English for General Communication Purposes. Advanced Course - 1 – HSE University Course Catalogue – Higher School of Economics National Research University

2023/2024

Type: Optional course

Delivered by: School of Foreign Languages

When: 1, 2 module

Open to: students of one campus

Language: English

ECTS credits: 3

Contact hours: 48

Full Syllabus

Abstract

The discipline refers to the variable educational tracks offered to students of the curricula for Bachelor's and Specialist's degrees of choice while mastering the optional course of English in accordance with the Concept of the Development of English-language Communicative Competence of HSE Students. “English for General Communication Purposes. Advanced Course-1” is a course that is aimed (1) at building students’ confidence in using English in different life situations and contexts, i.e. home, university, work, tourism, and (2) at developing students’ language skills and communicative competences up to the B2+ level (HSE Scale 70-79). 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 familiarize students with real-life 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 literacy. 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

The complex development of skills and competences for general communication of the C1 level (according to the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR), HSE Scale 80-89 points); 2. The improvement of students’ command of English for interpersonal and intercultural communication; 3. The enhancement of receptive and productive skills related to general purposes; 4. The expansion of vocabulary on a variety of topics; 5. The expansion of grammar structures in use

Expected Learning Outcomes

To develop skills of using basic listening techniques (predicting, understanding main ideas and details)
To develop skills of using basic reading techniques skimming and scanning (predicting, understanding main ideas, understanding details)
To develop understanding of articles, reports, straightforward and specialised texts concerned with contemporary problems at the threshold/vantage/effective operational proficiency level
To form skills of note-taking
To form understanding of text structure
To improve understanding of dialogues and polylogues on both familiar and unfamiliar topics
To develop understanding of lectures and learning context
To develop writing skills (email / summary)
To participate in dialogues on general, academic and professional topics (active listening, questioning, responding to questions, emphasizing, discussion strategies).
To produce monologues ( descriptive/informative/argumentative/persuasive speech)

Course Contents

Education and employment
Tourism and conservation
International relations
Health and care

Assessment Elements

Written Assessment (WA)
Written assessment includes: 1 reading test, 1 listening test, 2 vocabulary and grammar tests, 2 written works (email and summary).
Oral Assessment (OA)
Oral assessment includes a monologue on a given topic and a discussion. Oral assessment elements cannot be retaken.
Independent Work Assessment (IWA)
Independent work includes activities that students do at home, activities that students do in the classroom and online work. The elements of independent work cannot be retaken.
Final Assessment (FA)
Final assessment equals to the interim exam which is held in the form of a written test. The exam aims to check whether the student demonstrates the acquisition of the set learning objectives. The exam includes two parts: Listening and Writing. Listening (L): Max. 10 points (1 point for every correct answer). Time: 20 min. Duration of audio file: 5-7 minutes. Writing (W): Max. 10 points. Time: 50 min. Task: Write a summary of the following text (text range: BE, AE, GE, ESP). Recommended word count: 10-30% of the total word count of the text. Grading formula: L* 0.5 + W*0.5 = 10. Period of FA: 10 days prior to the second module’s session.

Interim Assessment

2023/2024 2nd module
0.3 * Final Assessment (FA) + 0.25 * Independent Work Assessment (IWA) + 0.2 * Oral Assessment (OA) + 0.25 * Written Assessment (WA)

Bibliography

Recommended Core Bibliography

Berry, R. (2018). English Grammar : A Resource Book for Students (Vol. 2nd edition). [Place of publication not identified]: Routledge. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edsebk&AN=1753147
New language leader: advanced : coursebook, , 2015

Recommended Additional Bibliography

Advanced grammar and vocabulary : student's book, Skipper, M., 2007
Качалова, К. Н. Практическая грамматика английского языка с упражнениями и ключами : учебник / К. Н. Качалова, Е. Е. Израилевич. — Санкт-Петербург : КАРО, 2018. — 608 с. — ISBN 978-5-9925-0716-4. — Текст : электронный // Лань : электронно-библиотечная система. — URL: https://e.lanbook.com/book/114337 (дата обращения: 00.00.0000). — Режим доступа: для авториз. пользователей.

Course Syllabus

English for General Communication Purposes. Advanced Course - 1