2024/2025
English for General Academic Purposes. Upper-Intermediate Course - 1
Type:
Optional course
Delivered by:
School of Foreign Languages
When:
1, 2 module
Open to:
students of one campus
Instructors:
Кузина Екатерина Андреевна,
Diana Burimskaya,
Olga Kamenskaya,
Natalia V. Katasonova,
Viktor Makarenko,
Elena V. Paramonova,
Irina Pelevina,
Tatiana Pitra,
Maria Pronina,
Marina Sildimirova,
Dzhuna Dzhumberievna Tsurtsumia,
Elena Leonidovna Zanina,
Anastasia Zizina,
Шапиро Элина Диаматовна,
Капусткина Елена Сергеевна
Language:
English
ECTS credits:
3
Course Syllabus
Abstract
In compliance with «Concept of Development of English-language Communicative Competence of HSE Students" and "Regulations for Interim and Ongoing Assessments of Students at National Research University Higher School of Economics", «English for Academic Purposes. Upper-Intermediate–1» course is designed to gradually build university freshmen’s understanding and using mainstream academic discourse for their study and research. Comprising authentic content with rigorous integration of core skills, the course engages students with real world academic contexts. Thus, students are expected to develop English-language communicative, integrated, critical, and creative thinking competences while exploring ‘Education’; ‘Bioethics’; ‘Business and design’ subject areas. Specifically, students will enhance their essential receptive and productive knowledge and skills at B2+ level, that is annotating, extracting key information, paraphrasing, summarizing, integrating, and producing coherent and cohesive oral (monologue; group discussion, presentation) and written texts (e-mail, summary). To be admitted to the course, students must have at least 30 points on the entry test. To encourage intensive language and skills practice and acquisition, the course embraces independent work on the online platform SMART LMS as well as autonomous learning while completing creative assignments. Throughout the course various methods of assessment are used: written assessment (reading, listening, grammar and vocabulary tests, and written papers), oral assessment, independent work assessment (activities that students do at home and in class), and Final Assessment. There are no blocking controls.
Learning Objectives
- The course focuses on building essential language skills to deal with basic reading, listening, writing, and speaking assignments in English for academic purposes at the upper-intermediate (B2+) level, which would meet freshmen’s immediate academic needs. While catering to different learning styles, the course fosters autonomous learning, team building and digital literacy competences. To achieve these goals, students are expected to consistently gain awareness of fundamental academic conventions, practices and competences applicable to university study and research; thoroughly explore key concepts, challenges, trends, and implications pertaining to the topics of Education; Bioethics; Business and Design; rigorously approach, intensively practice, and consciously apply appropriate reading; writing; listening; speaking strategies for creatively processing necessary information and producing relevant oral and written responses, depending on the target audience/ interlocutor; purpose; topic and organization requirements; accurately identify, assess and accommodate their language needs and priorities; continuously reflect on and evolve their style of autonomous learning, team building and digital literacy competences.
Expected Learning Outcomes
- - students amply demonstrate awareness of and apply key academic conventions and language and functional grammar when dealing with written and oral texts and assignments;
- - students confidently demonstrate awareness of and effectively respond to key contemporary discussions pertaining to the realm of Education; Bioethics; Business and Design;
- - students effectively employ active reading and listening strategies to understand an authentic printed or oral text more deeply i.e. activating prior knowledge before reading/ listening; skimming; scanning; annotating; using visual organisers; distinguishing between main and supporting details; creating an outline of a text; summaring a text;
- - students produce coherent and cohesive texts (e-mails; text-based summary; monologues; presentations), applying note-making; paraphrasing, paragraphing, making claims, providing supporting arguments and evidence; referencing.
Assessment Elements
- Student Independent Work Assessment/Online (IWA)Independent work includes all homework during the semester. The type and volume of each home assignment is determined by the teacher.
- Oral Assessment (OA)Oral Assessment includes: min 1 monologue min 1 Q&A session
- Written Assessment (WA)Written assessment includes: min 1 reading test min 1 listening test min 2 writing tests (email & summary) min 3 vocabulary and grammar tests
- Final AssessmentPeriod of Final Assessment: the final exam is held in class within 10 days before the exam period. The release of examination papers: during the session. The exam consists of 2 parts: Listening (50%) and Writing (50%) respectively in the total mark for the exam. 0 points in case of cheating. Retaking exams: till the 15th of February 2024. Time limit: 70 minutes. Structure: 1. Listening (L) Listen to the text and complete the tasks 1-10. (max. 10 points) 2. Writing (W) Write a summary of a text. (max. 10 points) Grading formula: L*0,5 + W*0,5 = 10
Interim Assessment
- 2024/2025 2nd module0.3 * Final Assessment + 0.2 * Oral Assessment (OA) + 0.25 * Student Independent Work Assessment/Online (IWA) + 0.25 * Written Assessment (WA)
Bibliography
Recommended Core Bibliography
- Academic Writing Skills 3, Student's Book, 140 p., Chin, P., Reid, S., Wray, S., Yamazaki, Y., 2014
- Oxford grammar for EAP : english grammar and practice for academic purposes with answers, Paterson, K., 2013
- Study writing. A course in writing skills for academic purposes, Hamp-Lyons, L., 2013
Recommended Additional Bibliography
- 50 steps to improving your academic writing. Study book, Sowton, Ch., 2012