Russian Beginners

Module title	Russian Beginners
Module code	FLR1130
Academic year	2024/5
Credits	30
Module staff	Ms Iryna Ilnytska ()

Duration: Term	1	2	3
Duration: Weeks	11	11

Number students taking module (anticipated)	16

Module description

Russian Beginners is designed for students with little or no previous knowledge of Russian. It will introduce you to the Russian language and culture in a general context.

This module will provide you with a solid foundation of the basic grammatical structures of the Russian language, which will allow you to listen, speak, read, and write at an elementary level on a variety of general topics. The emphasis is on enabling you to communicate orally in Russian. It will also introduce you to the customs, culture and society where the Russian language is spoken to help you to develop awareness of the general social and cultural background.

Module aims - intentions of the module

This module is broadly equivalent to A1 / A2 Basic User level of the Common European Framework and aims to:

Provide you with a solid foundation of the basic grammatical structures of the target language thus enabling you to communicate effectively across the four key language skills (listening, speaking, reading and writing) at an elementary level on a variety of general topics
Enable you to give and understand information and to achieve a confident elementary level of communicative competence in everyday situations
Provide you with an introduction to the customs, culture and society of the regions / countries in which the language is spoken and to help you to develop awareness of the general social and cultural background of the language

Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)

ILO: Module-specific skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

1. Demonstrate a sound grasp of the basic grammatical structures of Russian
2. Read and comprehend simple written and aural texts and extract specific, predictable information related to every-day situations
3. Communicate effectively on a variety of general topics requiring a simple and direct exchange of information on familiar and routine matters, orally and/or in writing.

ILO: Discipline-specific skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

4. Understand the principles of learning a foreign language intensively and organise your learning with guidance from the tutor.
5. Use available learning aids in a variety of media, such as a reference grammar and bilingual dictionary, to consolidate your learning

ILO: Personal and key skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

6. Make progress through developing skills of self-study and application and develop an awareness of and sensitivity to a foreign culture

Syllabus plan

The module provides a systematic approach to acquiring essential grammar structures in a communicative context and in accordance with the skills of listening, speaking, reading and writing.

It covers some or all of the following grammar / topics:

Grammar

The Russian Alphabet: writing & pronunciation.
Personal pronouns – Formal and informal addressing.
Numbers
1^st and 2^nd Type Verb Conjugation.
Construction
Gender of nouns.
Adjectives, endings. Possessives.
Prepositional, Accusative, Instrumental Cases.

Topics

Get acquainted. Introduce yourself and other people.
Talk about your everyday activity. Tell time.
Talking about friends and family.
Talk about your city.
Talk about countries and nationalities. Talk about the weather.
Describe your house.

Explain what you need to buy. Talk about your food preferences.
Talk about mood (I am sad, happy etc.).

Learning activities and teaching methods (given in hours of study time)

Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activities	Guided independent study	Placement / study abroad
88	212	0

Details of learning activities and teaching methods

Category	Hours of study time	Description
Scheduled Learning and Teaching	88	Language classes
Guided Independent Study	212	Consolidate class work by learning vocabulary and structures, and by reading, watching or listening to material in Russian. Prepare exercises and activities for class, write short assignments and generally begin to acquire a repertoire of effective language learning strategies. Learning activities are supported by various media, including audio, video / DVD, and, where appropriate, computer software.

Formative assessment

Form of assessment	Size of the assessment (eg length / duration)	ILOs assessed	Feedback method
4 formative tasks covering some or all of the following areas: grammar, writing, listening, reading, speaking.	Variable	1-6	Written and oral

Summative assessment (% of credit)

Coursework	Written exams	Practical exams
50	25	25

Details of summative assessment

Form of assessment	% of credit	Size of the assessment (eg length / duration)	ILOs assessed	Feedback method
Oral examination	25	7-8 minutes	1-2,4-6	Written and oral
Written examination	25	1.5 hours	1-6	Written and oral
Portfolio	50	As described on the ELE page	1-6	Written and oral
	0
	0
	0

Details of re-assessment (where required by referral or deferral)

Original form of assessment	Form of re-assessment	ILOs re-assessed	Timescale for re-assessment
Written examination	Written examination	1-6	Referral/deferral period
Portfolio	Portfolio	2,6	Referral/deferral period
Oral examination	Oral examination	1,2,4-6	Referral/deferral period

Re-assessment notes

Deferral – if you miss an assessment for certificated reasons judged acceptable by the Mitigation Committee, you will normally be either deferred in the assessment or an extension may be granted. The mark given for a re-assessment taken as a result of deferral will not be capped and will be treated as it would be if it were your first attempt at the assessment.

Referral – if you have failed the module overall (i.e. a final overall module mark of less than 40%) you will be required to submit a further assessment as necessary. If you are successful on referral, your overall module mark will be capped at 40%.

You will only be required to retake any failed assessments. Marks for any passed assessments will be carried forward. If you have failed any assessments but managed to pass the module overall, you will not be allowed to retake the failed assessments.

Indicative learning resources - Basic reading

Course book: TBC

Indicative learning resources - Web based and electronic resources

ELE: https://vle.exeter.ac.uk/course/view.php?id=11285
WordReference http://www.wordreference.com/enru/ - online dictionary.
Quizlet https://quizlet.com - a mobile and web-based study application. It will help you to practice and master your Russian vocabulary relevant to each unit.
3ears https://3ears.com - listening and reading comprehension.

Indicative learning resources - Other resources

Dictionary: A Frequency dictionary of Russian. Routledge.

Key words search

Russian, beginners, Russian Language, Russian ab initio

Credit value	30
Module ECTS	15
Module pre-requisites	None
Module co-requisites	None
NQF level (module)	4
Available as distance learning?	No
Origin date	15/03/2019
Last revision date	15/07/2020