DOCUMENT R: SYLLABUS
1.
Date Prepared: March 2012
2.
Prepared by: Luke Springman
3.
Department: Languages and Cultures
4.
Course Numbers: RUSSIAN 102
5.
Course Title: Russian II
6.
Credit Hours: 3
Goal 8 - Second Language
Goal 4 - Cultures and Diversity
2 GEPs
1 GEP
7.
Prerequisites: RUSSIAN 101 or the equivalent proficiency level.
8.
Catalog Description:
Develops further the four language skills: speaking, listening, reading, and writing to a proficiency level regarded as basic communication in Russian. RUSSIAN 102 is for students who have completed RUSSIAN 101 or the equivalent. Students earn two General Education Points for
Basic Communication in a Second Language and one General Education Point for Cultures and
Diversity. Russian language study is taught in its cultural context, including history, culture, diversity, and comparison with students’ native culture. Practice in language laboratory and / or use of electronic language-learning media is required. Students must have passed RUSSIAN 101 or the equivalent in order to enroll in RUSSIAN 102. RUSSIAN 102 is offered every semester.
9. Content Outline:
RUSSIAN 102 is structured according to cultural topics appropriate for this level. Topics may include cuisine and dining rituals, contemporary gender issues, urban life, geography, environmental issues, health care, travel in RUSSIAN‐speaking countries, holiday customs, education, and limited historical topics. Specific skills in language production (speaking and writing), reading, listening comprehension are presented and developed with each topic.
Reading ability develops more quickly than speaking and writing, which allows exposure to more sophisticated topics in Russian before students are able to speak or write above the rudimentary level. However, students will not be able to produce spontaneously the new information and skills they learn in structured lessons. Topics include but are not limited to:
Topic
Hotels and
Skills asking questions to get information and
Transportation describing travel plans
Food and Dining compare regional cuisine, give advice and recommendations, describe foods and
New Structures interrogative forms, separable prefixes of verbs imperative forms, comparatives and superlatives

Gender Issues
Popular Culture:
Music and Film
Nature and the
Environment
Holidays,
Customs and
Traditions
History one’s dietary habits and preferences. describe gender roles and stereotypes, basic interpersonal relationships, statistics. personal leisure activities; Russian traditional and contemporary music; describe processes related to personal and household consumption and disposal; basic concepts of environmental issues; introduction to stating and supporting opinions. talking about nationalities, ethnicities, sites of cultural encounters (music, cuisine, rituals, dress, etc.). relating past events (introduction) of adjectives; review of adjective endings using conjunctions, especially showing causes and consequences. instrumental case; verbal aspect (present and future) further expressions related to cause and effect; introduction to relative clauses; concessive and adversative constructions
(conjunctions although, while, nevertheless etc.). genitive prepositions; temporal conjunctions (since, until, before); using participles as adjectives. introduction to using perfective and imperfective aspects in the past; Time expressions related to past tense.
10. Methods: a.
During class sessions students spend most of the time on a variety of activities to exercise spoken Russian, often working in small groups or pairs in order to maximize time spent on speaking. Spoken Russian may also include voice recordings and on‐line interactive speaking exercises. Most activities focus on writing, reading, and listening comprehension will take place outside class sessions. Activities in class sessions and outside class sessions may require use of electronic media; the language laboratory will be available to facilitate activities using media. Homework assignments will also include a variety of writing assignments, texts, resources from the library, and realia (authentic objects specific to
Russian‐speaking culture). b.
Maximum suggested class size: 25. Teaching language requires intensive and often immediate feedback and intensive interaction among students and between the instructor and the student. c.
RUSSIAN 102 will be offered every semester. d.
Activities outside class, such as participation in informal conversation groups or film viewings, may be assigned. e.
Students may be awarded credit for co‐curricular activities, such as participation in the
Russian Club. f.
Alternate assignments may be provided in lieu of out‐of‐class or co‐curricular activities.
11.
Student Learning Objectives:
By the end of RUSSIAN 102, students attain a minimal ability to communicate in RUSSIAN in speaking, writing, listening and reading. Students learn language skills on the basis of

