Critical Thinking
and Academic
Writing Course
HSE Instructor:
Ekaterina V. Talalakina,
talalakina@mail.ru
Level: Master’s Program
Time: once a week,
15:00 – 16:30
(subject to change)
Core objectives
This course provides a quality graduate experience for students in the following three ways:
1. critical thinking, course content affords significant intellectual development and growth;
2. target language, the English language plays an integral role in the course curriculum;
3. writing, compositions that demonstrate students' critical thinking and English language
skills.
Course Outcomes
Critical Thinking and Academic Writing focuses on skills sets necessary for building an argument
in English and moving from Advanced to Superior level proficiency. Key skills, such as
hypothesizing and negotiating meaning in speaking, understanding inferences and euphemisms in
reading, detecting logical fallacies and tracking bias in listening, and constructing and framing
arguments in academic-style writing, will contribute toward developing critical thinking.
Discussions will center on six highly pertinent topics to the international community, in particular:
economy vs environment, interventionism vs isolationism, wealth redistribution vs self-reliance,
cultural preservation vs diversity, security vs freedom, and education vs field experience.
Requirements
English proficiency at Advanced level is a pre-requisite for the course. The course emphasizes inclass participation and regular written and oral exercises. Learning outcomes will be assessed
through students’ ability to present argumentation in the oral debates and written essays.
Attendance
Regular attendance is required. Owing to the interdependent nature of debate, quality of
preparation and participation impacts both individual students and the class as a whole. Absences
to in-class debates in excess of two will result in a full letter grade reduction.
Homework
Turn in writing assignments at the beginning of class on the date they are listed.
Class Topics
This is a topic-based 15-week course meeting once a week for two academic hours (1h 20 m).
Midterm and final exams are designed for three academic hours (120 m) each. Every topic is
designed to be covered within two weeks. Oral debates are going to be held every second week of
the topic discussion. Position papers are due every first week of the next topic.
Schedule
Dates
Topics
Week 1
Sept 01-07
Week 2-3
Week 4-5
Sept 8-21
Sept 22 – Oct. 5
Week 6-7
Oct. 6-19
Week 8
Week 9-10
Oct. 20-26
Oct. 27 – Nov. 2
Nov. 3-16
Week 11-12
Week 13-14
Week 15
Nov. 17-30
Dec. 1-14
Dec. 15-21
Course Overview/ Background
knowledge check
Economy vs Environment
Interventionism vs.
Isolationism
Wealth-redistribution vs. Selfreliance
Mid-term exam: Three topics
Fall break
Cultural preservation vs.
Diversity
Security vs. Freedom
Education vs. Field Experience
Final exam: Three topics
Total:
In-Class
Hours
2
4
4
4
3
4
4
4
3
32
Class Evaluation
Class Performance = 40%, Midterm exam = 20%, Final Exam = 40%
Class performance:
Attendance/Participation
In-class Debates
Vocabulary Quizzes
Textbook Exercises
Listening Assignments
Position papers
12%
24%
12%
12%
10%
30%
Course Materials:
Main Textbook:




Talalakina, E. V., N. A. Brown, J. Bown, and W. G. Eggington. 2014. Mastering English through
Global Debate. Washington, D.C.: Georgetown University Press.
Additional Books:
Talalakina, E. V. and I. V. Yakusheva. 2011. Academic Skills through Cases in American Studies.
Moscow: Higher School of Economics Publishing House.
McCarthy, M. and F. O’Dell. 2008. Academic Vocabulary in Use. Cambridge University Press.
Paterson, K. and R. Wedge. 2013. Oxford Grammar for EAP. Oxford University Press.
Recommended Websites
www.ted.com, www.quizlet.com, http://www.paperrater.com/free_paper_grader
http://academics.hse.ru/writing_skills/levels,