Russian Dolls

A post-GCSE or equivalent module in Russian language and culture

Module details

  • Offered to Year 2, Year 3, & Year 4 students
  • Monday or Thursday, 16.00-18.00 (depending on year of study)
  • Planned delivery: On campus (South Kensington)
  • Two-term module, worth 7.5 ECTS
  • Available to eligible students as part of I-Explore
  • Extra Credit, or Degree Credit where your department allows

Russian advice

contact the Coordinator:
Ms Alena Boykova

Degree credit module options by departmentHow to enrol

A communicative module for students with some prior knowledge of the Russian language and the culture of Russia.

This module aims to:

  • help you develop, revise and consolidate all the language skills, i.e. reading, writing, listening and speaking, equivalent to the A2 level on the CEFR;
  • extend your knowledge of grammatical structures and vocabulary and equip you with the necessary tools for independent language learning;
  • offer you an insight into some aspects of the culture and daily life in countries where Russian is widely spoken;
  • prepare you to progress towards higher language levels.

Download a table of the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR) levels (PDF).

 

To be eligible for this module, you need to have done one of the following:

  • Successfully completed Russian Level 1
  • Gained a Russian GCSE qualification
  • Have already achieved the equivalent level by other means
Please note: The information on this module description is indicative. The module may undergo minor modifications before the start of next academic year.

Information blocks

Learning outcomes

On successful completion of this module, you will be better prepared to:Moscow City

  • respond to and produce simple spoken language in familiar contexts applying A2-threshold level grammar and vocabulary
  • respond to and produce simple written texts in Russian dealing with everyday topics
  • demonstrate intercultural awareness in the handling of everyday social interactions in Russian and, use a basic range of digital language learning tools to support your production
Indicative core content

In this module, you will cover the following linguistic structures:Red Square

  • Dative and instrumental cases
  • Signifiers and plurals
  • Impersonal constructions
  • Accusative and prepositional plurals
  • Verbs of motion
  • Relative clauses
  • Comparative adjectives and adverbs
  • Verbs taking the instrumental

These linguistic structures will be applied to the following topics:

  • Describing people
  • Health and sickness
  • Interests and hobbies
  • Descriptions of cities and towns
  • Talking about time
  • Travelling and holidays
Learning and teaching approach

In line with MFL communicative and active learning methodology, in-class activities cover all four skills (reading, writing, listening and speaking) and include: pair work, group work and individual tasks; discovery and formulation of rules; work with texts, audio and video material to develop all communicative skills.

Weekly preparation tasks set in the VLE give you the opportunity to revise and consolidate knowledge at your pace and to develop awareness of how to use language learning tools independently. The module follows a flipped classroom approach to ensure face to face time is devoted to interactional learning and communicative skills acquisition. This approach not only ensures you engage with a wide range of tasks but also supports different learning preferences.

Written and verbal feedback is given for tasks submitted to ensure you are supported to complete your work and aware of assessment expectations. 

Assessment

Summative assessment consists of 2 pieces of coursework (one per term), one 1-hour timed assessment (test scheduled at the end of the spring term), and one practical i.e. oral examination (at the end of the spring term or at the beginning of the summer term). Coursework and written/oral examinations all contribute to the final grade.

  • Coursework 1 (20%): End of autumn term, integrated skills task-based pack: reading, grammar and writing (approx. 130-150 words)
  • Coursework 2 (20%): Beginning of Term 2, task-based pack: listening & comprehension and oral production
  • Examination (30%): End of spring term: 1 hour in-class test on the virtual learning environment, including grammar, reading and writing (approx. 130-150 words by hand)
  • Practical (30%): Oral exam in Term 2 or 3 including an open conversation on topics covered in topic (total duration of the examination: c. 15 min)
Key information
  • 7.5 ECTS points awarded on successful completion of the module.
  • Available to take for credit towards your degree, where your department allows. Also available for extra credit. The Module options by department page has a full list of the credit options.
  • You must be prepared to attend all classes and undertake approximately 3 hours of private study each week in addition to the assessment.

Coursebook

Beginner’s Russian with Interactive Online Workbook. A Basic Russian Course, Anna S. Kudyma, Frank S. Miller, Olga E. Kagan,  (Hippocrene Books, Inc., New York, 2010, 5th printing, 2015), Chapters 12-24. ISBN-13: 978-0-7818-1251-1 (paperback). 

Additional material

The University of Leeds video course V Moskvu? V Moskvu! (Leeds/Moscow, 1999).

Russian Level 1
Russian Level 3