2024/2025

Effective Academic Communication for Master's Students

Type: Mago-Lego

Delivered by: Department of Foreign Languages

When: 4 module

Open to: students of all HSE University campuses

Instructors: Svetlana Kucherenko

Language: English

ECTS credits: 3

Course Syllabus

Abstract

Clear and effective communication is currently an indispensable part of a skill set that a successful Master’s student needs to build. HSE Master’s students have very diverse backgrounds, and their previous experience may not have fully prepared them for communicating in an international academic environment, which is predominantly based on the Western communication tradition. The main purpose of this course is to raise Master’s students’ awareness of the Western communication tradition and to teach students how to express their ideas clearly and concisely, orally and in writing, while communicating with other academics in their field (e.g., at international conferences, in discussions with foreign colleagues at other universities, or while taking a university course delivered in English). The students will learn how to prepare an effective conference presentation and lead an effective discussion, how to participate in group projects, how to structure English written texts properly, how to approach complex academic texts and read them critically, and how to be effective listeners. Since communication is cultural, the course will also look at how cultures affect communicative behaviour in speaking, writing and even reading, and will teach Master’s students to work effectively with people with various cultural backgrounds (e.g., international students and professors). The course is practical, and the students will be learning from examples of effective communication, followed by tasks, in which they will practice the skills and receive individual feedback from a qualified instructor. This course will be useful for Master’s students from any academic discipline, but will be of particular interest to those who would like to build an international academic career, who are taking courses in English or planning to study or work at international universities.