SPRING 2018
Elementary Russian RUSS 1020
Section 002
Monday/Wednesday/Friday 11:00-11:50 CURY 210
Instructor: Dr Tatiana Filosofova
Office: 401 B Lang.
E-mail:
Dr. FilosofovaOffice hours: M/W/F 1:00 – 2:00 pm and by appointment.
Tutoring is offered to all students by Savannah Leigh Shuffield, a Russian tutor
E-mail:
Tutoring sessions for all languages are held in the Languages Tutoring Room LANG 108 opposite rooms LANG 107&109. Please contact Savannah for more information.
LABs are mandatory to attend. Each student must enroll in one LAB each week. All LABs are taught by a Russian TA, David Oostenbrug
E-mail:
Course description:
The course is designed for students who have completed the UNT Russian Elementary course, RUSS1010, or equivalent and have a basic knowledge of Russian. The course is the second part of a two-semester course aimed at building a sound foundation of your knowledge of Russian language. You will continue to learn how to communicate effectively and confidently, in everyday situations, in Russian. The course will focus on consolidation of your basic knowledge of Russian grammar and will complete the introduction of the Russian case system, the aspect and tenses of the Russian verbs and basic syntax. We will also focus on developing your language proficiency in the key skills – listening, speaking, reading, and writing.
Course objectives
On completion of this course, you should be able to:
- Speak, understand, read and write Russian with a degree of fluency compatible with a lower intermediate level of study.
- Build up your knowledge of the essential grammatical concepts needed to learn Russian at the next level of your studies.
- Communicate confidently on a broad range of possible every-day life situations, both orally and written.
Required texts
Golosa - 1, 5th edition, R. Robin, Evans-Romaine, Shatalina, J. Robin. Please note you are required to obtain both, thetextbook and the workbook (Student Activities Manual).
Use of email: You are required to use the official UNT email (my.unt.edu) for all communications. This means that your instructor will only respond to emails sent by students from their official UNT address.
Instructors: The course is taught by:
- One primary instructor Dr Tatiana Filosofova ()
- One teaching assistantDavid Oostenbrug ().
Dr Tatiana Filosofova conducts classes on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, sets all tests and examinations and grades all your homework, weekly quizzes and examinations. The teaching assistant will conduct one section of this class entitled ‘LAB’, and might be involved in the grading of your weekly quizzes.
Both of your instructors can be contacted by e-mail. Your primary instructor can also be contacted in person during her office hours or by appointment.
Announcements
Please check your e-mails and announcements on Blackboard. Your instructors will keep you posted on any issues concerning your studies. Please check the Facebook page on the UNT Russian Club where information about all leisure activities organized by the Russian Club or the Department will be posted.
Attendance
Attendance of all class and participation in all learning activities are mandatory. Each student will be allowed three unexcused absences for the course. After this, each additional unexcused absence will result in a deduction of 3% from your attendance grade.
For medical excuses, a doctor’s note will be required and will only be accepted on the student’s first day back in class. A note showing that you were seen at the health center will not excuse your absence. Only a note showing that a medical professional recommended that you do not attend class will be accepted in order to excuse your absence. If you fail to bring a doctor’s note on your first day back in class, your absence will not be excused.
You must arrive on time for each of your class. If you arrive more than ten minutes late, you will be marked absent for the day.
In-class participation
Your participation grade will be determined by your performance in class. To earn a high participation grade you must prepare all your work in advance, be actively involved in all your class activities and be ready to respond to your instructor’s questions and requirements.
Homework
You must prepare all your written and oral homework and submit all your assignments on time. Some homework is pre-assigned and some homework assigned in class. The late submission of your homework assignments will result in downgrading your work. Any missed assignments will be graded as zero. See also the section below on the make-up policy. All your written homework assignments will be graded on a 100% scale. If you receive grade C or lower you should make an immediate appointment with the instructor to discuss any problems.
Make-up policy
You will not be allowed to re-sit your final examination. However, if you miss your tests, quizzes or could not submit your assignment on time for a good reason, such as a medical emergency, you will be allowed to submit your assessed work later. You must contact your instructor, who will evaluate each case on an individual basis. Medical excuses must be correctly documented and will only be accepted on the student’s first day back in class.
List of Major Graded Assessments
Week 1: No Quizzes
Week 2: Quiz 1
Week 3: Quiz 2
Week 4: Quiz 3
Week 5: Quiz 4
Week 6: Quiz 5
Week 7: Quiz 6
Week 8: Quiz 7
Week 9: SPRING BREAK
Week 10: Quiz 8
Week 11: Quiz 9
Week 12: Quiz 10
Week 13: Quiz 11
Week 14: Quiz 12
Week 15: Oral Work/Project Final Exam: See the Office of the Registrar's webpage:
Tests/Quizzes
A number of quizzes and tests will be set during the semester. All tests and quizzes will be graded on a 100% scale. If you receive grade C or lower you should make an immediate appointment with the instructor to discuss any problems.
Oral evaluations
During the course, at each lesson, you will carry out various speaking and reading activities. Accumulative evaluation of your oral work will be assessed on each lesson and a summarizing grade for oral proficiency will be recorded and will be included in the overall grade.
Cultural Portfolio
Completion of Cultural Portfolio Activities are mandatory and make up 10% of your final grade. Each extracurricular activity is worth a number of points (see information below). You must gain 12 points. This means you must complete any activities from the following list at any time during the semester:
- Participation in Russian club meetings/Oral Hour/film viewing/Study Group/ Food parties (two points for each event; you must sign a registration sheet provided by the Russian Club Office).
- You can view a Russian film of your choice and submit a brief review of the film in Russian (up to 100 words in writing) to DrFilosofova. In your review re-tell the story and explain why you like/disliked the film - four points for one review.
- Participation in a Student Mentoring program, as a mentor, gives you 10 points; as a mentee – 4 points.
You must submit a record of completed cultural activities to DrFilosofova by April 27 2018.
Assessment
You will be assessed on a variety of tasks in all four skills noted above. Your overall final grade is made up from the following components:
- Two-hour final examination that will be set during your examination period (25%)
- Tests and quizzes that are set during semester (25%)
- Written Homework (10%)
- LAB Oral work (15%)
- Class participation (10%)
- Attendance (5%)
- Cultural Portfolio Activities (10%)
Grading Scale:
90-100% A
80-89% B
70-79% C
60-69% D
59% or below E
Classroom policies
Cell phones and pagers must be switched off during class. In addition, the use of laptops is not allowed in this class. Your participation in class is the key for your success. Therefore, disruptive behavior will not be tolerated. If a student’s disruptive behavior were persistent, he/she would be referred to the Center for Student Rights and Responsibilities to consider whether the student's conduct violated the Code of Student Conduct. The university's expectations for student conduct apply to all instructional forums, including university and electronic classroom, labs, discussion groups, field trips, etc. The Code of Student Conduct can be found at
Policy concerning academic dishonesty
Students are encouraged to study in groups and to work together. However, any form of cheating, whether on a homework assignment, composition, quiz, or exam will be dealt with severely and result in either an F on the assignment or, depending on the case, possibly an F in the course. In addition, the use of any online translation tools and/or direct copying from any source will result in an immediate F for the assignment. All of these instances will be reported to UNT’s Vice President for Academic Affairs and dealt with according to the University’s policy on academic dishonesty.
Policy concerning disability accommodation
The University of North Texas makes reasonable academic accommodation for students with disabilities. Students seeking accommodation must first register with the Office of Disability Accommodation (ODA) to verify their eligibility. If a disability is verified, the ODA will provide you with an accommodation letter to be delivered to faculty to begin a private discussion regarding your specific needs in a course. You may request accommodation at any time, however, ODA notices of accommodation should be provided as early as possible in the semester to avoid any delay in implementation. Note that students must obtain a new letter of accommodation for every semester and must meet with each faculty member prior to implementation in each class. Students are strongly encouraged to deliver letters of accommodation during faculty office hours or by appointment. Faculty members have the authority to ask students to discuss such letters during their designated office hours to protect the privacy of the student. For additional information, see the Office of Disability Accommodation website at . You may also contact them by phone at 940.565.4323.
Succeed at UNT
The Student Evaluation of Teaching Effectiveness (SETE) is a requirement for all organized classes at UNT. UNT endeavors to offer you a high quality education and to provide a supportive environment to help you learn and grow. All your instructors are committed to helping you be successful as a student. The following six steps will help you succeed at UNT:
- Show up.
- Find support.
- Take control.
- Be prepared.
- Get involved.
- Be persistent.
To learn more about campus resources and information on how you can achieve success, go to:
Weekly Schedule
Week I / Revision of lesson 1-5 (GOLOSA-1)Week II / Lesson 5: Grammar: The verbs of motion and short-form adjectives (GOLOSA-1, pp. 170-178); Speaking/Listening/Reading: daily activities, reading and writing notes and letters (GOLOSA-1, pp.179-184)
Week III / Lesson 6: Grammar: The verbs хотеть, стоять, висеть, лежать (GOLOSA-1, pp. 203-204); Speaking/Listening/Reading: Talking about homes, apartments, houses etc. (GOLOSA-1, pp.190-194)
Week IV / Lesson 6: Grammar: Genitive case – introduction (GOLOSA-1, pp. 205-208); Speaking/Listening/Reading: Диалоги, культура и быт (GOLOSA-1, pp.195-202)
Week V / Lesson 6: Grammar: Negative constructions with the genitive case (GOLOSA-1, pp. 209-215); Speaking/Listening/Reading: чтение (GOLOSA-1, pp.216-223)
Week VI / Lesson 7: Grammar: Theverbs родиться, вырасти; Сколько вам лет? (GOLOSA-1, pp. 243-244); Speaking/Listening/Reading: Your family, jobs, occupations (GOLOSA-1, pp. 230-232)
Week VII / Lesson 7: Grammar: Genitive case plural (GOLOSA-1, pp. 245-248); Speaking/Listening/Reading: Диалоги, культура и быт (GOLOSA-1, pp.236-242)
Week VIII / Lesson 7: Grammar: Summary of the usage of the genitive plural (GOLOSA-1, pp.249-256); Speaking/Listening/Reading: чтение (GOLOSA-1, pp 257-264)
WEEK 9 – SPRING BREAK
Week X / Lesson 8: Grammar: past tense of some irregular verbs (GOLOSA-1, pp. 283-286); Speaking/Listening/Reading: shopping and shops (GOLOSA-1, pp. 270-273)
Week XI / Lesson 8: Grammar: past tense of some irregular verbs (GOLOSA-1, pp. 285-290); Speaking/Listening/Reading: Диалоги, культура и быт (GOLOSA-1, pp.274-280)
Week XII / Lesson 8: Grammar: Dative case (GOLOSA-1, pp. 291-299); Speaking/Listening/Reading: чтение (GOLOSA-1, pp. 300-306)
Week XIII / Lesson 9: Grammar: Verbs есть, пить; the instrumental case (GOLOSA-1, pp. 323-326); Speaking/Listening/Reading: Russian meals and food (GOLOSA-1, pp. 312-315)
Week XIV / Lesson 9: Grammar: The future tense of Russian verbs (GOLOSA-1, pp. 328-330); Speaking/Listening/Reading: Диалоги, культура и быт (GOLOSA-1, pp.318-322)
Week XV / Lesson 9: Grammar: The verbal aspect (GOLOSA-1, pp. 330-333); Speaking/Listening/Reading: чтение (GOLOSA-1, pp.335-343)
Week XVI
May, 3 – Last teaching day / Lesson 10: Grammar: Revision; Speaking/Listening/Reading: my biography (GOLOSA-1, pp.350-359)
May 5-11 Finals
Please note a more detailed weekly schedule, which includes all your home assignments, in-class tests and quizzes, are display on Blackboard as a separate document under rubric Syllabus and contains Lessons 5-10.