[Vocabulary] Docent? Associate Professor?

Status
Not open for further replies.

englishhobby

Key Member
Joined
Jun 19, 2009
Member Type
English Teacher
Native Language
Russian
Home Country
Russian Federation
Current Location
Russian Federation
I have difficulty in translating into English the names of university positions in my culture (Russia). We have the following positions of staff (starting from the lowest ranking one):
1) Assistant Professor ? - This is a teacher at university who holds seminars and practical courses.
2) Docent? / Associate Professor? / Reader? - This person does the same as 1) plus giving lectures, helping undergraduate students and magistrates with their diplomas, doing scientific research etc.
3) Professor ? This person does the same as 2) plus organizing scientific research on a higher level.
 
Last edited:

5jj

Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Oct 14, 2010
Member Type
English Teacher
Native Language
British English
Home Country
Czech Republic
Current Location
Czech Republic
In British universities the ranking is usually:

Lecturer, roughly equivalent to 'Assistant Professor' in American Universities.
Senior Lecturer, somewhere between the American Assistant and Associate Professor.
Reader, roughly equivalent to the American Associate Professor
Professor, the American Full Professor.

All of these may give lectures, conduct seminars, and assist students with Master's and PhD work. The difference is mainly in the administrative reponsibilities they have within the department, and the amount of time they may have for research.
 

englishhobby

Key Member
Joined
Jun 19, 2009
Member Type
English Teacher
Native Language
Russian
Home Country
Russian Federation
Current Location
Russian Federation
Thank you, 5jj,
and if a "lecturer" or a "reader" does not read lectures (as is the case in the Department of Foreign Languages in our university where the main job of most teachers consists in teaching practical skills, though some of them do give lectures), can he/she still be called a "lecturer" or a "reader"?
 

5jj

Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Oct 14, 2010
Member Type
English Teacher
Native Language
British English
Home Country
Czech Republic
Current Location
Czech Republic
The general term for all 'teachers' at a university below the rank of professor is 'lecturer' whatever the nature of their work.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top