2025/2026
English Proficiency Exams Practice
Type:
Optional course
Delivered by:
School of Foreign Languages
Where:
School of Foreign Languages
When:
1-3 module
Open to:
students of all HSE University campuses
Instructors:
Шапиро Элина Диаматовна,
Егорова Ирина Сергеевна,
Коршунова Александра Ивановна,
Джахангирова Вефа Сабухи кызы,
Шендерович Мария Филипповна,
Коршунова Александра Ивановна,
Цыкунова Екатерина Михайловна,
Кузина Екатерина Андреевна,
Тейбаш Виктория Анатольевна,
Жаркова Марина Геннадьевна,
Наумова Екатерина Михайловна,
Пинчукова Анна Евгеньевна,
Жаркова Марина Геннадьевна,
Егорова Ирина Сергеевна,
Шапиро Элина Диаматовна,
Yuliya Antonova,
Natalya Bagrintseva,
Tatyana Baranova,
Tatyana Baranovskaya,
Nadezhda Aleksandrovna Borzova,
Olga V. Burenkova,
Daria Chikhacheva,
Alla A. Efimova,
Arina I. Galeyeva,
Natalia Vasilyevna Gridina,
Nataliya Valentinovna Guskova,
Maria Ivanchenko,
Alexander Vladimirovich Kalashnikov,
Olga Kamenskaya,
Evgeniya Yuryevna Klepko,
Victoria Kosheleva,
Viktor Makarenko,
Yana Makarova,
Elena Yurievna Mostacheva,
Tatyana Nurgaleeva,
Tatiana Pitra,
Tatiana Borisovna Pospelova,
Ekaterina Vladimirovna Razbaeva,
Alexandra Semenova,
Marina Sildimirova,
Alexandra Smorodinova,
Evgenia Vasilyeva,
Ksenia Vertlib,
Maria Zamkovaya,
Liliya Vasilevna Zhilina,
Anna Zhuravleva,
Лушина Анастасия Сергеевна,
Бабасян Елизавета Размиковна,
Шмакова Анастасия Валерьевна,
Цораева Олеся Игоревна,
Зайцева Софья Алексеевна,
Федосеева Полина Евгеньевна,
Софронова Ольга Олеговна,
Соболь Яна Игоревна,
Афанасьева Арина Павловна,
Лушина Анастасия Сергеевна
Language:
English
Contact hours:
48
Course Syllabus
Abstract
“English Language Certification Exams Course” (ELCEC) is a specialised highly intensive programme designed to give students insight into the most common exam tasks (Reading, Listening, Writing, and Speaking), their aims and requirements. Classes are scheduled for 25 consecutive weeks. There are 18 practice lessons accompanied by seven assessment lessons (exams). Being an exam prep course, ELCEC is quite different from a General English Language course. The programme is designed to help students familiarise themselves with the standard exam tasks and common techniques that ensure exam success. A flipped classroom model is used to motivate students to study the content of the course regularly and independently. The students study the new material at home and come to the next class fully informed about its topic and therefore able to contribute effectively to a group discussion. Three parts of homework are designed to suit any group of students. The “Compulsory” section focuses on exam tasks, a “Preparation for the next lesson” section is for students to get knowledge on a topic scheduled for a particular lesson, "Helpdesk" invites students to think about three questions they would like to clarify for themselves. There is a section called “Shadow reading” which imitates a language laboratory in a language school. The additional part of homework is a “Revision grammar” section designed predominantly for practicing grammar and vocabulary exercises (including training of listening skills). An "Extra exercises" section is a collection of topics that students could be faced with on the exam. 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. No blocking assessment elements are included.
Learning Objectives
- to give an overview of English Language Certification Exams;
- to provide students with the language, grammar and test-taking strategies;
- to improve all four language skills (speaking, listening, reading and writing) as required for english language certification exams.
Expected Learning Outcomes
- Writing: produce different types of written tasks for exams; demonstrate enhanced vocabulary and grammatical structures.
- Reading: understand a variety of different academic text types; use different reading strategies and focus on target material in all types of reading passages.
- Listening: understand academic and professional discourse; identify the main ideas and distinguish relevant supporting details of a formal or academic passage.
- Speaking: demonstrate enhanced speaking in different task formats; formulate, express and defend opinions using appropriate vocabulary and grammatical structures.
Course Contents
- Lesson 1
- Lesson 2
- Lesson 3
- Lesson 4
- Lesson 5
- Lesson 6
- Lesson 7
- Lesson 8
- Lesson 9
- Lesson 10
- Lesson 11
- Lesson 12
- Lesson 13
- Lesson 14
- Lesson 15
- Lesson 16
- Lesson 17
- Lesson 18
- Lesson 19
- Lesson 20
- Lesson 21
- Lesson 22
- Lesson 23.
- Lesson 24.
Assessment Elements
- Classroom Written Assessment (CWA)Written assessment includes various types of graph descriptions and essays.
- Classroom Oral Assessment (COA)Oral assessment is conducted in the form of a standard language Speaking exam.
- Home Assignment (HA)Home Assignment includes activities that students do at home, in the classroom and online.
- Final Assessment
Interim Assessment
- 2025/2026 3rd module0.2 * Classroom Oral Assessment (COA) + 0.25 * Classroom Written Assessment (CWA) + 0.3 * Final Assessment + 0.25 * Home Assignment (HA)
Bibliography
Recommended Core Bibliography
- Distinction : English for advanced learners, Foley, M., 2000
- English for academic purposes : an advanced resource book, Hyland, K., 2006
- English for academic study : listening, Campbell, C., 2008
- Skills in English. Writing. Level 3: course book, Phillips, T., 2005
Recommended Additional Bibliography
- Advanced practice for the TOEFL, Pyle, M.A., 1992
- Barron's TOEFL strategies and tips : outsmart the TOEFL, Sharpe, P. J., 2015
- English for academic study: Extended writing & research skills, McCormack, J., 2005
- English for academic study: Reading : course book, Slaght, J., 2006
- English for academic study: Writing : course book, Pallant, A., 2004
- Writing academic English : level 4, Oshima, A., 2006