All-Russian English language school Olympiad tasks (based on Samara Region municipal stage)

The paper considers the essential features of municipal stage of All-Russian English Language School Olympiad (ARELSO or Olympiad). The author views the Olympiad as a creative intellectual contest (subject Olympiad) aiming at revealing intellectually, linguistically, socioculturally and creatively gifted and talented in the sphere of foreign languages children and further developing their intellectual and creative potential. The author emphasizes the importance of ARELSO as an effective means of assessing students’ knowledge as well as its correspondence with CEFR; of stimulating students’ interest and encouraging their competitiveness, creative, analytical and research activity, readiness for self-study and independent learning; of helping them to identify their future vocational orientation. Outlining researchers’ contribution to the field of intellectual contests and work with gifted and talented children, the author has to admit the absence of comprehensive full-scale research into subject Olympiads, covering theoretical aspects of and practical guidelines for designing English language Olympiad tasks. The relevance of the study is determined by the author’s experience as an Olympiad tasks designer and an attempt to offer thorough guidance and practical tips to inexperienced teachers involved in the process of preparing students for ARELSO. The paper reveals how the regulations of All-Russian School Olympiad are observed in real municipal level tasks. The author comments on the task types and formats, their linguistic and intellectual complexity, thematic and sociocultural relevance. As a result of the study, the author emphasizes the necessity of designing for the Olympiad new original tasks with the aim of assessing students’ creative potential, foreign language competence and scope in the sphere of linguistics, country studies, linguocultural studies and cross-cultural communication.