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February,
2012
Students’ Debate Club meeting conducted under the supervision of Head of our Department Professor T.I.
Vlasova and Associate Professor N.I. Bilan are devoted to a wide range of social, political and cultural issues.
They give an opportunity to our students to be educated and to take part in modern cultural and political
polilogues.
Without attempting to blame or justify young people going abroad
in search of a workplace I’d like to admit that there might be cultural
and historical explanations for this practice.
Speaking about the Britishers they went (and still go) to the East,
Far East, Indo-China to work and colonize, if not as colonizers in the
strict meaning of this word, still as cultural, religious, spiritual
colonizers.
Arthur William Edgar O’Shaughnessy wrote in his «Ode»:
We are the music-makers,
And we are the dreamers of dreams,
Wandering by lone sea-breakers,
And sitting by desolate streams;
World-losers and world forsakers,
On whom the pale moon gleams:
Yet we are the movers and shakers
Of the world for ever, it seems.
So, the Britishers leave their country to be «the movers and shakers
of the world» overseas. And the Ukrainians?
The first wave of emigration was caused by poverty, the second
wave – poverty and political reprisals, the third – poverty and
instability. So, what is your aspiration in leaving your country in something unattainable. But: in England, for example, money will buy
search of a workplace abroad? Career, status or money? Money as a you a lot of things, but it won’t ever buy you any respect. Never.
Speaking about young people in Great Britain, when asked where
rule, because career and status for you, immigrants from Ukraine is
they would like to be in 10 years, nearly (72%) of young people chose
the safe, sensible options of being «successful at work» or «settled
down».
One more thing: now young people in the UK seem to be more
industrious than their parents’ generation: 70% believe that ‘getting
ahead in life is down to hard work and dedication’.
On the other hand, young people in Ukraine are sure that success is
a matter of luck and good contacts (with all the following
consequences).
Some more consideration about money. The money talk taboo is a
distinctive English behaviour code. With us – vice versa. Money, or its
lack is our beloved topic. But still there is social status, respect
(self-respect included) and there is hard work – whenever and
whatever.
You should always remember these things while making your
decisions whether to work or not to work abroad.
T.I. Vlasova, Head of Philology and
Interpreting Department
Many EU countries need an unskilled and low-skilled foreign labour force. The trends of employment of
unskilled and low-skilled workers from the developing countries and the levels of need differ among countries.
In some EU Member States, such as Belgium, Denmark, Germany and the Netherlands, halts on recruitment of
the nationals from the developing countries still exist. If any exceptions from the general restrictive policy exist
they concern only highly-skilled workers. The southern states, including Greece, Italy, Portugal and Spain,
acknowledge the need for the unskilled and low-skilled workers. However, due to the high unemployment rates
among the native population as a result of the global economic crisis, employment of the unskilled and
low-skilled workers in these countries has been reduced drastically or put on hold. New EU Member States,
including the Czech Republic, Estonia and Poland, recently developed a need for foreign labour as a result of
the emigration of native population to the old EU Member States.
There is most often a need for unskilled and low-skilled workers in agriculture, forestry, construction, domestic
help, farming, hotel and restaurant business, and tourism. Despite the need for the unskilled and low-skilled
workers, more often than not there are no special schemes or legislative provisions to regulate the employment
of this category of the workers. Instead, the recruitment of unskilled and low-skilled workers is regulated by
general rules.
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UNIVERSITY TIMES
February 2012 ¹31
Currently, only a few countries have special simplified procedures for the employment of unskilled
and low-skilled workers, most often for seasonal workers; such programs exist in France, Estonia, the
Czech Republic and Finland. Usually, simplified procedures entail abolishment of the labour market
test or/and the requirement for a residence and/or work permit. In such cases, only visas are needed to
stay and work in the country.
Some of the EU Member States limit the employment of the unskilled and low-skilled workers or offer
simplified recruitment procedures to the citizens of the countries with which they have bilateral
agreements. Germany, Greece, Poland and Spain are among the EU countries with such bilateral
agreements.
(from Opening Europe’s doors to unskilled and low-skilled workers: A practical handbook).
Our students share their impressions of taking part in the Debate Club discussions.
I like to take part in different learning conferences on this or that
subject, but the most interesting was a debate devoted to the topic
“Working Abroad”. It was my first time when I discussed with people
some important things as for youth working in different countries far
from their homes. I have known much useful information. There were
several topics for discussion:
- Only qualified specialist can go abroad;
- Working abroad means betraying your native country;
- A good specialist can find a job in any country, and others.
It was a great experience of communication. As far as I noticed
many people were afraid of being in the spotlight. They need to
overcome their phobia of public speaking and develop their oratory.
Such kind of work allows you to improve the ability to give your
viewpoint quietly, with concentration and good expression.
