Before the Contest

  1. ​Send your students their 4-digit identification code, their category (A, B, C), and level (1-4) ahead  of time. They will need this to participate in the essay contest.
  2. Send your students the link to the Student Waiver and Declaration Form. They must complete this form in order to participate.
  3. Do NOT send students the topic ahead of time.
  4. Determine how you will prevent cheating.​
  5. Determine how you will collect essays and convert them to PDFs.
    1. Send instructions to students for converting their essays to PDFs (unless you plan to do this yourself). They may need to install apps on their smartphones.
  6. Determine how you will monitor time.

If students will write the essays by hand

Instruct students to have blue or black pens to write with. NO PENCILS.
Make sure that students have lined paper to write on:
  • If students live in town, print out copies of the essay template and instruct students to pick up several copies from a specified location
  • If students have access to printers: distribute the essay template and instruct them to print several one-sided copies
  • If students do not have access to printers,
    • instruct them to obtain several sheets of lined paper to write on.
    • instruct students to include the following information in the upper right-hand corner of EACH page:
      • category and level (A1, B2, etc.)
      • 4-digit identification code
      • page number (format 1 of 3)

Plan how to collect essays and create PDFs

If students do not have access to scanners, 
  • they can use an app like Adobe Scan or CamScanner on their smartphones to convert photos of their essays into a single PDF file.
  • they can drop off handwritten essays for you to scan and format at PDFS.
 If students have access to scanners, they can scan their essays as PDFs and email them to you.

If students will type the essays

Instruct students to create a header at the top of EACH page with the following information:
  • category and level (A1, B2, etc.)
  • 4-digit identification code
  • page number (format 1 of 3)
Make sure that students double-space their essays.

Choose a method to prevent cheating

  • Create Google docs and watch as students type.  You can also "turn off" editing so that students can't write beyond the 60-minute limit.
  • Use your university's proctoring software (if available)
  • Ask instructors to read students' essays and determine whether the essays seem representative of their work in class. If in doubt, do not submit the essay.

Plan how to collect essays and create PDFs

During the Contest

IMPORTANT: Students should NOT be given the topic before the time that has been scheduled to write the essay

Instructions for Synchronous Contests

If you are holding the contest synchronously over video conferencing software, read the following instructions to all students:
"You will have one hour to write your essay once I have read the topic. Your essay will be evaluated on the quality of your expression and the depth and breadth of what you are trying to communicate, not solely on the grammar (although grammar is considered in the category of ‘quality of expression’).  You may not ask any questions of me or anyone else about the essay and you may not consult dictionaries, textbooks, notes, or any online resources."

If students are writing by hand, continue with the following instructions

 "If you write your essay by hand, you must use DARK ink and write on lined paper, using only one side.
Skip lines to make your essay more legible. If you are not using the provided template, make sure that on EACH page you include your category and level and 4-digit identifying code, as well as page numbers in the format 1 of 4. Do NOT write your name or any information identifying your college/university to ensure personal and institutional anonymity. Does anyone have any questions?

"I will monitor the time and every 10 minutes will inform you how much time is remaining.
 
“Okay, then we are ready to begin.  Here is the topic in both English and Russian: [provide the topic and, if possible write it in the chat for students to see].

If students are typing, continue with the following instructions

"If you type your essay, you must create a header for each page that  includes your category and level, your 4-digit identification code, and page numbers (in the format page 1 of 3).Use standard margins, 12-point font, and double-spacing. ​​Do NOT write your name or any information identifying your college/university to ensure personal and institutional anonymity. Does anyone have any questions?

"When finished, please [provide instructions for submitting the essay based on your preferences].

​"I will monitor the time and every 10 minutes will inform you  how much time is remaining.
 
“Okay, then we are ready to begin.  Here is the topic in both English and Russian: [provide the topic and write it in the chat for students to see.

Instructions for Asynchronous Contests

If using proctoring software to administer the contest, select your proctoring settings, create an essay question, set the time limit to 60 minutes, and include the following instructions:
"You have one hour to write this essay. Your essay will be evaluated on the quality of your expression and the depth and breadth of what you are trying to communicate, not solely on the grammar (although grammar is considered in the category of ‘quality of expression’).

"Include your category and level (A1, A2, A3) and your 4-digit identification code at the top of your essay. 

"Do NOT write your name or any information identifying your college/university to ensure personal and institutional anonymity. 
​
"Write a story or essay on the topic [provide the topic in English and in Russian]."

IMPORTANT NOTE

If  you use proctoring software, you will need to either download student essays or copy and paste them into documents that can be converted  to PDF files. 
Make sure that the final PDF is double-spaced and that EACH page includes
  • the student's category and level
  • 4-digit identification code
  • page number in the format of (page 1 of 3)

Any essays improperly formatted will be disqualified.

After the Contest

  1. Collect essays.
  2. Make sure that each page of each essay contains the category/level, the 4-digits code, and page numbers.
  3. Make sure that all files are saved as PDFs.
    1. You can upload a single file for each essay, or combine multiple essays from one category/level into a single file.
  4. Follow the naming conventions specified below:
    1. If submitting a single PDF file for each level, please follow the specified naming convention: Category level_university, e.g. A1_Columbia University*
    2. If submitting individual PDF files, please follow the specified naming convention: Category Level_4-digit code_university, e.g., A1_8234_BYU*
  5. Upload essays using the button below.
* Including the university name allows us to contact you if there are any problems with the submissions. The judges in Moscow will not see the university names.

Failure to use the correct file naming convention or incorrect essay formatting will result in automatic disqualification of the essay(s) in question.​