RUSS 101
Elementary Russian I
1. Catalog Entry
RUSS 101
Elementary Russian I
Credit hours (4)
Introductory course designed to lay foundation of Modern Russian language and to convey
basic reading, listening and pronunciation skills for beginners. Approved for Core
Curriculum credit in College Core B in Foreign Languages.
Note(s): If students have taken RUSS 100, they are not eligible to take RUSS 101. Offered in Fall.
2. Detailed Description of Course
Four hours lecture and language practice. Russian is a Slavic language used throughout the Slavic World and the official language in Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan. This is the first course in Russian language introducing students to written and oral communication in elementary Russian with emphasis upon the Cyrillic alphabet, greetings and elementary grammar focused on present tense. In this class, students learn the essential elements of Russian grammar structure, spelling and vocabulary (limited to basic objects and colors, clothing, common measures, numbers 1-100, name of immediate family members) and cultural aspects of the Slavic world. Grammatical structures include: gender and numbers, grammatical case-introduction, the verb to be in present-tense sentences, pronouns, possessive modifiers, nominative case of adjectives, verb conjugation and conjunctions. Aural comprehension, speaking, reading, and writing are stressed in that order. Independent laboratory practice required.
3. Detailed Description of Conduct of Course
Class instruction targets communication practice using the situations, intentions, vocabulary, culture, and grammar introduced in a given chapter. Other activities include: singing songs; doing skits; explaining grammar and vocabulary; practicing pronunciation, listening comprehension exercises; translation, writing, and grammar drills. Class is conducted primarily in the target language.
4. Goals and Objectives of the Course
Students will be able to demonstrate language skills appropriate to the level of study. They will be able to communicate minimally with learned material and produce oral speech using isolated words and learned phrases with predictable areas of need. Even though students’ pronunciation is often faulty, students are minimally able to recombine learned oral elements slowly. Students will only be minimally able to recombine learned oral elements and to pronounce most Russian sounds accurately (if not in rapid speech). As regards listening skills, students will be able to recognize learned material and isolated words and phrases when strongly supported by context. Students will be able to comprehend some words and phrases from simple questions, statements, high frequency commands, and courtesy formulations about topics that refer to basic personal information or the immediate physical setting. Reading and writing goals (standardized ACTFL proficiency criteria):
Students will be able to identify learned material without assistance and to understand some new material when strongly supported by cognates, context, or dictionary assistance. In writing, students will be able to produce isolated words and phrases from learned material and will be limited to producing the most basic grammar in graded sentences.
Students will be able to analyze similarities and differences between their own and the target cultures.
Students will be able to explain contemporary international issues from the perspectives of their own and the target cultures.
5. Assessment Measures
Speaking progress is evaluated in class and in oral interviews. Written homework assignments provide a foundation for the evaluation of writing progress. Listening and reading comprehension and grammatical accuracy are tested in quizzes, chapter tests, and on the final exam. In most of these testing situations, students will also either demonstrate or further expand (in the case of new linguistic excerpts containing new cultural topics) their familiarity with cultural topics and current global issues. Student's success in using Russian will therefore demonstrate not only their linguistic abilities but also their cultural competence.
6. Other Course Information
To supplement linguistic and cultural encounters in class, students are expected to participate in some extracurricular activities such as conversations with native speakers, watching Russian language movies and inquiring about Russian cultures by means of the multitude of media available as informational resources. This course is mainly designed for students in Russian language and can help students fulfill the B.A. foreign language requirement. RUSS 101 is for beginners and students who have had no more than one year of Russian in high school. If students have taken RUSS 100, they are not eligible to take RUSS 101.
Review and Approval