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Academic English Exam is a compulsory examination to be passed during the second year of study, preferably during the winter semester. You will be asked to write a book review/essay (on a book you chose from the list above) and submit it by the date you have registered for.
A few days later you will be invited to a colloquium, which consists of writing answers to questions that will be derived from your paper, and discussing your points.
This examination requires a reasonably high level of competence in English in terms of accuracy, logical coherence and textual cohesion (i.e. communicative competence alone does not suffice). The objective is to enhance your overall proficiency in academic English, especially your writing and reading skills so that you are well prepared for writing your final Bachelor Paper.
Last update: Císařovská Lily, Mgr. (20.12.2025)
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Choose one of the books provided on this page, read it very carefully, and write a review/essay on its topic. The opening paragraph should clearly delineate what your intended theme is, whether you are going to review the book as a whole or to focus just on one point the book discusses. Your paper of 5 to 7 standard pages (plus relevant footnotes and a list of references) is due by the date for which you have registered in SIS. Please e-mail your paper to lily.cisarovska@fhs.cuni.cz. After submission (within a week or two), you will be invited to a colloquium, where you will be asked to write answers to a few questions derived from your paper, and discuss your points with examiners. If your availability is restricted, please, inform us about it in advance, preferably on submission of your paper. The final assessment of your achievement will reflect your ability to succinctly outline and develop the main concepts held by the author, both in writing and viva voce. Try your best to avoid any redundancies, vagueness, hackneyed phrases, parroting, or banal clichés. Pay assiduous attention to any confusing references that may occur in your text, and correct any mistakes in spelling or grammar. Make sure you quote all your resources properly. Your paper should be well-structured and well-written. The layout should observe a standard format and include relevant quotes and a full list of references. Needless to say that ALL resources must be duly acknowledged. The paper must not be used in any other classes. Show that you have mastered the academic skills necessary for completing your studies. We highly recommend that you take this exam at your earliest convenience and do not postpone it till the very last moment. If the exam is carefully prepared, taking it may become a pleasant challenge. Please note: The essay must be entirely yours, i. e. it must NOT be created by AI (not even partly) and merely tailored and edited by you. Any use of AI chatbots (eg. for brainstorming or getting data from databases etc.) must be duly cited. Failure to properly cite all used AI tools is considered a violation of academic honesty. If you have any questions, please contact us well in advance of the exam. We will be happy to help you. Last update: Císařovská Lily, Mgr. (28.01.2026)
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There are plenty of resources concerning writing academic papers, many of which are available online. The following list of recommended titles may be helpful. Any other similar guidelines available from reliable sources are acceptable.
ALAMARGOT, D.; CHANQUOY, L.: Through the Models of Writing. Boston: Kluwer Academic Publishers. 2001. BAILEY, S.: Academic Writing: A Handbook for International Students. London: Routledge, 2015. BIBER, D.; GRAY, B.: Grammatical Complexity in Academic English: Linguistic Change in Writing. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2016. BOTTOMLEY, J.: Academic Writing for International Students of Science. London: Routledge, 2015. COOPER, P.: Academic English: Writing Essays & Dissertations. Prague: Metropolitan University Prague, 2011. GRAFF G., BIRKENSTEIN C.: They Say / I Say: The Moves That Matter in Academic Writing. New York: W. W. Norton & Co. Harvard, 2014. GOODSON, P.: Becoming an Academic Writer: 50 Exercises for Paced, Productive, and Powerful Writing. Los Angeles: SAGE Publishing, 2013. HACKER, D.: Rules For Writers: A Brief Handbook. New York: St. Martin's Press, 2022. HORNBY, A. S.: Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary of Current English. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2000. HAYOT, E.: The Elements of Academic Style: Writing for the Humanities. Columbia: Columbia University Press, 2014. JORDAN, M. K.; PLAKANS, L.: Reading and Writing for Academic Success. Michigan: Michigan Publishing. 2013. SWALES, J. M. & FEAK B. C.: Academic Writing for Graduate Students: Essential Tasks and Skills. Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press, 2012. SWAN, M.: Practical English Usage. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2016. WALWORK, A.: English for Writing Research Papers. New York: Springer, 2016. Last update: Císařovská Lily, Mgr. (20.12.2025)
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This course is specifically designed for 2nd grade students of Liberal Arts and Humanities programme, therefore on-line registration is disabled.
Last update: Císařovská Lily, Mgr. (16.09.2025)
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