UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA
Program in Slavic Languages and Literatures
214 Nolte Center
 

Syllabus for Russ 1102 Beginning Russian

Course: Russian 1102 (Beginning Russian II), Spring 2009 Monday evenings 6:10-9:30 , 334 Folwell Hall
Instructor:            Prof. Jahn
Office:   Nolte Center 210
Office Phone: (612) 625-6557
E—Mail:              gjahn@umn.edu
Office Hours: T, Th 11:30-12:30; M 5:00-6:00; & by appointment

Objective: The objective of the course is to develop the four language skills—speaking, writing, listening, reading—in harmony, laying the basis for ultimate mastery of the language.  

Text:      Nachalo, Book 1 (Second Edition) & Workbook and Laboratory Manual (Second Edition). The two books and their accompanying materials are available at the university bookstore.  

CD’s: A set of two CD’s containing the readings of each lesson is included with the textbook. In addition, the workbook comes with a Student Listening Comprehension Program on seven audio CD’s. These CD’s—one for each lesson—correlate with lessons in the Workbook and Laboratory Manual. They contain dialog practice as well as audio exercises to be turned in as homework assignments.  

Computerized Drill Program: A tutorial program containing all the grammar exercises in the textbook is available on line. Various types of exercises, feedback on answers, and a provision for sending in a summary of your performance by e-mail to the instructor are provided.  The program can be accessed at http://www1.umn.edu/lol-russ/Nachalo/. It requires a computer running Microsoft Windows and the Internet Explorer browser, version 5.5 or higher. A portion of your homework can be done and reported using this program.  If you do not have access to suitable equipment, ask the instructor for information about an alternative method for completing this portion of the required work for the course.  The computer assignments are due near the end of each lesson, as shown on the class calendar.  

Homework:  All homework assignments and their due dates are specified on the course calendar.   Homework assignments are graded as "+," "√," or "-."  The grades are for the information of the student; all completed homeworks receive full value.  Each missing homework (excepting the computer drills) will cause a 1% loss in the computation of the student's final grade for the course.

Quizzes:  There are two written quizzes with each lesson.  The first requires the student to make an appropriate answer in Russian to a question given in Russian; the second requires translation from English to Russian.  There will be two oral recitation quizzes, one with lesson 5 and the other with lesson 6.  These will test performance of dialogs.  Quizzes receive letter grades based on the following scale:  91-100% correct = A; 81-90% correct = B; 71-80% correct = C; 65-70% correct = D.

Tests: We will complete lessons 5-7.  There will be a written test after each lesson. The instructor will provide a timely description of the content of each test.  Tests receive letter grades based on the same scale as is used for quizzes.

Class participation is a measure of the student's readiness for classroom exercises.

Final grades will be awarded according to the same scale as is used for grading quizzes and tests.

Grading:               Homework assignments (9 @ 1%)=9%

Quizzes (8 @ 3%)=24%

Tests (3 @ 20%)=60%

Class participation=7%

Students need a minimum grade of C- to continue on to Intermediate Russian (Russ 3001).