RU 704
Schedule-T-TH 11:10-12:25 FIC 2

The aim of this course is to maintain and improve your Russian language skills and provide you with professional level abilities in translation from Russian to English. The focus and content of these skills will be contemporary topics taken from Russian print, audio and video media and your own life experiences.
As a general guide Tuesdays will be devoted to topics in translation. You should have read and translated an article from the Russian press, listened to radio broadcasts on the preceding Monday and followed Russian television news.
Thursdays will be devoted to a theme corresponding to a chapter in the text, Let's Talk about Life!. For each Thursday you must read the entire chapter, do all drills in the text, prepare orally answers to all questions, listen to the interview and do the exercises. The major in class assignment will be the presentation of a well organized speech from three to ten minutes, along with evaluation of each other's work in Russian.

for Thursday, Sept. 17
Read the Introduction and "To the Student."
Prepare your computer to read and type Russian.
http://www.middlebury.edu/~beyer/courses/courses.html
Print out a page from a Russian newspaper and bring to class.
Listen to Wednesday's news broadcast on RFE/RL or other radio station..
Type a short (two-three minutes) description of your activities this past academic year. (Bring the typed copy to class, it will be collected. You must, however, speak, not read, with notes on cards permitted.)

for Tuesday, Sept. 22
Copy an article from Friday's press-translate it into English. Bring a printed copy of your article and typed translation to class.
Read and listen to today's or yesterday's RFE/RL. Be prepared to translate orally the key points.

for Thursday, Sept. 24
Lesson one: Private life.
Prepare entire lesson. Using the topic of "First..."(p.34, B 1). prepare a short (three to five minute) oral presentation.

for Tuesday, Sept. 29
Copy an article from Friday's press-translate it into English.
Read and listen to today's or yesterday's RFE/RL.

for Thursday, Oct. 1
Lesson two: Student life.
Prepare entire lesson. With your classmates each prepare a presentation (five minutes) on life at Middlebury College, covering at the least academic life, social life, the residential system, the role of athletics, and financial aid in higher education.

for Tuesday, Oct. 6
Copy an article from Friday's press-translate it into English.
Read and listen to today's or yesterday's RFE/RL.

for Thursday, Oct. 8
Lesson three: Rock Music.
Prepare entire lesson. Find a Russian rock group on the Internet-with words and music. Bring the URLs to class.
Your classroom presentation today (5-6 min) should incorporate examples as you address the topic of Russian contemporary music.

for Tuesday, Oct. 13
Copy an article from Friday's press-translate it into English.
Read and listen to today's or yesterday's RFE/RL.

for Tuesday, Oct. 20
Locate an article from the contemporary press worthy of translation. Bring a copy of the article to class for discussion of issues and questions.

for Thursday, Oct. 22
Lesson four: Alcohol and drugs.
Prepare entire lesson. Your oral presentation (6-7 min) should aim at presenting an issue and offering a solution to the use/abuse of alcohol or drugs at Middlebury College

for Tuesday, Oct. 27
Bring translation of one-fourth of selected article.
Read and listen to today's or yesterday's RFE/RL.

for Thursday, Oct. 30
Lesson five: Sexuality.
Prepare entire lesson. Your speech (6-7 min) should address one of the questions raised in the reading or the sexual revolution in Russia as evidenced in the press and on the Internet.

for Tuesday, Nov. 3
Bring translation of second-fourth of selected article.
Read and listen to today's or yesterday's RFE/RL.

for Thursday, Nov. 5
Lesson six: Religion.
Prepare entire lesson. Your oral report (8 min) should look at some aspect of the historical role of religion in Russia.

for Tuesday, Nov. 10
Bring translation of third-fourth of selected article.
Read and listen to today's or yesterday's RFE/RL.

for Thursday, Nov. 12
Lesson seven: Men and Women.
Provide a light entertaining overview (8 min) of the changing roles of men and women in American or Russian society.

for Tuesday, Nov. 17
Bring translation of final-fourth of selected article.
Read and listen to today's or yesterday's RFE/RL.

for Thursday, Nov. 19
Lesson eight: Social Issues.
Speak (8 min) on contemporary problems and solutions related to crime, the economy or the environment in Russian society

for Tuesday, Nov. 26
Bring revised translation of first half of selected article.
Read and listen to today's or yesterday's RFE/RL.


for Tuesday, Dec. 1
Bring revised translation of second half of selected article.
Read and listen to today's or yesterday's RFE/RL.


for Thursday, Dec.3
Lesson nine: Russia and the West
Prepare a ten minute lecture on a topic related to Russia and the West.

for Tuesday, Dec. 8
Final revised translation due this date.
Read and listen to today's or yesterday's RFE/RL.

on Thursday, Dec. 10
Prepare an eight minute presentation on what you have learned in our course and remaining linguistic challenges.