Kuznetsov

Foreign language, as the third regulatory exam after school.

At the beginning of l United State Exam experiment pupils should pass only two compulsory State Exams on the Russian and Mathematics. Since the publication of Federal State Educational Standard the situation around the USE has radically changed. I would like to highlight the fact that this standard did not have only one version. It had several different versions. In the final version many parents and teachers found the shocking fact about the third compulsory exam «Foreign language».

Many schools in Russia, especially in countryside, do not allow not only to carry out this exam but also to prepare for it. It is a great problem for the pupils from a country to find particular equipment ( computers) and teachers for the preparation of themselves. It is another sizeable argument in favor of USE's enemies. Because of this compulsory USE the government got another wave of social discontent. Move on with the history of this exam in general.

The system of unified national exam appeared in our country in 2001. Firstly, It was accepted by the state government as an alternative for the traditional exam form in several regions such as Mariy Al, Chuvashiya, Yakutia. The organisation of State Exam is the responsibility of Federal Education and Science Supervision Agency of Russian Federation.

As any other innovation, State Exam has its advantages and disadvantages. I passed the exam in foreign language in the form of unified national exam. This difficult trial helped me to become more confident about my language skills in English. I can easily refer myself to the supporters of this examination form. For the defence of my view I'll give you several evidences.

Firstly, I would like to point out that before the USE in foreign language school plans didn't have any particular lessons for the development of pupil's audio comprehension. This fact extends the spheres of general language preparation at schools. The general emphasis was on lexical and grammmatical levels of language

Secondly, If you want to work abroad or at a representative of a international company you will need to pass the State exam in foreign language and it will be accepted as an advantage for your CV. Without any kind of certificate confirming your knowledge you can't be accepted as a candidate for the post.

Thirdly, the results of unified national exam in foreign language is the emulative criteria among the students on the university level .

Forthly, when the pupil will pass the exam he'll allow to choose the level of it. It is easier to save the difference between the level of the language skills, for instance, of doctors et.c.

To the disadvantages of the unified national exam we can refer the books for exam preparation and the absence of level scale, like CEFR (Common European Framework of Reference for Languages) which is accepted in almost every European country. We do not have any well-structured system for the preparation and so because of this fact we have radcally different level of pupil's knowledge in foreign language.

Nowadays, we do not have the united standard for this exam. Most of English language teachers in Russia doesn't have any methodology for helping students to prepare for this kind of exam because of the level difference.

Kuznetsov

Secondly, I can say that English can't be on the one level with any profession. Without this graduation scale it is impossible to compare the necessary levels of knowledge for every profession. Every profession needs not only general basis of English but also special terms, key phrases which is particular for it.

In conclusion, I would lie to say that inspite of the disadvantages Iconsider that State exam in foreign language is the best way to check students' knowledge. Many aspects should be reorganised in it before this exam should be accepted as the compulsory.