selected cultural topics. Objectives are based on the Novice-High level of proficiency as described in the standards of the American Council for the Teaching of Foreign Language
(ACTFL).
Student Learning Objective Gen. Ed. Goal associated with GEPS
Related VALUE
Rubric Elements
11a. To manage successfully a number of uncomplicated communicative tasks in straightforward social situations; speak and on topics necessary for survival in the target language culture, such as basic personal information, basic objects and a limited number of activities, preferences and
Second
Language
Intercultural
Knowledge and
Competence: Skills
(Verbal and Non-
Verbal
Communication) immediate needs; respond to simple, direct questions or requests for information; are generally understood by sympathetic interlocutors used to non-natives.
11b. To understand and communicate basic information pertaining to the cultures of the
Russian-speaking world and compare those cultures with their own.
Cultures and
Diversity
Second
Language
Intercultural
Knowledge and
Awareness:
Knowledge, Skills
(Empathy),
Attitudes
(Curiosity,
Openness)
Intercultural
Knowledge and
Competence: Skills
(Verbal and Non-
Verbal
Communication)
11c. To meet limited basic practical writing needs using lists, short messages, postcards, and simple notes, and express themselves within the context in which the language was learned, relying mainly on practiced material. Spontaneous writing is generally writer-centered and is focused on common, discrete elements of daily life.
11d. To read for instructional purposes (graded reading from textbooks, for example), comprehend standardized messages, phrases, or expressions, such as some items on menus, schedules, timetables, maps, and signs. Some material at a slightly higher level is understood where the topic is already familiar to the student.
11e. To understand short, learned utterances and some sentence-length utterances, particularly where context strongly supports understanding and speech is clearly audible. They comprehend words and phrases from simple questions, statements, highfrequency commands, and courtesy formulae. They still often require repetition, rephrasing, and/or a
Second
Language
Second
Language
Intercultural
Knowledge and
Competence: Skills
(Verbal and Non-
Verbal
Communication)
Intercultural
Knowledge and
Competence: Skills
(Verbal and Non-
Verbal
Communication)

slowed rate of speech for comprehension.
12.
Student Assessment: Assessment instruments may include the following:
1.
11a: Individual interviews twice during the semester; recorded oral presentations; structured dialogues during class and through electronic communication; oral responses to reading assignments; quizzes with speaking component.
2.
11b: Tests and the final exam based on cultural topics; possible individualized projects on a selected cultural topic; assignments for speaking, writing, listening and reading all based on cultural topics; quizzes based on cultural topics.
3.
11c: Regular written homework assignments; written tests during the semester and written final exam; electronic writing assignments such as blogs; composing dialogue for speaking assignment; quizzes with writing component.
4.
11d: Reading: Structured readings edited for this level with content questions and other written and oral responses to the content; tests and final exam contain reading sections; quizzes with reading component.
5.
11e: Listening sections on tests and on the final; two oral interviews that also evaluate listening comprehension; recorded audio and visual material with structured listening comprehension exercises; quizzes with listening component.
13.
Evaluation of Individual Student Performance:
The following second language communication skills will be evaluated, through the monitoring of conversations, oral interviews, reading comprehension, quizzes and exams, written homework, Internet activities, and special projects according to an established rubric and assigned an appropriately weighted grade. (The components may be modified according to the pedagogical methods of individual instructors.)

Conversational skills (speaking / listening)

Writing skills

Reading skills

Cultural awareness
14.
Course Assessment:
RUSSIAN 102 is designed both to support the department’s established program goals and student learning objectives and to enhance the university’s General Education program. The assessment data gathered from the course (see 12, above), as well as the tools used to gather the data, will be reviewed at appropriate intervals both by the department Assessment
Committee and the department General Education Assessment Committee to verify the extent to which student learning outcomes are being achieved. Modifications to the course will be made accordingly.
15. Supporting Materials and References:
(Items marked with an asterisk * are available in the Andruss Library.)

Boyle, Eloise M. and Genevra Gerhart. The Russian Context. The Culture behind the Course in
Russian. Upper Saddle River: Pearson, 2012.
Gerber, Monika, et. al. Russian Now! Learn the Language & the Culture. Hauppauge: Barrons
Educational Series, 1996.
Gor , Kira S., Maria D. Lekic, and Dan E. Davidson. Russian: Stage One: Live from Russia!
Dubuque: Kendall/Hunt, 2008.
Gerhart, Genevra. The Russian’s World: Life and Language. Bloomington: Slavica, 2002.
Lubensky, Sophia, Gerard L. Ervin,Larry McLellan, and Donald K Jarvis. Nachalo. Boston:
McGraw‐Hill 2002.
Robin, Richard, Karen Evans‐Romaine, and Galina Shatalina. Golosa. A Basic Course in Russian.
4th Ed. Upper Saddle River: Prentice Hall, 2010.
16.
Prototype Text:
Numminkoski, Marita. Troika. A Communicative Approach to Russian Language, Life, and
Culture. Hoboken: Wiley, 2012.

