Butler Community College	Gene George
Humanities/Fine Arts Division	Fall 1997

 

Introduction to Russian I
Course Outline

COURSE DESCRIPTION:
FL 120. Introduction to Russian I. The course will concentrate on the four basic skills: speaking, reading, writing, and listening. It is designed to offer a basic knowledge of everyday conversation. Information of Russian culture and history will be offered simultaneously.

TEXTBOOK:
Robin. Basic Course in Russian (Book 1), 2nd ed. Prentice Hall, 1998.

Robin. Basic Course in Russian (Book 1: Lab/wkbk), 2nd ed. Prentice Hall, 1998.

COURSE OBJECTIVES:
At the completion of this course the student will demonstrate the ability to:

1. Converse in Russian on simple, everyday topics during a short oral exam and to the satisfaction of the instructor.
2. Listen to and understand short passages in Russian read by the instructor and to answer with "True" or "False" statements with 80 percent accuracy.
3. Read a short passage in Russian and answer the questions from the text to the instructor's satisfaction.
4. Write a dictation based on already studied texts with 80 percent accuracy.
5. Translate from Russian into English and vice versa already studied parts of the texts and/or everyday phrases to the instructor's satisfaction.

TOPICAL OUTLINES OF UNITS:
At the completion of this course, the student should be able to:

Lesson 1

1. Discuss briefly the place of the Russian language in the Slavic languages and within the Indo-European language group.
2. Identify and recite the Cyrillic alphabet.
3. Demonstrate the rules governing pronunciation of vowels.
4. Demonstrate the rules governing pronunciation of consonants.
5. Demonstrate proper use of soft and hard signs in written Russian and their effect on spoken Russian.
6. Recognize the gender of nouns by their endings.
7. Learn the seven personal pronouns.
8. Demonstrate the difference in usage between 2nd person formal and 2nd person informal nouns and pronouns.
9. Use vocabulary and idiomatic expressions from the text in everyday conversation involving personal activities, hobbies, clothing, travel, shopping, and simple business transactions.
10. Pronounce the Russian diphthong properly.
11. Demonstrate the difference between voiced and voiceless consonants.
12. Discuss the use of the verb "to be" in Russian.

Lesson 2

1. Identify cognates.
2. Deduce the meaning of an unfamiliar word through an analysis of its root and stem.
3. Build on basic vocabulary by linking one word with related words through an analysis of roots and stems.
4. Form a negative statement.
5. Form a question.
6. Write in the Cyrillic cursive style.
7. Use the nominative plural form for nouns properly.
8. Create sentences demonstrating possession.
9. Form the proper adjectival ending as dictated by the number, gender, and case of a noun.
10. Demonstrate proper use of the rules of spelling.

Lesson 3

1. Identify verb infinitives.
2. Conjugate Class I verbs in the present tense.
3. Use the comma properly in Russian sentences containing relative clauses.
4. Decline nouns into the prepositional case.
5. Identify adverbs and demonstrate use of short form and long form.
6. Demonstrate differences between the three Russian conjunctions.
7. Tell time.
8. Use the proper verb of motion as dictated by the context of the sentence.

Lesson 4

1. Read a simple passage in Russian, recognizing basic vocabulary and idioms.
2. Decline nouns and pronouns into the accusative case.
3. Demonstrate the difference between direct and indirect questions.
4. Use possessive pronouns in simple sentences.

Lesson 5

1. Conjugate Class II verbs into the present tense.
2. Identify and explain purpose of reflexive verbs.
3. Use genitive case to express quantity and the absence of quantity.

Lesson 6

1. Translate short written passages from Russian to English and English to Russian.
2. Listen to short passages in Russian and write down the English equivalents and vice versa.
3. Count in Russian from 1 to 1,000, and count in ordinals from 1st through 10th.
4. Express one's age by declining personal pronouns into dative case.
5. Conjugate Class I and II verbs into past tense.
6. Demonstrate difference between imperfective and perfective verbs.
7. Decline Class I and II verbs into future tense.
8. Conjugate verbs meaning "to eat" and "to drink" and "to study/learn" properly.

METHODS OF INSTRUCTION:
Blackboard and Cyrillic Alphabet Chart will be constantly used in classroom. Each class session will include reading, speaking, translation, explanation, and exercises. The instructor will usually add some appropriate material as well. The student will actively participate through oral and written exercises and drills, including reading prepared texts and creating original conversations with classmates.

Telecourses: Independent study of audio/video materials augmented by text and study guide; collaboration and participation with class members and faculty via available means. Faculty role is facilitator of learning experiences.

METHODS OF EVALUATION:
Testing and grades will serve as a means of evaluating the student's progress in the course. The student will indicate whether course objectives are being met and if certain aspects need more explanation. This course will have exercises and quizzes in the form of questions and answers, dictation, dialogues, spelling drills, reading and translation practices. In addition, there will be a midterm examination and a final examination, which will test all basic skills: Reading, understanding, speech, spelling, and translation. Classroom participation as well as test grades will be equally important in calculating the final grade.

Miscellaneous: Students with impaired sensory, manual or speaking skills are encouraged and have the responsibility to contact their instructor, in a timely fashion, regarding reasonable accommodation needs.