There were students of four courses at the debate. Almost every
member of the debate presented some interesting facts as for living
abroad, earning money and studying there. There were a few people
who had visited the USA. They shared their impressions with us. It
was rather exciting to listen to their speech. It was perfect!
That’s why I have much more motivation to study English better
than I have ever done it. The useful thing was that I also expressed my
own opinion. I was heard out. Students asked me some questions,
made a protest against my reasoning and so on. Lecturers also entered
the discussion, helped us to express our opinion, explained some
important thing, etc.
Summing it up, I’d like to say, it would be great to carry out such
kind of work more often. It will improve our English knowledge.
Thank you!
Julia Zelenetskaya, Gr. 1021
The debate was held at the National University of the Railway
Transport. The philologists of the 2nd-5th coursers were
participants of our debate club. The Head of Department and a lot
of teachers were present. Olha Zelenska, the student of the 2nd
course, leaded this debate. The rules were strict:
1) When a person claims something he should prove it with
facts
2) Do not interrupt peers
3) Time limit for speech is 5 minutes
The topic for discussion was very actual: «Working abroad».
Before the start the students were asked to take their places either
in the proposition or opposition team (10/11). There were 5
statements to discuss:
1) Only qualified specialists should go abroad
2) It is desire to make money that drives people to work abroad
3) Only abroad can you make a good career
4) A good professional can find a job in any country
5) Working abroad means betraying one’s country, doesn’t it?
As for me I was a participant in discussing too. And to my mind
it is incredible to work abroad. There are many people who dream
about it. Working abroad is a fantastic way to discover new talents,
to earn a lot of money, to develop you skills. The first one is that
you will get knowledge and experience, which can be useful to
your forthcoming career. It’s not home. It’s different, exciting,
interesting. Working within a different social, political and
economic system will give you new insights and a perspective.
If we compare this debate with the last year’s one, it was more
upgraded. And I hope that next time more and more students will
be interested in taking part in different activities.
To tell the truth, it was very interesting and funny to be a
participant of the latest debate. All the students were ready for
the debate. On the one hand they were prepared and answered
the questions very quickly without hesitations, but on the other
hand it was not so interesting to listen to their reading articles
from the internet, which they recently downloaded.
I am very proud that my groupmates are smart and clever and
they proved it with their interesting questions and informative
answers. It was a pity to know that almost all students from the
third course are not as educated as they should be. I must be
mistaken, but these girls should practice a lot to become
competitive opponents at least for the students of the first
course. To my mind we should organize such events as often as
possible. The main idea of this event is to improve our speaking
skills, and as far as I know self-education is the best way to
become a professional. I hope that next time we will not know
the topic of the debate, and we will discuss it in free way
without any information from the internet.
I am very glad that I have a chance to share my opinion with
you, but don’t judge me so strict, because it was my first time as
a participant of the debate and I don’t have much variety to
compare it with.
Olena Bondaruk, Gr. 1021
Michael Shakhov, Gr. 1021
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I want to be honest. I expected more. It was interesting and
that’s all. I had known many things and I heard nothing new.
The expectation was, but the reality is poor. It was a story from
someone’s life, a few statistics. I could say anything without
facts and people trusted me. If we had lied, we wouldn’t have
reached the truth.
My point of view that working abroad is betraying, isn’t
right. I heard many thoughts on today’s debate. I heard words
of two girls who had been to the US and they were overexcited.
I even heard the insane statement about people who work
abroad, Ukrainian people, and they will be able to receive
pension when they retire. I mean.. People, what are you
thinking about? Are you crazy? They won’t do anything for our
country, and we have to provide their pension? It’s our
government and it’s stupid like all other things that they have
done so far.
I also heard about a successful career and it could be
achieved only abroad. Mindless. You CAN’T have real good experience could be honest. We can only imagine how it is, to
work without graduating from their university or college. work abroad. But never mind. It’s only my own opinion.
Which is much more expensive than in our country. Don’t try to
Alexandr Oleinik, Gr. 1021
fool yourself. I mean only those people who had such
I think that working abroad has its advantages and
disadvantages.
First of all, people go abroad because of money. They think
that they will easily and quickly earn a lot of money there.
I think that working abroad is a good experience. It is very
useful for us to perfect our knowledge of the language. Of
course, it is very interesting to visit other countries, to learn
their history and culture.
And, also, having left their motherland, talented people can
return with new knowledge, skills and resources. Having been
to a foreign country, highly qualified professionals will
contribute to the future of their own country by investments,
new technologies, ideas and higher and more effective
standards of doing business. Going abroad gives talented
people a chance to find a better match for their abilities, to
accumulate financial resources and to establish business
contacts they are unlikely to gain in their own country.
