MLR3111 - Advanced Russian Language Skills
2019/0 Module description
| Staff | Professor Katharine Hodgson - Convenor |
|---|---|
| Credit Value | 30 |
| ECTS Value | 15 |
| NQF Level | 6 |
| Pre-requisites | MLR2001 |
| Co-requisites | None |
| Duration of Module | Term 1: 11 weeks; Term 2: 11 weeks; |
Module description
In this module you will engage with the spoken and written language, using materials on a range of topics, both in text form, and in the form of video and/or audio recordings, both to improve your comprehension of Russian, and to guide you towards producing your own written texts in Russian, as well as making contributions to oral discussion, conversation, and class presentations in Russian. The emphasis will be on achieving a high level of grammatical accuracy as well as command of idiomatic structures, and on broadening your knowledge of vocabulary across different thematic areas. You will also develop your abilities in translating Russian into accurate and idiomatic English.
Module aims
The module aims to:
- Refine your Russian language skills, building on what you have learned at previous stages, and, in many cases, during your third year of study abroad
- Develop your abilities in both producing Russian (orally and in writing) and in understanding Russian (aurally and in writing)
- Develop your use of the syntax and lexis of the language by engaging with texts which cover a wide range of topics and styles
ILO: Module-specific skills
- 1. Apply a knowledge of a broad range of grammatical features of Russian
- 2. Tackle complex translation passages into and out of Russian, based on a wide range of topics and written in a variety of styles
- 3. Use bilingual and standard monolingual dictionaries to research conventions of usage, find synonyms and explore nuances of meaning
- 4. Discuss complex topical and abstract issues in spoken Russian, using a broad range of vocabulary and idiom
- 5. Give a structured oral presentation in Russian, addressed to a small group of listeners, and to engage in debate on the issues raised by the presentation
- 6. Demonstrate understanding of spoken Russian from a range of sources, including audio/video recordings
ILO: Discipline-specific skills
- 7. Understand and use in class discussion a broad range of linguistic terminology, using this terminology to a certain extent to conceptualise mistakes in the target language and to identify strategies for improving linguistic accuracy
- 8. Engage critically with the Russian-language media (printed and electronic, including internet, television and radio), using it as a resource for independent study
ILO: Personal and key skills
- 9. Communicate information and arguments of some complexity in the target language
- 10. Express and defend opinions on a wide range of current and abstract issues
- 11. Advance linguistic competence independently (with the potential for learning new languages independently in the future)
Syllabus plan
Whilst the content may vary from year to year, it is envisioned that it will cover some or all of the following topics:
- One hour per week of prose translation from Russian/guided writing in Russian
- One hour per week of translation from Russian into English
- One hour per week of oral/aural work
- Weekly independent audio-visual comprehension task
Learning and teaching methods: For both translation elements, students are provided with passages for translation, which are either written or prepared for the following class. The work handed in is corrected and marked, and study of the passages is used as a method of improving the linguistic skills. For spoken Russian, students are required to prepare topics, which are then presented to a small group of students for further discussion in Russian under the guidance of the teacher. Aural classes are conducted every three weeks; in the previous week students complete a set independent audio-visual/listening comprehension task. In the following class this task will be discussed in depth by a member of staff who is a native speaker of Russian, and further listening comprehension and/or transcription tasks will be undertaken in class.
