Bachelor
2021/2022
Practical Course of the English Language: Grammar, Phonetics, Practice of Oral and Written Speech
Category 'Best Course for Career Development'
Category 'Best Course for Broadening Horizons and Diversity of Knowledge and Skills'
Type:
Compulsory course (Foreign Languages and Intercultural Communication)
Area of studies:
Linguistics
Delivered by:
School of Foreign Languages
Where:
School of Foreign Languages
When:
1 year, 1-4 module
Mode of studies:
distance learning
Online hours:
49
Open to:
students of one campus
Instructors:
Михеева Наталья Дмитриевна,
Широкова Светлана Юрьевна,
Листопадова Мария Владимировна,
Михеева Наталья Дмитриевна,
Yulia Aleshina,
Eliza Aloyan,
Alina Budnikova,
Ksenia Chermoshentseva,
Kseniia Kindenova,
Anna Martirosyan,
Natalia Mironenko,
Ekaterina Molchanova,
Natalia Mukhina,
Natalya Putilina,
Sergey Ryabchun,
Tatiana Sidelnikova,
Elena Sidorkina,
Elena Styrina,
Elena Terekhova,
Ksenia Vasilyuk,
Natalia Zakharova
Language:
English
ECTS credits:
17
Contact hours:
330
Course Syllabus
Abstract
The “Practical Course of the English Language” is designed for the first and second-year students of the Undergraduate Programme “Foreign Languages and Intercultural Communication” and aims at developing students’ English language communicative competence at B2+/C1 levels according to the Common European Framework of Reference. The course immerses students into the field of professional academic interaction focusing on skills and products relevant for successful university education performance. The course syllabus incorporates a wide range of academic input featuring up-to-date discussion topics and providing students with a variety of activities involving individual, group, and project contact and self-study work, receptive, productive, and integrated skills assignments, as well as SMART LMS training.
Learning Objectives
- enhance English pronunciation, vocabulary, and grammar skills for university studies
- develop effective listening, reading, and note-taking skills to work with different types of academic input
- develop academic communication writing skills: emails, paragraphs, essays
- develop academic communication speaking skills: self-presentation, academic talk, academic discussion
Expected Learning Outcomes
- be able to demonstrate the understanding of basic phenomena in segmental and suprasegmental phonetics, required to form pronunciation skills
- be able to plan and organise an outline for the production of a descriptive monologue
- be able to use discourse markers for the logical organisation of a descriptive monologue
- be able to use target grammatical structures to produce a descriptive monologue
- be able to use target vocabulary items to produce a descriptive monologue
- be able to write a formal email
- know the main types of listening and the strategies specific to different listening types
- know the main types of reading and the strategies specific to different reading types
- know the strategies for listening for gist and listening for specific information
- know the strategies for survey, skim and scan reading
- know the strategies of taking notes to develop note-taking skills
- know the types of dictionaries (collocation dictionaries, dictionaries of synonyms and antonyms, phraseology dictionaries) and their importance in a learning process
- know vocabulary items of B2+ and vocabulary items of C1, with the elements of C2 level used for the production of oral and written speech on the topics specified in the programme of the discipline
- To get awareness of the system of organs of speech and identify the functions of organs of speech
- To describe peculiarities of the articulatory basis of the English language
- To distinguish between texts of different genres and registers, between general and academic meaning, and between British and American vocabulary variations
- To recognise and follow different types of academic listening input
- To choose the most appropriate listening strategies and note-taking methods based on the listening purpose
- To know grammatical phenomena in different types of academic input
- To be able to adopt various reading strategies (skimming, scanning, identifying gist and differentiating details, inferring meaning from context, comprehending writer’s attitude)
- To be able to paraphrase, summarise, and synthesise information from various types of texts using appropriate and diverse reporting verbs and phrases to write thesis statements
- To understand and express different attitudes, emotions, opinions, and communication purposes in emails by analysing and using appropriate vocabulary and modal verbs
- To present oneself in a way that leaves the desired image in accordance with socially and culturally accepted norms of action and behaviour
- To structure an academic talk using relevant signposting phrases to facilitate organisation of speech and mark the progression of argumentation
- To produce clear, well-structured, detailed texts on different subjects, showing controlled use of organisational patterns, connectors and cohesive devices avoiding logical fallacies
- To conduct group discussions with audience awareness knowing the structure, purposes of an academic discussion, and speakers’ roles and to communicate opinions effectively relying on relevant arguments and evidence
Course Contents
- Section 1. Introduction to English Sounds and Intonation
- Section 2. Vocabulary Building: Using Context Cues
- Section 3. Listening and Note-taking for University Studies
- Section 4. Advanced Understanding of the English Tense System
- Section 5. Reading for University Studies and Locating and Writing Thesis Statements
- Section 6. Academic Communication Skills: University Interaction via Emails
- Section 7. Intonation in Context
- Section 8. Academic Communication Skills: Self-presentation
- Section 9. Academic Communication Skills: Academic Talk
- Section 10. Academic Communication Skills: from Paragraph to Essay
- Section 11. Academic Communication Skills: Academic Discussion
- Year 2. Unit 1. Technology and professional orientation
- Year 2. Unit 2. Professional development in a globalized polycultural world
- Year 2. Unit 1. Practical Grammar. Syntax. Sentence. Members of Sentence.
