Prospectus

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Russian - Beginners

Course
2013-2014

Tag(s)

GC

Admission Requirements

None.

Description

Russian for Beginners is a Russian language course for students with no knowledge of the language. The course will provide students with the basics of Russian and aims to develop language skills in grammar, speaking, listening, reading and writing. The course provides the knowledge to communicate and understand Russian at A1 level.

Course Objectives The required competences for a A1 level language can be described as follows: the student Can understand and use familiar everyday expressions and very basic phrases aimed at the satisfaction of needs of a concrete type. Can introduce him/herself and others and can ask and answer questions about personal details such as where he/she lives, people he/she knows and things he/she has. Can interact in a simple way provided the other person talks slowly and clearly and is prepared to help.

Mode of Instruction

The course has an interactive and communicative way of learning language. Course contents are grammar practice together with vocabulary building and developing the skills with class activities. The course is based on course books, materials prepared by the instructor and the Internet. A blackboard site will be available with essential documents i.e. planning, hand-outs, additional exercises

A substantial amount of self-study is required and the student are expected to be prepared for the classes.

Assessment

The tests assess speaking, reading, listening and writing skills.

Assessment: Listening comprehension exam
Percentage: 15%
Deadline: Week 4 & 12

Assessment: Reading comprehension exam
Percentage: 20%
Deadline: Week 5 & 14

Assessment: Oral presentation (10-15 mins.)
Percentage: 20%
Deadline: Week 5 & 13

Assessment: Written exam: vocabulary, grammar.
Percentage: 25%
Deadline: Week 7 & 15

Assessment: Compositions. Creative writing (minimum 250 words).
Percentage: 10%
Deadline: Reading week (8 and 16)

Assessment: Attendance and participation in the class will count towards the final mark.
Percentage: 10%
Deadline: N/A

The exams will be scheduled on the Friday class of the mentioned week. Other assessments must be submitted by Sunday at 11:59 PM of the mentioned week.

Literature

Compulsory Textbooks: Passport to Russia 1, Textbook(+CD), Louwerse, N. / Lubotsky, L. / Meijman, D. / Pluimgraaff, H. Pegasus,paperback, 2011, ISBN 9789061433576

Passport to Russia 1, Workbook, Louwerse, N. / Lubotsky, L. / Meijman, D. / Pluimgraaff, H. Pegasus,paperback, 2011, ISBN 9789061433583

Recommended: Oxford Russian Dictionary, Marcus Wheeler, Boris Ottokar Unbegaun, Paul Falla, Oxford University Press, 2007, ISBN 9780198614203

Any other pocket dictionary will be sufficient for Russian A1:
Russian-English, Langenscheidt, Pocket books Us, 2009. ISBN 9781439142370

Contact Information

m.e.avaguimova@hum.leidenuniv.nl
mavaguimova@gmail.com

Weekly Overview

Week 1: Chapter 1 Alphabet
Week 2: Chapter 2 Introduce yourself and other people
Week 3: Chapter 3 Meet and Greet
Week 4: Chapter 4 How do I get to the Bolshoi Theatre? + Listening exam
Week 5: Oral presentations and reading exam.
Week 6: Chapter 5 In the supermarket
Week 7: Chapter 5 In the supermarket + Written exam
Week 8: Reading week
Week 9: Chapter 6 Telephone. Tense and Verbal Aspect
Week 10: Chapter 6. Tense and Verbal Aspect
Week 11: Chapter 7 Visit and appointment
Week 12: Chapter 7 Visit and appointment + Listening exam
Week 13: Chapter 8 and 9 At school/Ready to count? + Oral presentations
Week 14: Chapter 8 and 9 At school/Ready to count? +Reading exam
Week 15: Chapter 10 The weather + Written exam
Week 16: Reading week

Preparation for first session

It is important to bring the books to the first class. For the first class students read chapter 1 of the Textbook and learn the Russian alphabet.