英语国家概况论文 黄爱灵

湖南涉外经济学院外国语学院2013-2014《英语国家概况》期末小论文班级_英本1202班___ 姓名__黄爱灵__评分____________American Higher EducationAmerican education system in the United States is the world's cause of education of the most developed countries in the world. American education system as early as the founding of beginning to take shape when, after 200 years of development and gradually perfect, Formation of the primary, secondary and tertiary institutionsHigh education in the United States began with the founding of Harvard College in 1636. In the past more than 300 years, it has developed into a large enterprise with a very complex system. The higher education comprises four categories of institutions: a) the university; b) the four-year undergraduate institution----the college; c) the technical training institution; and d) the two-year community college.In America, the education system has the differentGraduate Degrees years, Bachelor’s Degree have 4 years; Master’s Degree have 1-2 years; Doctor’s Degree, ph.D (doctor of philosophy), have at least 3 years.So what are the differences between the “college” and the “university” in America? The term “college”refers to an undergraduate institution that confers the degree of Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science after four years of study or an associate degree after two years study. While a university is generally a group of colleges, each serving a special purpose: college of business, college of arts and humanities, college of education, etc. The system of higher education in the United States has three functions: teaching, research and public service. Each college or university has its own emphasis with regard to its functions. The majority of the higher educationinstitutions are located in states that have a large population.The American higher education institutions offer a wide variety of subjects, from the finearts to practical and career-oriented fields such as engineering and marketing. The United States has a variety of higher education institutions, from large comprehensive universities to small traditional liberal arts colleges. Distinctions among these institutionsare in size, level, educational quality, residential atmosphere and the time it takes to complete a degree.At the undergraduate level, students’personal preferences as to size, academic quality and location play a key role in their choice of college or university. At the graduate level, more attention is paid to the reputation of the faculty and department.However,all this effort in America’s higher education is very expensive. Some of the costs come from fees and benefactions, particularly towards research, but most have to be paid from public funds. Parents favor big expenditures on higher education;a wider public opinionfavors them for idealistic and cultural reasons, and because of the supposed value of education as an investment by society.The first universities were developed by private charitable organizations. The private universities are still very important, and most of the best-known institutions, like Harvard, Yale and Princeton, are private.Most of the principal state universities have between 10, 000 and 30, 000 students,and some have increased rapidly in the past few years. Private universities and colleges are generally smaller, and although they are more numerous than public institutions they have a smaller total number of students than those in public institutions. The private colleges vary very much in standards and reputation, from the world-famous and select to the cranky and the obscure. The best known of all is Harvard.There are also many junior colleges to which students may be admitted at the end of their high school career, providing only the first two years of university work.For the most part Americans think that there’s some advantage in attending one of the better-known private institutions, in spite of the higher cost, rather than a state university. However, testate universities are becoming increasingly important, and some of them, particularly in the Midwest have a reputation practically equal to that of the private ones. Almost every state by now has several university institutions directly under the authority of the state government.For a university student, an academic year is about nine months, usually for mid-September until early June or from late August until May. In most universities, it isdivided into either two semesters or three semesters, excluding the summer session. The students usually enjoy a “break”of one week during each semester and a 30-day winner break.Typically, an undergraduate student has to earn a certain number of “credits”(usually at least 120) in order to receive a degree at the end of four years of college. Credits are earned by attending lectures (or lab classes) and by successfully completing assignments and examinations. One credit usually equals one hour of class per week in a single course. A course may last 10 to 16 weeks, the length of a semester.Living accommodations are usually not large enough to hold all university students, though large numbers of residence halls have been built. Many students live off campus and prepare their own meals.It is common for students to work to earn their tuition and living expenses not only during vacations but also in their free time during the semester. Many colleges and universities offer work-study programs so that students can earn money while working at the school.Sports have a significant place in American university life. Football is the most popular university sports. Some universities award both football and basketball scholarships, and students admitted mainly as athletics or “jocks”receive not only free tuition but also other financial assistance.There are clubs and activities for almost every student’s interests, such as art, music, drama, debate, foreign languages, photography, volunteer work, all aimed at helping students become successful in their later life while simultaneously pursuing their hobbies.There is evidence that even incomplete university study gives a person better career prospects than none at all. So, it is accepted that the benefits of a university career are usefu l.In American, there are the best research universities such as Harvard, Yale, Princet on, Columbia and MIT in the east, as well as Stanford and Berkeley on the west coast.Except for some college sponsored by the Catholic Church, all college and universitie s in the U.S, public or private, are governed by a board of trustees composed primarily of laymen. The community college calls for education to serve the good of both the i ndividual and society. It embodies Thomas Jefferson’s belief that an education should be practical as well as liberal.Let’s look some famous universities of the United States:Harvard University, the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States, is a comprehensive university. Harvard College was established in 1636 and was named for its first benefactor, John Harvard. The university has grown from nine students with a single master to an enrollment of more than 20000 degree candidates, including undergraduates, graduates and professional students in 11 principal academic units. Harvard University is known around the world for its outstanding academic achievements. The university has product more than 40 Nobel laureates. English Presidents of the United States are graduates of Harvard.Yale University was founded in1701 as the Collegiate School in Killingworth, Connecticut. In 1716, it moved to its permanent location in New Haven. Elihu Yale, a weathy British merchant, donated generously to the school, and it was renamed Yale College. In 1864, Yale College was renamed Yale University. The university is now comprised of three major academic components: Yale College (the undergraduate program), the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences and 10 professional schools. Yale encompasses a wide array of research organizations, libraries, museums and administrative support offices. Approximately 12000 students attend Yale. And it embarks on a steady expansion. With strictteaching and enrollment, Yale University has a high academic standard and great prestige. Some of the world’s most famous and powerful men today are graduates of Yale, including George W. Bush, John Kerry and William F. Buckley Jr., etc.Princeton University was known as the College of New Jersey from 1746 to 1896. It is well known for its History Department, Philosophy Department, English Department, Mathematics Department and Physics Department. The Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs has been continuously training government officials. Presidents Wilson and over 80 Senates are graduates of Princeton University.Massachusetts Institutions of Technology is an institution famous for its scientific and technological training and research. Established in 1861, the institution used to be a purely technical institution. It is comprised of five schools: the School of Architecture and Planning, the School of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences, the MIT Slogan Sciences, the MIT Slogan School of Management and the School of Science. While attaching importance to teaching, the institute pays great attention to theory study and applied research. Both the undergraduate and the graduates participate in cooperative research work. MIT has achieved significant success in the fields of scientific research.Education system in American obviously is different with ours, but they all aim to make more talented people to make the country better and strong, modern and developed.。