- Year 2. Unit 2. Practical Grammar. Agreement between the Subject and the Predicate. Composite Sentences. Word Order. Inversion. Punctuation
Assessment Elements
- Exam GrammarThe examination in Practical Grammar in Module 2 will be held in LMS. To do this, students need to have access to the site https://lms.hse.ru/, as well as a login and a password to enter. Headphones and a microphone are not required. Students can enter the platform well in advance, but the assignments must be started at the set time. Students, who start the test earlier than the specified time, causing the system to crash, will receive 0 points for the whole test. If during the writing of the test, the Internet does not work for some time, the student continues the test until the connection is restored. If the connection does not resume, the student takes screenshots of their answers, written in the absence of Internet connection, and sends them to the teacher. If the answers for the task on translation overlap for 80% or more among different students of one group, 0 points are awarded for this task to all the students who have such a coincidence. Any applications sent after the end of the test writing time will not be accepted.
- Exam PhoneticsExamples of Final Assessment: 1. Read the given joke; 2. Retell the given joke; 3. Dialogue by heart; 4. Reading sentences in accordance with the given intonation pattern. The final grade is calculated according to the formula: TG = O practice of speech * 0,25 + O grammar * 0,25 + O phonetics * 0,2 + O exam * 0,3
- Exam Practice of SpeechIn Module 3, Practice of Speech examination is taken on the examination week. The exam consists of two parts. A written part includes a lexical test. There are 40 questions in the test. The grade is calculated according to the following scale: 40p. – 10; 38-39p. – 9; 35-37p. – 8; 32-34p. – 7; 29-31p. – 6; 25-28p. – 5; 20-24p. – 4;15-20p. – 3; 10-14p. – 2; 4-9p. – 1; 0-3p. –0. An oral part includes 3 tasks: monologues, questions and answers, discussions. Oral part includes monologues, 3 questions and answers, discussion. For monologue and questions/answers part students form pairs. For discussions students form groups of 4. The maximum points for each exam element is 10: Monologue – 10 points. Questions and answers – 9 points + 1 point for active vocabulary. Discussion – 10 points. The Exam Grade is calculated according to the following formula - G exam= (G lexical test + G monologue+G questions/answers+G discussion)/4. The Exam Grade is rounded down from 0.1 to 0.5 and up from 0.6. Thus, 2.5 is rounded to 2.0; 2.6 – to 3.0
- GrammarThe ongoing assessment in Grammar is calculated according to the formula: О = 0,2*Оtests + 0,2*Оcontact work + 0,1*ОLMS + 0,5*Оfinal test. The ongoing assessment (ОGrammar) is based on the following elements of control: 1) tests (О test = (О test 1 + О test 2 + …….) / О number of tests); 2) active contact work in class 3) tests in LMS; 4) final tests. At the end of each module the teacher indicates the date of deadline for checking the tests in LMS. If the tasks have not been completed by this date, the grades will be counted off, e.g. if a student got 7 out of 10-scale grading system but 5 compulsory tests were not done then the grade is 2 (7-5).
