A great event took place in Saratov State Technical University on the 10-11 March, 2009. Linguistic educational scientific center (LUNC) with the active support of SSTU organized the international school seminar “Teaching English Professionally and Communicating competently” within the programme “Professional testing and questions of cross cultural communication”. The organizational committee was headed by SSTU rector professor Pleve I.R., the vice presidents were the head of LUNC professor Fedyunina S.M., and assistant professor Askarova A.H. the head of the department of foreign languages and professional communication. International experts – specialists in English language teaching from the USA, Great Britain and Russia were invited. The key speakers were David Fay (English language officer, US Embassy Moscow), Eric Sandeen (US Embassy, Moscow), Wayne Rimmer (BKS International House. Moscow) and Ludmila Kozhevnikova (Cambridge University Press, Samara State University, the faculty of foreign languages).

The aim of this school seminar was the improvement of English teachers’ competence in the area of innovative pedagogical technologies and methods of international testing, teachers and students’ training for international exams, and also the discussing urgent questions and problems in multicultural world.

More than 300 teachers attended the seminar during the two days of its work. Teachers’ delegations from leading higher educational establishments of Saratov (SSTU, SSU, PISSU, SSMU, VASS, SLI, MIARF, SSSEU) were headed by the heads of linguistic departments. Teachers of schools, gymnasiums, lyceums and colleges from Saratov, Balakovo, Engels, Balashov, Marks and guests from universities of Volgograd, Tolyatti, Samara, Saransk, Yuralsk took an active part in the work of the seminar. There were 200 SSTU students learning language through advanced courses, students-translators and volunteer guides from the faculty of social system management. The programme of the school seminar included both presentations made by the authorities in the area of English language teaching and cross cultural communication and the work of sections in the format of round tables. The participants discussed questions, connected with teaching English for specific purposes in Russian universities as a consequence of entering the country into Bologna process and transition of Russian higher educational establishments to new state educational standards. Expert classes were separately organized for students specializing in translation, where they with great interest communicated with native speakers of the English language.

While opening the plenary session (block 1, room 201) on March, 10 the coordinator of the school seminar, the head of the department Askarova A.H. addressed the words of gratitude to her colleagues the heads of the departments from SSU, PISSU, SSSEU, VASS, SIL, MIARE for assistance and supporting in the organization of the event. The head of LUNC Fedyunina S.M. greeting the audience, highlighted the international cooperation in the area of cross cultural communication, personal-centered technologies in language training which has always been the main direction in LUNC activity. She mentioned the actuality of discussed issues for linguistic education as a whole. Then the participants listened to the presentations of Kozhevnikova L.A. (“Alternative assessment”) and Wayne Rimmer (“Changes in Contemporary English Grammar”). It should be stressed that all welcoming speeches, presentations and discussions were in English, as the audience didn’t need interpreting.

After the arrival of American participants the official ceremony took place with the participation of the first pro-rector of SSTU professor Sytnik A.A. and the head of the International department Dolinina O.N. Professor Sytnik emphasized that in the modern world the requirements to a specialist are defined not only by his/her professional qualities, but by his/her ability to communicate efficiently, using the English language as a means of international communication. He stressed the importance and the level of this event for teachers and students assuring that such projects will be always supported by the authorities of SSTU. The plenary session continued with David Fay’s presentation (“Testing English as an International Language”) and Mr. Eric Sandieen’s presentation (“American Regions, American Voices”). The presentations were made with using multimedia technologies in the format “work-shop”. After a coffee break the school seminar continued its work with Wayne Rimmer’s presentation (“Cambridge Materials for New Englishes”) and Eric Sandeen’s presentation (“American Studies issue”), who organized the expert class for the students of the programme “The translator in the area of professional communication “. The same day the organizers of the school seminar had a meeting with the rector of SSTU Pleve I.R..

The second day of the school seminar began with section workshops which were held by David Fay and Eric Sandeen. The main events took place in well- equipped rooms (212 and 322, 2nd block of SSTU) which met the requirements of US embassy representatives. The section moderators were Askarova A.H. the head of the department of foreign languages and professional communication and Beksaeva N.A. the head of the department of foreign languages and inter-cultural communication. Sytnik A.A. the first pro-rector and David Fay had a talk the same day. Dolinina O.N. the, Fedyunina S.M. and Askarova A.H. were present at this meeting too, where the perspectives of a further cooperation of SSTU and English Language office of US embassy were discussed. The school seminar continued its work in the linguistic center of SSTU (block 11). The reports were made by the heads of linguistic departments of Saratov higher educational establishments Astasheva L.P., Sipakova I.N., Spiridonova T.A. (PISSU) assistant professors, professor Gorbunova N.A. (SSSEU), Igolkina N.I. assistant professor SSU, professor Fedyunina S.M. SSTU.

The round Table was organized where the representative of Ministry of Education of Saratov region and Kozhevnikova L.A. (Unified foreign languages state exam, problems and the ways of their solution), took an active part. The moderator of the round table was the head of the department Tatyana Kharlamova SSU. The school seminar finished its work with handing all the participants standard certificates of short-termed professional development with visas of David Fay English language officer, US Embassy Moscow, Wayne Rimmer BKC International House Moscow, Fedyunina S.M.- the leader of LESC SSTU.

The book exposition and sale of English and linguistic testing textbooks of Cambridge University press was organized during the work of the school seminar.

The participants and guests of the seminar outlined its high professional level, well done organization, efficiency and importance of organized expert classes, scale and multiple aspect of the event, a high technical level of the auditorium equipment. Besides the innovative direction both the event as a whole and the problems of seminars and expert classes were outlined. LUNC is going to provide such events regularly with the support I.R. Pleve and the first pro-rector Sytnik A.A. The next important event in the life of the LUNC SSTU will be the city English language Olympiad, the winners of which will take Cambridge ESOL exams and receive international certificates for free.