Read and translate the following international words. Look up their transcriptions in the dictionary if necessary. Mind the part of speech.
Real adj, motivation n, complex adj, specific adj, effective adj, plan n v, revise v, identify v, chance n, initial adj, calendar n, critical adj, management n, risk n, industrial adj, partner n, archive n, alternative adj, dramatically adv, realistic adj, detail n, finish v, modify v, situation n, reduce v, discuss v.
Read and translate the following word combinations which come from the texts of the Unit. Mind the use of nouns as attributes in preposition. Look up your dictionary if necessary.
A research degree, a postgraduate research project, research opportunities, project management software, a contingency plan, archive data, a data source, a research area, a work breakdown structure, a research method.
15. Form the nouns (a, b) and adverbs (c) with the help of the following suffixes. Read and translate them into Russian.
a) -ance/-ence: appear, guide, resist, depend, comply, accept, admit, appear, assist, assure, attend, maintain, observe, perform, correspond, exist, prefer; elegant, convenient, important, significant;
b) -ure: fail, sculpt, close, compose, depart, enclose, expose, mix, please, precede, portrait, seize;
c) -ly: brief, public, approximate, general, final, typical, considerable, additional, international, smooth, high, careful, simple, simultaneous, possible, actual, entire, regular, typical, frequent, clear.
Section 3. GRAMMAR PRACTICE
Read and translate the following sentences into Russian paying attention to the predicates used in the Simple, Continuous, Perfect and Perfect Continuous forms (the Active Voice).
1. In recent years, new models of PhD have emerged, offering a larger taught element or combining advanced research with wider skills training to prepare students for a broad range of careers. 2. He had reported the results of the research in his thesis by the end of the period of study. 3. Typically, study for a doctoral degree will require the equivalent of at least three years full-time study. 4. The British Council’s report attempted to quantify how demand for UK higher education from international students may change. 5. They were conducting an interesting experiment in the lab from 9 o’clock till 12 o’clock yesterday. 6. The international student market is increasingly competitive: more European countries are delivering courses in English and some do not charge fees. 7. They have been working out a new production plan for two weeks. 8. Masters courses vary enormously in terms of their function and intended outcomes. 9. He has known the chief engineer for three years. 10. The UK’s pedagogic approach tends to place greater emphasis on developing students’ independent research skills than imparting knowledge from the front of a classroom. 11. The survey finds that although doctoral student numbers have grown overall by 9 per cent during this period, the number of UK domiciled students has grown by only 3 per cent and in fact declined slightly in the last couple of years.
17. Write the following sentences in the negative form. Then change them to general, alternative, special (beginning with the questionwords given in brackets) and tag questions.
1. He published three articles last year. (When? What? How many? Who?) 2. My colleagues are undertaking the research now. (What? When? Who? Whose?) 3. He has known him for a long time. (Who? How Long?) 4. My classes usually begin at 10 o’clock in the morning. (When? What time? What?) 5. The chief engineer will be visiting the construction site in the suburbs of the town from 2 o’clock till 4 o’clock tomorrow. (Where? When? What time? Who?) 6. He had spent several years investigating this area before 1 joined his team. (What? When? Who?) 7. The designer was using a computer in the office at 3 o’clock yesterday. (Where? What? When? What time? Who?) 8. My fellow students will work in this project area next month. (When? What? Who? Whose?)
18. Fill the gaps with the correct form of the verb. Translate the sentences into Russian.
1. Dr. Smith___________ (supervise) and_____________ (support)
the proposed PhD project now. 2. He(discuss) his project with his supervisor in more detail. 3. I am sure she
(apply) for funding her project next week. 4. He(agree) a topic for his PhD project before he made his application. 5. My research supervisor is busy now. He(interview) some prospective students. 6. My fellow student(send) his Director of Studies a research proposal outlining the programme of work to be undertaken last month. 7. The Psychological Society (produce) a useful guide on postgraduate research in psychology by the end of next month. 8. He(explore) that issue in real depth at that time. 9. Many construction projects usually_________ (suffer) from financial problems. 10. When Mr.
White retires next year, he(work) for this company for 25 years. 11. John (undertake) his research degree for two
years when I also decided to take a postgraduate course. 12. She (present) his work to researchers at this time tomorrow.
19. Most of these sentences contain one mistake. Correct each one or, if there is no mistake, write right.
1. What did you after you completed your postgraduate course? 2. After 1 identified what I wanted to achieve 1 needed to start the process of turning these objectives into a plan. 3. This problem stops me from achieving the objective now. 4. If you didn’t have the qualification, it is harder to get a job. 5. You will make some great professional and personal contacts by the end of your postgraduate studies. 6. I did my postgraduate studies at that time last year. 7. He completes the online registration form for 20 minutes. 8. Your research degree has an impact on you and those around you in future. 9. Research projects rarely run smoothly. 10. She didn’t achieve this objective yet. 11. He is exploring the effect on demand for UK higher education from international students at present. 12. Over the past twenty years there was a substantial growth in doctorates.
