English for

PHOTOCOPIABLE 
English for Academics Book 2 Teacher’s Guide
© Cambridge University Press and British Council Russia 2015
www.cambridge.org/elt/english-for-academics
 Module 1
 
Organising and participating in academic events
5
 Module 2
 
Writing for publication
22
 Module 3
 
Teaching and learning in English
38
Contents

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English for Academics Book 2 Teacher’s Guide
© Cambridge University Press and British Council Russia 2015
www.cambridge.org/elt/english-for-academics
PHOTOCOPIABLE 
4
This is the second part of a two-level course that has 
been written to help academics from a wide spectrum 
of disciplines to be able to take part in international 
communication in a variety of settings through the medium 
of English. It is based on a thorough needs analysis 
conducted by the British Council and the team of authors (all 
practising English teachers) in higher education institutions 
across the Russian Federation, and on the realisation 
that English classes for academics usually rely either on 
unsuitable general-purpose coursebooks or on teachers’ own 
resources. Piloting of the material took place in a number 
of countries and the book was welcomed by the teachers 
who were involved. Book 2 assumes a starting level of B1+/
B2 on the Common European Framework of Reference 
and provides material for 72 hours of class time as well as 
suggestions for further study. Each module is subdivided into 
topic-based units and lessons. Each lesson contains material 
for approximately 90 minutes of class time.
The book comprises three modules, each on a key area of 
interest for academics:
• Planning and taking part in conferences and other 
academic events
• Writing for publication
• Planning and delivering courses through the medium of 
English
The material in the book can be used either as a complete 
course or simply selectively, starting at any point the teacher 
may identify as appropriate, according to the needs and 
priorities of the groups they are teaching. The student’s book 
includes a reference list of the main academic vocabulary 
items that occur in the course. There is also an online audio 
component with listening material.
The methodological approach the authors have taken is 
based on the following principles and concepts:
• the primacy of communication in all skills. Activities and 
exercises are all oriented towards communication in 
contexts that academics are likely to encounter either at 
their desks or in face-to-face contacts at home or abroad;
• exposure to a range of genres directly relevant to the 
needs of academics, e.g. presentations, conference 
announcements and calls for papers;
• fostering language acquisition through guided exposure to 
authentic listening and reading texts;
• in speaking: work on language needed in commonly 
occurring academic contexts, with a focus on both 
production (monologue) and interaction (participating in 
academic exchange and dialogue);
• in writing: in-depth treatment of the conventions involved 
in writing for international publication;
• an EAP approach, focusing exclusively on settings and 
contexts that are directly relevant to academics wishing 
to take part in international exchange, rather than 
attempting to cover the territory of general English 
coursebooks;
• developing language awareness by getting learners to think 
about language, in particular the connection between the 
language systems (grammar, vocabulary, phonology) and 
meaning;
• focusing on language at discourse level, both spoken and 
written;
• engaging learners with meaningful tasks to enable them to 
draw on their own language resources to solve problems, 
arrive at insights, answer questions, make decisions, etc.
Many of these tasks involve collaborative work, based on 
the social-constructivist principle that adults learn best in 
groups. In this sense, the processes involved in learning 
are as important as any products which result from the 
tasks;
• a learning-centred approach which puts success in 
learning at the heart of all the material. This is expressed 
through the inclusion of clear objectives for each unit;
• attention to the needs of learners with differing dominant 
learning and thinking styles;
• developing learners’ autonomy so that they can work 
towards confident and independent use of English.
Suggestions for follow-up work are included throughout.
Introduction

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