Course syllabus

RUSSIAN 100/G: Beginners' Russian 1

SEMESTER 1, 2018

15 points

The text in this field can be downloaded here. 

You might find handy this teaching days chart for our 2018 academic year. 

Course Convenor: Dr Mark Swift 505 Arts 2 (bld 207). ph. 373–7599 ext. 85384; m.swift@auckland.ac.nz.  Consultation hours in Semester 1: 3.00–4.00 Monday, Tuesday & Thursday or by appointment.

Graduate Teaching Assistant (GTA): Maria Mitenkova (mmit856@aucklanduni.ac.nz). Consultation hours: 3.00 - 3.30 Wednesday in Arts 2 (bld 207) 313 B.

Course delivery format: RUSSIAN 100/G meets four hours per week in two 2-hour sessions, Monday and Wednesday 1.00–3.00.

(Timetable and room details can be viewed on Student Services Online)

 Summary of Course Description:              

 An introductory course intended for students with no prior knowledge of Russian, with attention to all essential of language skills: listening comprehension, reading, speaking and writing. Students get a good start on learning the essential grammar of Russian and a core vocabulary of approximately 600 words.

Course outcomes:

Upon successful completion of RUSSIAN 100/G, a student:

• Can read simple texts and identify parts of speech
• Has basic “survival skills”—listening comprehension and speaking ability sufficient to “get by” in some everyday situations
• Knows a core vocabulary of approximately 600 words
• Has an understanding of the essential grammar of Russian, including gender, number and case agreement of nouns and their modifiers; forms and meanings of four (of six) grammatical cases and verb conjugation.

Assessment Summary:  

40% two-hour final written exam; 10% oral test the end of semester. 

50% coursework, allocated thusly:

• 10% - two written tests @ 5% each, one in week 6 and one in week 11 of the semester;
• 20% weekly on-line assessments (Quizzes") – 20 best of 24 (or more) at 1% each.
• 20% written homework– best eight of ten written assignments at 2.5% each;

Successful language learning requires regular study and this is reflected in the assessment scheme: in our twelve teaching weeks you’ll have on-line assessments weekly and written assignments ten of the twelve weeks.

• The on-line assessments are under the “Quizzes” heading on Canvas. They drill vocabulary, grammar, and listening comprehension in “machine-gradable” tasks: matching, multiple choice, True-False, etc. They do not remain open indefinitely, but close after a designated time, so you should aim to do them weekly.
• Written assignments will be due on class days and should be submitted in class. If you instead submit them at the Arts Assignment Centre on level four of the Social Sciences Building (formerly HSB), they must have a signed Cover Sheet attached (generated from Canvas under the Cover Sheet heading) and be submitted by 4.00 pm on the due date to avoid late penalties.
• Penalty for late work: Written assignments will be accepted late, but with an escalating penalty of 5% for each day late. For example, the first assignment due Wednesday 7 March, if submitted on Thursday the 8^th will be marked down 5% (of the 2.5% value for that assignment); if submitted on Friday the 9^th, 10%; on Monday the 12^th, 15%, etc.

• 5% Written Test Dates to be confirmed: in class Wednesday 18 April and Wednesday 23 May. The tests are written in class in the first 30–40 minutes of our regular two-hour session and include a listening comprehension section.

Prescribed Textbook: Golosa, Richard Robin (and others); 5^th edition. Available at UBS. Additional supporting materials (audio texts, grammar supplements, etc) are posted on the course site; audio and video supplements are also available on the author’s webpage (Google golosa).

Class time consists of practice in pronunciation, intonation and handwriting; “mini-lectures” on grammar; drills, dialogues and reading. While the focus of the course is language, relevant cultural information is also incorporated in the textbook and in class. Your independent study should be analogously varied: studying the dialogues, texts, grammar and vocabulary in the Textbook; working with on-line materials. You might find it helpful to arrange shared study sessions with your classmates on level three of the Humanities Building. 

WORKLOAD EXPECTATIONS

The University of Auckland's expectation for 15-point courses is that you spend ten hours per week per course and manage your academic workload and other commitments accordingly. Hence, in addition to four contact hours per week in RUSSIAN 100/100G, you should plan to spend six hours weekly outside class on independent study. Most native speakers of English require more time and effort to master Russian than a Romance or Germanic Language.

ASSIGNMENT DEADLINES & EXTENSIONS

Requests for extensions or to make-up missed assessments are granted only for special circumstances beyond your control (illness, bereavement, or accident). Such requests must be made in advance (when possible) and with supporting documentation (e.g., a dated doctor’s note, obituary, or contact from counselling services). See CLL policy for details.

SPECIAL CONDITIONS

If you are entitled to special conditions for assessments (for example, extra time or a private room for tests), please alert the course convenor and initiate arrangements in advance with Disability Services.

AEGROTAT AND COMPASSIONATE CONSIDERATION

These regulations usually apply to assessments like tests and exams sat at a specified time and which count for 10% or more marks for the course. If you miss such an assessment or complete one in an impaired state because of illness or injury, you should contact <aegrotats@auckland.ac.nz>