Summary

Level:

Post-Beginners. These modules will be offered to undergraduates with some prior knowledge of Russian (i.e. 2-3 years evening course or rusty GCSE level or equivalent) or who have successfully completed Russian 1.

Main Objectives:

This module will give the students the chance to spend some time learning and reinforcing the basics of the Russian language. The objectives of this module are to enable the students to develop competence in a range of language tasks performed in familiar work and social contexts, to extend skills in reading and listening comprehension and to consolidate and extend the knowledge and use of Russian grammar and syntax.

Credits:

30 CREDITS, also available for 24 CREDITS

Teaching:

One 2-hour language class each week for 21 weeks

Students are reminded that 1 credit = 10 hours of study, therefore the minimum expected amount of study is 240 hours, which averages over 10 hours per week. A substantial amount of independent study is therefore required. Students can make use of Languages@Warwick (a virtual learning environment) to facilitate this.

Tutor:

Natalya Moore

Course Texts

Let's go! Poekhali! A course for beginners. S. Chernyshov. St. Petersburg: Zlatoust. ISBN: 978-5-86547859-1

Additional material

Course Description

This module will give students the chance to spend some time learning and reinforcing the basics of the Russian language. It will offer an opportunity for students not specialising in foreign languages to improve their communicative competence in Russian as a supplement to their studies in other spheres. For those students intending to travel to Russia either for study or work placements, this module can work as a refresher course and could be essential in confidence-building for communicating with Russian native speakers here and abroad. Information regarding contemporary Russian society and customs will be provided through the audio-visual and written supports used for the module. There will also be a guided reading programme which will include extracts from literture and the Press.

Successful completion of Russian 2 qualifies students to progress to Russian 3.

Learning Outcomes

By the end of the module, students should be able to:

• apply a basic knowledge of grammar appropriate to the level
• apply strategies for understanding gist and specific information
• have insight into everyday life in the relevant countries
• understand the main points in messages and announcements, and understand spoken language in areas of immediate personal relevance
• understand texts dealing with descriptions of events and feelings, and with work-related language
• write simple texts, messages and emails

• exchange information orally on familiar topics and activities and describe background and immediate needs

By the end of the course, students should be able to perform at Level A2 Basic user (waystage) of the Common European Framework.

Syllabus

The syllabus will include the following:

Communication skills

This module will cover items such as: professions & future career aspirations, describing places and people, daily routine & telling the time, food: national cuisine & healthy lifestyle, expressing opinions, talking about the past & planning for future, sports and leisure activities, travel, holidays & places of interest, hometown and a capital city.

Grammar 

This module will provide an introduction to fundamental features of Russian grammar and essential basic structures, making it possible to function in a range of everyday situations using the present, past and future tenses (imperefective), cases, prepostions, adjective endings, pronouns, verbs of motion (introduction), reflexive verbs, adverbs, comparatives and superlatives, conjunctions.

• Important Notes
• 
• Speaking Examinations Information for Students
• Test/exam marks in the Language Centre
• Grammar Skills

Assessment Scheme:

Exam summary and skills weighting: Assessment

Marking criteria (written): Marking Criteria (written) levels 1 and 2

European Marking criteria (oral): Marking criteria (oral) levels 1 and 2