ELEMENTARY RUSSIAN, Semester II

Russian 1B - Русский язык 1Б

Syllabus - Spring 2009

MW 9-9:50 MRP 2005 and TTh 9-10:15, MRP 2005

Course  #34179

Instructor’s Contact Information

Dr. Jonathan Gray

Office:  MRP 2050

Office Hours: MW, 10:00-11:30

Office Phone:  916-278-6839

Email:  jgray@csus.edu  (Best way to contact your instructor.)

Catalog Description

Elementary Russian, second semester. Continuation of RUSS 1A. Continued emphasis on communication skills and continued integration of cultural-historical components with the language learning experience. Prerequisite: RUSS 1A or instructor's permission. 5 units.

Additional Course Information

Russian 1B furthers your learning of Russian, a language spoken by 150 million citizens of Russia and many more millions living in part of the former Soviet Uniona and throughout the world (80,000 in Sacramento alone, and growing!)  The course textbook is Golosa (Book 1), available in the Hornet Bookstore.  Through this class you will receive instruction in all areas of Russian language: speaking, listening, reading, writing, and culture.  Classes will be lively with much active participation on the part of students.  Welcome to the world of Russian language and culture!

Required materials

- Golosa, Book 1 (4th edition) and Student Activities Manual available in the Bookstore.

- Ream of paper (one package) and a printer cartridge.  You will be required to print numerous handouts over the course of the semester from the online assignment sheets as well as from email attachments.

Method of Instruction

This course is conducted mostly in Russian using the following elements and techniques:

•Speech modeling

•Oral exercises

•Pairs work – exercises, situations

•Grammar explanations

•Memorized presentations

1. •   Songs, films
   

Student Learning Objectives

Upon successful completion of this course students will be able to do the following:

(1)Communicative situations.  Be able to:

•talk about homes, rooms, and furnishing;

•make and  respond to invitations;

• read want ads;

•name family members;

• talk about people, giving names, ages, professions, where they were born, and where they grew up;

•exchange letters about families;

•ask for advice about purchases;

•make simple purchases;

•give birthday greetings;

•read menus;

•make plans to go to a restaurant;

•order meals in a restaurant;

•make plans to cook dinner;

•identify various Russian food stores;

•talk more about self and family;

•tell where your city is located;

•read and listen to short biographies;

•give an oral presentation on a Russian cultural figure.

(2)Grammar.  Recognize and use:

•   colors;

•verbs of location:  висит/висят (hang), лежит/лежат (lie), стоит/стоят (stand);

•irregular verb хотеть (want);

•genitive case of pronouns, question words, and singular modifiers and nouns;

•у кого + есть (possession);

•nonexistence – нет чего

•possession and attribution ("of");

•у кого (at someone's place);

•verb любить (love) in past and present tenses;

•stable vs. shifting stress in verb conjugation;

•verbs родился (was born), вырос (grew up) in past tense;

•genitive case;

•quantity expressions: год, года, лет, when talking about age;

•age comparisons: моложе/старше кого на сколько лет (younger/old than someone by so many years)

•expression: зовут (they call me – my name is ...)

•accusative case of pronouns and masculine animate singular modifiers and nouns;

•verbs есть (eat) and пить (drink) in present and past tenses;

•verbs ходил (went – round trip) and пошёл (went – set out);

•dative case of modifiers and nouns;

•age expressions;

•indirect objects;

•the preposition по;

•modal expressions of necessity and possibility:  нужно (must), надо (must), можно (can, may);

•instrumental case ;

•future tense;

•verbal aspect (at the elementary level);

•expressions of resemblance:  похож (-а, -и) на кого (to look like someone)

•verbs for entering and graduating from school:  поступать/поступать куда; окончить что;

•time expressions:  в каком году (in which year), через (in a period of time), назад (ago);

•verbal aspect in the past tense (at the elementary level);

•ездил (went by vehicle – round trip) vs. поехал (went by vehicle – set out);

• present tense of verbs in Russian where English has "have been doing";

•all six cases (nominative, genitive, dative, accusative, preposition, and instrumental) of nouns, pronouns, and adjectives in the singular and plural by the end of Russian 1B.

(3)  Vocabulary.  Know approximately 1,000 of the most commonly used words in Russian.

(4)  Culture.  Understand:

•the cultural implications of ты and вы (two ways to say "you");

•how living conditions in Russia differ from those in the student's home country;

•the cultural meaning of "apartment," "dormitory," and "дача" (country house) in Russia;

•the peculiarities of the Russian family;

•the differences in Russian society between a teacher and a professor;

•why the surrealistic writer Viktor Pelevin is so popular;

•the various types of clothing stores one can encounter in a Russian city;

•shopping etiquette;

•metric clothing sizes;

•Russian food stores;

•metric measurements for food;

•the cultural differences between Russian restaurants, cafes, and cafeterias;

•the food a typical Russian eats;

•the peculiarities of the Russian educational system with specific emphasis on higher education;

•that there are three famous writers named Tolstoy:  Lev Nikolaevich, Aleksej Konstantinovich, and Aleksej Nikolaevich.

(5)  ACTFL Guidelines for oral proficiency.  Speak at the Novice Mid to Novice High level.

Course Grade Breakdown 

•Quizzes – 10%

•Homework – 10%

•Unit tests – 40% (Units 6, 7, 8, and 9)

•Class participation – 20%

•Final exam – 20%

Grading scale

    A     93-100

    A-     90-92

    B+     87-89

    B     83-86

    B-     80-82

    C+     77-79

    C     73-76

    C-     70-72

    D+     67-69

    D     63-66

    D-     60-62

    F     Below 60

Attendance

        Attendance will not be taken.  However, as a courtesy to your teacher, please email him when you know you will miss class (for example, when you are ill).  Also as a courtesy to your teacher and classmates, arrive at class on time. 

You will find that it will be impossible to master the material of this course without regularly attending class.  Explanation of new material as well as much practice will happen during class.  You will find it definitely in your interest to be present at all class sessions.  Note that 20% of your grade is "class participation."  It will be difficult to participate if you are not present.

Tutors 

        Russian language tutors will be available in MRP 2032 to help you prepare oral and written exercises and help you with your homework.  See the schedule of hours posted on MRP 2032.

Disabilities

If you have a physical or learning disability that may interfere with your preparation or performance in this course, see your instructor.

Office Hours 

        My office hours are printed at the top of this syllabus, and I invite you to make use of them.  Some students stop by to ask questions about homework or to review before a test.  Others like to practice speaking Russian.  Yet others want to talk about life in Russia.  I encourage you to use my office hours.  (Students who make use of office hours generally earn higher grades.)  I encourage you to use my office hours.  Please stop by!

Study Abroad 

        I recommend studying in Russia through a reputable organization to substantially further your ability to communicate, especially in the areas of speaking and listening.  Nothing can substitute for being surrounded by Russian speakers day in, day out.  There are summer programs of study in Moscow, St. Petersburg, and other Russian cities. However, I recommend that you take RUSS 2A, if possible, and then travel to Russia for the spring semester through CSUS or another academic organization.  Your level of language ability will be much higher at the end of three semesters of study and your experience in Russia will be that much richer.  (See me for a list of good language study programs in Russia and to learn how to receive academic credit for your overseas classes on your CSUS transcript.)