20. Read and translate the following sentences with used to (раньше, прежде, когда-то, в прошлом).
1. Не used to be an engineer. 2. Building operations used to stop in very bad winter conditions. 3. I used to have a car, but I sold it. 4. The factory used to be in the city centre. 5. He used to work as a construction worker before he started his own business. 6. Did he use to live in that town when he was a child? 7. I didn’t use to drive to work.
21. Translate the following sentences into English using the correct tenses.
1. Ученые степени появились в СССР в 1934 году. 2. Он никогда не работал над этой проблемой, поэтому он ничего не может сказать о ее значении. 3. Сейчас мы анализируем имеющиеся в распоряжении данные. 4. Магистранты и аспиранты обычно получают небольшую стипендию 5. Он завершит работу над диссертацией к концу следующего года. 6. Она пишет диссертацию уже два года. 7. Аспиранты обсуждали первую презентацию, когда я вошел в аудиторию. 8. После того как мы проверили полученные результаты, мы опубликовали их в этой статье. 9. Мой научный руководитель уезжает в Лондон для участия в конференции сегодня вечером. 10. Он уже доложил о результатах своего исследования.
Section 4. READING FOR MAIN IDEAS
Skim Text 2B “Basic Objectives and Misconceptions of Postgraduate Research Work” and try to understand what it is about. Give a brief overview of its structure and contents.
Text 2B. BASIC OBJECTIVES AND MISCONCEPTIONS
OF POSTGRADUATE RESEARCH WORK
A good starting point in understanding the difference between the objectives of postgraduate research work and the misconceptions is to consider the parable of the two workmen, laying bricks on a construction site. In the parable, in response to a question regarding their roles, one workman replies that he is “laying bricks”, while the other replies that he is “building a cathedral”.
In response to a question regarding their roles in a postgraduate research programme, many students will provide the analogous answer that relates to how they are laying bricks rather than how they are building the proverbial cathedral. The key point here is to recognise that, just as bricklaying has a higher sense of purpose than laying bricks, so too does postgraduate research have a higher sense of purpose than just undertaking a research project. Ironically, few research students recognise the higher sense of purpose that is being sought through their research until long after the programme has been completed.
In failing to recognise the higher sense of purpose for which a postgraduate research programme is intended, many research students needlessly expend weeks or months on activities that do not contribute to their learning process or to a positive outcome within the assessment process. Worse still, many students inadequately address (or fail to address) the key issues needed to demonstrate an understanding of the research process.
The first issue that needs to be examined is the “research cathedral” that is being constructed during a postgraduate research programme. In this text, the following motivational factor is put forward for postgraduate research:
(i) An individual should seek to undertake a Master’s or Doctoral research programme for the purposes of becoming a person who has a solid understanding of the mechanisms associated with the systematic and rigorous process of discovery and independent review.
On the other hand, in practice, the dynamism that many students invoke to undertake such programmes begins with a range of different motivators, including:
(ii) “A higher degree will be good for my career and/or I will get paid more if I have a higher degree”.
(iii) “I will be able to work in a project area which I find particularly interesting.”
(iv) “I will have the freedom to spend several years investigating an area that I find of interest”.
Ironically, the typical motivating factors (ii) — (iv) that students have for undertaking a programme are not necessarily the ones which will enable them to either succeed in their desired outcomes or to “build the research cathedral”. Further, the motivators listed in (iii) and (iv), which appear to be most altruistic in intention, can often lead to serious problems during the course of a research programme.
In order to understand why this should be the case, one needs to consider some basic tenets that are, herein, adopted for postgraduate research. These are that:
- A postgraduate research programme is a means by which a student can learn how to undertake research in a systematic and unbiased manner.
— The research project and the research field are the basis of a task which is set in order for the student to acquire research skills and to demonstrate these to independent assessors.
— A successful outcome in a research programme is one in which the research student has acquired the basic skills of research and has recognised how these can be more generically applied to other areas or, at a higher level, within the chosen field.
If one examines the tenets and looks at typical motivators (iii) and (iv), one can begin to see why these cause problems.
Firstly, students that are motivated by interest in a project or a field of research can sometimes have more passion for the field than for the rigours of research — hence, they focus on conducting an interesting project rather than acquiring research skills.
Secondly, interest can introduce bias into the conduct of a research programme, and when supervisors or peer reviewers attempt to correct the bias, conflicts can arise.
Thirdly, those who solely use interest as a motivator, generally discover that, once a postgraduate research programme commences, the basic elements are composed of many activities that are peripheral to the conduct of the project and may be of no interest. Typically, these include core activities that are central to learning the research process — for example: literature reviews, statistical analysis, experimental design, thesis writing.
Conflicts often arise when students ascribe primary importance to the project and secondary importance to the acquisition, demonstration and mastery of research skills.
