготовки бакалавра по направлению

English universities can be broadly classified into three types.

1. The ancient Universities of Oxford and Cambridge that until 1828 were virtually the only English universities. They are composed of semi-independent colleges, each of them having its own staff, known as ‘Fellows’. The Fellows teach the students, either one-to-one or in very small groups (called ‘tutorials’ in Oxford and ‘supervisions’ in Cambridge). Before 1970 all Oxbridge colleges were single-sex (mostly, of course, for men). Now, the majority admits students of both sexes. Among other older universities, there should be mentioned four Scottish universities, such as St Andrews (1411), Glasgow (1450), Aberdeen (1494), and Edinburgh (1583). The first of these, the oldest of the four, resembles Oxbridge in many ways, while the other three follow the pattern of more modern universities (the students live at home or find their own accommodation in town). At all of them teaching is organised along the lines of the continental tradition — e.g., there is less specialisation than at Oxbridge.

2. The second group comprises various institutions of higher education, usually with a technical bias, that by 1900 had sprung up in the new industrial towns such as Birmingham, Manchester, Sheffield and Leeds. These became known as ‘civic’, or ‘redbrick’ universities. (Their buildings were made of local material, often brick, in contrast to the stone of the older universities). They catered mostly for local people. Initially, they prepared students for a London University degree, but later they obtained the right to award their own degrees, and so became universities in their own right.

3. The third group consists of new universities founded after the Second World War and later in the 1960s, a decade which saw a considerable expansion in the number of new universities. These were purpose-built institutions located in the countryside but close to towns, such as the universities of East Anglia, Sussex and Warwick. They attracted students from all over the country and provided accommodation for most of them on site (hence their name, ‘campus’ universities). They tend to emphasise relatively ‘new’ academic disciplines, such as social sciences, and make greater use than most other universities of teaching in small groups, often known as ‘seminars’. This group also includes institutions that are often called ‘newer civic’ universities and that were originally technical colleges set up by local authorities in the first half of the 20^th century. Their upgrading to university status took place in two waves: the first wave came in the mid-­1960s, when ten of them were promoted in this way, while another thirty became ‘polytechnics’, in the early 1970s. Polytechnics were originally expected to offer a more practical and vocational education than universities and had close links with local industry and commerce; they attracted many part-time students and provided ‘access’ programmes for those without standard entry qualifications. Polytechnics offered a wide range of arts and science courses, so that a student might study for a degree, certificate or diploma on a full-time or part-time basis, including the so called ‘sandwich’ courses, i.e. studies interrupted by periods out of education. In the early 1990s most of the polytechnics became universities.

In general, the country has moved from rather an elitist system to one which is more open, if not yet a truly mass system of higher education. Higher education in Britain is highly selective; i.e. entrance to British universities is through a strict selection procedure based on an interview. Applications for first degree courses are usually made through the Universities and Colleges Admission Service (UCAS). After the interview, a potential student is offered a place on the basis of their GCE A-level exam results. Some universities, such as Oxford and Cambridge, have an entrance examination before the interview stage.

1. 
   What were the reasons for the introduction of the comprehensive school?
   
2. 
   Why do many parents choose to send their children to fee-paying schools?
   
3. 
   What were the reasons for the introduction of the National Curriculum?
   
4. 
   What types of secondary schools exist now?
   
5. 
   What types of universities are generally distinguished? What are their specific features?
   

1. 
   National character.
   
2. 
   Customs and traditions. Festivals.
   

1. 
   What traditions are associated with the Royal family?
   
2. 
   What other customs and traditions associated with certain groups of people (e.g., parliamentarians) do you know?
   
3. 
   What traditions are associated with specific holidays and dates?