Russian

Course Content

Building upon A1 foundations, this course expands your ability to communicate in routine situations requiring simple and direct exchange of information. You'll deepen your understanding of Russian grammar cases and expand your practical vocabulary.

What You Will Learn:

• Describe past experiences using past tense
• Discuss future plans and intentions
• Express preferences, likes, and dislikes
• Describe people, places, and objects in detail
• Handle more complex shopping and service situations
• Make travel arrangements and book accommodations
• Discuss weather and seasonal activities
• Talk about hobbies and entertainment
• Understand and give detailed directions
• Express feelings and emotions

Grammar Development:

All six cases in Russian (nominative, genitive, dative, accusative, instrumental, prepositional), past tense formation for all genders, future tense (both perfective and imperfective aspects), aspect introduction (perfective vs imperfective), reflexive verbs, verbs of motion basics, comparative and superlative forms, and complex sentence structures.

Case System Mastery:

• Genitive case: possession, absence, after numbers
• Dative case: indirect objects, "to/for" meanings
• Instrumental case: means, accompaniment, with prepositions
• Prepositional case: location, topics of conversation
• Understanding when to use each case
• Adjective and noun agreement in all cases

Vocabulary Expansion:

• Clothing and fashion terminology
• Transportation modes and travel vocabulary
• Health, body parts, and medical terms
• Weather and nature descriptions
• Technology and modern life terms
• Education and workplace vocabulary
• Cultural events and entertainment
• Extended food and cooking vocabulary

Reading & Writing Skills:

Read simple Russian texts and short stories, write basic emails and messages, understand signs and public notices, compose short paragraphs about familiar topics, and develop fluency in cursive writing.

Cultural Understanding:

Russian literature introduction, understanding Russian humor and idioms, social customs and etiquette, traditional celebrations and holidays, regional differences across Russia, and appropriate formal vs informal language use.

Course Content

Advance towards confident conversation abilities with comprehensive understanding of longer texts. You'll be able to understand the main points of clear standard Russian on familiar matters regularly encountered in work, education, and leisure contexts.

What You Will Learn:

• Engage in extended conversations on various topics
• Express and defend opinions effectively
• Understand Russian news and media content
• Discuss abstract concepts and ideas
• Handle most travel situations independently
• Participate in workplace discussions
• Write coherent texts on familiar subjects
• Describe experiences, events, and ambitions in detail
• Provide explanations and justifications for opinions
• Understand and appreciate Russian literature basics

Advanced Grammar:

Aspect mastery (perfective and imperfective), verbs of motion with prefixes, participles (active and passive, present and past), verbal adverbs (????????????), conditional mood, subjunctive expressions, complex subordinate clauses, indirect speech, and advanced use of cases with all parts of speech.

Verbs of Motion Mastery:

• Understanding unidirectional and multidirectional verbs
• Mastering prefixed verbs of motion (??????, ????, ?????, etc.)
• Using verbs of motion in different aspects
• Expressing complex movement and direction
• Transportation verbs (?????, ??????, ?????)

Communication Skills:

• Debate social, cultural, and political topics
• Express hypothetical situations and conditions
• Make suggestions and recommendations persuasively
• Narrate complex stories and experiences
• Understand Russian proverbs and idioms
• Participate in formal and informal discussions
• Give structured presentations on familiar topics

Reading Comprehension:

Read Russian newspapers and online articles, understand contemporary Russian literature, comprehend formal letters and official documents, analyze Russian texts for main ideas and details, and follow complex written instructions and procedures.

Cultural Competence:

Deep understanding of Russian history and society, appreciation of Russian classical literature (Pushkin, Tolstoy, Dostoevsky), contemporary Russian culture and arts, understanding regional variations across former Soviet states, business etiquette in Russia, and navigating social situations appropriately.

Vocabulary Enrichment:

Professional and academic terminology, political and economic vocabulary, media and journalism terms, literary expressions, formal and informal registers, specialized vocabulary for various fields, and colloquial expressions.

Course Content

This level enables you to speak fluently with confidence at a professional level. You'll understand the main ideas of complex texts on both concrete and abstract topics, and interact with native speakers with substantial fluency and spontaneity.

What You Will Learn:

• Understand complex texts on diverse subjects
• Interact fluently and spontaneously with native speakers
• Produce clear, detailed text on various topics
• Express viewpoints on topical issues with nuance
• Comprehend specialized academic and professional content
• Engage in technical discussions in Russian
• Write essays, reports, and formal correspondence
• Understand Russian films and TV programs without subtitles
• Appreciate Russian literature at an advanced level
• Conduct business negotiations in Russian

Grammar Mastery:

Complete mastery of all aspects and their nuanced uses, advanced participle constructions, verbal adverbs in complex sentences, all forms of conditional and subjunctive mood, sophisticated use of all six cases, stylistic variations in grammar, understanding archaic and poetic grammar, and mastery of word order for emphasis and style.

Professional Communication:

• Business Russian for professional environments
• Formal presentations and public speaking
• Academic writing and research in Russian
• Legal and official document comprehension
• Media production and journalism language
• Translation and interpretation fundamentals
• Diplomatic and formal correspondence
• Technical and specialized field communication

Advanced Reading & Writing:

• Analyze classical Russian literature critically
• Understand modern Russian literature and poetry
• Write persuasive essays and argumentative texts
• Compose professional reports and proposals
• Create content for Russian media
• Comprehend legal and technical documents
• Appreciate Russian literary devices and rhetoric
• Master formal and bureaucratic writing styles

Cultural & Literary Excellence:

Deep appreciation of Russian literary tradition (Golden and Silver Ages), understanding of Soviet and post-Soviet culture, knowledge of Russian philosophy and intellectual history, contemporary Russian society and politics, regional cultural differences across Russia, and ability to navigate diverse Russian-speaking contexts with cultural sensitivity.

Stylistic Mastery:

• Understanding and using different registers (formal, neutral, colloquial)
• Recognizing and employing stylistic devices
• Appreciating humor, irony, and wordplay in Russian
• Using idioms and phraseological units naturally
• Understanding regional accents and dialects
• Mastering both literary and conversational Russian

Real-World Application:

Professional networking in Russian business environments, conducting negotiations and meetings, academic research and study in Russian, media and journalism work, translation and interpretation, teaching Russian as a foreign language, understanding Russian legal and administrative systems, and functioning effectively in any Russian-speaking context.

Exam Preparation:

Comprehensive preparation for TORFL/???? (Test of Russian as a Foreign Language) Level 2-3, focusing on all competencies with strategies for achieving high scores in listening, reading, writing, speaking, grammar, and vocabulary sections.