Tutor Preparations
Useful Links:
Times Higher Education 2016-2017 University Rankings: https://www.timeshighereducation.com/world-university-rankings/2017/world-ranking#!/page/0/length/25/sort_by/rank_label/sort_order/asc/cols/rank_only
Related Articles:
https://www.theguardian.com/education/2016/sep/22/oxford-becomes-first-uk-university-to-top-global-rankings
Warm-up (2-3 minutes)
Use the questions to lead your student to the article topic.
What universities do you consider as good universities?
What are these universities known for?
Unlocking Word Meanings (5 minutes)
Let your student read the items below. Confirm that he/she understood each word. Use additional info/definition/question only when necessary.
1. relegate / ˈrɛl ɪˌgeɪt / [REL-i-geyt] (v.) – to cause someone or something to take a lower or inferior position
Example: The top student was relegated to second place after the exam results were released.
Additional info: Downgrade and demote are words with a similar meaning.
2. pool / ˈpuːl / [pool] (n.) – a group of things or people that serve as a supply something
Example: The university will hire new teachers from a pool of applicants.
Additional info: It can also be used as a verb to indicate the act of putting together resources for something (e.g. We pooled our money together to buy our teacher a gift).
3. reign supreme / reɪn səˈprim / [reyn suh-PREEM] (idiom) – to do very well
Example: My classmate reigned supreme at the international writing competition.
Additional info: The verb reign means to be the best in something.
4. immense / ɪˈmɛns / [ih-MENS] (adj.) – describing something that is great in amount or value
Example: The student’s performance showed immense improvement after his tutorial sessions.
Additional info: Huge is a word with a similar meaning.
5. boil down to / bɔɪl daʊn tu / [boil doun too] (idiom) – to be condensed or summarized into core concepts
Example: The principal’s speech boiled down to three points: responsibility, trust, and courage.
Additional info: The related idiom boil down means to shorten (e.g. The editor managed to boil my article down to 300 words).
Article (10 minutes)
Let the student read the article aloud. For the Comprehension Questions, you may:
(a) Ask the questions in between. Tell the student ahead of time when to pause from reading.
(b) Ask the questions after he or she finishes reading everything.
For words difficult to pronounce, pronunciation guides are provided beside the word.
For the first time, a university from the United Kingdom has topped the list of the world’s best universities.
The University of Oxford ranked first on this year’s Times Higher Education World Rankings list. The list is released annually by education magazine Times Higher Education. The magazine evaluates a university based on a set of criteria that includes teaching, research, knowledge transfer, and international outlook.
Q: What is the Times Higher Education World Rankings list?
A: The Times Higher Education World Rankings list is a list of university rankings released yearly by Times Higher Education.
Oxford knocked California Institute of Technology off the top spot, relegating the five-time champion to the second place. According to the magazine, Oxford’s success can be attributed to a boost in its research influence, as well as the university’s growing pool of international talents.
Aside from Oxford, the top 10 also featured two other universities from the United Kingdom, along with one school from Switzerland. Meanwhile, American universities reigned supreme in the top 10 with seven entries. Two American universities, the University of California, Berkeley and the University of Chicago, tied for the 10th spot.
Q: What were the two American universities that tied for the 10th spot?
A: The University of California, Berkeley and the University of Chicago were the two American universities that tied for the 10th spot.
While Western universities claimed the top ten slots, Asian universities also showed immense ranking improvement. The number of Asian universities that made it to the elite top 200 list also rose to 19 from last year’s 15. In total, 289 Asian universities were included in the list.
Rajika Bhandari, co-editor of the book Asia: The Next Education Superpower, believes that the improvement in Asian universities boils down to three factors: a rapid increase in population and demand for better higher education, ongoing government investments in universities, and internal improvements done by the universities. Bhandari predicts that cross-border partnerships between Asian and Western universities will improve, and the demand for partnerships within the Asia-Pacific region will increase.
Q: What are Bhandari’s predictions for the future of Asian universities?
A: Bhandari predicts that cross-border partnerships between Asian and Western universities will improve, and that the demand for partnerships between universities in the Asia-Pacific region will increase.
Follow-up (optional)
Use the question below to check if your student understood the article.
What is the article all about?
Viewpoint Discussion (7-8 minutes)
Lead the discussion using the questions below.
Discussion A
·
In your opinion, how will ranking as the best university in the world affect Oxford? Discuss.
·
Do you think that rank is the most important factor to consider when choosing a university? Why or why not?
Discussion B
·
Do you believe that having partnerships with universities abroad is good for a university? Why or why not?
·
What preparation should a university take before engaging in partnerships with foreign universities?