2022年11月13日 VOA慢速英語：社區(qū)學院以低成本提供更多課程

When international students think of college in the United States, they may think of top universities like Harvard, Stanford, and Yale. Or they may have heard of large state schools such as the University of Michigan.
當國際學生想到美國的大學時，他們可能會想到哈佛、斯坦福和耶魯?shù)软敿獯髮W?；蛘咚麄兛赡苈犝f過密歇根大學等大型公立學校。

But there are many smaller schools, called community colleges, where students can start their education.
但也有許多較小的學校，稱為社區(qū)學院，學生可以在那里開始他們的教育。
 
Community colleges offer two-year degrees, called associate degrees. In addition to traditional educational subjects, they also provide education in areas such as nursing, automotive technology, plumbing, information technology, and electrical repair.
社區(qū)學院提供兩年制學位，稱為副學士學位。除了傳統(tǒng)的教育科目，他們還提供護理、汽車技術、管道、信息技術和電氣維修等領域的教育。

Why choose a community college?
為什么選擇社區(qū)學院？

The American Association of Community Colleges, or AACC, says that in 2022, more than 10 million students are taking classes at 1,043 community colleges across the U.S.
美國社區(qū)學院協(xié)會 (AACC) 表示，到 2022 年，將有超過 1000 萬學生在全美 1,043 所社區(qū)學院上課。
 
Many American students choose community colleges because they cost much less than four-year universities. Last year, average yearly tuition and other costs were $3,800 at community colleges, compared to $10,740 at four-year state universities. As for private four-year colleges, tuition cost about $35,000, on average. And it goes up to $76,000 for an Ivy League school.
許多美國學生選擇社區(qū)學院，因為它們的費用遠低于四年制大學。去年，社區(qū)學院的平均年學費和其他費用為 3,800 美元，而四年制州立大學為 10,740 美元。至于私立四年制大學，平均學費約為 35,000 美元。常春藤盟校的學費高達 76,000 美元。

Many four-year degree programs require students to complete classes called prerequisites before they can take more advanced classes in their field of study. For example, before taking more advanced mathematics, students must complete beginning calculus and statistics.
許多四年制學位課程要求學生先完成稱為先決條件的課程，然后才能參加其研究領域的更高級課程。例如，在學習更高級的數(shù)學之前，學生必須完成初級微積分和統(tǒng)計。
 
Because students can take these prerequisites at community colleges, many choose to complete their first two years there. Then, they can study the last two years at a four-year college to complete their degree. This is cheaper than studying all four years at a more costly college.
因為學生可以在社區(qū)大學修讀這些先決條件，所以許多人選擇在那里完成他們的前兩年。然后，他們可以在四年制大學學習最后兩年以完成學位。這比在成本更高的大學學習四年要便宜。

Over half of all community colleges serve rural areas in the U.S. Some offer training related to the economies of the areas they serve. For example, northern California is the largest wine-producing area in the U.S., and students can study winemaking at Napa Valley College, a community college in the area.
在美國，超過一半的社區(qū)大學服務于農(nóng)村地區(qū)。有些社區(qū)大學提供與其服務地區(qū)的經(jīng)濟相關的培訓。例如，北加州是美國最大的葡萄酒產(chǎn)區(qū)，學生可以在該地區(qū)的社區(qū)學院納帕谷學院學習釀酒。
 
In a discussion on the Community College Voice Podcast, Dr. Joe Schaffer of Laramie County Community College in Wyoming notes that, for rural communities, these schools are especially important centers of activity.
在關于社區(qū)學院語音播客的討論中，懷俄明州拉勒米縣社區(qū)學院的喬·沙弗博士指出，對于農(nóng)村社區(qū)來說，這些學校是特別重要的活動中心。

Martha Parham works for the AACC. She said that community colleges are becoming known as a place to receive a quality education.
瑪莎·帕勒姆為AACC。她說，社區(qū)學院正以接受優(yōu)質教育而聞名。

