This course covers Russian grammar and syntax, equips the students with a basic yet functional vocabulary, and provides practice in speaking, reading, writing and listening. The class is supplemented by videos, and students are expected to work with tapes and Internet resources. The committed student who begins the course with no knowledge of Russian will make rapid and very satisfying progress. This course reviews and expands grammatical concepts first covered in the first-year Russian courses. The course greatly emphasizes the development of speaking and listening skills.
Students read and write texts of increasing complexity, discussing various cultural topics.
Many class activities and homework assignments are modeled on the linguistic requirements and real-life situations of the New Russia. Students receive intensive training in writing through regular writing assignments and writing workshops. Students who complete this course should be able to participate readily in conversations with native speakers of Russian, to write relatively complex Russian, and to read most kinds of Russian texts quite fluently with the aid of a dictionary. This intensive course will reinforce the first three years of work in Russian, and will aim for advanced competence in all four-language skills. The more complex aspect of Russian syntax will be given special attention, and vocabulary building will be emphasized.