Motivator (iv) is also of concern in terms of postgraduate research because it tends to encompass words such as freedom, which are then combined with words such as interest. The implication is that a student, in a postgraduate research programme, will be free to explore any areas provided that they are interesting. The reality, however, is that in learning about the systematic process of discovery, one needs to severely restrict the pathways that are explored so that each pathway is thoroughly and carefully investigated. In other words, the interpretation that research students have of terms such as freedom and interest may be somewhat different to the realities of the research process.
Returning to the bricklaying analogy, one could say that the research cathedral, which is the ultimate objective of postgraduate research, is the ability to undertake research in a systematic manner. The research project is akin to the bricks that need to be laid to build the cathedral. Conflicts and confusion arise when students have a greater interest in laying bricks than they do in building the cathedral [Toncich, 2006: 32 — 35].
23. Identify the topic of each paragraph of Text 2B.
24. Answer the following questions.
a) What are the objectives of postgraduate research work compared to?
b) What is the purpose of doing postgraduate research?
c) How is the “research cathedral” constructed?
d) What are the typical motivating factors for undertaking postgraduate research programme characterized by?
e) Will all the motivating factors mentioned in the text enable postgraduates to succeed in research outcomes?
f) What is a postgraduate research programme characteristic of?
g) Why can the motivating factors cause problems?
h) Is a postgraduate student free to explore any areas provided by the research programme?
i) Why is it important to do research in a systematic manner?
Section 5. SPEAKING
25. Igor Petrov tells us about his postgraduate course. Complete the text with the words or phrases from the box.
| a) complete | g) degrees | m) major |
| b) opportunity | h) take | n) entrance |
| c) in order to | i) postgraduate | o) theme |
| d) related | jjdata | p) conducting |
| e) enable | k) supervisor | q) course |
| f) access | 1) attend | r) facilities |
TAKING A POST-GRADUATE COURSE
The hierarchy of advanced postgraduate (1)in Russia traditionally includes doctor’s degrees of two levels: the Candidate of Sciences {kandidat nauk), which is equivalent to a PhD degree according to the International Standard Classification of Education, and the Doctor of Sciences (doktor панк).
I am taking a PhD degree (2)______________ at the Technological
University. My admission to the entrance examinations was determined on the basis of the research statement presented by me and the results of the preliminary discussions of my thesis theme with my research (3). 1 had to take competitive (4) examinations in the subject of my specialisation, that is in Civil Engineering, English, and philosophy (5)be accepted to this course. I passed them successfully. So now I am a first-year full-time (6) student of the Department of
Civil Engineering. The PhD degree course will require at least three years of study.
The postgraduate programme I am taking combines individual depth of experience and competence in my chosen (7) with a strong background in the basic and engineering sciences. This course will (8) me to carry out independent research and
educational work and develop my professional independence, creativity, leadership as well as the capacity for continuing professional and intellectual growth.
In the first year of my postgraduate studies I (9)______________ the
courses in preparation for three qualifying (Candidate) examinations in my specialty field, history and philosophy of science, and English. I am sure that the knowledge of English will help me in my research. I also (10)some lectures and seminars in information technologies, mathematical simulation, psychology, and some other subjects. I also have the (11)to hear talks by industrial researchers. The university has excellent library (12)___________________________
with strong collections in civil engineering, mathematics, and science. PhD students are provided with (13)to the university computer facilities and office space.
My research deals with new methods of construction. The (14) of the thesis is “Ecologically Friendly Construction and Design”. I was interested in this problem when a Master’s degree student. So by now I had collected some valuable (15)
for my thesis. I work in close contact with my scientific supervisor
Professor Smirnov. If I have any problems (16)to my research, I always consult him.
At present I am engaged in collecting some more data and (17) experiments. Some results of my research have already been published in two papers in scientific journals. I hope my research will be a success. I think I will manage to complete my doctoral thesis on time and (18) ______________________ a PhD degree in Civil
Engineering.
26. Using the information given in the above text, fill in the missing answers of the dialogue. Then practise it.
A.: What postdegree course are you taking now?
B.:.
A.: Why did you decide to take it?
B.:.
A.: What is your field of specialisation?
B.:.
A.: What did you have to do to be admitted to the entrance examinations?
B.:.
A.: What entrance examinations did you take?
B.:.
A.: What courses do you take to prepare for the qualifying (Candidate) examinations?
B.:.
A.: What classes and lectures do you attend?
B.:.
A.: What are the library facilities at your university?
B.:.
A.: What is the theme of your PhD thesis?
B.:.
A.: Is your current research connected with your Master’s thesis?
B.:.
A.: Have you begun working at your PhD thesis yet?
B.:.
A.: Have you conducted any experiments?
B.:_________________________________.
A.: Who is your research supervisor?
B.:.
A.: How often do you consult your research supervisor?
B.:.
A.: Have you published any papers?
B.:.
A.: Will you manage to complete your doctoral thesis on time?
B.:.
A.: