After learning the Russian alphabet and handwriting in just a few days, we'll continue with daily lessons using original materials - each day covering a basic aspect of Russian grammar and building incrementally. Special emphasis will be placed on learning to express your own feelings and ideas in natural, idiomatic Russian, preparing you to engage with Russian speakers and real Russian texts, and delving into Russian culture, history, music, and literature as we go, learning the language in its own unique and incredibly rich cultural context. The year will end with a sampling of Soviet prose and poetry in the original.

This course is intended for students with a Russian-speaking family background who seek to acquire or improve their Russian language skills, as well as to learn more about Russian/Soviet culture and history. All linguistic concepts will be taught through authentic materials, including literary texts, films, and the current Russian Internet sites. By the end of the course, students will be able to analyze and construct texts of various genres and participate actively in most informal and some formal exchanges on a broad variety of cultural topics. Students who complete this course in combination with RUS 108 satisfy the Language Requirement.

The course undertakes a thorough review of grammar and aims to develop oral and written language skills. The reading module opens with 20th century children's poems and short stories, which will help students to expand everyday vocabulary and to practice conversation. Later in the semester, we will read and discuss literary texts by Pushkin, Turgenev, and Chekhov. Through these works the students will familiarize themselves with Russian customs, traditions, and beliefs. Readings and discussions are in Russian.

An expansion of skills in Russian grammar, reading, writing, speaking, and listening comprehension. Work with three films made after the collapse of the Soviet Union, which have won many national and international awards. The class discussion will center around a broad spectrum of cultural, social, historical, and literary topics.

This course focuses instruction on skills required to perform in a Russian-speaking academic context across core subject areas of literary analysis and cultural studies. The targeted language skills - reading, writing, speaking, and listening - will be tied with the specific needs of students (e.g., reading and writing proposals, presentations for conferences, academic articles, and correspondence). In addition, students get acquainted with various academic sub-styles and genres as well as differences in academic standards (citation, bibliography). The course includes a comprehensive review of Russian grammar and syntax.