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 language proficiency training and further development of basic knowledge of grammatical structures, as well as broadening of vocabulary related to the subject area of the programme. By proficiency it is meant reading comprehension and a basic ability to express oneself in Russian both orally, and in writing. The purpose of the course is to build a stable foundation for the practical use of the Russian language within the subject area covered by the programme.

Upon completing the course, students will be able to:

• demonstrate a good understanding of the basic Russian grammar in level-appropriate texts related to the field of Russian and Eurasian studies
• show passive and active mastery of commonly encountered vocabulary related to the subject area of the programme
• understand and be able to extract relevant information from texts at the appropriate language knowledge level
• understand and be able to extract relevant information from oral presentations at the appropriate language knowledge level
• translate simple texts from Russian to English and vice versa
• demonstrate a critical approach to sources of information

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

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

• identify and analyse the grammatical structures in a short real-world example text
• translate level-appropriate texts from Russian to English
• show that they have acquired an active vocabulary suitable for basic oral and written communication related to the students' interests and field of study
• understand and be able to extract relevant information from level-appropriate oral sources relevant to the students' specific field of study and interests
• summarise in English the content of written and oral sources in Russian.

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

• identify and analyse the grammatical structures in real-world example texts
• translate level-appropriate texts from Russian to English and vice versa
• show that they have expanded their active vocabulary suitable for basic oral and written communication related to the students' interests and field of study
• understand and be able to extract key information from level-appropriate, real-world oral sources relevant to the students' specific field of study and interests
• be able to hold a conversation based on short oral presentations, with foreseeable questions given slowly and clearly
• demonstrate a source critical approach to information and perspectives found in texts under discussion

Content

The two compulsory course components have the following content:

Component 1. Russian in professional contexts: introduction 1 (7.5 credits)

The course component focuses on deepening understanding of Russian grammar for reading and analysis of texts in Russian. Furthermore, oral communication skills will be trained through exercises using media sources, which will also be discussed critically.

Component 2. Russian in professional contexts: introduction 2 (7.5 credits)

The course component deepens the students' knowledge and further develops their capacity to understand, analyse, and critique written and oral sources in Russian through exercises based on mass media materials. The ability to discuss everyday issues, as well as those of relevance to the subject area, will be trained.

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 a 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.