General provisions

The course is part of the MA in Russian and Eurasian Studies.

Entry requirements

Bachelor in social sciences or language sciences.

Learning outcomes

The primary aim of the course is to develop reading comprehension of level-appropriate texts in Russian through the application of basic grammatical analysis techniques. Students develop written and oral comprehension at an introductory level as well as the ability to express themselves in Russian in simple terms, orally and in writing.

Upon completing the course, students will be able to:

• master the Cyrillic alphabet
• recognise and apply the basic pronunciation rules of the Russian language
• orient themselves in the basic grammatical structures of Russian, with regards to both syntax and morphology
• actively deploy an elementary basic vocabulary in Russian, and also passively grasp commonly occurring vocabulary related to the students' subject area and interests
• identify key information in level-appropriate texts
• express themselves simply in some common everyday situations
• independently seek information and utilise relevant aids for grammatical analysis

The course comprises two compulsory course components with the following expected outcomes:

Upon completing the course component 1, students will be able to:

• fully master the Cyrillic alphabet in both handwritten and printed text
• apply the basic rules of pronunciation
• analyse the basic grammatical structures of level-appropriate texts
• apply the basic grammatical structures in their own expressions of language
• deploy a basic Russian vocabulary

Upon completing the course component 2, students will be able to:

• have mastered the most frequent grammatical structures in Russian
• translate simple texts from Russian to English
• identify relevant information in level-appropriate texts
• summarise simple Russian texts
• perform simple dialogues in Russian regarding certain typical everyday situations

Content

The course comprises two compulsory course components:

Component 1. Russian: an introductory course 1 (7.5 credits)

The component provides basic knowledge of the writing system and pronunciation of the Russian language, as well as basic Russian grammar. The aim of the component is to provide a stable foundation for the further development of the students' language skills.

Component 2. Russian: an introductory course 2 (7.5 credits)

The component focuses on the development of the students' abilities to read, understand, and analyse level-appropriate texts, as well as the ability to respond orally in Russian to given situations.

Instruction

Instruction is normally given in the form of seminars and group instruction, with the working languages being English and Russian. Students are expected to regularly interact with the university learning platform, where information and course materials can be found, and where course assignments are submitted. Active participation in seminars in combination with self-study is a requirement for successful achievement of the course learning outcomes.

Assessment

Component 1 is assessed using written testing and a final oral examination.

Component 2 is assessed using both a final written and a final oral examination.

To receive a grade of Pass with Distinction for the whole course, students must have achieved the grade of Pass with Distinction in both components.

If there are special reasons for doing so, an examiner may make an exception from the method of assessment indicated and allow a student to be assessed by another method. An example of special reasons might be a certificate regarding special pedagogical support from the University's disability coordinator.