Practical Course of the English Language: Grammar, Phonetics, Practice of Oral and Written Speech

Bachelor 2024/2025

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: offline

Open to: students of one campus

Language: English

ECTS credits: 17

Contact hours: 256

Full 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 target 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: academic emails, event invitations, paragraphs, essays
develop academic communication speaking skills: self-presentation, personal interview, academic talk, academic discussion

Expected Learning Outcomes

To be able to adopt various reading strategies (skimming, scanning, identifying gist and differentiating details, inferring meaning from context, comprehending writer’s attitude)
To present oneself in a way that leaves the desired image in accordance with socially and culturally accepted norms of action and behaviour
To use a broad range of target vocabulary units, grammatical forms, and phonetic phenomena in communication practice
To choose the most appropriate listening and note-taking strategies based on the listening purpose
To make a good impression at a personal academic interview by highlighting desirable traits like your accomplishments, skills, and abilities
To email your lecturers, tutors, or other university staff members to communicate personal or non-public matters
To craft the perfect invitation letter to encourage people to participate in the event
To give an academic talk that communicates opinions effectively relying on relevant arguments and evidence
To produce clear, well-structured, detailed academic paragraphs on different subjects
To produce clear, well-structured, detailed academic essays on different subjects
To conduct group discussions with audience awareness knowing the structure, purposes of an academic discussion, and speakers’ roles
To deliver effective academic presentations engaging the audience
To write a critical review of a book or article, identifying, summarizing, and evaluating the ideas and information the author has presented
To give effective non-academic presentations engaging the audience
To write a review of a book, movie, opera, or other creative works to express or evaluate how you feel about the work reviewed
To design and write or shoot news reports with a focus on clarity, factual accuracy, and engaging content, incorporating multimedia elements for reader engagement
To conduct expert interviews

Course Contents

Modules 1-2. ‘To have another language is to possess a second soul.’ Charles the Great
Module 3. 'Men make their own history, but they do not make it as they please.’ Karl Marx
Module 4. ‘Strength lies in differences, not in similarities.’ Stephen Covey
Module 1. ‘The only person you are destined to become is the person you decide to be.’ Ralph Waldo Emerson
Module 2. 'What we think, we become.' Buddha
Module 3. 'All artforms are in the service of the greatest of all arts: the art of living.’ Karl Marx
Module 4. 'The things you own end up owning you.' Tyler Durden

Assessment Elements

Academic Progress
The control element assesses student’s work that includes, but is not limited to, the following constituent parts: engagement in class activities, completion of home assignments, self-study activities, proactiveness and resourcefulness.
Language Systems
The control element assesses grammar, lexis, phonology and discourse in-class quizzes.
Language Skills
The control element assesses listening, reading tests; speaking, writing communicative assignments.
Smart LMS Self-Study
The control element assesses completion of online tests in Smart LMS.
Exam Year 1 Module 2
The control element assesses target oral and written communication products of the Module(s).
Exam Year 1 Module 4
The control element assesses target oral and written communication products of the Module(s).
Exam Year 2 Module 1
The control element assesses target oral and written communication products of the Module(s).
Exam Year 2 Module 3
The control element assesses target oral and written communication products of the Module(s).
Exam Year 2 Module 4
The control element assesses target oral and written communication products of the Module(s).

Interim Assessment

2024/2025 2nd module
0.15 * Academic Progress + 0.3 * Exam Year 1 Module 2 + 0.25 * Language Skills + 0.25 * Language Systems + 0.05 * Smart LMS Self-Study
2024/2025 4th module
0.15 * Academic Progress + 0.3 * Exam Year 1 Module 4 + 0.25 * Language Skills + 0.25 * Language Systems + 0.05 * Smart LMS Self-Study
2025/2026 1st module
0.15 * Academic Progress + 0.3 * Exam Year 2 Module 1 + 0.25 * Language Skills + 0.25 * Language Systems + 0.05 * Smart LMS Self-Study
2025/2026 3rd module
0.15 * Academic Progress + 0.3 * Exam Year 2 Module 3 + 0.25 * Language Skills + 0.25 * Language Systems + 0.05 * Smart LMS Self-Study
2025/2026 4th module
0.15 * Academic Progress + 0.3 * Exam Year 2 Module 4 + 0.25 * Language Skills + 0.25 * Language Systems + 0.05 * Smart LMS Self-Study

Bibliography

Recommended Core Bibliography

Frankenberg-Garcia, A., Rees, G., Lew, R., Roberts, J., Sharma, N., & Butcher, P. (2019). ColloCaid: A Tool to Help Academic English Writers Find the Words They Need. Research-Publishing.Net.
Porter, D. (2007). Check Your Vocabulary for Academic English : All You Need to Pass Your Exams: Vol. 3rd ed. A&C Black Business Information and Development.

Recommended Additional Bibliography

Academic project presentations. Student's workbook: Презентация научных проектов на английском языке : Учеб. пособие для вузов, Кузьменкова, Ю.Б., 2009

Authors

Bogolepova Svetlana Viktorovna
CHIGIREVA EKATERINA SERGEEVNA
BUDNIKOVA ALINA ALEKSANDROVNA
KINDENOVA KSENIYA YUREVNA

Course Syllabus