Russian 5

This subject has the following teaching availabilities in 2016:

170 hours

Russian 4 or equivalent.

For the purposes of considering request for Reasonable Adjustments under the Disability Standards for Education (Cwth 2005), and Student Support and Engagement Policy, academic requirements for this subject are articulated in the Subject Overview, Learning Outcomes, Assessment and Generic Skills sections of this entry.

It is University policy to take all reasonable steps to minimise the impact of disability upon academic study, and reasonable adjustments will be made to enhance a student's participation in the University's programs. Students who feel their disability may impact on meeting the requirements of this subject are encouraged to discuss this matter with a Faculty Student Adviser and Student Equity and Disability Support: http://services.unimelb.edu.au/disability

This subject is designed to provide students with a thorough exposure to pre-20th-century historical and social issues in Russia. Drawing on the dual meaning of the Russian word istorija (i.e., history and story), the theme-oriented instructional units emphasise personal and public stories in Russian history, while connecting oral narratives with written narratives. Students improve their ability to narrate, compare and contrast and establish causal relationships in speaking and writing. Through the integration of all modalities, this course promotes accuracy, fluency and complexity in language use. The development of advanced reading and writing is considered the primary means for expanding students’ language abilities at this stage of language instruction. In this theme-based subject, students gain background knowledge about public events in pre-20th-century Russian history and then read and view personal narratives about these events for the purposes of examining the intersection of the public and private spheres of contemporary Russian society. The texts themselves provide the textual, informational, and lexico-grammatical features that serve as the basis for developing students’ abilities as advanced learners of Russian.

On successful completion of this subject, students should:

• be able to interpret and analyse written texts and public genres of a moderate to high level of complexity from Russian 19th-century literature and history texts;
• be able to engage with and discuss Russian films based on 19th-century works of literature;
• be able to deploy more specialised vocabulary and complex linguistic and grammatical structures to express opinions and feelings as well as to summarise the opinions of others;
• be able to use analytical and expository language to produce written discourse about historical topics;
• have developed research skills to find information from various sources, including dictionary, library and the internet.

• Weekly language assignments equivalent to 1000 words (25%);
• Two essays in Russian due in week 5 and 10 equivalent to 1000 words (25%);
• Oral (10%) and written (40%) exam equivalent to 2000 words due during the exam period (50%).

Hurdle requirement: Students must attend a minimum of 75% of tutorials in order to pass this subject. All pieces of written work must be submitted to pass this subject.

Note: Assessment submitted late without an approved extension will be penalised at 10% per working day. In-class tasks missed without approval will not be marked.

N. Volkova, ‘Let’s Improve Our Russian’, Textbook, St. Petersburg, 2014

G. Hosking, ‘Russia and the Russians: A History’, Cambridge Mass., 2001

This subject potentially can be taken as a breadth subject component for the following courses:

• Bachelor of Biomedicine
• Bachelor of Commerce
• Bachelor of Environments
• Bachelor of Music
• Bachelor of Science
• Bachelor of Engineering

You should visit learn more about breadth subjects and read the breadth requirements for your degree, and should discuss your choice with your student adviser, before deciding on your subjects.

Students who successfully complete this subject should:

• have acquired more advanced skills necessary for future research (library, internet, cross-references etc.);
• have gained sophisticated analytical tools for understanding the system of language;
• have acquired foundations in intercultural communication practices;
• have acquired written communication skills through writing and seminar discussion;
• be able to show attention to detail through preparation and writing;
• have acquired time management and planning skills through managing and organising workloads for regular (weekly) assignment completion;
• have acquired public speaking skills through tutorial and seminar discussion and class presentations;
• have developed the ability to critically analyse linguistic and cultural differences of the target language and cultures.