EDUCATION REPORT - Foreign Student Series - First Steps

EDUCATION REPORT - Foreign Student Series - First Steps
By Nancy Steinbach

Broadcast: Thursday, September 09, 2004

This is Gwen Outen with the VOA Special English Education Report.

We begin a series of reports for students who want to study in the United States.

Step one is to visit an American educational advising center. There are more than four hundred of these offices around the world. You can find them through the State Department Web site for international students. We will give that address later. Or you can ask the Public Affairs Office at a United States Embassy¹ to tell you where to find the nearest one.

These centers advise students about higher education and study opportunities in the United States.

Some schools, for example, offer one-year certificate² programs. These are in subjects like computer programming, public relations, administrative³ work and other jobs.

Schools known as junior colleges or community colleges offer a two-year associate degree. These can prepare students for skilled⁴ jobs. Students also spend a lot less money than at a four-year school. Many universities accept this work as the first two years toward⁵ a bachelor's degree.

To get a bachelor's degree, students traditionally take general subjects during the first two years. These include areas like history, literature, mathematics and science. After that they take classes in their major area of study.

At the graduate school level, a master's degree can take two or three years of full-time⁶ study in a subject. A doctorate⁷ can take longer. There are also professional schools in areas like medicine and law. Such programs require three to six years of study beyond college. Some specialties⁸ may require even more study.

Whatever you choose, educational advisers⁹ say you should begin to plan at least two years before you want to start classes in the United States.

Our reports will appear on our Web site, voaspecialenglish dot com. We will also include a link to the State Department site for international students. That address is educationusa.state.gov. Again, educationusa.state.gov.

If you would like to ask us a question about education in the United States, send it to [email protected]. Please know that we cannot help with individual cases. But we might be able to answer some general questions on the air as our Foreign Student Series continues.

This VOA Special English Education Report was written by Nancy Steinbach. This is Gwen Outen.

1 embassy   

n.大使馆，大使及其随员

参考例句：

• Large crowd demonstrated outside the British Embassy.很多群众在英国大使馆外面示威。
• He's a U.S. diplomat assigned to the embassy in London.他是美国驻伦敦大使馆的一名外交官。

2 certificate   

n.证书，证明书；vt.发给证明书，认可，鉴定

参考例句：

• She proudly displayed her degree certificate to her parents.她自豪地向父母展示了学位证书。
• No one had seen her marriage certificate.没人看到过她的结婚证书。

3 administrative   

adj.行政的，管理的

参考例句：

• The administrative burden must be lifted from local government.必须解除地方政府的行政负担。
• He regarded all these administrative details as beneath his notice.他认为行政管理上的这些琐事都不值一顾。

4 skilled   

adj.(in)熟练的，有技能的；需要技能的

参考例句：

• Unskilled workers usually earn less money than skilled workers.无技能的工人通常比有技能的工人挣钱少。
• She was skilled enough in French to translate a novel.她法语娴熟，足以翻译小说。

5 toward   

prep.对于，关于，接近，将近，向，朝

参考例句：

• Suddenly I saw a tall figure approaching toward the policeman.突然间我看到一个高大的身影朝警察靠近。
• Upon seeing her,I smiled and ran toward her. 看到她我笑了，并跑了过去。

6 full-time   

adj.满工作日的或工作周的，全时间的

参考例句：

• A full-time job may be too much for her.全天工作她恐怕吃不消。
• I don't know how she copes with looking after her family and doing a full-time job.既要照顾家庭又要全天工作，我不知道她是如何对付的。

7 doctorate   

n.(大学授予的)博士学位

参考例句：

• He hasn't enough credits to get his doctorate.他的学分不够取得博士学位。
• Where did she do her doctorate?她在哪里攻读博士？

8 specialties   

n.专门，特性，特别；专业( specialty的名词复数 )；特性；特制品；盖印的契约

参考例句：

• Great Books are popular, not pedantic. They are not written by specialists about specialties for specialists. 名著绝不引经据典，艰深难懂，而是通俗易读。它们不是专家为专业人员撰写的专业书籍。 来自英汉 - 翻译样例 - 文学
• Brain drains may represent a substantial reduction in some labor force skills and specialties. 智力外流可能表示某种劳动力技能和特长大量减少。 来自辞典例句

9 advisers   

顾问，劝告者( adviser的名词复数 )； （指导大学新生学科问题等的）指导教授

参考例句：

• a member of the President's favoured circle of advisers 总统宠爱的顾问班子中的一员
• She withdrew to confer with her advisers before announcing a decision. 她先去请教顾问然后再宣布决定。