69906 - Russian Intermediate

Academic Year 2018/2019

Learning outcomes

Students are expected to achieve a sound knowledge of the Russian morphology, in particular on the following topics: negative, indefinite and reflexive pronouns; verbal aspect in use; adverbial modifiers of time; the use of numerals followed by adjectives and substantives; numeral declension; fractions; participle: formation and use; gerund: formation and use; verbs of movement: verbs of movement with prefixes; direct and indirect speech. The lettorato is an integral part of the course and will allow students to improve their spoken skills on a set of topics related to Russian politics and culture.

Course contents

Morphology: case system of nouns, adjectives, pronouns and numerals.

Characteristics, meanings and functions of the Nominative case.
Characteristics, meanings and functions of the Prepositional case.
Characteristics, meanings and functions of the Accusative case with and without prepositions.
Characteristics, meanings and functions of the Genitive case with and without prepositions.
Characteristics, meanings and functions of the Dative case with and without prepositions.
Characteristics, meanings and functions of the Instrumental case with and without prepositions.

Pronouns: the declension and use of indefinite pronouns. Some negative pronouns.

Adjectives: short and long forms of adjectives, comparative and superlative degree of adjectives. The degrees of comparison of some adjectives.

The system of Russian verbs

Some irregular verbs.
Verbs with the particle -sja and their meanings: intransitive, reciprocal actions.

The verbal aspects: imperfective and perfective forms in the tense system.

Main meanings of the aspects. Use of the infinitive: imperfective and perfective verbs.

Imperative mood: formation and use for both verbal aspects. Ways to express invitation to joint actions.

Verbs of motion without prefixes: idti/chodit' (to go by foot), ekhat'/ezdit' (to go by means of transport), bezhat'/begat' (to run), letet'/letat' (to fly), plyt'/plavat' (to swim), nesti/nosit' (to bring), vezti/vozit' (to transport), vesti/vodit' (to lead).

Verbs of motion with prefixes:
the prefix po- to indicate the beginning of a movement;
prefixes pri- (to arrive) / u- (to leave);
v- (vo) (to enter) / vy- (to exit);
pod- (to get closer) / ot- (to go away);
do- (to reach);
pro- (to go beyond) / pere- (to cross, to move).

Syntax

Direct and indirect speech.

Coordinating conjunctions (connective, adversative, disjunctive).

The complex sentences: the subordinate clauses and conjunctions.

Simple and complex clauses to express:
purpose of an action, conditions of an action, reason.
The conjunction chto in order to express information, thought, feeling;
the conjunction chtoby to express desire, necessity, order;
the conjunction kak to express one perception;
the conjunction esli to express conditions of actions;
the conjunction potomu chto to express the reason of an action;
Consecutive subordinate clauses with the conjunction poetomu.
Concessive subordinate clauses: the conjunction khotja
The expression nesmotrja na to.
Relative clauses with the connective word kotoryj.

Readings/Bibliography

- Chernyshov S. I., Chernyshova A.V., Poekhali! 2.1, 2.2 Bazovyj kurs, Zlatoust, SPb, 2010.

- Kapitonova T.I. i dr., Rabochaja tetrad' po grammatike: Zhivem i uchimsja v Rossii, SPb, Zlatoust, 2003.

- Malyshev G., Malysheva N., O Rossii i russkikh. About Russia and Russians. Reading and Russian civilisation for RFL students (B1), SPb, Zlatoust, 2015.

Additional readings:

- Khavronina S. A., Shirochenskaya A. I., Russian in exercises, -Russky Yazyk Kursy, 2009.

- Students will be given articles about actuality and politics taken from the Internet and the most popular newspapers and Russian reviews.

Teaching methods

The course is articulated in 100 hours of frontal lessons. Parts of the lessons (64 hours) will be dedicated to the linguistic competences. 36 hours of laboratory activities with Prof. Buglakova will privilege the communicative and intercultural competences about actuality and politics, in order to develop the skills of oral and written comprehension, oral and written expression.

Assessment methods

Students are required to take some mid-term written examinations and an oral test.

The written exams consist of a grammar test on the topics explained during the lessons, and of a reading comprehension on political, economic or historical topics in the last test. The written test is to verify the linguistic competences, in particular elements of morphology and word-study.

The written exam is a prerequisite to the oral exam.

The oral test is focused on the communicative competences, on the ability of oral expression. In particular, the students are asked to find authentic material in Internet and to prepare a paper to expose during the final examination.

The final grade is the result of the average between the mid-term examinations and the oral exam.

Teaching tools

PC - computer – language laboratory with Internet; video projector; video recorder.

Office hours

See the website of Simona Berardi

See the website of Liudmila Buglakova