English for International Exams

2026/2027

ID 1110505

Type: Optional course

Delivered by: School of English Language

Where: Faculty of Humanities (Nizhny Novgorod)

When: 1-3 module

Open to: students of one campus

Instructors: Терина Надежда Федоровна, Чухарева Юлия Сергеевна, Нечипоренко Наталья Владимировна, Сидорова Мария Владимировна, Ляпин Иван Викторович, Терина Надежда Федоровна, Морева Елизавета Михайловна, Ломакина Мария Сергеевна, Чухарева Юлия Сергеевна, Занозина Влада Вадимовна, Дулова Елена Владимировна, Ильичева Кристина Леонидовна, Кульков Александр Николаевич, Аликина Анастасия Владимировна, Галочкин Александр Евгеньевич, Дулова Елена Владимировна, Ляпин Иван Викторович, Антонюк Андрей Викторович, Султанова Анастасия Владимировна, Нечипоренко Наталья Владимировна, Maya Chernitskaya, Aleksandra Davydova, Olga V. Dmitrieva, Maria Liashenko, Irina A. Modina, Tatyana A. Nenasheva, Svetlana Okisheva, Anastasia Pakhunova, Maria Piskunova, Anna Popova, Alyona Rodionova, S.G. Vatletsov, Yelena Voronina, Natalya Vygovskaya, Elena E. Zuyeva

Language: English

ECTS credits: 3

Contact hours: 48

Full Syllabus Ask Question

Abstract

This discipline is designed to develop communicative competencies in a format similar to international exam formats. Important components of the course include training in exam strategies for completing various typical tasks and developing general exam skills. The course aims to develop specific skills in different types of speech activities: listening for general information and specific facts; analytical reading, skimming, and scanning; producing oral utterances in the form of the monologue and dialogue; writing academic essays of various types, as well as describing different types of graphs (line charts, pie charts, bar charts, tables, process diagrams, maps). During the course, students will engage in extensive practice with various exam tasks (gap-filling, note-taking, sentence completion, matching, True/False/Not Given, summary completion). The outcome of the training is the formation of a foreign language communicative competence at a level no lower than B2-C1. At the end of the course, an exam is conducted to assess the level of academic communication competencies and to confirm the student's readiness to master the content of various professional disciplines in English. The course provides practical preparation for the Independent English Language Exam, aimed at external assessment of foreign language proficiency.

Learning Objectives

Develop communicative competencies in a format similar to international exam formats.
Provide students with the language, grammar and test-taking strategies.

Expected Learning Outcomes

Describing static and dynamic line graphs and bar charts.
Using advanced grammar structures while describing the past.
Demonstrating skills in skimming and scanning, completing all exam format reading tasks (True/ False/ Not given, summary and sentence completion, multiple choice, matching sentence endings, matching headings).
Describing tables, comparing tables and bar charts / tables and pie charts.
Completing listening exam format tasks which require form / flow chart / note / sentence completion.
Writing "Cause and solution" , “Cause and problem”, “Problem and solution” essays.
Writing various types of discussion and opinion essays ("Discuss both views" and "To what extent you agree/ disagree").
Making up a descriptive monologue.
Describing pie charts, comparing two pie charts / a pie chart and a bar chart.
Using substitution and paraphrase strategies in speaking.
Providing an oral extended response to problematic questions with the demonstration of different ideas and viewpoints.
Describing a process.
In oral speech, expressing agreement/ disagreement with reasoning, details and examples provided.
Making a clearly structured response to questions - general idea with details following.

Course Contents

Unit 1
Unit 2
Unit 3
Unit 4
Unit 5
Unit 6

Assessment Elements

Written Assessment 0.25
Classroom listening and reading tests, essays, graph descriptions and any other tasks done at the lesson.
Oral Assessment 0.2
Monologues based on personal experience; detailed answers on problematic questions.
Individual Work Assessment 0.25
Written and oral tasks done at home.
Final Assessment 0.3
Speaking in the exam format (a monologue + 4 questions on another topic).

Interim Assessment

2026/2027 3rd module
Oral Assessment * 0.2 + Written Assessment * 0.25 + Individual Work Assessment * 0.25 + Final Assessment * 0.3

Bibliography

Recommended Core Bibliography

Cambridge Academic English : An integrated skills course for EAP : Advanced, Student's Book, Course consultant M. McCarthy, 176 p., Hewings, M., Thaine, C., 2013
Cambridge Academic English : An integrated skills course for EAP : Upper Intermediate, Student's Book, 178 p., Hewings, M., 2012
Huang, L.-S. (2010). Academic Communication Skills : Conversation Strategies for International Graduate Students. Lanham: UPA. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edsebk&AN=537040
Make Your Listening Skills Active. Part II - Joura V. V. - Волгоградский государственный медицинский университет - 978-5-9652-0595-0 - 2020 - русский - https://e.lanbook.com/book/179547 - ЛАНЬ - 179547

Recommended Additional Bibliography

English Writing Skills - Егорова Э. В., Крашенинникова Н. А. - Ульяновский государственный университет - - - 2022 - русский - https://e.lanbook.com/book/314348 - ЛАНЬ - 314348
Kathleen T. McWhorter, & Brette M Sember. (2013). Academic Reading: Pearson New International Edition. Harlow, United Kingdom: Pearson. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edsebk&AN=1418295
Revising, Reading and Reasoning for your English Exams, Английская грамматика и лексика в тестах и текстах, 160 с., Кузьменкова, Ю. Б., Жаворонкова, А. Р., Извольская, И. В., 2002

Authors

Moreva Elizaveta Mikhailovna
Nenasheva Tatiana Aleksandrovna

Course Syllabus