At the beginning of the semester, each student discusses his interests with the teacher, and together they define the course. Later, the original plan may be revised or adjusted. Some students write essays that have to do with their other studies. Some students do detailed text analysis, usually working with texts that they also study elsewhere, e.g. in government, history, or other courses.
Some students concentrate on vocabulary for their field.
The content of the course varies greatly depending on the student's needs. This course may be the only option for those students who have a special project. For example, it may be taken by a student who wants to create a video documentary about a Russian family living in Ithaca, or write and produce a play in Russian, etc. Any project is eligible, if it provides an opportunity to learn. This course should not be taken by students whose interests can be served by taking other, more standard courses.