Course syllabus

The text in this field can be downloaded here.

Auckland Teacher: Dr. Mark Swift

Arts 2 (207) Office 505.

Office Hrs. 3.00–4.00 Mon., Tues. & Thurs. or by appointment

m.swift@auckland.ac.nz ph. 373-7599 ext. 85384

Canterbury course convenor: Evgenia Dovbysh (U. Canterbury)

Email: evgenia.dovbysh@canterbury.ac.nz

Meeting Times:

Russian 200 meets in two two-hour sessions weekly, 11.00–1.00 Tuesday and Friday (venues to be advised).  

This course is run by reciprocal arrangement with the University of Canterbury. The first hour Tuesday is delivered via video link by the UC course organiser Evgenia Dovbysh and the UA teacher Mark Swift conducts the other three weekly hours. Our course is largely independent, but you should be familiar with the U. Canterbury Learn course site, where there are assessed quizzes. Download instructions to log onto the U. Canterbury Learn site here. 

 COURSE DESCRIPTION

This is the first of two intermediate Russian language courses (the other is RUSSIAN 201 in Semester 2). It revises grammar covered in the first year course and develops vocabulary, the use of grammatical structures, students’ reading, listening, and speaking skills.  

 Expectations

Students in this course are expected to attend all tutorial-type class sessions. The tutorial-style sessions provide the opportunity to practice language skills. If you do not attend regularly and do not keep up with the course, your progress and that of your classmates is hindered.

 Learning Outcomes

The course devotes attention to four language skills: reading, writing, speaking and listening (translation is arguably a fifth skill).  By the end of the course you should be able to read and translate adapted texts and write briefly on the topics covered in the course. Students’ listening comprehension should reach a level where you can understand most of the slow speech of a native speaker and you will be able to speak on a variety of topics covered within the course. Completion of the full-year course (RUSSIAN 201 in Semester 2) provides the student with sufficient foundation for further mastery of the language independently (through reading, listening to podcasts, interacting with native speakers, etc.) 

 TEXTS AND MATERIALS

The required textbook for the course is Robin, Richard M. et al; Golosa: a basic course in Russian: Book 2; Boston: Pearson. This text (regrettably dear) is available at UBS and is richly supported with digital audio and video on the U. Auckland course site, on U. Canterbury’s Learn site:  www.learn.canterbury.ac.nz  (U. Auckland students follow instructions here for logging onto Learn), and also on the textbook author’s site (simply Google “Golosa”).

The full Course Outline is available on LEARN (only for students enrolled in this course).

Other material, which may be helpful, can be found in the Library Subject Guides: http://canterbury.libguides.com/

 ASSESSMENT; RUSSIAN 200 is internally assessed (no final exam):

Type of assessment                   number         weighting %       

Homework assignments                weekly        40% (best 8 of 10 @ 5% each)          

Vocabulary & Grammar quizzes      2               10% (2 @ 5% each)

Written tests                                     2               30% (2 @ 15% each)               

Oral test                                            1               10%                    

On-line quizzes                                8-10          10% (on UC Learn course site)

Brief description of assessment items:

• Homework assignments: As a rule these weekly assignments are due on Tuesdays; they are accepted late with an escalating penalty of 5% per class session (–5% if submitted Friday; –10% if submitted the following Tuesday, etc.). Weekly assignments can be submitted in class without a cover sheet; if submitted in the appropriate slot at the Assignment Centre (near the Arts Student Centre on Level 4 of the Social Sciences Building, formerly HSB) they must have a Cover Sheet generated from under that heading on the Canvas.
• The written tests and in-class quizzes cover material from the dialogues and grammar in the textbook. Outlines of these assessments with sample tasks will be posted.
• The oral test conducted at the end of the semester assesses your use of spoken Russian in monologues or dialogues as rehearsed during the course.
• The on-line quizzes are on U. Canterbury’s Leans site. You do these with your unique log-on for an accumulative mark of 10%.

ASSIGNMENT DEADLINES, EXTENSIONS, LATE PENATIES

Requests for extensions or to make-up a missed assessment are granted 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 on the date of, or as soon as possible after the assessment.