"You know I think in the past, community colleges have been known to be for people that maybe, you know, aren't serious about education, or, you know, don't know what they want to do, …and that's just not the case anymore. In many cases they offer programs, they're the only ones who offer programs."
“你知道，我認為在過去，社區(qū)學院被認為是為那些可能，你知道，不是“不認真對待教育，或者，你知道，不知道他們想做什么，......現(xiàn)在情況不再如此。在許多情況下，他們提供課程，他們是唯一提供課程的人。”
 
A small but increasing number of community colleges are now offering bachelor's degrees, which take four years to complete.
少數(shù)但越來越多的社區(qū)學院現(xiàn)在提供學士學位，這需要四年時間才能完成。

Compared with four-year colleges, the student population at community colleges tends to be older. The average age is 27. And 36 percent of students are between 22 and 39 years old.
與四年制學院相比，社區(qū)學院的學生人數(shù)往往偏高。平均年齡為 27 歲。36% 的學生年齡在 22 至 39 歲之間。

Innovation and new programs
創(chuàng)新和新項目

At large research universities, graduate assistants often teach lower-level classes while professors center on research. But at community colleges, professors themselves teach the classes.
在大型研究型大學中，研究生助理通常教較低的水平課程，而教授專注于研究。但在社區(qū)學院，教授自己教課。
 
While teaching is the main job of professors at community colleges, professors sometimes work with students on research projects. This year, a team at Front Range Community College in Colorado developed the first model of a machine that uses a new method of cleaning oil spills in water. And Bergen Community College in New Jersey developed a recycling container that can identify, accept, or reject objects to make sure they can be recycled.
雖然教學是社區(qū)學院教授的主要工作，但教授有時會與學生一起進行研究項目。今年，科羅拉多州 Front Range 社區(qū)學院的一個團隊開發(fā)了第一款機器模型，該模型使用一種新的方法來清潔水中的漏油。新澤西州的卑爾根社區(qū)學院開發(fā)了一種回收容器，可以識別、接受或拒絕物品，以確保它們可以回收。

Some schools are known for special programs that deliver advanced technical training. Two community colleges in South Carolina offer the BMW Scholars Program, where students can study advanced automotive training on BMW automobiles and work 20 hours per week at a local BMW factory.
一些學校以提供高級技術培訓的特殊項目而聞名。南卡羅來納州的兩所社區(qū)學院提供寶馬學者計劃，學生可以在該計劃中學習寶馬汽車的高級汽車培訓，并每周在當?shù)氐膶汃R工廠工作 20 小時。
 
Martha Parham says large technology firms such as Google, Amazon, and Dell are also partnering with community colleges to develop programs that train students to work in information technology.
Martha Parham 說，谷歌、亞馬遜和戴爾等大型科技公司也在與社區(qū)大學合作開發(fā)培訓學生從事信息技術工作的項目。

"….and so, you're looking at these giants in the tech world, are turning to community colleges to provide curriculum, and to really help students that are looking to join that tech community to develop those programs that lead to jobs that they can do from anywhere in the world."
“……所以，你正在尋找在科技界的這些巨頭中，他們正在轉向社區(qū)學院提供課程，并真正幫助那些希望加入該科技社區(qū)的學生開發(fā)那些能夠帶來他們可以在世界任何地方從事的工作的項目。”< br/>

International students and English language programs
國際學生和英語語言課程
 
On average, more than 80,000 international students have attended community college each year during the last 10 years in the U.S. The number of students decreased by almost 25 percent during the COVID-19 pandemic.
在美國過去 10 年中，在 COVID-19 大流行期間，學生人數(shù)減少了近 25%。

In the 2020/2021 academic year, the five countries with the most international students at community colleges were China, Vietnam, South Korea, Japan, and Brazil.
在 2020/2021 學年，國際學生最多的五個國家社區(qū)學院是中國、越南、韓國、日本和巴西。
 
Many important English teaching methods are also developed and tested at community colleges. Students in these programs can improve their English enough to start at community colleges before moving to four-year colleges or graduate studies.
許多重要的英語教學方法也在社區(qū)學院開發(fā)和測試。這些課程的學生可以提高他們的英語水平，以便在進入四年制大學或研究生學習之前從社區(qū)大學開始學習。