- PhoneticsThe teacher assesses the students` work during the classes: participation in dialogues and discussions, monologues and presentations, role-plays, written tasks fulfillment. The teacher assesses students` independent work in terms of homework completion of extensive reading and listening tasks. The grades are recorded in the register (decimal system 0-10), and the mean is calculated at the end of the year – Oaccum. The accumulated grade for a module includes the result of the ongoing control in the following way: Oaccum= 0,8* Оaud+ 0.2* Оtest Where Oaud is calculated as a sum of all forms of the ongoing control provisioned in the GSP (General Study Plan) and carried out during the classes.
- Practice of SpeechThe Current Grade in Practice of Speech is calculated according to the formula: О pr.o.sp. = 0,1*О contact work + 0,3*О quizzes + 0,3*О speaking/writing + 0,3*О final test 1. Contact work – student’s work in class/at home is comprised by the following constituent parts: attendance, active classroom participation, self-study activities. Each class you receive +/- for each constituent part. The number of pluses is calculated and then the following formula is applied: О CW = О cumulative * 9/О max. points. The maximum grade for this type of assessment is 9. You may earn 1extra point if you complete >90% of Smart LMS activities. Thus, you may receive 10 as the final grade for this type of assessment. If a seminar is held online, active classroom participation is graded under the condition that the student keeps their camera on. 2. Quizzes – lexical or academic style tests which are aimed at controlling new knowledge and skills formation, timely correction of reaching strategies. The maximum grade for this type of assessment is 10. To calculate the final (cumulative) grade for this type of assessment the following formula is applied: О quizzes = (О quiz 1 + О quiz 2 + …….)/О total number; If a seminar is held online, quizzes are graded graded under the condition that the student keeps their camera on. 3. Speaking and writing activities – monologues, debates, discussions, role-plays, round-table discussions, projects, written products. The maximum grade for this type of assessment is 10. To calculate the final (cumulative) grade for this type of assessment the following formula is applied: О speaking/writing = (О speaking 1 + О speaking 2 + …….)/О total number; If a seminar is held online, speaking and writing activities are graded graded under the condition that the student keeps their camera on. 4. Final tests – the lexical test on the entire Unit. The maximum grade for this type of assessment is 10. To calculate the final (cumulative) grade for this type of assessment the following formula is applied: О test = (О final test 1 + О final test 2 + …….)/О total number. If a seminar is held online, final tests are graded graded under the condition that the student keeps their camera on. Only the Current Grade is subject to rounding. It is rounded down from 0.1 to 0.5 and up from 0.6. Thus, 2.5 is rounded to 2.0; 2.6 – to 3.0
- Final ExamThe exam consists of 2 parts: written and oral. The written part includes writing a report task. The oral part includes a discussion task.
- Practice of Speech Year 2The Current Grade in Practice of Speech is calculated according to the formula: G pr.o.sp. = 0,1*G contact work + 0,3*G quizzes + 0,3*G speaking/writing + 0,3*G final test 1. Contact work – student’s work in class is comprised by the following constituent parts: active classroom participation, demonstration of critical and original thinking, self-study activities. Each class you receive +/- for each constituent part. The number of pluses is calculated and then the following formula is applied: G CW = G cumulative * 9/G max. points. The maximum grade for this type of assessment is 9. You may earn 1extra point if you complete more than 90% of Smart LMS activities. Thus, you may receive 10 as the final grade for this type of assessment. If a seminar is held online, active classroom participation is graded under the condition that the student keeps their camera on. 2. Quizzes – lexical or academic style tests which are aimed at controlling new knowledge and skills formation, timely correction of reaching strategies. The maximum grade for this type of assessment is 10. To calculate the final (cumulative) grade for this type of assessment the following formula is applied: G quizzes = (G quiz 1 + G quiz 2 + …….)/G total number. If a seminar is held online, quizzes are graded graded under the condition that the student keeps their camera on. 3. Speaking and writing activities – monologues, debates, discussions, role-plays, round-table discussions, projects, written products. The maximum grade for this type of assessment is 10. To calculate the final (cumulative) grade for this type of assessment the following formula is applied: G speaking/writing = (G speaking 1 + G speaking 2 + …….)