RUS
101 FIRST YEAR RUSSIAN
Fall
2009
Kristine Shmakov
Office: CT 219 #8
Phone/Voice mail:
977-4841; (244-6111 for snow closure info.)
Email: kshmakov@pcc.edu
Office hours: 2:50-3:20pm M/W; 1-2pm
T/Th; 12-1pm F
Course web page:
http://spot.pcc.edu/~kshmakov
RUS 101 is offered for four credit hours fall term
and is a beginning level course. No knowledge of Russian is needed.
Students with Russian skills exceeding this level must see me after
class to make sure this course is the right level for you. There is no
prerequisite for this course.
I. CLASS STRUCTURE:
All Russian courses at PCC are conducted in Russian.
Oral communication is the main goal, but writing, reading, listening,
and cultural skills are also all fully integrated. Oral and written
activities, games, videos, Internet exercises, and songs will be used
regularly to help you learn the language. You will work with a partner
or in a small group to complete all class activities. You should
participate actively, use the Russian you learn, and try your best not
to speak English. If you make a commitment to use only Russian, you
will be amazed at how quickly you will progress.
Learning a new language requires making many
mistakes. Our classroom is a safe, non-threatening place where you can
do this. I do not like to call on students and prefer to let people
volunteer when they feel comfortable. Make sure to volunteer at least
once or twice each day in order to earn participation points. If you
like to volunteer often, please make sure everyone else gets a chance
before you volunteer again. When I introduce new material, please make
guesses and try things out. This is how you will learn.
Sometimes you might feel completely lost, since I
will be speaking only Russian in class. This is normal, so try not to
panic! Sometimes you just need to practice the material with a partner
for things to start making sense. Have your partner help you during
pair work or call me over for help. If you still feel confused, please
see me after class for extra help. I am always happy to help in any way
outside of class.
II. GRADING:
Your grade for this class is made up of two
components: daily class grades and homework.
DAILY GRADES:
Each day you will earn a daily class grade (A to F) for class
participation and performance. Daily grades will be worth 60% of your
final grade. I will be evaluating these aspects of your classroom work:
-Preparation for class, including demonstrating knowledge of new
vocabulary and structures covered the class before.
-Active participation with partners and in small groups.
-Volunteering during class.
-Willingness to take risks and experiment with new material.
-Trying your best to speak Russian and not use English.
When assigning daily grades, I will not compare you to or grade you
against any other student. Your own effort and performance will
determine your grade and will never affect anyone else’s. If everyone
does well with the material, everyone gets an A for the day.
Good attendance is essential for learning Russian.
Because we cover so much each day, you should avoid missing class.
Absences will lower your daily grade average in the following ways:
1 absence: No effect on
daily grade average.
2 or 3 absences: Daily grade average drops by
one-half letter grade. (A to A-)
4 absences: Daily grade average
drops by one letter grade. (A to B; B to C)
5 absences: Daily grade average
drops two letter grades. (A to C; B to D)
6 absences: Daily grade average
drops by three letter grades. (A to D; B to F)
7 absences: Automatic F or NP
Each class lasts 105 minutes. If you are late or
leave early, I will record the amount of time
missed. When it adds up to 105 minutes, it will count as an
absence.
You may make up an absence by coming to my other
first year Russian class on the day that we are covering the same
material. For Tuesday/Thursday people, this means coming the day before
an anticipated absence. For Monday/Wednesday folk, you need to come the
day after your absence. The Monday/Wednesday class meets from 1-2:50pm;
Tuesday/Thursday meets from 11-12:50pm. Both classes meet in CT 222.
You may also make up one absence by working with the tutor for 1 hour
40 minutes on the material we covered in class the day you were gone
and having her write me a note that you did so. An absence must be made
up within a week. See me to find out what materials you should cover
with the tutor.
WRITTEN WORK:
Homework and in-class assignments will be worth the other 40% of your
grade.
Homework assignments will be due at the beginning of
every class and should be turned into your homework folder. Please make
sure to take your graded homework out of your homework folder each day,
even if you do not turn in homework. Assignments will be posted daily
on the class web page (see top of syllabus for address) and will come
from the homework book. Homework turned in after class will be counted
as late. You may turn in TWO late homework assignments for full credit
during the quarter. (These assignments may be turned in anytime before
the last day of class. No late homework will be accepted during finals
week.) Any further late assignments will receive a 0. At the end of the
quarter, I will drop your lowest homework grade. If you do not use your
late homework assignments, I will convert each to 2 points extra credit.
When you return from an absence, you only need to
turn in the assignment that was due the day you missed class. Homework
assigned the day you were absent will be due the following class
session after you return along with the new homework. Please check the
webpage to find out what homework I assigned during your absence.
In-class writing assignments are worth 10 homework
points and will serve as quizzes for this class. There are no make-ups
for in-class assignments, although, if you come to class late, and we
have already done the assignment, you will be allowed to complete it
after class. At the end of the quarter I will drop your lowest score.
