Russian Language and Cultures: Beginner - LAN00100I

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Module summary

Learning a language can be a transformative and enriching experience. Both the process and the outcomes are beneficial at various levels, from increased neuroplasticity to improving your overall academic performance, fostering empathy and intercultural awareness, and enhancing your career opportunities. This course is aimed at students who have no previous knowledge of Russian. Over the course of a semester, it will steadily build the knowledge, skills, and strategies necessary to learn Russian and communicate in basic situations. It will focus on developing a communicative competence from beginner level and provide a foundation for further study.

Module will run

Occurrence	Teaching period
A	Semester 1 2024-25
B	Semester 2 2024-25

Module aims

The aims of this module are: 

• to build up basic skills in listening, speaking, reading and writing 

• to develop strategies for learning Russian

• to develop interactive skills in familiar situations

• to introduce and practise the writing system and orthography

Students will engage, individually and in groups, in activities and tasks emphasising three core communicative skills: 

1. reception activities (oral, audio-video and reading comprehension); 

2. production activities (oral and written production); 

3. interaction activities (oral, written and online interaction). 

The medium of instruction is English and Russian.

Module learning outcomes

By the end of the module students should be able to:

• Understand basic expressions and greetings, simple informational material and texts on familiar everyday subjects.

• Produce short phrases and series of simple sentences about familiar everyday subjects.

• Interact in a simple way, ask and answer questions on familiar daily topics.

• Recognise basic cultural differences and establish basic social contact by using everyday polite forms of greetings, farewells and introductions.

• Reflect upon language use and justify linguistic choices. 

• Self-monitor and self-regulate their own learning and resources.

Module content

Topics may include: 

• greetings and general polite forms; 

• exchanging personal information;

• basic  conversation at shops and restaurants; 

• talking about daily routine; 

• talking about what you did and what you are planning to do; 

• talking about family and going to doctor’s. 

Indicative assessment

Task	% of module mark
Closed/in-person Exam (Centrally scheduled)	60.0
Oral presentation/seminar/exam	40.0

Special assessment rules

None

Additional assessment information

Written exam will include one or two questions aimed at assessing students’ ability to reflect on language use and justify their responses and choices when using the language (in English)  and a task related to students’ ability to monitor their own learning.

Indicative reassessment

Task	% of module mark
Closed/in-person Exam (Centrally scheduled)	60.0
Oral presentation/seminar/exam	40.0

Module feedback

Feedback on exams and essays as per University regulations.

 

Indicative reading

Course materials and guided readings will be provided by the module convenors via the VLE at the start of the semester