ИСТИНА

To be able to demonstrate their geographical knowledge and skills at International Geography Olympiads, participants not educated in English, must have profound knowledge of key geographical terms and be absolutely aware of geographical names. Since all tasks and related materials are written in English, it is essential to understand them properly and follow the instructions. Moreover, the Written Response Test also requires the ability of participants to express themselves cohesively in a foreign language. Besides, the Olympiad program includes poster presentations and a cultural function, where English proficiency is important, too. Thus, to properly prepare for International Geography Olympiads and demonstrate excellent performance, Russia’s international geography team receives intensive English language training during the “Big Week Outs” twice a year. This training takes the form of quests, quizzes, oral presentations, debates, essays, key terms “drilling”, etc. The general idea of this presentation is to share experience and to get new ideas for future classes.