Undergraduate Programme and Module Handbook 2023-2024

Module RUSS2012: Russian Language 2B

Department: Modern Languages and Cultures (Russian)

RUSS2012: Russian Language 2B

Type	Open	Level	2	Credits	40	Availability	Available in 2023/24	Module Cap	None.	Location	Durham

Prerequisites

Russian Language 1B (RUSS1042) or equivalent.

Corequisites

At least one additional level 2 module in Russian Studies

Excluded Combination of Modules

Russian Language 2A (RUSS2191)

Aims

To further develop linguistic skills acquired at Level 1 across the full range of reading, writing, listening and speaking.
To prepare students for living abroad in terms of language, practical knowledge, and cultural competence.

Content

Weekly sessions devoted to the following:
Grammar
Translation from Russian into English and comprehension (reading)
Translation from English into Russian
Audio-Visual Comprehension (listening)
Oral (speaking)
Essay (writing)
The teaching and resources in this module reflect a commitment to linguistic and cultural diversity. It positions the richness of the Russian-speaking world at the core of its syllabus.

Learning Outcomes

Subject-specific Knowledge:

Students will extend their basic vocabulary to a level commensurate with Level 2 study and complete the process of familiarisation with more complex grammatical structures, while at the same time being exposed to a greater diversity of register in the texts with which they are working.

Subject-specific Skills:

Students will develop skills in translation (from Russian into English and English into Russian), in producing more sophisticated spoken and written Russian, and in processing aural and visual material in the target language.

Key Skills:

Students will begin to develop the ability to work independently within a prescribed framework and across a range of differentiated tasks. On completion of the course, students will be able to present a clear argument in the target language in both oral and written form.
Students will gain the ability to present information and/or construct an argument effectively in the target language

Modes of Teaching, Learning and Assessment and how these contribute to the learning outcomes of the module

The course involves highly differentiated modes of teaching, appropriate to the specific skills being developed.
Plenary informal grammar lectures will set the context for a series of skills-based smaller-group grammar activities, followed by sessions focused on one of the five particular skills of reading, translation, writing, speaking and listening.

Teaching Methods and Learning Hours

Activity	Number	Frequency	Duration	Total/Hours
Grammar	21	1 Weekly	1 hour	21	■
Translation Eng to Russ	21	1 Weekly	1 hour	21	■
Translation Russ to Eng	10	1 Fortnightly	1 hour	10	■
Audio-visual	11	1 Fortnightly	1 hour	11	■
Oral	21	1 Weekly	1 hour	21	■
Essay	21	1 Weekly	1 hour	21	■
Preparation and Reading				295

Total				400

Summative Assessment

Component: Continuous Assessment		Component Weighting: 20%
Element	Length / duration	Element Weighting	Resit Opportunity
Continuous Assessment of written skills	300 words	80%
Continuous Assessment of oral skills	10 minutes	20%
Component: Written Examination		Component Weighting: 60%
Element	Length / duration	Element Weighting	Resit Opportunity
Written Examination 1:Translation into English, Grammar (on campus)	2 hours	50%	Yes
Written examination 2: Translation English into Russian, Essay (on campus)	2 hours	50%	Yes
Component: Oral Assessment		Component Weighting: 20%
Element	Length / duration	Element Weighting	Resit Opportunity
Oral examination (on campus)	10 minutes	80%	Yes

Formative Assessment:

Regular translations/essays / grammar exercises and oral preparation work.

■ Attendance at all activities marked with this symbol will be monitored. Students who fail to attend these activities, or to complete the summative or formative assessment specified above, will be subject to the procedures defined in the University's General Regulation V, and may be required to leave the University