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2.2. Sports in higher education.

2.2.1. Warm up. Vocabulary development. What is what in higher education?

department

department / group

faculty

institute

university

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2.2.2. Warm up. Vocabulary development. Who is who in higher education?

Assistant Professor

Associate Professor

Dean

Department Head

Institute Head / Head of the Institute

Professor

Rector

Teaching Assistant

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2.2.3. Reading. Sports in higher education.

This text was adapted from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (College athletics in the United States).

 

College sports started in the USA in 1843, when Yale University started a boat club. One year later Harvard University created a boat club, too. In 1852, the first intercollegiate sporting event took place, which was a competition between the rowing teams of Harvard University and Yale University on Lake Winnipesaukee, New Hampshire, just like the famous Boat Race between the rowing teams of Oxford University and Cambridge University on the river Thames in London.

There are two types of the organization of college sports in the USA. In the first type, participation is open only to top athletes. These sports are organized by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and the National Association of Intecollegiate Athletics (NAIA).

In addition, in the second type, participation is open to every student and this includes recreational sports clubs.  

Today, college sports are very popular in the USA. Universities focus on sports because sport successes bring more new students and money (donations) from former students (alumni). In addition to that, college sports are important because ticket sales and broadcast sales are important sources of money for the Universities and colleges. Many US universities and colleges offer full scholarships to top international athletes. Many Hungarian athletes, for example Katinka Hosszú, Ágnes Kovács or Zsuzsa Csisztu studied in the USA.   

2.2.4. Reading Comprehension. True or False?

Kérdés 1

1. The first boat race between Harvard and Yale took place on the River Thames.

Kérdés 2

2. All college sport in the USA is open to all students.

Kérdés 3

3. University sports are important in the USA because they bring new students and high incomes to colleges and universities.

Kérdés 4

4. Universities and colleges offer scholarships to American athletes only.  

2.2.5.Discussion. Sports in higher education.

In the USA, there has been a debate on college sports recently. The question is this: Should they pay a professional pay for college athletes? College athletes get benefits from the Universities, for example a full scholarship, free room and board, and free books. But the universities earn lots of money from college sports. Some people say that college athletes should get a share of this money.

What do you think?  Use some of the expressions from the box below.

AGREE

DISAGREE

I completely agree.

I agree entirely with your point of view.

I think we are in agreement on that.

I think you are right.

I am afraid I don’t agree.

I don’t completely agree with you.

We’ll have to agree to differ.

I feel I must disagree.