Russian 201 – Intermediate Russian 2

Monday, Wednesday and Friday 12:05-1:10

Professor: Kristin Bidoshi Office Hours: MWF 11:00-12:00

Office: Humanities 114B Phone: 388-7105

E-Mail: bidoshik@union.edu

Course Description

This course is the second quarter of second year Russian. Russian 201 will develop your language skills beyond basic language abilities and will continue introducing you to Russian culture. The purpose of this course is to introduce you to more advanced grammar topics, to develop your analytic speaking abilities enabling you to feel more comfortable in a Russian language environment.

Course Grades

There will be unit exams, quizzes and a final exam. Class participation, including attendance, meeting with Victoria on a weekly basis, and written homework also figure into your final grade. The grades will be calculated based on the following percentages:

Unit Exams 50%

1 Final Exam (in-class) 20%

Quizzes 15%

Class Participation and Homework 15%

Participation

Because language skills must be developed through regular interaction in the language, class attendance is mandatory. I will keep a DAILY attendance record. If you miss more than four class periods, your final letter grade will be lowered by one full letter. * Please be aware that this policy includes meetings with Victoria. (If you earn an A for the course but have missed five times, your final grade for the course will be lowered to a B.) In the event that you know in advance that you must miss a class or a meeting with Olga, it makes good sense to tell me. You can always leave a phone message for me or contact me via e-mail.

Readings

The textbook for this class is: Mir russkikh

(and Workbook)

Exams

This course will have 5 major examinations. These exams will test your speaking, reading and listening comprehension.

The three unit exams and exam on the Pushkin reading are together worth 50% of the overall grade; the final exam is worth 20%. Below is a tentative schedule for your exams:

Exam #1 (Unit 1) Monday, January 22

Exam #2 (Pushkin Reading) Monday, February 5

Exam #3 (Unit 2) Wednesday, February 21

Exam #4 (Unit 3) Wednesday, March 7

Final Exam Week of March 15-21

TBA (in class)

*If this schedule needs to be changed, changes will be announced in class. There will be no make-ups, (except in the case of death in the family, military orders, or an excuse from your doctor showing that you are physically incapable of taking the exam). At the end of the quarter your final percentage will determine your final grade, as follows:

PRIVATE93-100 A	78-79 C+
90-92 A-	73-77 C
88-89 B+	70-72 C-
83-87 B	68-69 D+
80-82 B-	65-67 D
	64 & below = E

Daily Grades

These grades are intended to encourage steady, consistent effort. Class attendance and diligence in completing homework assignments are the most important components of studying Russian. Experience shows that by putting in consistent effort, most students earn daily grades in the 90s and learn a lot of Russian in the process.

Homework

You will have required written homework every night as a way of cementing what's being done orally in class. You are responsible for your own learning. Do your homework nightly and be prepared to turn it in at the end of each class. Make every effort to keep up -- it's much easier than trying to catch up!

The 80% Minimum

Language study is cumulative. If you do not know what is in Lesson #1, you really cannot go on to Lesson #2. (In contrast, you can open up a history text in the middle and start reading with relatively full comprehension). Thus, I consider 80% to be the minimum mastery level you should achieve to enable you to continue. Less than 80% puts you in the "C" range or below; while passing, it is not a very solid foundation to build on. So, if on a test you achieve less than 80%, you must see me during office hours to go over the mistakes you made on your test. This must be done prior to your taking the next test.

Professor Bidoshi

Russian 201

Winter 2007

STUDY HINTS, EXTRA-CURRICULAR EVENTS and STUDY ABROAD

NEED HELP?

If at any time you have questions or feel yourself falling behind, help is available. Feel free to drop in during my office hours, or email/call me to set up an appointment.

E-mail: bidoshik@union.edu

Phone: 388-7105

SOME STUDY HINTS

To learn a language well, daily study and practice are needed. Language learning is a combination of both intellectual learning and skill (habit) learning. Just as a basketball team, a violin student, or a serious runner must practice daily in order to excel, so must you in learning a language.

HOW MUCH TIME?

The time one needs to spend on home work and studying varies from person to person, but here's a thought - I will spend 2 hours per day outside of class correcting your papers, planning the next lesson, and writing exams. I ask that you put in as much effort into learning Russian as I do in teaching it to you. Two hours per day outside class will, if done faithfully, virtually guarantee your success in Russian.

HOW TO STUDY?

Try this for starters: Set aside (actually block out on your daily schedule) 2 hours per day, 5 days per week, when you WILL study Russian. Then, during this time, work this way: Listen to the tape (if there is one) for the current material once. Take a 10-minute break; stand up and walk around. Then do your next day's written and reading assignments. If doing this takes you less than an hour, fill the rest of the time by reviewing vocabulary words (make yourself some flash cards), verb conjugations, noun/adjective/pronoun declensions, or go over mistakes you made on past homework assignments and tests. Then listen to the current tape again. If you do this 5 times a week, you cannot help learning.

EXTRA-CURRICULAR ACTIVITIES

Students of Russian at Union may take advantage of a wealth of extra-curricular activities sponsored by the Department and by other units, including lectures, informal conversation gatherings (Russian Table), films, Russian news broadcasts, parties and more.

Russian Table – Wednesdays 12:15 PM, Dutch Hollow (come to practice your Russian)

Russian & East European Culture Club Meetings – Mondays 12:30 PM 2^nd Floor, Campus Center

Russian & East European Film Series – Thursdays 7:30, Olin 115

STUDY IN RUSSIA

It's not too early for you to start thinking about study abroad. No matter what your major is, study in Russia can be an irreplaceable educational experience for you. YOU ARE ELIGIBLE after only 1 year of Russian. Ask about it.

Enjoy your Russian, and recommend it to a friend.