2025/2026

Английский язык для специальных целей. Биология - 3

Лучший по критерию «Полезность курса для Вашей будущей карьеры»

Лучший по критерию «Полезность курса для расширения кругозора и разностороннего развития»

Статус: Факультатив

Когда читается: 1-3 модуль

Охват аудитории: для своего кампуса

Преподаватели: Захарова Анна Викторовна

Язык: английский

Кредиты: 3

Контактные часы: 48

Course Syllabus

Abstract

The course “English for Biologists” focuses on the professional language and competences required for successful communication in the field of biology. The course aims to advance language proficiency to the level that enables students to listen to lectures on specific biology-related issues, participate in classroom discussions, make presentations, write reviews of academic articles, and describe complex processes, as well as perform adequately in other academic and professional contexts. The course covers a number of topics, ranging from cell structure to biotechnology. Primary attention is given to the development of professional vocabulary, as well as reading, writing, and speaking skills. This course is specifically designed for students of the upper-intermediate level (HSE Scale: 60-69) aspiring to excel in English for professional purposes. Within the course, students are expected to complete home assignments and take tests in various formats, including but not limited to lexical-grammar, reading, listening, writing, and speaking tests. The course grading formula does not include blocking elements.

Learning Objectives

• To improve students’ command of English for professional and academic communication in the field of cell and molecular biology.

Expected Learning Outcomes

• Produce monologues (descriptive/informative/reasoning); write down notes for later reference; communicate spontaneously their opinions and reactions, providing explanations and examples, and invite others to join in; participate in debates (debate on abstract, complex topics)
• Understand academic/ professional presentations which are linguistically complex; use basic listening techniques (predicting, understanding main ideas and details); participate in conversations and discussions on a range of topics
• Understand text structure; understand lectures; following extended speech and complex lines of arguments; give clear and detailed talks on a wide range of topics, expanding ideas with relevant examples, evidence, or arguments; write clear, well-structured texts on a variety of subjects expanding points of view, developing arguments, synthesising and evaluating information (essays, reviews)
• Make presentations; give reasons in support or against a particular point of view, give the advantages and disadvantages of various opinions; participate in conversations and discussions on a range of topics in different contexts with good command of grammar and vocabulary; write clear and detailed lengthy texts summarizing the main ideas and selecting appropriate supporting details
• Understand the main ideas and certain details of relatively complex speech; understand dialogues and polylogues on both familiar and unfamiliar topics; read a variety of relatively complex texts on familiar and unfamiliar topics; use basic reading techniques, skimming & scanning (predicting, understanding main ideas, understanding details).

Course Contents

• What is Biology?
• The world of cells
• Molecular biology of the gene
• Inheritance
• Biotechnology

Assessment Elements

• Classroom Written Assessment
  Classroom Written Assessment refers to written tasks and tests given to students in class. Classroom written assessment includes minimum 1 reading test, minimum 1 listening test, minimum 1 vocabulary and grammar test and minimum 1 written work (review). The test tasks can be of different types.
• Classroom Oral Assessment
  Classroom Oral Assessment refers to oral tasks that are offered to students in the classroom. The tasks include min. 1 presentation and min. 1 dialogue.
• Home Assignment
  Home assignment includes varied types of tasks, oral and/or written, that are assigned to students for independent completion and submission. Students do the tasks at home and submit them in class.
• Final Assessment
  Final assessment equals to the interim exam which is held in the form of a written test. It aims to check whether the student demonstrates the acquisition of the set learning objectives. Time limit: 80 minutes. Tasks complexity: B2. Exam structure: 1). Listening (L): Listen to the text and complete tasks 1-10. Max. 10 points 2). Reading (R): Read the text and complete tasks 1-10. Max. 10 points 3). Writing (W) Write a review/report. The task is checked against the criteria. The grading formula: L*0,3+R*0,3 +W*0,4 = 10

Interim Assessment

• 2025/2026 3rd module
  0.3 * Final Assessment + 0.2 * Classroom Oral Assessment + 0.25 * Home Assignment + 0.25 * Classroom Written Assessment

Bibliography

Recommended Core Bibliography

• Cell biology : a short course, , 2022
• English for Biology Students and Postgraduates: учеб. пособие / Коротких Е.Г. - Новосиб.:Золотой колос, 2015. - 215 с. - Режим доступа: http://znanium.com/catalog/product/614906

Recommended Additional Bibliography

• Зырянова, И. П. Speaking, Reading and Writing in English = Практикум по устной и письменной речи на английском языке : учебно-методическое пособие / И. П. Зырянова. — 2-е изд., перераб. и доп. — Нижний Тагил : НТГСПИ, 2024. — 101 с. — ISBN 978-5-907804-88-3. — Текст : электронный // Лань : электронно-библиотечная система. — URL: https://e.lanbook.com/book/475937 (дата обращения: 00.00.0000). — Режим доступа: для авториз. пользователей.

Authors

• Zakharova Anna Viktorovna