Russian Level 1

On successful completion of this module, you will be able to:

• Respond to and produce a basic range of spoken language in very familiar contexts, applying your knowledge of A1 grammar and vocabulary;
• Respond to and produce very simple written texts in the Cyrillic alphabet, applying your knowledge of A1 grammar and vocabulary;
• You will also be able to demonstrate intercultural awareness in the handling of everyday social interactions in Russian and engage with a basic range of digital language learning tools to support your production.
  

In this module, you will cover the following linguistic structures:

• The present tense of the first and second conjugations
• The imperfective and perfective aspects of verbs
• Indeclinable nouns
• The nominative, accusative, genitive and prepositional singular, as well as the nominative, accusative and genitive plural of nouns
• Animate and inanimate nouns and their modifiers, pronouns and adjectives
• The numbers 1-5,000
• The interrogative particle li

These linguistic structures will be applied to the following topics:

• Personal details
• College and subjects studied
• Parents and family members
• Meal times and staple foods
• Hobbies and sports
• Interests in literature and music
• Holidays
• Career plans

In line with MFL communicative and active learning methodology, in-class activities cover all four skills (reading, writing, listening and speaking) and include: pair work and group work (dialogue practice, information gap exercises, discussion and collection of key terms/ideas followed by report to plenum), individual tasks (face-to-face and online); discovery and formulation of rules; work with texts, audio and video material to develop learning and communicative skills. Homework and coursework tasks give you the opportunity to revise and consolidate knowledge and skills and to develop awareness of how to use language learning tools independently. This approach not only ensures you engage with a wide range of tasks, but also supports different learning styles.

All pieces of coursework are marked and returned within two weeks. Marking criteria and revision guidance (how-to guides) are included as needed with each coursework to ensure you are supported to complete your work and aware of assessment expectations. Detailed feedback is provided for each individual section of the coursework, giving the correct answer(s) along with suggestions for improvement. In addition to the number of points out of a maximum total, an overall percentage grade is given. Generic feedback on each individual piece of coursework is also provided in class.

The module includes formative as well as summative assessment. Homework tasks (theory revision, reading, writing, listening, etc) are set every week on the VLE, following a flipped-classroom approach to ensure face-to-face time is devoted to interactional learning and communicative skills acquisition. Independent study and support materials/guidance are also provided for students to reinforce topics covered at their own pace. Feedback is given for tasks submitted to ensure learners are supported to complete their work and aware of assessment expectations.

Summative assessment consists of two pieces of coursework (one per term), two 1-hour timed assessments (tests scheduled at the end of autumn term and at the end of spring term), and one practical, i.e. oral examination (at the end of spring term or at the beginning of the summer term). Coursework and written/oral examinations all contribute to the final grade.

• Coursework (20%): Reading, listening, guided speaking, writing (approx. 40-50 words)
• Examination (20%): 1-hour written test on the virtual learning environment including grammar, reading, and writing (approx. 70-90 words by hand)
• Coursework (20%): Listening comprehension and oral production.
• Examination (20%): 1-hour in-class test on the virtual learning environment including grammar, reading, and writing (approx. 90-110 words by hand)
• Practical (20%): Free conversation with the examiner on topics covered in class (approx. 7-9 minutes).

• 7.5 ECTS points awarded on successful completion of the module.
• Available to take for credit towards your degree where your department allows. Also available for extra-credit.
• You must be prepared to attend all classes and and undertake approximately 3 hours of private study each week in addition to the assessment.

Coursebook:  Beginner’s Russian with Interactive Online Workbook by Anna S. Kudyma, Frank J. Miller, Olga E. Kagan, Michael A. Lavery, (2nd edition, Hippocrene Books Inc., New York, 2022), Chapters 1-11. ISBN: 978-0-7818-1440-9 (paperback)