/G total number. If a seminar is held online, speaking and writing activities are graded graded under the condition that the student keeps their camera on. 4. Final tests – the lexical test on the entire Unit. The maximum grade for this type of assessment is 10. To calculate the final (cumulative) grade for this type of assessment the following formula is applied: G test = (G final test 1 + G final test 2 + …….)/G total number. If a seminar is held online, final tests are graded graded under the condition that the student keeps their camera on. Only the Total Grade is subject to rounding (the Current Grade is not rounded). It is rounded down from 0.1 to 0.5 and up from 0.6. Thus, 2.5 is rounded to 2.0; 2.6 – to 3.0
- Grammar Year 2In Module 1, the Final grade is calculated according to the formula: TG = O phonetics * 0,2 + O practice of speech tests * 0,2 + O practice of speech speaking/writing * 0,2 + O practice of speech contact work * 0,05 + O grammar classwork * 0,1 + O grammar LMS tasks * 0,05 + O grammar tests * 0,2 In Module 2, the Current Grade in Grammar is calculated according to the formula: G gr. = 0,25*G class work + 0,25*G LMS Tests + 0,5*G Intermediate tests In Module 2, grades received in both Module 1 and Module 2 are used in calculations. 1. Class work - Student’s work is comprised by the following constituent parts: attendance, active classroom participation, home assignment. Each of the three gives the student 1 point (3 points per class maximum). To calculate the final (cumulative) grade for this type of assessment, the following formula is applied: G class work = (G class 1 + Grade class 2...)/total number*33.3333333333333. The maximum grade for this type of assessment is 10. If a seminar is held online, active classroom participation is graded under the condition that the student keeps their camera on. 2. LMS tasks - online tests in LMS system. The students are given a list of tests that they need to do online asyncronically at their own pace for each module, and are informed about the deadlines. The maximum grade for this type of assessment is 10. To calculate the final (cumulative) grade for this type of assessment, the following formula is applied for each module: G LMS tests M1/2 = (G lms test 1 + G lms test 2 + ...)/total number. 3. Tests - grammar tests which are aimed at controlling new knowledge and skills formation, ability to apply the rules studied correctly. The maximum grade for this type of assessment is 10. To calculate the final (cumulative) grade for this type of assessment the following formula is applied: G tests = (G test 1 + G test 2 +...)/total number. If a seminar is held online, tests are graded under the condition that the student keeps their camera on. Only the Total Grade is subject to rounding (the Current Grade is not rounded). It is rounded down from 0.1 to 0.5 and up from 0.6.
- Phonetics Year 2The teacher assesses the students` work during the classes: participation in dialogues and discussions, monologues and presentations, role-plays, written tasks fulfillment. The teacher assesses students` independent work in terms of homework completion of extensive reading and listening tasks. The grades are recorded in the register (decimal system 0-10), and the mean is calculated at the end of the year – Oaccum. The accumulated grade for a module includes the result of the ongoing control in the following way: Oaccum= 0,8* Оaud+ 0.2* Оtest Where Oaud is calculated as a sum of all forms of the ongoing control provisioned in the GSP (General Study Plan) and carried out during the classes.
- Practice of Speech Tests / QuizzesQuizzes – lexical or academic style tests which are aimed at controlling new knowledge and skills formation, timely correction of reaching strategies. The maximum grade for this type of assessment is 10. To calculate the final (cumulative) grade for this type of assessment the following formula is applied: G quizzes = (G quiz/test 1 + G quiz/test 2 + …….)/G total number. If a seminar is held online, quizzes are graded graded under the condition that the student keeps their camera on.
- Practice of Speech Speaking / WritingSpeaking and writing activities – monologues, debates, discussions, role-plays, round-table discussions, projects, written products. The maximum grade for this type of assessment is 10. To calculate the final (cumulative) grade for this type of assessment the following formula is applied: G speaking/writing = (G speaking 1 + G speaking 2 + …….)/G total number; If a seminar is held online, speaking and writing activities are graded graded under the condition that the student keeps their camera on.
