Russian 101: Introduction to Russian I
Center for the Study of Languages
Rice University
Fall 2006

Instructor: Dr. Jonathan Z. Ludwig
Office: 323 Rayzor Hall
Office hours: Monday, 1:00-2:00; Tuesday, 3:00-4:00; and by appointment
Office phone: 713-348-3479
E-mail: jzludwig@rice.edu

Course goals: Welcome to Russian 101, the first course in a four-semester sequence that will teach you the basic language skills of the Russian language. At the end of this semester, you will be able to:

  • read and write Russian letters, words and sentences
  • give and respond with simple greetings
  • introduce yourself and make introductions to others
  • discuss activities in which you regularly participate
  • discuss academic topics, including subjects and languages studied
  • tell time on the hour
  • talk on the phone
  • describe personal possessions and common objects

    • In short, you will be able to create, participate in, and understand dialogs in Russian about yourself and your surroundings.

    Required texts:

    Golosa: A Basic Course in Russian. Book 1. Textbook, 4th ed.
    Golosa: A Basic Course in Russian. Workbook/Lab Manual for Book 1, 4th ed.

    Course grading policies:

  • Chapter tests (5): 30%
  • Quizzes (10): 15%
  • Oral exams (1): 10%
  • Final essay: 15%
  • Homework: 15%
  • Class participation: 15%

    • Course requirements:

    There will be 6 hour-long in-class chapter tests spread throughout the semester. Each exam will be roughly the same length, and will consist of sections such as the following: a listening comprehension and/or dictation exercise, fill-in-the-blank exercises, translation exercises, a reading comprehension passage, a communicative writing exercise, and a section on Russian culture. Exams turned in after the assigned deadline will be penalized.

    There will be ten quizzes, two per chapter. One will be a dictation/vocabulary question-answer style quiz; the other will be a grammar quiz. Quizzes may not be made up without prior permission.

    There will be one oral exam. The oral exam will consist of a series of questions asked by your instructor.

    The final essay will be an out-of-class writing assignment due no later than Friday, 8 December, 12:00 noon.

    Homework will be graded on a 5-point basis as follows:

  • Complete/mostly correct: 5 points
  • Complete/partially correct: 4 points
  • Partially complete: 3 points
  • Mostly incomplete: 2 points
  • Absent/Not submitted: 0 points

    • Homework is due the class after it is assigned, unless otherwise specified; late homework will not be accepted. Students who know they will be absent on a given date are encouraged to submit their homework in advance, or ask a friend or classmate to turn it in for them; thus they may earn up to the total 5 points available for the given assignment, as well as earning 2 points for class participation for that day, rather than 0 points, as described below.

    Some homework assignments will include listening comprehension exercises. These are available on the web, as mp3 files, at: http://www.gwu.edu/%7Eslavic/golosa/audio/audio1-4e.htm. Check carefully and select the correct portion for your homework assignment. Video files for those assignments are found at: http://www.gwu.edu/%7Eslavic/golosa/video/. You may also reach these links through: http://www.prenhall.com/golosa.

    In addition, computer-based learning modules will be assigned later in the semester, due when indicated. These will be graded as additional regular homework assignments.

    Class participation will be graded daily on a 5-point basis as follows:

  • Present and completely prepared: 5 points
  • Present and partially prepared: 4 points
  • Present but unprepared: 3 points
  • Absent but homework submitted on time: 2 points
  • Absent: 0 points

    • The lowest 3 class participation grades for each student will be dropped in the calculation of the class participation grade for the semester. Regular class attendance is very important for learning a foreign language, as often the in-class hour is the only time during which you may practice speaking the language; failure to attend class will have an adverse effect on your grade, as will consistent late arrival to class. Classroom etiquette requires that you do not eat during class.

    Mandatory ADA Statement: Any student with a documented disability needing academic adjustments or accommodations is requested to speak with me during the first two weeks of class. All discussions will remain confidential. Students with disabilities will also need to contact Disability Support Services in the Ley Student Center.

    Course Plan

    The syllabus of daily assignments and schedule for tests and quizzes is available in class.

    This page last updated 30 August 2006 by Dr. Jonathan Z. Ludwig, jzludwig@rice.edu.