UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA
Program in Slavic Languages and Literatures


 

Syllabus for Russ 1101/4101 Beginning Russian

Course: Russian 1101 (Beginning Russian), Fall 2018, Tuesdays and Thursdays, 5:30--7:35

Place:     Folwell Hall, Room 120

Instructor:  Prof. Jahn
Office:  320H Folwell Hall; Office Phone: (612) 625-6557
E--Mail:  gjahn@umn.edu
Office Hours: 2:30-3:30 and 4:30-5:15 on Tuesdays and Thursdays or by appointment

Objective: The objective of this course is to develop the four language skills--speaking, writing, listening, reading--in harmony, laying the basis for ultimate mastery of the language.  

Text:     Beginner's Russian by A. Kudyma, F. Miller, and O. Kagan is available at the university bookstore.   The textbook is supplemented by extensive on-line practice materials at http://www.russian.ucla.edu/beginnersrussian/student/Chap1.htm.  This site contains all of the homework assignments referred to in the syllabus.  You must bring your textbook with you to every class meeting.

IMPORTANT NOTE

 The evening section of Beginning Russian is not for everyone.  It meets for 125 minutes, two days per week.  This means that students must be prepared to be both attentive and active for an extended period following a full day of other activities.  It also means that a missed class is a missed half-week of instruction.  Finally, the attractive prospect of attending only two classes a week presents the fatal temptation of doing homework only twice a week, usually the days before or the days of class.  Success, however, will be closely associated with DAILY study of the material and the faithful and repetitive performance of all suggested exercises.  If any of these considerations are of concern to you, you will almost certainly be better advised to sign up for one of the daytime sections which meet five times per week.  If you're not sure, send me an e-mail (gjahn@umn.edu) and we can discuss your concerns.

Homework:  All homework assignments and their due dates are specified on the course calendar.  The assignments themselves are found on the web site developed for the textbook http://www.russian.ucla.edu/beginnersrussian/student/Chap1.htm.  I will be handing out additional exercises on translation from English to Russian with all lessons.

Tests: We will complete the first eight lessons during Fall Semester. There will be written tests with every lesson. 

Grading:

• Attendance and oral recitation in class: 15%
• Homework assignments (there are 28 of these): 14%
• Unit Tests (there will be 6 of these)  24%
• Cumulative Test #1 (on Lessons One through Four):  17%
• Cumulative Test #2 (Final Examination on Lessons One through Eight):  30%
• Students need a minimum grade of C- to continue on to Russian 1102.

Course and University Policies for Undergraduate Courses

UM definition of grades:

A = Achievement is outstanding relative to level necessary to meet requirements.

B = Achievement significantly above the level necessary to meet course requirements.

C = Achievement meets the course requirements in every respect

D = Worthy of credit even though it fails to meet fully the course requirements.

Make-up, late work, and incomplete policy: No make-up exams will be given, except in cases of University excused absences. Work that is submitted late may be subject to penalties at the discretion of the instructor. Please contact me as soon as possible by e-mail if it is necessary for you to be absent from class.  In accordance with University policy, you may be excused from class to participate in religious observances and for approved University activities.

Incompletes: Following University Senate grading policy that the I be assigned at the discretion of the instructor when, due to extraordinary circumstances, the student was prevented from completing the work of the course on time, I ask that seminar members plan to complete their work during the semester. The assignment of an I requires a written agreement between the instructor and student specifying the time and manner in which the student will complete the course requirements. In no event may any such written agreement allow a period of longer than one year to complete the course requirements.

Senate student academic workload policy: 

For undergraduate courses, one credit is defined as equivalent to an average of three hours of learning effort per week (over a full semester) necessary for an average student to achieve an average grade in the course. For this course you should expect to spend 2 hours a week on coursework outside the classroom for each hour of class meetings.

Classroom policies: All students at the University have the right to a civil, productive, and stimulating learning environment. Sexual harassment by or toward a member of the University community is prohibited and will result in disciplinary action. Students are responsible for being on time and prepared for all class sessions, and for seeking academic help in a timely fashion. I expect that you will be responsible for meeting all course requirements, observing all deadlines, examination times, and other course procedures. I look forward to lively and productive discussions in this course.

Disability Services:  Reasonable accommodations will be provided for students with physical, sensory, systemic, cognitive, learning, and psychiatric disabilities.  For more information about possible arrangements, contact Disabilities Services at McNamara Alumni Center, Suite 180 and speak with me at the beginning of the semester.

Scholastic Honesty:  Be aware that your work for this course should conform to University policies concerning scholastic honesty.  Scholastic dishonesty will result in either an "F" for the assignment or an "F" for the course.  It includes, but is not limited to, cheating on assignments or examinations, plagiarizing (misrepresenting as one's own anything done by another), submitting the same or substantially similar papers (or creative work) for more than one course without prior consent of all instructors concerned, sabotaging another's work, and unauthorized collaboration (such as substantial rewriting of an essay by another) on assignments or exams

Student Evaluations of Teaching: University policy requires that students evaluate each course taught by each instructor using anonymous SET questionnaires. In the last two weeks of class, a student volunteer or GSD staff member will administer the evaluations. Your instructor will leave the room while the questionnaires are being distributed and completed to ensure confidentiality.

For further information on policies contact: gsd@umn.edu.

Calendar for Russian 1101--Fall, 2019

Class meets on Tuesdays and Thursdays, 5:30-7:35 in room 120 of Folwell Hall.

[Note:  Each lesson's homework on the web contains one exercise which asks you to copy out the vocabulary list of that lesson.  I include this item below for each lesson, but you are free to stop doing it as soon as you feel that you have mastered Cyrillic cursive and are no longer being warned about handwriting errors.]

Schedule of classes and assignments