2020/2021
English for General Communication Purposes. Upper-Intermediate Course - 2
Type:
Optional course
Delivered by:
School of Foreign Languages
When:
3, 4 module
Instructors:
Данилова Елизавета Андреевна,
Семина Нелли Владимировна,
Воронцова-Менало Анна Сергеевна,
Olga Afonina,
Yulia Andrushkina,
Elena Borodkina,
Anna Cheremnykh,
Victoria Kosheleva,
Yulia Viktorovna Kostina,
Alla Vladimirovna Loseva,
Tatyana Vassilievna Luchkina,
Elena Yurievna Mostacheva,
Pavel Rakitin,
Maria P. Shilankova,
Olga Troitskaya,
Шапиро Элина Диаматовна,
Утенкова Дарья Владимировна,
Комова Лилиана Валериевна,
Зернова Виктория Игоревна,
Утенкова Дарья Владимировна,
Зернова Виктория Игоревна,
Комова Лилиана Валериевна,
Шапиро Элина Диаматовна
Language:
English
ECTS credits:
5
Contact hours:
88
Course Syllabus
Abstract
The discipline refers to the variable educational tracks offered to students of the curricula for bachelor's and master's degree at choice while mastering the optional course of English in accordance with the Concept of developing English-speaking communicative competence of students of Higher School of Economics — National Research University https://www.hse.ru/docs/381549301.html English for General Communication Purposes is a course that aims (1) to build students’ confidence in using English in different life situations and contexts, i.e. home, university, work, tourism, and (2) to develop students’ language skills and communicative competences to B2 level (HSE Scale 60-69). The course is designed to assist students in achieving the level of independent users through developing reading, listening, writing and speaking skills, attaining excellence in vocabulary management and grammatical accuracy. The course offers a variety of authentic materials that familiarise students with real English expressions and scenarios, provides an array of contemporary topics for discussion and develops 21st Century skills such as critical thinking, text analysis, and digital literacies. The course develops a solid general English base for further success in learning English for academic or special purposes, taking international examinations, as well as future academic studies and research.
Learning Objectives
- Help students advance to the level of independent users of English for general communicative purposes
- Boost students’ language skills to the B2 level (HSE Scale 60-69)
Expected Learning Outcomes
- Understand dialogues and polylogues on both familiar and unfamiliar topics; understand lectures; use basic listening techniques for different purposes (predicting, understanding the main ideas and details); note-taking effective use of skills
- Understand articles, reports, straightforward and specialised texts concerned with contemporary problems; know the text structure; use basic reading techniques for different purposes (predicting, understanding the main ideas and details)
- Participate in dialogues on general, academic and professional topics (active listening, questioning, responding to questions, emphasizing, discussion strategies) ; to produce informative/descriptive/argumentative/persuasive speech ; to make effective presentations
- Communicate spontaneously opinions and reactions, providing explanations and examples, and invite others to join in
- Write clear and detailed lengthy texts summarizing the main ideas and selecting appropriate supporting details
- Write summaries, essays, emails
Course Contents
- Literature and FilmIssues: genres of books, films, PISA: reading habits Vocabulary: topic-related vocabulary, adjectives and adverbs Grammar: used to, would, get used to Skills: reading, listening, speaking, writing
- ArchitectureIssues: iconic buildings, describing buildings Vocabulary: topic-related vocabulary, idioms Grammar: the passive Skills: reading, listening, speaking, writing
- GlobalizationIssues: iconic buildings, describing buildings Vocabulary: topic-related vocabulary, idioms Grammar: the passive Skills: reading, listening, speaking, writing
- ArtIssues: art and artists, painting, photography Vocabulary: topic-related vocabulary, collocations, the order of adjectives Grammar: gradable and ungradable adjectives, position of adverbs Skills: reading, listening, speaking, writing
- PsychologyIssues: personality, peer pressure, criminal profiling Vocabulary: topic-related vocabulary, phrasal verbs Grammar: relative clauses, reduced relative clauses Skills: reading, listening, speaking, writing
- CulturesIssues: culture shock, culture differences Vocabulary: topic-related vocabulary Grammar: reported speech Skills: reading, listening, speaking, writing
- TechnologyIssues: devices and gadgets Vocabulary: topic-related vocabulary, opposites (prefixes) Grammar: Conditionals: 1, 2, 3 Skills: reading, listening, speaking, writing
Assessment Elements
- Written assessment
- Oral assessmentSpeaking assignments include a monologue on a given topic, a discussion and a presentation. The elements of oral assessment cannot be retaken.
- Independent work assessmentIndependent study includes activities that students do (1) at home, (2) in the classroom and (3) online. The elements of independent work cannot be retaken.
- Final assessmentThe final test is held in class within 10 days before the exam period. The final test includes one reading test, one listening test and one written work (an essay). The test tasks can be of different types.