But working abroad has its negative sides. Labour migration
has been a painful topic for Ukraine. The majority of young
people leave our country. Who will develop the economy of
Ukraine?
Of course, people have some problems with
accommodation. It is not easy to adapt to another culture and to
find a job. It is very difficult to be far from your family, to be
alone in a foreign country, without any support.
Every job is a hard labour, which demands high
self-discipline and determination.
The level of unemployed in European countries is high. For
example, in Spain it is 20 %, in Germany it is 12 %, in France it
is 12 %.
Of course, everybody should choose what will be better for
them.
Albina Perets, Gr. 1021B
Pros and cons of working abroad
The first thing you have to think about before packing your
bags is you have to start from scratch. It’s not easy unless you
want to change everything in your life.
No one will help you. Your family, your friends, your
relatives are far from you. And it’s not easy to find new true
friends. Another thing is language barrier. It’s obvious that you
cannot live in a country without knowing its language. You’ll
face some cultural misunderstanding. Some traditions may
contradict those of your country. And you are expected to play
by their rules: at work, at home, on the streets – everywhere.
You may face some sorts of discrimination. You’ll be less
protected by the law in a foreign country. You also need to be
prepared for another climate. Your health is the most important
thing. Healthcare systems are different. And you cannot be sure
that it’s better than in your country. Food will be different from
the food you used to eat. You have to be careful. You can
always come back home: but remember while you’re away you
change and everything you leave in your country changes too.
And to crown it all – very few of your compatriots – will ever
appreciate your travels and trips. Just true friends will.
The other side of the coin is that everything you’ll face, all
your future problems and impressions will be your experience –
the most valuable thing that you can get in your life. One trip to
another country can change all your life. New countries will
give you new opportunities, new possibilities at work. You’ll
study new languages. «As many languages you know as many
times you are a human». You’ll get acquainted with new
open-minded people, it’s for sure. You’ll travel a lot. It will be
easier to travel to neighboring countries. If your country is
Ukraine and you are going to visit Europe take my word for it
you’ll see more comfortable conditions of life. You can also
earn more money than you can in Ukraine. You’ll escape old
baggage and get out of the consumption cycle. Travelers are
expected to have minimal possessions. There is no such thing as
failure and humiliation in another country. Everything you do is
strange, so it doesn’t matter if you make a fool of yourself. And
anyway you can always go back to your sweet home. Working
abroad seems different to everybody. But even though it sounds
negative, I do find it worth while. It’s a question of finding a
place where you feel like you can live your life the best. The
grass is always greener on the other side.
Ich glaube, dass im Ausland arbeiten nicht so gut ist. Unser
Land ist unsere Heimat und ich fuehle mich hier sicher, trotz
unserer politischen und wirtschaftlichen Situation. Meine
Eltern sind hier, meine Freunde, Bekannten. Ich kann aber ohne
Zweifel sagen, dass die Erfahrung der Arbeit im Ausland sehr
wichtig ist. Wir koennen unsere Sprachkenntnisse verbessern,
neue Eindruecke bekommen.
Ich will vileicht ein Paar Jahren im Ausland arbeiten, aber
dann will ich zurueckkehren. Ich habe gehoert, dass die
Arbeitsgeber in Deutschland bei der Personalentlassung in
erster Linie die Auslaender kuendigen. Die Auslaender haben
nicht gleiche Rechte. Vielleicht im Gesetzt stehen die gleiche
Rechte, aber in der Wirklichkeit ist es anders. Bevor Sie Ihr
Gepaeck packen, muessen Sie zweimal denken.
Viktoria Strelchenia, Gr. 1041
Katja Tumakowa, Gruppe 1041
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February 2012 ¹31
Cons of working abroad
A recent survey revealed 96 % of construction jobseekers
would consider moving abroad for work. However many
overseas construction sites employing foreign labour can
experience a high turn around in terms of the number of staff
they employ. Expat construction workers are sometimes ill
prepared for a new job abroad, and decide to return back home.
Working conditions. Working conditions are not necessarily
the same as you’re used to. From searing hot sunshine and
desert landscapes, to longer hours and fewer days off; it takes
time to adjust to living in a new country. Living arrangements
might not meet your expectations – if accommodation is
provided as part of a remuneration package, there’s no
guarantee it will be luxurious.
Moving the whole family. A huge consideration involved in
working abroad is whether you can take family and dependents
with you. Normally, with overseas construction projects, there
are no real facilities for family living. Schooling is also not easy
to organize and can work out quite costly. You may have to
work abroad alone and leave your family and spouse or partner
behind. Can you cope with long periods of enforced
separation?
Health insurance. Healthcare can be an expensive necessity
in a foreign country, particularly without the right paperwork.
