2026/2027

English for General Academic Purposes. Proficiency Course - 3

Type: Optional course

Delivered by: School of Foreign Languages

Where: Faculty of Humanities

When: 1-3 module

Open to: students of one campus

Instructors: Столярова Ирина Николаевна

Language: English

ECTS credits: 3

Contact hours: 48

Course Syllabus

Abstract

“English for General Academic Purposes. Proficiency Course-3” is a three-module course designed for second-year students of the Foreign Languages and Intercultural Communication Programme. It aims at helping them adapt to the challenges of academic study in English. Covering disciplines such as sociology, economics, biology, humanities, and environmental engineering, the course equips students with essential language skills and competencies required for effective participation and success in various academic contexts. Real-life learning experiences (listening to lectures in English, note-taking, critical thinking, avoiding plagiarism, conducting effective communication in an academic environment, and making presentations) along with the exploration of grammar and vocabulary specific to academic contexts provide intensive skill development and prepare students for academic autonomy. The course syllabus is based on Regulations for Interim and Ongoing Assessments of Students at the National Research University Higher School of Economics and The Concept of Development of Foreign Language Communicative Competence of HSE Students. Throughout the course various methods of assessment are used: attendance, written assessment (reading, listening, grammar and vocabulary tests, and written papers), English grammar and vocabulary tests, oral assessment (monologues, discussions, and presentations), home assignment (Smart LMS activities), and final assessment (exam), which is a three-part test in Module 3. No blocking assessment elements are included. Upon successful completion of the course, students will have improved their communicative language competence at the proficiency level, as well as their ability to study effectively in English-speaking academic environments. The course is suitable for students at advanced levels from diverse academic backgrounds.

Learning Objectives

• The objective of the course is to improve students’ overall English proficiency (to master reading, writing, listening, and speaking skills, as well as to enhance academic grammar and vocabulary) and to develop critical thinking and academic study skills with the focus on independent learning.

Expected Learning Outcomes

• Enhanced Reading Skills: Learners will be able to comprehend and analyze complex academic texts across different disciplines, recognizing main ideas, supporting details, and implicit meanings.
• Improved Listening and Speaking Skills: Students will learn to focus on lectures and presentations, along with note-taking and summarizing. Also, they will develop their ability to make effective oral presentations using appropriate media, enhancing their confidence and fluency in academic discussions on various academic issues.
• Academic Writing Proficiency: Students should be able to produce coherent, well-structured, and clear texts on a variety of subjects, expanding points of view, developing arguments, and synthesizing and evaluating information.
• Advanced Vocabulary and Grammar: Learners will be able to use a wide range of advanced vocabulary and grammatical constructions effectively.
• Critical Thinking and Analysis: Students will learn to evaluate arguments, identify biases, and construct well-reasoned responses to academic content.
• Independent Learning Skills: The course encourages the development of independent learning strategies, enabling students to continue improving their language proficiency beyond the classroom.

Course Contents

• Topic 1. Sociology
• Topic 2. Economics
• Topic 3. Biology
• Topic 4. Humanities
• Topic 5. Environmental Engineering

Assessment Elements

• Attendance
  The element’s weight in the final grade – 10%. Attendance grade is calculated using a 10-point grading scale based on a student’s attendance rate.
• English Grammar and Vocabulary Test
  The test corresponds to the course level and the studied materials. The test may include various tasks (E.g. multiple choice, paraphrasing, gap-filling, etc.). Students take English Grammar and Vocabulary Test in class.
• Home Assignment
  The element’s weight in the final grade – 10%. HA includes oral and/or written tasks that are assigned to students for independent completion and submission. Students do the tasks at home and either turn them in to their teachers or submit them via Smart LMS for grading.
• Written Assessment (WA)
  The element’s weight in the final grade – 20%. WA consists of minimum 4 tasks of different types, including interim ones (for example, essays, graph descriptions, reviews, reports). WA can also include annotations, emails, listening and reading tasks, grammar and vocabulary tasks at the end of a section or topic. WA refers to written tasks that students complete in class.
• Oral Assessment (OA)
  he element’s weight in the final grade – 20%. OA consists of minimum 3 tasks of different types, including interim ones (for example, dialogues and presentations) that students do in class.
• Final Assessment (FA)
  The component’s weight in the final grade – 30% Final assessment includes Reading, Listening tasks, Report/Review The grading formula: 0,3 Listening + 0,3 Reading + 0,4 Writing

Interim Assessment

• 2026/2027 3rd module
  0.2 * Written Assessment (WA) + 0.2 * Oral Assessment (OA) + 0.1 * Home Assignment + 0.1 * Attendance + 0.1 * English Grammar and Vocabulary Test + 0.3 * Final Assessment (FA)

Bibliography

Recommended Core Bibliography

• University success; reading; transition level, Zwier, L., 2017

Recommended Additional Bibliography

• Graham, A. (2018). English for Academic Purposes : A Handbook for Students. St Albans: Critical Publishing. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edsebk&AN=1910796
• Английский язык для академических целей. English for Academic Purposes : учебное пособие для вузов / Т. А. Барановская, А. В. Захарова, Т. Б. Поспелова, Ю. А. Суворова ; под редакцией Т. А. Барановской. — 2-е изд., перераб. и доп. — Москва : Издательство Юрайт, 2022. — 220 с. — (Высшее образование). — ISBN 978-5-534-13839-9. — Текст : электронный // Образовательная платформа Юрайт [сайт]. — URL: https://urait.ru/bcode/489787 (дата обращения: 02.07.2026).

Authors

• Popova Anna Igorevna