ADDENDUM
ACTFL Novice-High Proficiency Rubric
To manage successfully--always (4), mostly (3), occasionally (2) never (1)--a limited number of uncomplicated communicative tasks by creating with the language in straightforward social situations. Conversation topics relate to basic personal information covering, for example:
_____ basic personal information
_____ basic objects
_____ limited number of activities
_____ respond to simple, direct questions or requests for information
_____ understand and communicate basic information about culture
_____ writing lists, short messages, postcards, and simple notes
_____ comprehend standardized messages, phrases, or expressions

INTERCULTURAL KNOWLEDGE AND COMPETENCE VALUE RUBRIC for more information, please contact value@aacu.org
Definition
Intercultural Knowledge and Competence is "a set of cognitive, affective, and behavioral skills and characteristics that support effective and appropriate interaction in a variety of cultural contexts.” (Bennett, J. M. 2008. Transformative training: Designing programs for culture learning. In Contemporary leadership and intercultural competence: Understanding and utilizing cultural diversity to build successful organizations, ed. M. A. Moodian, 95-110. Thousand Oaks,
CA: Sage.)
Evaluators are encouraged to assign a zero to any work sample or collection of work that does not meet benchmark (cell one) level performance.
Capstone
4 3
Milestones
2
Benchmark
1
Knowledge
Cultural self- awareness
Knowledge
Knowledge of cultural worldview frameworks
Articulates insights into own cultural rules and biases
(e.g. seeking complexity; aware of how her/his experiences have shaped these rules, and how to recognize and respond to cultural biases, resulting in a shift in selfdescription.)
Demonstrates sophisticated understanding of the complexity of elements important to members of another culture in relation to its history, values, politics, communication styles, economy,
Recognizes new perspectives about own cultural rules and biases (e.g. not looking for sameness; comfortable with the complexities that new perspectives offer.)
Demonstrates adequate understanding of the complexity of elements important to members of another culture in relation to its history, values, politics, communication styles, economy,
Identifies own cultural rules and biases (e.g. with a strong preference for those rules shared with own cultural group and seeks the same in others.)
Demonstrates partial understanding of the complexity of elements important to members of another culture in relation to its history, values, politics, communication styles, economy, or beliefs and
Shows minimal awareness of own cultural rules and biases
(even those shared with own cultural group(s))
(e.g. uncomfortable with identifying possible cultural differences with others.)
Demonstrates surface understanding of the complexity of elements important to members of another culture in relation to its history, values, politics, communication styles, economy, or beliefs and

Skills
Empathy
Skills
Verbal and nonverbal communication
Attitudes
Curiosity or beliefs and practices.
Interprets intercultural experience from the perspectives of own and more than one worldview and demonstrates ability to act in a supportive manner that recognizes the feelings of another cultural group.
Articulates a complex understanding of cultural differences in verbal and nonverbal communication
(e.g., demonstrates understanding of the degree to which people use physical contact while communicating in different cultures or use direct/indirect and explicit/implicit meanings) and is able to skillfully negotiate a shared understanding based on those differences.
Asks complex questions about other cultures, or beliefs and practices.
Recognizes intellectual and emotional dimensions of more than one worldview and sometimes uses more than one worldview in interactions.
Recognizes and participates in cultural differences in verbal and nonverbal communication and begins to negotiate a shared understanding based on those differences.
Asks deeper questions about other cultures practices.
Asks simple or surface questions about other practices.
Identifies components of other cultural perspectives but responds in all situations with own worldview.
Views the experience of others but does so through own cultural worldview.
Identifies some cultural differences in verbal and nonverbal communication and is aware that misunderstandings can occur based on those differences but is still unable to negotiate a shared understanding.
Has a minimal level of understanding of cultural differences in verbal and nonverbal communication; is unable to negotiate a shared understanding.
States minimal interest in learning more

Attitudes
Openness seeks out and articulates answers to these questions that reflect multiple cultural perspectives.
Initiates and develops interactions with culturally different others.
Suspends judgment in valuing her/his interactions with culturally different others. and seeks out answers to these questions.
Begins to initiate and develop interactions with culturally different others.
Begins to suspend judgment in valuing her/his interactions with culturally different others. cultures.
Expresses openness to most, if not all, interactions with culturally different others. Has difficulty suspending any judgment in her/his interactions with culturally different others, and is aware of own judgment and expresses a willingness to change. about other cultures.
Receptive to interacting with culturally different others.
Has difficulty suspending any judgment in her/his interactions with culturally different others, but is unaware of own judgment.