University of Bristol
SCHOOL OF MODERN LANGUAGES
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION FOR
FIRST YEAR STUDENTS OF RUSSIAN
Current full-time staff involved in teaching Russian include:
Professor Michael Basker (Professor of Russian Literature; Deputy Head of School for
Research and Postgraduates), specialist in 19th and 20th-Century Russian Literature (MB,
Room 1.58, 17WR, M.Basker@bris.ac.uk)
Dr Birgit Beumers, Reader, specialist in 20th-Century Russian Theatre and Cinema and
Cultural Studies (BB, Room 1.55, 17 WR, Birgit.Beumers@bris.ac.uk)
Dr Rajendra Chitnis (Head of Education in TB1), Lecturer, specialist in Contemporary
Russian, Czech and Slovak Literature (RAC, Room 1.50, 17WR, R.A.Chitnis@bris.ac.uk)
Dr Ruth Coates (Head of Education in TB2), Lecturer, specialist in 19th-Century Russian
Literature and Russian Intellectual History (RC, Room 1.51, 17WR,
Ruth.Coates@bris.ac.uk)
Dr Natalya Gogolitsyna, Part-time Russian Language Teacher (NG, Room 2.57, 17WR,
N.Gogolitsyna@bris.ac.uk)
Ms Jana Nahodilová, Czech Language Co-ordinator (JN, Room 2.57, 17WR,
J.Nahodilova@bris.ac.uk)
Ms Nina Nazarova, Visiting Russian Lectrice (NN, Room 1.71, 21WR, runvn@bris.ac.uk)
Professor Derek Offord (Professor of Russian Intellectual History; Head of Subject),
specialist in 18th- and 19th-Century Russian History, Literature and Thought (DO, Room
G80, 17WR, Derek.Offord@bris.ac.uk)
Mrs Dorinda Offord, Russian Language Co-ordinator (DAO, Room 1.72, 21WR,
Dorinda.Offord@bris.ac.uk)
Mrs Galya Ransome, Russian Language Teacher (GR, Room 2.58, 17WR,
Galina.Ransome@bris.ac.uk)
Temporary and occasional part-time staff:
Dr Charles Ellis, Tutor in Russian Literature and Thought (CE)
Mrs Helena Grant, Czech Language Teacher (HG)
Professor Robert Porter, Tutor in Russian and Czech Literature (BP)
Mrs Ilona Velichko, Russian Language Teacher (IV)
Year 1 Units available in 2006-07
RUSS10001
RUSS10012
RUSS10014
RUSS10020
RUSS10032
RUSS10019
RUSS10027
RUSS10029
RUSS10015
RUSS10024
Russian Language (ab initio; year-long)
Russian Language (for qualified entrants; year-long)
Introduction to Russian History (TB1)
Russia through Western Eyes (TB1)
Introduction to Russian Cinema (TB1)
Introduction to Russian Orthodox Culture (TB2)
Themes and Motifs in 19th-century Russian Literature (TB2)
Introduction to the Classical Russian Novel (TB2)
Czech Language (ab initio; year-long)
Introduction to Czech History (TB1)
__________________________
credit points
40
40
10
10
10
10
10
10
20
10
Language groups
Entrants with an A-level in Russian or equivalent are normally placed in the 1A group for
language work in Year 1.
Beginners in Russian are placed in group 1B, which is usually sub-divided into two groups
(1B(i) and 1B(ii)).
Staff will discuss with students which group they should be in, if there is any doubt, and in
any case it is possible to change from one group to another at any point during the year if it
seems desirable or necessary for the student to do so.
Structure of Year 1 programme
The principal aims of the first-year programme are to establish a solid foundation for the
study of the Russian language and to introduce students to aspects of Russian history and
literature. Much weight is therefore attached to the language unit which runs through the first
year. The language unit is mandatory for all students and 40 credits are attached to it.
Options
Single Honours students in 1A may if they wish accumulate all 120 credit points for Year 1
within Russian. Alternatively they may follow Open Units worth up to 20 credit points in
another subject in Year 1 (and further units worth 20 credit points in Year 2, if they wish).
Students may only begin studying Czech language in Year 1 if they are qualified entrants in
Russian, since it is considered inadvisable in the School of Modern Languages to study two
languages ab initio in the same academic year. Therefore Single Honours students in 1B,
being beginners in Russian, take units worth 100 credit points in Russian in Year 1 and
choose a unit or units worth the remaining 20 credit points outside the department. 1B
students may, however, begin studying Czech language in Year 2.
Joint Honours students (i.e. students combining Russian with Czech, French, German,
Italian, Portuguese or Spanish or with History of Art, Philosophy or Politics) must obtain 60
credits in Russian in Year 1. In addition to Russian Language, they follow in Teaching Block
1 one out of Introduction to Russian History or Russia through Western Eyes, and choose one
further 10-credit unit on some aspect of Russian culture (any one of RUSS10019,
RUSS10027, RUSS10029) in Teaching Block 2. Alternatively, students who are combining
Russian with French, German, Italian, Portuguese or Spanish and who enter with A-Level (or
equivalent) in both languages of study may follow the 20-credit unit in Czech ab initio
(RUSS10015).
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First-year examinations and assessment scheme
Russian written language examinations (units RUSS10001 and RUSS10012)
1A students (qualified entrants)
There are four sections, all of which must be done in their entirety, viz.
(i)
(i)
(ii)
(iii)
(iv)
a substantial grammar test
a passage for translation from English into Russian
a passage for translation from Russian into English
an exercise on information retrieval
1B students (beginners)
There are four sections, all of which must be done in their entirety, viz.
(i)
(ii)
(iii)
(iv)
a substantial grammar and vocabulary test
translation into Russian
translation from Russian
an exercise on information retrieval
Russian oral examinations (units RUSS10001 and RUSS10012)
This examination will consist of:
(i)
(ii)
(iii)
(iv)
a passage at an appropriate level to be read by the student. For 1B students
the stress on Russian words will be marked; for 1A students it will not be
marked. Candidates will be able to prepare the passage while the previous
candidate is in the examination and should therefore present themselves
fifteen minutes before their own examination is due to begin;
an oral task or tasks, for which candidates will have been prepared in
conversation classes during the year;
free conversation of a non-technical nature about general subjects;
an aural test.
In determining marks for the oral examination examiners will of course take account of the
level at which each student entered.
The overall unit mark for RUSS10001 will be made up of marks for the written examination
(40%), the oral examination (20%), three class tests (30%) and two short writing tasks (10%).
The overall unit mark for RUSS10012 will be made up of marks for the written examination
(40%), the oral examination (25%), project work (25%), and a mid-year grammar test (10%).
Please note that marks for first-year work do not contribute in any way towards your final
degree result.
On assessment of work in Czech that may be done as an option by students of Russian, see
the section on Czech in this handbook.
The mark for each of the following units is derived not from a written examination but from
coursework (normally an essay required for the unit):
Introduction to Russian History (RUSS10014)
Russia through Western Eyes (RUSS10020)
Introduction to Russian Orthodox Culture (RUSS10019)
Themes and Motifs in 19th-Century Russian Literature (RUSS10027)
Introduction to the Classical Russian Novel (RUSS10029)
Introduction to Czech History (RUSS10024)
Introduction to Russian Cinema (RUSS10032)