Undergraduate Programme and Module Handbook 2024-2025
Module RUSS2191: Russian Language 2A
Department: Modern Languages and Cultures (Russian)
RUSS2191: Russian Language 2A
| Type | Open | Level | 2 | Credits | 20 | Availability | Available in 2024/2025 | Module Cap | None. | Location | Durham |
|---|
Prerequisites
- Russian Language 1A (RUSS1161) or equivalent
Corequisites
- At least one additional level 2 module in Russian Studies
Excluded Combination of Modules
- Russian Language 2B (RUSS2012); Russian Stage 2 (MLAN1491)
Aims
- To raise students' awareness of issues relating to translation and to practise translation, by examining a range of texts in a variety of registers in Russian and rendering them in English in class and in formative assessments.
- To develop skills in communication through discussion of a range of topics in Russian.
- To prepare students for living abroad in terms of language, practical knowledge and cultural competence.
Content
- There will be three contact hours per week, one oral class, one essay class and one seminar on translation.
- Classes on translation will alternate between focussing on English to Russian and Russian to English.
- The teaching and resources in this module reflect a commitment to linguistic and cultural diversity. It positions the richness of the (language area)-speaking world at the core of its syllabus.
Learning Outcomes
Subject-specific Knowledge:
- To extend students' knowledge of Russian vocabulary.
- To consolidate translation skills.
- To develop fluency in reading, writing, listening and speaking.
Subject-specific Skills:
- Students will have developed in their ability to translate Russian into fluent English through practical sessions on translation.
- By the end of the module they should be able to translate unseen texts from Russian into English and English into Russian.
- Students will also have developed in their ability to communicate clearly in spoken Russian, and to discuss a range of topics in Russian.
Key Skills:
- 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 module is taught by means of weekly practicals (devoted to translation of a range of sample texts from English into Russian and Russian into English), weekly essay classes and weekly oral classes.
- Oral classes will provide the opportunity to broaden the students' vocabulary base by building on vocabulary encountered in the translation texts.
Teaching Methods and Learning Hours
| Activity | Number | Frequency | Duration | Total/Hours | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Translation | 21 | 1 per week | 1 hour | 21 | ■ |
| Practicals | 21 | 1 per week | 1 hour | 21 | ■ |
| Oral | 21 | 1 per week | 1 hour | 21 | ■ |
| Preparation and Reading | 137 | ||||
| Total | 200 |
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 (in person) | 2 hours | 100% | Yes |
| Component: Oral Assessment | Component Weighting: 20% | ||
| Element | Length / duration | Element Weighting | Resit Opportunity |
| Oral Examination (in person) | 10 minutes | 80% | Yes |
Formative Assessment:
Weekly translations/essays 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