Russian 0101-w10

The course has two major goals, first to continue upon your language skills, your ability to speak, understand, read and write contemporary Russian, and second to give you the briefest overview of some things that most Russians know and could reasonable expect someone speaking Russian to know. To accomplish those two goals, the course has four components: practical language work in class and regular assignments, a required attempt to use Russian at the Russian table lunches at least twice a week, a series of lectures/conversations about things Russian, readings that include two novels designed to acquaint you with some giants of Russian 20^th Century literature.

Everyone is expected to be working toward a grade of "A" in this course. It is earned by coming to every class and assigned luncheon, doing the assignments on time and in exemplary fashion, and by finishing the novels.

First the language assignments:

Jan 4 Review Steps 1-6, Lessons 1 and 2

Jan 5 Review Lessons 3 and 4

Jan 6 5.0 Before class Read Grammar 5A. Write cards for 5 0

Jan 7 5A 1-4. Before class write out cards for all words in 5 A.

Jan 8 Film Sunderland 110 Ирония судьбы

Jan 11 5 A. 5-8, Fortochka 5.1

After class Write HW 5 A.

Jan 12 5B. 1-3 Fortochka 5-2. Before class write out all words for 5B.

Jan 13 5 B. 4-6

After class Write HW 5 B

Jan 14 5 V. 1-2, Listen to 5 V 1. Read Grammar 5 V.

Before class write out all words from 5 V.

Jan 15 Film Sunderland 110 Веселые ребята (probably)

Jan 18 5 V. 3-4.

Jan 19 5 V. 3-4, 5-6

Jan 20 5 V. 7-8,

After class write HW 5 V.

Jan 21 5 G, Fortochka 5.3-4. Before class write cards for all words in 5.D.

Jan 22 Film Sunderland 110 Иван Васильевич меняет профессию

Jan 25 5 D 1-3, Fortochka 5.5-7

Jan 26 5 D 4-5, Fortochka 5.8-9

Jan 27 Review

Jan 28 Exam

Literature Assignments

There are two novels for the course: Doctor Zhivago and The Master and Margarita.

(You should begin reading the novel, Doctor Zhivago, immediately!!!!!!).

For each day’s reading assignment, you should fill out a short summary on our blog of no more than twenty five words that answers the questions: Who, What, Where, When, How and Why? In addition for one selection from each day's assignment you should pose a question about the text that you attempt to answer in one hundred words or less. (That's 125 words!).

Log into the blog everyday for new assignments: http://blogs.middlebury.edu/wt2010/

For Jan. 4 Read

Jan. 6 Read Doctor Zhivago, Part 1

Jan. 11 Doctor Zhivago, Part 2, 5-12

Jan. 13 Doctor Zhivago, Part 2, 13-end

Jan. 19 Read Master and Margarita 1-12

Jan. 21 Master and Margarita 13-19

Jan. 26 Master and Margarita 20 to end

Lectures/Conversations

In addition to your language and literature time, we will try to cover several themes related to Russian culture broadly defined. There are literally libraries of information on these topics available to you in English and Russian, at your fingertips. I suggest using the Internet and search engines to visit and READ at least two or three sites a day in English or your native language as well as Russian to follow up on topics discussed in class. Check the blog daily for questions and topics related to these themes.

The schedule may vary, but for the moment here is a rough outline of topics.

Jan 4 History of the Russian language

Jan 5 Spelling rules, Nominative plurals, Prepositional

Jan 6 Russia 860-1703

Jan 7 Genitive & Accusative (quiz on plurals & prepositional)

Jan 11 St Petersburg 1703-1917

Jan 12 Dative & Instrumental (quiz on genitive & accusative)

Jan 13 Russia since 1990.

Jan 14 Verb Conjugations (quiz on dative & instrumental)

Jan 18 Russian literature to 1880

Jan 19 All cases & conjugations (quiz on verb conjugations)

Jan 20 Russian literature 1880- today

Jan 21

Jan 25

Jan 26

Jan 27

Jan 28