Special Courses

Russian at the Cinema
By viewing videotapes of Russian films, participants gain practice in deciphering fast-spoken Russian by analyzing common speech reductions of native speakers and distinguishing formal and informal speech. Participants add more idiomatic and colloquial expressions to their vocabulary and develop a greater understanding of Russian cultural and social settings.
Duration. One 2-hour session per week for 12 weeks
Prerequisite. Advanced knowledge

Russian Refresher Course
Participants reinforce their knowledge of Russian language and culture by reading authentic Russian texts, listening to audio recordings of native speakers, and watching videotapes of Russian television programmes. Participants also review the major grammatical structures of the language.
Duration. One hour per week for 12 weeks
Prerequisite. Advanced knowledge

Media-assisted Russian Course
Participants sharpen their listening comprehension skills by listening to radio and television news broadcasts and build their active vocabulary, including idiomatic expressions, on topics that are current in the news. Participants gain practice in understanding Russian by analyzing videotaped television news and improving reading comprehension by reading transcripts of broadcasts.
Duration. One hour per week for 12 weeks
Prerequisite. Advanced knowleListening Strategies
By being exposed to varieties of modern Russian in different listening situations, participants take a strategic and systematic approach to listening. They develop their ability to break down the message into its component parts and apply specific listening strategies to help them build their understanding of the spoken Russian.
Duration. 1 hour per week for 12 weeks
Prerequisite. Advanced knowledge

Russian Conversation 1
At the end of the course, participants are expected to talk about themselves (family, work, origin, education, hobbies, etc). Students will also practice a variety of daily life situations by engaging in role-play. They will have opportunity to engage in casual exchanges in a relaxed and confident-building atmosphere.
Duration. One 2-hour session per week for 12 weeks
Prerequisite. Beginner/Intermediate knowledge

Russian Conversation 2
By engaging in role-play and various other simulations, participants will have the opportunity to practice Russian in a free-flowing, guided conversation. They will be able to discuss various topics like education, politics, Russian culture and society. They are expected to give descriptions, directions, pose and respond to instructions, express their likes/dislikes, etc.
Duration. One 2-hour session per week for 12 weeks
Prerequisite. Intermediate/Advanced knowledge