Goals of the Second Year Russian Courses

You are in class to learn to speak Russian. Interaction and active participation is vital to your success in the language.

1. Speaking: The goal of the course is to develop your speaking skills to a point where you would be comfortable carrying on a conversation about yourself, your everyday life and classes, books you like to read, movies you like to watch, etc. To be able to do this, you need to learn as many words as possible: practice new vocabulary all of the time, find a way that helps you to memorize it best. You can do it by using flashcards, writing lists, making up stories with the new words, etc. Learn grammar actively; practice it as much as possible in class and out of class. Try to speak only Russian in class.

2. Reading: You will be reading longer texts than you did in the first year, in a variety of genres, both fiction and non-fiction. We can teach you reading strategies, but there is only one way to learn to read - by reading. You can get texts off the Internet. Here are some sites we recommend:

3. Listening: In order to speak to people, you need to understand them. Your instructor will speak Russian in class, and Russian tutor will speak Russian after class. But you also need to work on it: listen to other students in class carefully. Listen to the tapes which accompany the textbook and make an effort to hear and view a variety of materials; we have a wide assortment of videos in the Russian Room.

4. Writing: You will write letters and small essays. Writing is a skill, but it's also a way to learn: when you write, you practice what you've learned and you can get feedback from your instructor. Even if you don't think you'll ever need writing skills in Russian, it is a necessary learning tool.

Class Attendance and Homework

Attendance is obligatory because in a language class your attendance and active participation are crucial to your success as well as the success of the whole class. You are allowed an absence only in case of emergency, medical and religious reasons.

Homework is due at the beginning of the class (put it on the instructor's table). No late homework will be accepted for credit unless you have discussed it previously with the instructor.

Russian Room Assignments and Help

Nelya Dubrovich, who works in the Russian Room, Hershey 2223 , is an experienced tutor. We have noticed over the years that students who work with Nelya on a regular basis make easier and faster progress. You will be given weekly assignments to work with Nelya for an hour every week. You can also go to the Russian Room if you need help or want to practice your Russian during drop-ins.

Quizzes and Tests

Chapter tests will be given approximately every two weeks (after each chapter in the textbook). There will also be a number of quizzes on grammar, vocabulary, and reading. It is very important that you turn in your homework assignment regularly and review your mistakes after it has been corrected since a considerable part of written tests will be based on it. You will be required to correct your mistakes (Rabota nad oshibkami) for each chapter test.
Make-up quizzes and tests will be given only in the event of illness or extenuating circumstances if you let the instructor know beforehand.

In Addition

Education Abroad Program: You can study in Moscow for a semester after completing two years of Russian.

Russian Major: You can major in Russian Language and Literature, Russian Studies, and Slavic Languages and Literatures.

Russian Minor: The Department has three different tracks for Russian minor.

If you have any questions or need more information, please contact Olga Kagan, our Russian Language Program Coordinator at okagan@humnet.ucla.edu.

Join the UCLA Russian Club, participate in exciting extracurricular activities and help other students run the Club. You will start getting all the information as soon as we have your email address. We hope to see you (and your friends) attending the Club events.

ENJOY STUDYING RUSSIAN

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