- Practice of Speech Contact WorkStudent’s work in class is comprised by the following constituent parts: active classroom participation, demonstration of critical and original thinking, self-study activities.
- Grammar ClassworkClass work - Student’s work is comprised by the following constituent parts: attendance, active classroom participation, home assignment. Each of the three gives the student 1 point (3 points per class maximum). To calculate the final (cumulative) grade for this type of assessment, the following formula is applied: G class work = (G class 1 + Grade class 2...)/total number*33.3333333333333. The maximum grade for this type of assessment is 10. If a seminar is held online, active classroom participation is graded under the condition that the student keeps their camera on.
- Grammar LMS TasksLMS tasks - online tests in LMS system. The students are given a list of tests that they need to do online asyncronically at their own pace for each module, and are informed about the deadlines. The maximum grade for this type of assessment is 10. To calculate the final (cumulative) grade for this type of assessment, the following formula is applied for each module: G LMS tests M1/2 = (G lms test 1 + G lms test 2 + ...)/total number.
- Grammar TestsTests - grammar tests which are aimed at controlling new knowledge and skills formation, ability to apply the rules studied correctly. The maximum grade for this type of assessment is 10. To calculate the final (cumulative) grade for this type of assessment the following formula is applied: G tests = (G test 1 + G test 2 +...)/total number. If a seminar is held online, tests are graded under the condition that the student keeps their camera on.
- Phonetics Classwork
- Phonetics Tests
- Integrative testThe integrative test is based on he materials of all the aspects studied throughout the course (modules 1-2 of the 2nd year of studies). The task types are the following: Task 1. Fill in the gaps with the words that grammatically and lexically fit each gap. Task 2. Correct the mistakes in the following sentences. Task 3. Read the sentences below, Decide which answer (A, B, C or D) best fits each gap. Task 4. Part 1. Rewrite the sentence so that it has a similar meaning to the given sentence, using the word(s) in brackets. Do not change the word(s) in brackets. Task 4. Part 2. Fill in the gaps with the correct form of the words given in capitals.
Interim Assessment
- 2021/2022 2nd module0.25 * Practice of Speech + 0.25 * Grammar + 0.3 * Exam Grammar + 0.2 * Phonetics
- 2021/2022 3rd module0.2 * Phonetics + 0.25 * Grammar + 0.25 * Practice of Speech + 0.3 * Exam Practice of Speech
- 2021/2022 4th module0.3 * Exam Phonetics + 0.25 * Practice of Speech + 0.2 * Phonetics + 0.25 * Grammar
- 2022/2023 1st module0.2 * Practice of Speech Tests / Quizzes + 0.05 * Practice of Speech Contact Work + 0.2 * Grammar Tests + 0.1 * Phonetics Tests + 0.2 * Practice of Speech Speaking / Writing + 0.05 * Grammar LMS Tasks + 0.1 * Grammar Classwork + 0.1 * Phonetics Classwork
- 2022/2023 2nd module0.1 * Integrative test + 0.25 * Practice of Speech Year 2 + 0.2 * Phonetics Year 2 + 0.2 * Final Exam + 0.25 * Grammar Year 2
Bibliography
Recommended Core Bibliography
- Грамматика современного английского языка : учебник для вузов, Крылова, И. П., 2017
- Гуревич, В. В. Практическая грамматика английского языка. Упражнения и комментарии : учебное пособие / В. В. Гуревич. — 12-е изд., стер. — Москва : ФЛИНТА, 2017. — 292 с. — ISBN 978-5-89349-464-8. — Текст : электронный // Лань : электронно-библиотечная система. — URL: https://e.lanbook.com/book/100010 (дата обращения: 00.00.0000). — Режим доступа: для авториз. пользователей.
- Комаров, А. С. A Practical Grammar of English for Students. Практическая грамматика английского языка для студентов : учебное пособие / А. С. Комаров. — 3-е изд., стер. — Москва : ФЛИНТА, 2017. — 243 с. — ISBN 978-5-89349-848-6. — Текст : электронный // Лань : электронно-библиотечная система. — URL: https://e.lanbook.com/book/100033 (дата обращения: 00.00.0000). — Режим доступа: для авториз. пользователей.