Studying at York
Russian Level 3 - LFA00027C
- Department: Language and Linguistic Science
- Module co-ordinator: Mr. Thomas Jochum-Critchley
- Credit value: 20 credits
- Credit level: C
- Academic year of delivery: 2021-22
- See module specification for other years: 2022-23
Module summary
This module is aimed at those who have successfully completed the Level 2 course or an equivalent post-beginners course, or who have spent a reasonable amount of time in a country where the language is spoken. Students who have sound knowledge of Russian and can read, write and speak it are also eligible to join this course.
This module seeks to further develop students' skills in the communicative competences of the Russian language.
It will also enable students to gain further knowledge of cultural aspects of the Russian speaking world and an understanding of additional structural patterns appropriate to this level
Related modules
Pre-requisite modules
- None
Co-requisite modules
- None
Prohibited combinations
Module will run
| Occurrence | Teaching period |
|---|---|
| A | Autumn Term 2021-22 to Summer Term 2021-22 |
Module aims
The aims of the module are to:
- Enable students to further develop their four language skills (reading, writing, listening and speaking) at an intermediate level.
- Approach up-to-date topics that provide the opportunity to develop language skills practically. This topic-based approach also provides an opportunity for tackling various important cultural aspects that will facilitate both understanding cultural identity and learning the language.
- Give students more confidence in using the language in daily communication and in using the acquired skills for further studies in a variety of specialisations (e.g. history, politics, business).
Module learning outcomes
At the end of LFA Russian Level 3, students will have acquired competence in a range of intermediate level language tasks in work and social contexts, and will be able to use a range of language structures and style to meet the needs of differing situations and topics. The level acquired in each of the four language skills is as follows:
- General: better engagement in speaking the language, ability to express feelings and conduct conversation independently rather than relying on situational dialogue topics. More confidence and fluency acquired.
- Speaking: gaining more fluency in speaking and better pronunciation of words and expressions and an ability to conduct independent conversation in Russian.
- Listening: a better-trained ear in understanding the use of intonation in speaking. Ability to recognise and distinguish the use of texts in Russian and to challenge comprehension skills.
- Reading: further development in reading skills and fluency.
- Writing: acquiring better understanding of Russian sentence structures and a sense of appreciation for style in writing.
Module content
The syllabus is based on the course book (Ruslan Russian 3) and the tutor's own material (handouts, videos and audio material). Culture topics will be relevant to the main topic tackled in each class. The topics covered in the course book are:
- Unit 1: Myself and others, talking about yourself, asking others, nationality, family, describing character and past tense: talking about childhood.
- Unit 2: House and home, describing your home, renting a room or a house, furniture, further plurals, adjectives.
- Unit 3: Work and routine, talking about work, a day in the life of .., talking about your CV, jobs and vacancies, present tense verbs.
- Unit 4: Sport and leisure, talking about sport, your preferences, talking about free time, going out, hobbies, verbal nouns and participles.
- Unit 5: Travel and tourism, around town, means of transportation, travelling in the Arab world, blogs and social media activities, letters and messages, past tense verbs.
- Unit 6: Food and cooking, talking about food, measure, greengrocer, table etiquettes, in a restaurant, in a café, Ramadan, verb forms.
- Unit 7: Review Unit 8: Clothes and colours, talking about clothes, describing the outfit, describing colour, at the clothes shop, at a wedding party.
- Unit 9: Education and training, school and university, talking about subjects, examinations, giving instructions, weak verbs. What to study and what to read.
- Unit 10: News and media, talking about the news, the language of news, broadcasting, formal and informal correspondence.
- Unit 11: Climate and environment, the weather and climate, holiday plans, the future, talking about possibilities.
- Unit 12: Health and happiness, talking about the body, illness, pharmacy and medicine, talking about health.
- Unit 13: Arts and cinema, talking about culture, films and movies, talking about past habits.
- Unit 14: Review and preparation for the exam. Class activities such as tests, listening comprehension exercises and discussions conducted mostly in Russian accompanies every lesson.
Indicative assessment
| Task | Length | % of module mark |
|---|---|---|
| Online Exam - 24 hrs (Centrally scheduled) Russian Level 3 |
8 hours | 70 |
| Oral presentation/seminar/exam Oral exam |
N/A | 30 |
Special assessment rules
None
Indicative reassessment
| Task | Length | % of module mark |
|---|---|---|
| Online Exam - 24 hrs (Centrally scheduled) Russian Level 3 |
8 hours | 70 |
| Oral presentation/seminar/exam Oral exam |
N/A | 30 |
Module feedback
Students will receive feedback on their formative open paper no later than week 3 of term 2. Individual feedback forms convey information on levels of attainment and advice for improvement on each section of the exam: reading comprehension, grammar and writing.
In addition, regular homework tasks and quizzes provide opportunities for individual ongoing feedback on achievement and progress.
.
Indicative reading
Textbook: Ruslan Russian 3. ISBN 9781899785407
Tutor-designed written and oral/aural materials & Internet-based materials