Prospectus

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Russian - Beginners

Course
2018-2019

Tags

GC, L

Admissions 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. An important aspect of the course will be the cultural knowledge about Russia. 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.

Visual reception (reading): A1
Written production (writing): A1
Listening(Audio): A1
Oral productions (speaking): A1

Timetable

Once available, timetables will be published here.

Mode of instruction

Three two hour tutorials every week

Attending lectures and tutorials is compulsory. If you are not able to attend a lecture or a tutorial, please inform the instructor of the course. Being absent without notification can result in a lower grade or exclusion from the final exam or essay.

Assessment

  • Listening comprehension exams: 20%, Week 6+12 (TBC)

  • Oral presentations+discussions: 20%, Week 7+14 (TBC)

  • Written exams (4x): reading/vocabulary/grammar/creative writing: 50% (together), Weeks 3+7+10+14 (TBC)

  • Evaluations and in class participation/homework: 10%, On-going

Blackboard

There will be a Blackboard site available for this course. Students will be enrolled at least one week before the start of classes.

Reading list

Compulsory books:

  • Ruslan 1 Book with CD, Ruslan Limited, ISBN 9781899785834

  • Ruslan 1 Workbook with free CD, Ruslan Limited, ISBN 9781899785223

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 Grammar, Ruslan Limited, paperback, 2010, ISBN 9781899785742

  • Russian-English, Langenscheidt, Pocket books Us, 2009. ISBN 9781439142370

  • Russian Berlitz Pocket Dictionary, Berlitz Publishing Company, 2006. ISBN 9789812469458

  • The Pocket Oxford Russian Dictionary, Jessie Coulson, Nigel Rankin, Della Thompson, Oxford University Press, 2000, ISBN 978-0198601500

Registration

This course is open to LUC students and LUC exchange students. Registration is coordinated by the Curriculum Coordinator. Interested non-LUC students should contact course.administration@luc.leidenuniv.nl.

Contact

Ms. D. Nielen MA: https://www.universiteitleiden.nl/en/staffmembers/theodora-nielen t.a.nielen@hum.leidenuniv.nl

Ms. O.K. Karmanova MA: https://www.universiteitleiden.nl/en/staffmembers/olja-karmanova
o.k.karmanova@hum.leidenuniv.nl

Remarks

The course has an interactive and communicative way of learning a language. Course contents are grammar practice together with vocabulary building and developing the skills with class activities. The classes will be highly interactive and students will often work in pairs or groups to practice their language skills. During the course, students will give presentations about politics, history and Russian culture.

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 and links to various educative websites.

A substantial amount of self-study is required and the students are expected to prepare the classes. Attendance and participation in the class is required as well and will count towards the final grade.