Spring 2025: February 13  — June 13
Subject: ESL
Course Level: 100
Number of Credits: non credit course
Max Enrollment: 20
Schedule: Fri 15:00 – 16:30 or 16:40 –  18:10 CET (Berlin) | 9:00 – 10:30 AM  or 12:40 –14:10 PM EDT (New York)
Language of Instruction: English
Course Prerequisites: English A2

Accepted students will be divided into two groups according to the results of the English placement test.

Group 1: Intermediate English

The Intermediate English Course is for students who want to develop a foundation in academic English writing, reading, grammar, listening, and speaking. Students will learn how to communicate more clearly and effectively and practice writing at an academic level. In addition, students will improve their vocabulary and grammar by creating Academic Word Lists and learning intermediate-level grammar.

Group 2: Upper-Intermediate English

The Upper-Intermediate English Course is for students who have a foundational knowledge of English, but need extra practice before starting college-level courses. Students will build upon their writing, reading, grammar, listening and speaking skills. They will practice writing at a higher academic level. Students will learn more advanced vocabulary, grammar structures and sentence construction.

Guidelines for the Statement of Purpose:

We invite you to apply for our Preparatory Academic English Course, designed for prospective students who may be interested in applying to the future Smolny Beyond Borders online Associate Degree Program. This course is intended to help you develop the skills needed for success in a liberal arts college context.

What to include:
In 300–500 words, tell us:

Why are you interested in our program and this course in particular?
How does improving your Academic English align with your educational or personal goals?
Why does the liberal arts approach appeal to you?

Application Portal Instructions:
1) Use the Latin alphabet for all entries on the portal, including your name. If the Language of Instruction is Russian, you may use Cyrillic only within the Statement of Purpose file, and the title of the file should still be in English.
2) Refrain from using email addresses associated with Russian or Belarusian educational institutions.
3) While completing the “Required Information” section, ensure you fill in the “Province” field for your address.
4) Provide an address outside Russia or Belarus in both the “Required Information” and “Geographic Location Confirmation” sections of the “Online Course Application”. This ensures we can send your transcript.
5) You must press the “Sign” button twice during the application.
6) If you hold a bachelor’s degree, select “4th+” in the “Academic Year (online)” section.
7) Applicants either unaffiliated or affiliated with educational institutions in Russia and Belarus should list ‘Smolny Beyond Borders’ as their educational institution.
8) In the student ID section, enter ‘SBB’.
9) Consider drafting your motivation letter ahead of time. Save it as a separate file with this format: LastName_FirstName_CourseTitle for a smoother application process.