If you are absent, make sure to check the course web page to see if we
will be having an in-class assignment the next day, so that you can
prepare for it.
Homework/in-class writing corrections: Every graded
assignment (both homework and in-class writings) that you receive back,
must be corrected and resubmitted the following class for a corrections
grade. You will receive an additional 3 points for each assignment. If
your paper is perfect, it will be returned to you with the 3 point
corrections score already marked. This is the only time you do not need
to do corrections. When making corrections, please correct the mistakes
in a different color pen above the original mistake. Do not erase your
mistake and write over it, rewrite the assignment or put corrections on
a separate page. Late homework corrections will receive an automatic 0.
A word of warning: Not completing homework
corrections can potentially lower your class grade by a full letter,
since ultimately we will have about 60 points in corrections. Also
students who do not regularly do their corrections tend to get lower
grades on their homework, because they are not learning from their
mistakes. Corrections are an integral part of this class and an easy,
automatic three points. Make sure to do them each day as part of your
homework.
Redo policy: If you receive a grade lower than
a 7 (a C) on a homework assignment, you must redo the assignment and
turn it in the next class. You will get 7 points for redoing the
assignment. This is a safety net that keeps you from ever getting a
non-passing grade on homework. You should see me or the tutor for help
before redoing an assignment. Late redos are worth only 5 points. Redos
are not allowed on quizzes.
Extra credit: There will be opportunities for extra
credit throughout the quarter. All extra credit must be turned in by
the last day of class. The extra points will be added to your homework
total. Also, if you turn all of your homework in on time, I will
convert your two unused late assignment credits into 2 extra credit
points apiece.
Final oral interview: As the final for this class,
you will complete a 10-minute oral interview with me. The interview
will be worth 40 homework points. I will provide you with preparation
questions about two weeks before the end of the term. Interviews will
be scheduled during finals week. Performance on the final interview
will be used to determine your final grade if you are boarder line
between grades. There will not be a written final exam. Students who do
not complete the interview will receive an incomplete in the class.
III. COURSE MATERIALS:
All materials are available at the PCC bookstore. If
you are unable to get a textbook or workbook right away, please let me
know, and I can provide you with photocopies until you can get the book.
1. The Text: Shmakov, Kristine Добро́ пожа́ловать / Welcome:
A Communicative Approach to First Year Russian. Keep your textbook in a
three-ring binder and bring it to class every day. We will cover up
through chapter 4 this quarter.
2. The Workbook: Shmakov, Kristine, Russian 101, 102, 103/150, 151
Homework Packet. All homework assignments will come from this book.
Bring it to class every day.
3. A dictionary or the glossary: Russian 101, 102, 103/150, 151
Glossary. You really do not need either of these for RUS 101. If you
would like to purchase one, the glossary is inexpensive and will be get
you through first year. If you’d prefer to buy a dictionary, the PCC
bookstore carries Kenneth Katzner’s dictionary, which is the best one
in print. It costs around $40. If you want something inexpensive or
smaller, the Pocket Oxford is good. Avoid small pocket dictionaries, as
they are filled with errors. Katzner’s dictionary is also available in
the reference section of the Sylvania library. The call number is
491.7321 K38 1994.
4. The Listening Comprehension materials: We will have occasional
listening comprehension assignments. The mp3 files are on the course
web page at http://spot.pcc.edu/~kshmakov under the link First year
Russian listening comprehension homework-required. If you don’t have
Internet access from home, you can use a computer in the Sylvania
Language Lab in CT 235, at the Sylvania, or any other computer lab on
campus to access the course web page.
Supplemental materials:
5. Audio materials to accompany textbook: Pronunciation materials are
available for each chapter of the textbook. The sound files are on the
course web page at http://spot.pcc.edu/~kshmakov under the link called
First year Russian textbook listening materials-optional. You can get
extra credit for using these materials.
6. Interactive online exercises, flashcards, study tools: Our course
web page has tons of links to tools that you can use to study for this
course at http://spot.pcc.edu/~kshmakov. They are listed under First
year Russian web links. You can get extra credit for using these
materials.
7. Supplementary oral exercises: There are supplemental audio
exercises for each chapter, which are great for extra practice. The
sound files are on the course web page at http://spot.pcc.edu/~kshmakov
under the link First year Russian supplemental listening
materials-optional. You can get extra credit for using these materials.
IV. OTHER STUFF:
Course web page: The class web page is located at:
http://spot.pcc.edu/~kshmakov You will find homework assignments,
supplemental web links and exercises for each chapter, all required
listening comprehension files and supplemental listening comprehension
files posted here.
Tutoring: Free Russian tutors are available at
specific times on the ground floor of the CT building. Try to visit the
tutors regularly, even if you are receiving a good grade out of this
class. Remember that you can also come see me during my office hours or
make an appointment at other times if you need help.
Plagiarism and cheating: All work for this class
must be completed on your own. The Russian tutors or other native
speakers are not allowed to help you with or look over your homework.
