Ex. 8. Play out the same material in a form of a dialogue. Student A is defending his MA thesis in a day, and student B has already gone through it

A: I am defending my MA thesis in a day and I need a good piece of advice from someone who has already gone through it, especially on Q&A session. I am rather nervous about it.

B: I defended two months ago. If your committee is like mine, they will try to ask you questions………………………..

A: What can I do if they ask me something I don’t know?

B: Yeah, it might be a problem. The biggest thing for me was how unprepared I felt for questions that I didn’t know the answers to. The best lesson I’ve learned from my master’s defense ………

A: Is it a good idea to say openly “I don’t know”?

B: The best advice I can give…………………….

A: Is there anything else you can suggest?

B: Don’t panic and don’t worry too much about it! It’s the only chance…………………

A: Thanks and wish me a good luck!

B: I’m sure you’ll pass! Don’t forget to bring a camera and take some pictures. It’ll be nice in 20 years to look back at them.

 

SKILLS

Prepare a short presentation of five to seven minutes about your dissertation. The plan and the dissertation abstract [63] below may come in handy.

• theme of your dissertation

· reasons for such a research (its importance/ relevance to the field, applicability)

· scope and objective of your research

· methodology

· problems you are going to cover

· general structure of your dissertation

· what you have already done

· when you are planning to present your dissertation

 

UNIT 12.

Employment Problems

STARTING UP

Ex. 1. Look at these sayings. What do they mean? Which of the ideas do you agree with?

• Fools make researches and wise men exploit them.

H.G. Wells (1866 – 1946), English author

• You are educated. Your certification is in your degree. You may think of it as the ticket to the good life. Let me ask you to think of an alternative. Think of it as your ticket to change the world.

Tom Brokaw (b.1940), American journalist

• I'm not impressed by someone's degree... I'm impressed by them making movies.

Richard King, American Director

Ex. 2. Discuss the questions.

1. What are the advantages of a university degree? Is it easier to find a good job if you have a Master’s or a Ph.D. degree?

2. Is the number of research and teacher’s jobs sufficient for all M.A. graduates?

3. Why do so many young people enter graduate programs (M.A. and Ph.D.) if the job market can’t absorb the every newly trained? Should they be provided with the job outcome data before entering a M.A. program?

 

Ex. 3. Discuss the problem [64] with your partner. Compare your ideas with the rest of the class. Be statesmanlike.

Investing more in research and development is a good growth strategy for any country. It can be good for Russia too as, since the breakup of the Soviet Union, it has been loosing its competitive position in the world. On the other hand, there is a certain imbalance on the job market as the country produces more graduates that the market can absorb. Why is this, and what can we do about it?

VOCABULARY

IDIOMS

Ex. 1. Idioms are a common stumbling block for learners of a language. Can you agree? What is a stumbling block? Read the definition of the idiom [65] and translate the sentences into Russian.

stumbling block Fig. something that prevents or obstructs progress.   First introduced in 1526 to translate the Greek word “skandalon” with the meaning of spiritual ruin in the New Testament: "Then let us no more pass judgment on one another, but rather decide never to put a stumbling block or hindrance in the way of a brother." (Romans 14:13)

1. Jim's over sixty. His age is a stumbling block to getting another job.

2. Money is a major stumbling block to realizing a project of this size.

3. Poor English can be a serious stumbling block for Russian students to pursue their studies abroad.

4. His lack of a degree is a real stumbling block to his advancement.