It’s worth having full medical insurance while you (and your
family) are working and living abroad. If this is not provided by
your employer, take out private cover instead. As well as
ensuring you can get medical treatment should you ever need it,
features such as repatriation to your country of residence
provide peace of mind.
* It’s expensive to move to another country if you take your
belongings with you (or store them back home). Not every
company offers to pay for relocation.
* It can be a hassle to go through the paperwork of moving to
another country legally.
* If you’re moving to a new country, you might not know
anyone or even know the native language. It can also be jarring
to adjust to a new culture.
* If you feel homesick, it’s harder to visit friends and family
if you’re coming from another country. In many cases, you’ll
also be on a different sleep schedule than your loved ones,
making it difficult to stay in touch.
* It will be harder for your family to adjust to new schools or
find a new job.
* You could miss out on a promotion at your home office if
you’re busy working overseas.
* Living conditions aren’t great in every country – it
depends on where you live.
Ludmila Sokurenko, Gr. 1041
In der Zeit der Globalisierung und der raschen
Informationsvermittlung ist die Arbeit im Ausland schon kein
Wunder. Jeder Mensch kann im Ausland arbeiten, wenn er will.
Es gibt dazu viele Moeglichkeiten. Das passende Studium im
Ausland zu waehlen und die gewuenschte Arbeit zu suchen
helfen verschiedene Weltorganisationen.
Das ist eine gute Moeglichkeit besonders fuer die
Sprachlernende, die Fremdsprache besser und schneller zu
erlernen und zu verbessern, die Fachkenntnisse zu erweitern,
die neuen, anderen, vieleicht progressieveren Verfahren,
Methoden oder Techniken im Fach zu erfahren, die
allgemeinen Lebenskenntnisse zu bekommen, andere Kultur,
Mentalitaet kennen zu lernen. Wenn man im Ausland studiert,
wird man selbststaendiger. Man muss alles selbst beschliessen.
Die Eltern, Freunde, Bekannten sind weit. Aber im Ausland
kann man auch Freunde finden. Waehrend des Aufenthaltes in
einem anderen Land kann man sich selbst besser erfahren.
Ohne Zweifel haben das Studium und die Arbeit im Ausland
viele Vorteile, aber wie immer gibt es die zweite Seite der
Medaille: es gibt auch die Nachteile. Bevor man ins Ausland
studieren oder arbeiten faehrt, muss man alles gut ueberlegen.
Eine Arbeit im Ausland ….. Das klingt sehr anziehend.
Typischerweise arbeiten unsere Frauen dort als Putzfrauen
oder Zimmermaedchen. Sie bekommen mehr Geld als unsere
Lehrer, Aerzte, Buchhalter und Wissenschaftler in der Ukraine.
Unsere Diplome sind hier nicht anerkannt. Solange du zu
Hause sitzt, scheint es dir alles zu einfach…
Ich denke, dass die Arbeit im Ausland eine tolle Erfahrung
ist. Man kann fuer sich selbst einige nuetzliche Lebensregeln,
Lebensgewohnheiten entlehnen, die man frueher nicht
gebraucht hat und die im Alltag helfen koennen. Z.B. wenn
man aus der Ukraine nach Deutschland faehrt, wird man
natuerlich sehen, wie die Deutschen fuer die Umwelt sorgen,
wie viel Aufmerksamkeit sie dem Umweltschutz schenken.
Und vielleicht, wenn dieser Ukrainer nach Hause in die
Ukraine zurueckkehrt, wird er im Haushalt Muell sortieren
oder macht er etwas mehr in diesem Bereich. Oder was fuer
eine gute Gewohnheit - Fahrrad zu fahren. Es ist fuer
Gesundheit sehr gut und ist auch umweltfreundlich.
Aber habe ich keine Lust im Ausland zu leben. Ich kann eine
interessante und gut bezahlte Stelle finden. Trotzdem werde ich
mich nach meiner Familie sehnen. Schwierigkeiten sehe ich
noch in der Mentalitaet der Auslaender. Das ist manchmal
schwer, sich an fremden Braeuchen zu gewoehnen.
In europaeischen Laender ist das Lebensstandart viel
hoeher, deshalb kostet alles mehr. Man muss also mehr
verdienen und mehr ausgeben. Ich glaube, die Leute aus
unserem Land koennen im Ausland arbeiten, um mehr Geld zu
verdienen, aber muessen zurueckkehren, denn es ist
kompliziert das ganze Leben dort zu verbringen.
Tatjana Schatschanina, Gruppe 1041
Olga Krumina, Gruppe 1041
Editorial staff: editor-in-chief T.Vlasova,
instructors of the department T. Kuptsova, I. Kolieva, newspaper form by T. Polishko.