The Department of English for the Humanities
The Department of English for the Humanities is one of the oldest University departments. The Department was founded in the mid-1930s and back then was a part of the Faculty of History. Besides History students, it taught English to Law, Economics and Philosophy students.
At present, the Department of English for the Humanities is an integral part of the Faculty of Foreign Languages and Area Studies. At the department, the English language is taught to both undergraduates and postgraduates (at Masters and Doctoral level) from the following faculties:
- Faculty of Philosophy
- Faculty of Political Science
- Faculty of Sociology
The Department also provides courses at the Faculty of Foreign Languages and Area Studies.
Our academic staff are committed to the highest standards of teaching and research. The Department’s basic priority is the continuous enhancement of teaching the English language at the Humanities Faculties. Particular effort is directed towards the improvement of ESP (English for specific purposes) teaching methods.
Currently, there is an academic staff of 24 highly qualified specialists including associate professors, senior lecturers, lecturers and support staff, many of whom have repeatedly undergone courses of advanced training at universities in the UK & US.
For non-philological faculties the department has worked out English language courses for different levels and with different numbers of classes. Language course books are issued for these faculties to teach the students how to use the English language for specific purposes more efficiently.
There is a variety of course books written by the academic staff of the Department. To name just a few:
- How can you understand Russia? The principles of interpretation of culture-specific Russian elements in English newspapers (T.Ageeva, E.Pertsev, Z.Pertseva).
- Studying Culture through Language. A Unique Collection of Authentic Texts and Exercises for Classroom Discussions. (M.G. Kochetova, A.V. Trepakova);
- Welcome to the world of philosophy (Z.G. Muratova, A.B.Mourza, E.Pertsev);
- English for Philosophy Students (T.G. Sokolova, Z.G. Muratova, A.B.Mourza, J.G. Zvereva, E.M. Pertsev, A.Y. Valov);
- The American Presidency. Part I (1789 – 1901) (A.B.Mourza), etc.
The department constantly improves the standards of teaching to meet the demand posed by new situations in the educational area. There is a variety of elective courses and seminars tailored by members of Department staff specifically to the needs of students from different faculties:
1. Linguo-stylistic analysis of literary works by English and American authors (accompanied by watching excerpts from video films);
2. Works of 20th-century American authors: linguo-stylistic analysis;
3. The English of philosophy of religion and religious studies;
4. Linguistic features of the English Media;
5. Public speech: linguistic and communicative features;
6. Globalization and the English language: practical issues;
7. Development of skills in the sphere of scientific communication in English (based on E.Cassirer’s “Essay on Man”);
8. Manuel De Landa’s “New Ontology for the Social Sciences”: a critical analysis;
9. The problems in translation of Christian texts from English into Russian and from Russian into English;
10. Russian philosophy in English: cultural issues in translation;
11. Current political rhetoric;
12. Current American political rhetoric;
13. British social ideas of the end of the XIX – the beginning of the XXI century (the Fabian Society, the Third Way, the Big Society)
14. Humanity of the social networking era (reading and commenting on Steve Fuller’s “Humanity 2.0”);
15. Chinese Internet resource ‘www.globaltimes.cn’: features of the worldview;
16. Translation of philosophical texts: theory & practice (a practical seminar held in conjunction with the Department of Ontology, MSU) & etc.
We are committed to using up-to-date teaching techniques. Department staff use a wide range of practice focused materials at the seminars, including the use of a wide selection of books, dictionaries, unabridged texts and videos on various branches of philosophy, sociology and topical issues of political science. The most popular practices among the students are: listening to/watching and discussing audios and videos (news, documentaries and features), making and listening to presentations, taking part in interactive lessons. While preparing for the classes, students are encouraged to work independently dealing with a variety of information sources, including libraries, journals & magazines, and the Internet. The topics of classes reflect the most urgent issues of the present day.
The main academic fields of the department:
- Cognitive Linguistics
- Hypertext Technologies
- Intercultural Communication and Translation
- Interdisciplinary Approach to the Language
- Internet Communications
- Language, Culture and Intercultural Communication
- Mass Communication and Language
- Theory and Practice of Lexicography
The Department of English language for the Humanities does not concentrate on classes only. It organizes and participates in academic and scientific conferences, seminars and panel discussions in Russia and abroad.
Since 2007 the Department has issued an annual collection of scientific and pedagogical papers written by the academic staff.
Staff-student research liaison is thriving at the Department. Students are engaged in a variety of collaborative projects with Department staff supervising them. They regularly take part in conferences, national and international contests, panel discussions; they also do research, write scientific papers and have them published – either in collaboration or under supervision of our teaching staff members.
The staff of the Department together with the best students annually take part in the Lomonosov Readings conference. The students present the results of their research in English.
Since 2012 the Department has organized the annual conference for student research “Topical issues of philosophy, sociology & political science”. The conference focuses on students’ academic and research interests with all the reports made in English. As students themselves say, the conference provides a unique opportunity to get first public speaking experience in English in a friendly ambience of their classmates.
Head of the Department – Associate Professor Dr. Maria G. Kochetova
Contact Information
The Department of English Language for the Humanities Faculties
Postal Address: MSU, Russia, Moscow, 1-51 Leninskie Gory, 1 Humanities Building, room 735
Telephone: 8 (495) 939-37-77
E-mail: [email protected]