2014-5-12

14th period of Oral English

• guided by Stefanie Denise Kinnamon
• Date: May 12, 2014
• Present：Joan, Edward & Kim
• Manuscript by Kim

Review & Warmup

Topic Today: Education

Keywords & Vocabularies

Levels

daycare 日托
preschool 学前班
kindergarten 幼儿园
elementary school 小学
middle school 中学
high school 高中
post-grad studies 本科生

Assessment 评价，评估，考试

Standardized Tests
Oral Presentations
Written assignments
Comprehensive exams
Mid-semester / final exams
grade system
feedback system
Portfolio Set of representative items
Skill-based assessment 基于技能的评价

Teacher Responsibilities

Lesson planning
Classroom discipline
Leading discussions
Assessment
encouragement / motivation

College Life

Single sex / co-ed dormitories
Fraternities / sororities / Greek Life
Campus jobs
Underage drinking
exposure to new cultures / religions / political & philosophical views
Broaden your horizons
Self-governance
Adapting to a new lifestyle
Keep in touch with family
Rules & regulations
security
dating & love life
health issues
mental health issues
Depression / stress / social anxiety
Sexual experimentation
student loans

Issues in Education

1. Teaching is not a very well-paid profession in the U.S. There have been many teacher strike all over the country because educators demand higher pay, better benefits, and lighter workloads. How are teachers treated in China? How will society suffer if teaching continues to be a bottom priority?
2. Standardized tests are meant to indicate how an individual can perform certain intellectual tasks. They are supposed to be accessible to people of all socio-economic and cultural groups. Do you believe that standardized tests perform their function? If not, what kind of assessment would be better?
3. An increasing number of parents are choosing to enroll their children in immersion schools where they can be exposed to a foreign language all day at school. Is this too traumatizing for young students? Should immersion schools become the norm instead of the exception?
4. A university education in the U.S. is extremely expensive. Most young people are drowning in debt because of the cost of their college degree. What's worse is that the diploma they invested so much time and money into isn't even a guarantee that they will get a good job. Are there any alternatives to the current system? Should alternative forms of education like apprenticeships be valued as highly as degrees?

Useful Vocabulary

Enroll in / drop a class
Pay tuition / fee / fines
due date / deadline
pull an all-nighter
Participate in a varsity sports
Work-study program
study abroad
choose a major / minor
Core requirements
Elective course 选修课
coasting
Associates / Bachelor's / Master's / Ph.D Doctorate
Push / move / change a deadline
procrastinate

Video and Discussion

• Video
• discussion