Friday, May 11, 2007

L 189 F

If you are interested in the English and the American cultures, you should go to the target countries to learn or work. If you can not and/or you would like to stay in Hungary, just visit the English Department of one of our universities.

If you want to go to one of them, you have to take very serious exams (written and oral ones) in order to be admitted.

When you are already in you have to go through the whole process of signing up for courses, which is not the most enjoyable thing to do in the world. At the English Department of Janus Pannonius University you have to get up early in the morning (at about five) if you want to go to the interesting seminars of the most popular (and probably the best) teachers. You will probably find there a long queue of nervous students. If you are already there, the best thing to do is to try to relax and not to think of the other courses that you may miss. There is no such a problem if you choose a lecture. In this case you can be sure that you will not be sent away, and the teacher will sign your index-book.

In your first and second year you have to go to courses that help you enlarge your vocabulary, improve your listening, writing and reading skills, and study English grammar. These are called Language Practice classes.

Besides studying the American and English cultures (there are history, music, literature -fiction, drama, and poetry- courses), you can also get acquainted with different parts of linguistics: phonetics, phonology, generative syntax, cognitive semantics, comperative pragmatics.

Since this is a teacher training faculty, you can study things the aim of which is directly to help you with your later work as a teacher: Applied Linguistics, ELT Methology, Language Testing, Child SLA in the Classroom, Application of Childrens Literature. Educational Drama courses are for teaching and learning techniques that can be used in classroom. There are also courses that are called Classroom Techniques. If you are interested in special topics, e.g. eastern cultures, sometimes you can find courses that will probably satisfy you. This year you can study Indian Culture and Literature.

According to the system of the University, you have to get a grade for each of your courses. In order to get them you either have to write an essay on a given topic (which is not the easiest thing in the world...), or take an exam at the end of the term. You are expected to write your essays using a computer. But do not be desparate! There are also courses that help you learn how to use the computers. What is more you can also study Computer Assisted Language Learning.

There is a small library at the English Department where you can find books that can help you with your work, and satisfy your interests.

After graduating you can find a job as a teacher, an interpreter, or a translator.

1 comment:

BB. said...

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