Learning activities and teaching methods (given in hours of study time)
| Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activities | Guided independent study | Placement / study abroad |
|---|---|---|
| 66 | 234 | 0 |
Details of learning activities and teaching methods
| Category | Hours of study time | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Scheduled learning and teaching | 22 | Translating written Russian text into English |
| Scheduled learning and teaching | 22 | Activities to develop skills in producing written Russian independently |
| Scheduled learning and teaching | 22 | Oral and aural work, developing skills in producing and understanding spoken Russian |
| Guided independent study | 234 | Preparation of set material for classes, completion of formative language work, reading in Russian, listening to Russian |
Formative assessment
| Form of assessment | Size of the assessment (eg length / duration) | ILOs assessed | Feedback method |
|---|---|---|---|
| Writing tasks | 200-300 words | 1-3, 8-10 | Written and oral |
| Audio visual tasks | 20 minutes | 1, 6 | Written and oral |
| Translations | 200-350 words | 2 | Written and oral |
| Oral presentations | 10-15 minutes | 4, 5, 9, 10 | Written and oral |
Summative assessment (% of credit)
| Coursework | Written exams | Practical exams |
|---|---|---|
| 0 | 75 | 25 |
Details of summative assessment
| Form of assessment | % of credit | Size of the assessment (eg length / duration) | ILOs assessed | Feedback method |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Audio-visual aural comprehension tests | 25 | 1 hour x 2 | 1, 6 | Written feedback |
| Oral examination | 25 | 20 minutes | 4, 5, 9, 10 | Written feedback |
| Examination translation from Russian to English | 25 | 1.5 hours | 2 | Written feedback |
| Examination writing in Russian and translation from English to Russian | 25 | 1.5 hours | 1, 2, 4, 9, 10 | Written feedback |
Details of re-assessment (where required by referral or deferral)
| Original form of assessment | Form of re-assessment | ILOs re-assessed | Timescale for re-assessment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Audio-visual aural comprehension tests | Audio-visual aural comprehension tests | 1, 6 | Referral/Deferral period |
| Oral examination | Oral examination | 4, 5, 9, 10 | Referral/Deferral period |
| Examination translation from Russian to English | Examination translation from Russian to English | 2 | Referral/Deferral period |
| Examination writing in Russian and translation from English to Russian | Examination writing in Russian and translation from English to Russian | 1, 2, 4, 9, 10 | Referral/Deferral period |
Re-assessment notes
Deferral – if you miss an assessment for certificated reasons judged acceptable by the Mitigation Committee, you will normally be either deferred in the assessment or an extension may be granted. The mark given for a re-assessment taken as a result of deferral will not be capped and will be treated as it would be if it were your first attempt at the assessment.
Referral – if you have failed the module overall (i.e. a final overall module mark of less than 40%) you will be required to submit a further assessment as necessary. If you are successful on referral, your overall module mark will be capped at 40%.
Indicative learning resources - Basic reading
- Borras, F. M. and R. F. Christian, Russian Syntax: Aspects of Modern Russian Syntax and Vocabulary (Oxford : Clarendon Press, 1971)
- Daum, E. and W. Schenk, A Dictionary of Russian Verbs: Bases of Inflection, Aspects, Regimen, Stressing, Meanings (Leipzig: VEB Verlag Enzyklopädie, 1974)
- Falla, Paul, Boris Unbegaun, and Marcus Wheeler, eds., The Oxford Russian Dictionary, Revised Edition, (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1997)
- Offord, Derek, Using Russian: a Guide to Contemporary Usage (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1996)
- Ozhegov, S. I., Slovar' russkogo iazyka (Moscow: Russkii iazyk, 1991)
- Wade, Terence A Comprehensive Russian Grammar (Oxford: Blackwell, 1992)
- Wade, Terence, A Russian Grammar Workbook (Oxford: Blackwell, 1997)
Module has an active ELE page?
Yes
Indicative learning resources - Web based and electronic resources
Available as distance learning?
No
Origin date
17/07/2013
Last revision date
31/01/2019
Key words search
Russian, Language, Oral
Important please note
Whilst every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the module descriptors for the Online Module Selection process, please be aware that on rare occasions it may be necessary to remove proposed modules for reasons beyond our control. In addition, there are still some new modules going through the accreditation process. These will be offered in due course by the relevant discipline.
All modules displayed below have been approved by the approval process but may require further minor amendments before the commencement of teaching.
We are committed to providing an outstanding education and high quality teaching. You can find out details of your modules and any potential changes on these pages. If you are a returning student, joining after the first year or a postgraduate student details of your module changes will be provided in August.
Foreign Language Centre modules
Term 1 module codes listed above ending with C, i.e. FLF1115C, are only available to outbound students who are away in Term 2. Students studying all year must select the standard module across both Term 1 and 2.