Cambridge Grammar Festival 2015

A HSE team of linguists taking a master program “Foreign Languages and Cross-Cultural Communication” participated in the English Grammar Festival “Cambridge Grammar Fest 2015”. The team “Union Jack” was created by the most active and committed HSE representatives: Marina Chashko, Ekaterina Borisova, Mehrangez Burieva, Madina Davlatova, Sofia Esipova, Anastasia Kohanik and Tahmina Mirzoevaled by the head of the “Foreign Languages and Cross-Cultural Communication” master program – Galina Nikolaevna Gumovskaya.   

On October, 6 the National University of Science and Technology (MISiS) hosted the main stage of Cambridge Grammar Festival: towards success in mastering English organised by the Department of Foreign Languages and Communication Technologies (MISiS) and Cambridge University Press.

An improvised contest playground gathered together the students of 12 Moscow universities: NUST MISiS, MGIMO University, PFUR, HSE, MIPT, MCTTU, PRUE and others.

The teams were to prepare a home task video as part of Grammar Fest Tube competition, which would plainly explain one of the English grammar rules. The HSE team was warmly welcomed with its creative video vividly illustrating the usage of the Second Conditional in English.

The participants also had a chance to get answers to their most intricate questions to the famous Raymond Murphy – the author of well-known English grammar textbooks “English Grammar in Use”. Within the frame of “Ask the Author” project the students asked questionsabout the best ways for students to master the English language, about linguistics and language development process.

Moreover, Ian Cook,a festival guest from Cambridge University Press, conducted his convincing and thought-provoking speech on a really burning issue of 21 century: “The death of printed reference books?” He concentrated on the Digital Revolution impact on the usage of printed books, on the online-resources and mobile apps expansion and the decrease in demand for printed grammar books and dictionaries.

“Participation in the Cambridge Grammar Festival 2015 and especially in an organised quest was a really good experience for all of us.Itgave us a unique chance not only to talk to and to share experience with the famous specialists in linguistics and talented students from other universities, but also to plunge into the creative atmosphere of the Festival and to raise our competitive spirits, which we, being students, are always inspired with,” – shares her impression after the Festival Marina Chashko, the leader of “Union Jack” team.

The “Union Jack” joined the ranks of the 3 teams that were awarded with the online access to Raymond Murphy’s “English Grammar in Use” books for the best team work in the Cambridge Grammar Fest Quest. All students gotsouvenirs and participation certificates.