2025/2026
Academic English Writing
Type:
Optional course
Delivered by:
Department of Foreign Languages
When:
2, 3 module
Open to:
students of one campus
Language:
English
ECTS credits:
2
Contact hours:
54
Course Syllabus
Abstract
The course develops the foreign language communicative competence necessary for solving communication tasks in various academic and professional settings, sociocultural competence, and behavioral stereotypes required for the successful adaptation of graduates in the job market. Students learn to independently acquire knowledge for everyday, professional, and academic communication in English. They will become familiar with the main language features, pragmatic functions, and professional specificity of the research proposal genre in English, professional vocabulary for communication on professional topics; academic vocabulary for communication in an academic environment. Students will prepare a research proposal text according to the language features, pragmatic functions, and professional specifics of the text in the field of study; orally present the research proposal according to the features of English rhetoric, pragmatic functions, and professional specifics of oral scientific presentations in the field of study. The course develops the following skills: reading and understanding original English-language scientific texts in the specialization, newspaper/journal articles on professional topics; finding necessary information in scientific and instructional texts in English; expressing thoughts orally on the covered topics, orally summarizing the content and main ideas of texts of any complexity; presenting scientific and statistical information orally and in writing; composing a message (report, presentation) on professional topics.
Learning Objectives
- The formation and development of foreign language competence necessary for the correct resolution of communicative tasks in various academic and professional contexts.
- The formation of sociocultural competence and behavioral stereotypes necessary for the successful adaptation of graduates in the job market.
- Developing students' ability to independently acquire knowledge for everyday, professional, and academic communication in English.
- Developing the ability to write a research proposal and present its content in the format of an academic presentation in English.
Expected Learning Outcomes
- To know the genre characteristics of professional and academic texts.
- To know the academic vocabulary necessary for communication in an academic environment.
- To understand the logic of structuring a scientific text.
- To understand the stylistic features of professional and academic texts.
Course Contents
- 1. Introduction to the course
- 2. Introduction to the course. Academic English
- 3. Introduction to the course. Academic style
- 4. Structure of the academic text: cohesion and coherence
- 5. Structuring your project and finding information. General and specific information. Definitions
- 6. Structuring your project. Stating a problem and outlining a solution
- 7. Structuring your project. Research paper parts and their function
- 8. Introduction (as part of the research)
- 9. Literature review
- 10. Referencing
- 11. Methodology
- 12. Expected results
- 13. Conclusion (as part of the paper)
- 14. Abstract
- 15. Editing your work and transforming it to an oral presentation
- 16. Editing your presentation
- 17. Communicating in academic situation
Assessment Elements
- Research proposal text (Exam): Written workSubmit the printed final text of the research proposal, formatted according to the requirements specified in the program. Orally comment on the text, answer the examiner's questions about the content of the research project. As the exam constitutes 50 percent of the total grade for the course, only the exam is subject to retake.
- Oral presentation of Research proposalAssessment checks the planned learning outcomes: - Knowledge of genre features of professional and academic texts. - Knowledge of academic vocabulary necessary for communication in the academic environment. - Awareness of stylistic features of professional and academic texts.
- Written homework assignmentsAssessment checks the planned learning outcomes: - Knowledge of genre features of professional and academic texts. - Understanding the logic of constructing a scientific text.
Interim Assessment
- 2025/2026 3rd module0.2 * Oral presentation of Research proposal + 0.3 * Written homework assignments + 0.5 * Research proposal text (Exam): Written work
Bibliography
Recommended Core Bibliography
- Cambridge academic English. An integrated skills course for EAP. Upper intermediate. Student's b..., Hewings, M., 2012
Recommended Additional Bibliography
- Мкртычан Т.Ю., Науменко М.Г. - Academic English: Theoretical and Practical Issues - 978-5-927-52853-0 - Южный федеральный университет - 2018 - https://znanium.ru/catalog/product/1039713 - 1039713 - ZNANIUM