Summary

Level:

Intermediate. This module follows on naturally from Russian 3. This will offer continuity of learning for those who have completed the third level module and an opportunity for those with some knowledge to work at an appropriate level to develop their knowledge of the language.

Main Objectives:

These modules will strengthen reading and writing skills and will also reinforce the communicative skills acquired during previous study of the Russian language. Students will gain further insights into the culture and society of Russia. These modules will offer a more advanced study of language structure and syntax and concentrate on using the target language for discussing and analysing topical issues in Russia.

Credits:

Teaching:

One 3-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:

Alexandra Kulikova

Course Texts

• The Way to Russia: Russian language text-book - part 3 vol 1. Antonova V.E., Nakhabina M.M. St.Petersburg: Zlatoust. ISBN: 978-5-86547-504-0
• The Way to Russia: Russian language text-book - part 3 vol. 2. V.Antonova, M.Nakhabina. St. Petersburg: Zlatoust. ISBN: 978-5-86547-522-4

Additional material

• Жукова,Н.Н. Десять рассказов. Книга для чтения. ISBN - 978-5-88337-072-3
• About Russia and Russians. Malyshev G.G., Malysheva N.G. (B1). Zlatoust, ISBN: 978-5-86547-605-4
• Amazing stories: 116 texts for reading, learning and entertainment for beginners-intermediate. N.S.Novikova, O.M.Shcherbakova. Moscow 2017. ISBN: 978-5-89349-393-1
• 10 stories – A book for reading – 10 Rasskazov kniga dlia chteniia. Moscow: Russian Language, 2010. ISBN: 978-5-88337-072-3. Russian Stories: A Dual-Language Book (Dover Dual Language Russian)
• Great Russian Short Stories of the Twentieth Century: A Dual-Language Book (Dover Dual Language Russian) Paperback – 29 Apr 2013. ISBN-13: 978-0486488738

Course Description

This module offers students the opportunity

• to practise their communication skills, both listening and speaking, in order to take part in conversation and discussion in a range of predictable social and work-related contexts;
• to improve their ability to read and translate texts of a range of register and topics: stories from classical Russian literature and articles on history, culture and contemporary society of the Russian speaking world.

The stimulus material (aural, written and visual) will not only provide the basis for consolidation of Russian grammar but also give the students further insights into everyday life in the Russian speaking countries.

Learning Outcomes

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

• apply a basic knowledge of grammar appropriate to the level
• develop strategies for locating information and understanding structure
• understand and produce the main ideas of complex text on concrete and abstract topics
• understand extended speech in a variety of contexts, and the gist of most current affairs programmes and films (including implied meaning)
• read articles and reports concerned with contemporary problems

• interact with fluency and spontaneity, and account for and sustain viewpoints
• write clear detailed texts on a wide range of subjects; explain viewpoints on topical issues, giving advantages and disadvantages

By the end of the course, students should be able to perform many tasks at Level B2 Independent user (vantage) of the Common European Framework.

Syllabus

The syllabus will include the following:

Topical content

Education; cities & city life; travel, tourism & healthy lifestyle; transport; Russia: general information, history, geography, culture & traditions; mass & social media.

Grammatical content

Adjectivies: short forms and comparatives; verbs of motion with and without prefixes; figurative use of verbs of motion; Imperative; Gerunds; Active and passive participles; subjunctive,conditional clauses; impersonal expressions; syntax: compound sentence construction, dependent clauses.

• 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 3, 4, 5

Marking criteria (oral): Marking criteria (oral) levels 3, 4, 5