Our University

Kharkiv G.S. Skovoroda National Pedagogical University is the oldest pedagogical education establishment in Ukraine. Its history dates back to 1804 when Kharkiv V.N. Karazin National University was set up.

On the 24^th of January 1803 the Regulations declaring that „every university shall have a „teacher training” or pedagogical institute in its structure” were approved.

The charter of Kharkiv University approved by the decree of the tsar Olexander I in 1804 included the separate chapter „On the Pedagogical Institute” which proclaimed the aim, structure and foundations of the activity of Pedagogical Institute. This is considered to be “the date of birth” of our university.

The institute changed the title several times; however its main mission has always remained the same: to train highly qualified teachers. For this period of time it has trained more than 160,000 young people who became teachers and contributed a lot to the development of education and culture in Ukraine (at different times our university was functioning as „higher pedagogical courses” (in the 60-s of the 19^th century), „Kharkiv Institute of Public Education” (1921), „Kharkiv State Pedagogical Institute” (1932), „Kharkiv State Pedagogical University” (1994)). In 2004 our university was granted the status of the National Pedagogical University.

Rector is in charge of the University. Nowadays there are 15 faculties headed by deans. The faculties carry out training of full-time students, correspondence department students (students of extra-mural department), and postgraduates. There are more than 15,000 students in KhSNPU. Every faculty provides training for Bachelor’s (BA), Specialist’s and Master’s (MA) degrees. To get a Bachelor’s degree one needs to do a four-year course of study, to get a Specialist’s or Master’s degree one has to study a year or two longer.

Students in our University study in 2 shifts. Usually they have 3 double-periods a day. They attend practical classes, seminars, and lectures. The students are also actively engaged in out of class activities: they take part in disputes, contests, Olympiads, concerts.The curriculum includesgeneral educational, professional pedagogical courses and courses of students’ specialization. Besides all students study the Ukrainian language, foreign languages, History of Ukraine and have PE trainings.

To get ready for their classes or prepare their course projects or diploma papers the students can work in the reading halls of the library. The university is accommodated in 6 buildings and each of them has at least one reading hall, so the students can easily use the resources and reference materials.

There is a lot of modern equipment which facilitates students’ learning: computers, multimedia classes, Internet.

Those, who wish to continue their education or get higher education in the sphere different from their diploma degree, can go on with their education in the Institute of Postgraduate Education which offers degree courses for full-time and part-time students or combined full-time and correspondence courses.

The graduates of the University work in kindergartens, primary and secondary schools, in out of school clubs and higher educational establishments. They value their profession and are proud of their alma mater.

Post-reading Activities

1. Answer the questions:

1. When was our university founded?

2. Did it function as a separate institution at that time?

3. How many teachers has it trained for this period?

4. When was our university granted the present day status?

5. How many students are there in Kharkiv G.S. Skovoroda National University?

6. How many faculties/ departments provide training of future teachers?

7. Who is in charge of the University?

8. Who is at the head of each faculty/ department?

9. What degrees are awarded at the University?

10. What is the course of study at the University?

11. How many double-periods do students have a day?

12. What are the main forms of tuition in the University?

13. Where do students live?

14. Where can students get ready for their classes?

15. What disciplines do students study?

16.What is your future speciality? Why did you choose it?

2. Decide if the following statements are true or false according to the text above:

1. The Kharkiv Pedagogical University was set up in 1803.

2. The mission of our university has changed with the time: nowadays it is to train teachers for Slobozhanshchyna.

3. In the 20^th century our university was granted the status of the National Pedagogical University.

4. The course of study to get a Bachelor’s degree precedes the course of study to get a Master’s degree.

5. The teaching programme provides students with training in professional and pedagogical disciplines.

6. The heads of the faculties are deans.

7. All students have to learn foreign languages.

8.The Institute of Postgraduate education is a separate educational establishment.

3. Find in the text the words corresponding to the following definitions:

1) written or printed statement of rights, permission especially from a ruler or government;

2) an organization for a special educational purpose;

3) the programme of study in a school, college, and university;

4) a special task assigned to an individual or institution;

5) to give teaching and practice to somebody;

6) the head of the educational establishment;

7) the first university degree;

8) a holder of the second university degree;

9) not to miss classes;

10) a student who doesn’t work;

11) an academic title, rank or grade given by a university to a person who has done a course;

12) to have a high opinion of something

Key: to train, to attend classes, Bachelor (BA), to value, a charter, Master (MA, MSc), a rector, an institute, a curriculum, a mission, a full time student, a degree

4. Find in the text the synonyms for the given words and phrases:

to teach –

to confer (a degree) –

to grant the status –

to be responsible for –

to be present at lectures –

to be located –

to continue –

vacation –

5. Form the nouns from the given verbs and use them in the word combinations and sentences of your own. Use the suffixes -ance, -tion, -ing if necessary:

to attend to offer

to apply to graduate

to award to function

to educate to train

to teach to grant

6. Form the verbs from the given nouns:

education contribution head

approval award

7. Translate the given words and phrases into English:

складати екзамен, скласти іспит, проходити навчання, відвідувати заняття, поступати до університету, офіційно визнана кваліфікація, вступати до університету, присвоювати ступінь, перший університетський ступінь, консультація, практичне заняття, семінар, наймана квартира, гуртожиток (ВНЗ), наказ, статут, схвалювати, залишатися, робити внесок, забезпечувати підготовку, готувати вчителів, факультет, кафедра, навчальна пара, позааудиторна діяльність, готуватися, бібліотека, читальний зал, довідкова література, студенти денного відділення, студенти заочного відділення, навчальна програма, пишатися, цінувати.

8. Fill in the correct preposition:

1. The students of Kharkiv G.S. Skovoroda National Pedagogical University do courses ______ Physics, Mathematics, Primary School Teaching, Natural Sciences, etc.

2. Our University dates back ______ the 19^th century.

3. Rector and vice-rectors are ______ charge ______ the quality of teaching provided by the University.

4. Normally it takes time and efforts to get ready ______ entrance exams.

5. My brother studies ______ our university too.

6. The qualified teachers – former students of our university – work ______ schools of Ukraine.

9. Read some more facts about our university and make up questions to the underlined words:

· 8 institutes make up the structure of Kharkiv G.S. Skovoroda National Pedagogical University: the Institute of Ukrainian Kozatstvo; the Institute of World Languages; the Institute of Economics and Law; the Institute of Continuing Education (of Postgraduate Education); the Institute of Natural Sciences and Mathematics; the Institute of Arts; the Research Institute of Kharkivshchyna Education;

· there are 60 departments in the university;

· the university trains specialists in 56 specialities and specializations;

· there are more than 800 lecturers, 25 of them are academicians and correspondent members of the Academies of Science, 107 doctorsof science, professors and more than 300 candidates of science, associate-professors;

· a number of outstanding scholars worked in the University – D.I. Bagaliy (department of history of Ukraine), M.F. Sumtsov (department of Ukraininan literature history), V.P. Buseskul, S.M. Bernstein, O.M. Nykolsky, V.K. Zalesky, M.F. Bilousov, D.M. Syntsov and others;

· among the students of the University there were 7 Heroes of the Soviet Union;

· the Olympic champions M. Gorochovska (1952), Yu. Poyarkov (1964, 1968), Yu. Vengerovsky (1964), Yu. Matushevas (1968), L. Zhabotynsky (1964, 1968), O. Kurishko (1972) were the students of our university.

Дата добавления: 2014-11-29