However, they can help you with exercises out of the book if you’re
stuck on something. You are encouraged to have a study partner for this
class, but you may not complete homework together. If you copy homework
from another student or get help from a native speaker, you will
receive a 0 on the assignment or your corrections. Repeated incidences
of cheating or plagiarism are grounds for dismissal from the class and
will be reported to the dean of students. You can find information on
PCC student rights and responsibilities at:
http://www.pcc.edu/about/policy/student-rights/
Grading options and guidelines: All students will
receive a letter grade for this class unless they make arrangements for
another option. Detailed information about the grading system at PCC
can be found at: http://www.pcc.edu/resources/student-records/grading/
Pass/no pass: A grade of "P" represents satisfactory
achievement which would have been graded "C" or better on the regular
grading scale, but is given instead of a letter grade. If you would
like a pass/no pass grade for this course, you must let me know by the
end of the eighth week of class. You also can rescind an earlier
request for pass/no pass by the end of the eighth week. Pass grades do
not compute into your GPA, but you do earn credit for the class.
Audit: This grade option allows you to attend the
course without receiving a grade or credit for the course. You still
pay the same tuition, and must let me know that you’d like to audit the
course by the end of the first three weeks of class. You cannot receive
an audit if you miss more than 6 classes.
Dropping or withdrawing from class: The last day you
can receive a tuition refund if you drop this class is the second
Friday of the quarter. If you drop by the end of the fourth week, you
will not receive a W on your transcript. The end of the eighth week is
the last day you can drop the class and receive a W. Detailed
information about dropping classes can be found at:
http://www.pcc.edu/registration/dropping.html
Students with disabilities: If you have a documented
disability and require a classroom adjustment or accommodation, you
should contact the Office for Students with Disabilities
(www.pcc.edu/resources/disability) and provide me with the OSD Approved
Academic Accommodation form as soon as possible. Please see me outside
of class to discuss your needs.
Course content guide: A detailed course content
guide for this class can be found at:
http://www.pcc.edu/ccog/default.cfm?fa=ccog&subject=RUS&course=101
The content and requirements of this course may be adjusted in response
to institutional, weather or class situations as needed, with adequate
notice to students.
Tentative
course calendar for Russian 101
This is a tentative calendar for RUS 101. The pace will be adjusted as
needed to suit the needs of the class. All homework assignments will be
posted on the class webpage http://spot.pcc.edu/~kshmakov by the 6pm
the day of class. If you are absent, you should check to see if we are
having an in-class assignment the following class, so that you can
prepare for it. If you have any questions about the homework, you can
call me at (503) 977-4841 or email me at kshmakov @ pcc.edu. It is also
a good idea to get phone numbers for a couple
classmates.
Day 1- Monday, September 21nd or Tuesday, September 22rd:
Alphabet group I- sounds.
Day 2- Wednesday, September 23rd or Thursday, September 24th:
Alphabet group I writing; Alphabet group II sounds.
Day 3- Monday, September 28th or Tuesday, September 29th:
Alphabet group II writing; Alphabet group III sounds.
Day 4- Wednesday, September 30th or Thursday, October 1st:
Alphabet group III writing; Alphabet group IV sounds.
Day 5- Monday, October 5th or Tuesday, October 6th:
Alphabet group IV writing. Alphabet review.
Day 6- Wednesday, October 7th or Thursday, October 8th:
Chapter 1-greetings; name system.
Day 7- Monday, October 12th or Tuesday, October 13th:
Ch. 1-greetings and name system.
Day 8- Wednesday, October 14th or Thursday, October 15th:
Ch. 2- numbers 1-100;
Day 9- Monday, October 19th or Tuesday, October 20st
Monday class- Watch a Russian movie.-Attendance counts.
Tuesday class- No class -Campus teacher
inservice. (Фу!!)
Day 10- Wednesday, October 21st or Thursday, October 22nd:
Ch. 2- numbers 1-100; nationalities
Day 11- Monday, October 26th or Tuesday, October 27th:
Ch. 2- nationalities; classroom vocabulary
Day 12- Wednesday, October 28th or Thursday, October 29th:
Ch. 2- gender of nouns
Day 13- Monday, November 2nd or Tuesday, November 3rd:
Ch. 3-pluralizing nouns; introduction to places in
city vocabulary
Day 14- Wednesday, November 4th or Thursday, November 5th:
Ch. 3- places in city vocabulary; stating location
with prepositional case.
Day 15- Monday, November 9th or Tuesday, November 10th:
Ch. 3-stating location; professions; Type I verbs.
Day 16- Wednesday, November 11th or Thursday, November 12th:
Wednesday class- No school-Veteran’s Day (Ура!!!)
Tuesday class- Watch a Russian movie.- Attendance
counts.
Day 17- Monday, November 16th or Tuesday, November 17th:
Ch. 4-Type I verbs; family vocabulary; possessive
adjectives
Day 18- Wednesday, November 18th or Thursday, November 19th:
Ch. 3-possessive adjectives and adjectives.
Day 19- Monday, November 23rd or Tuesday, November 24th:
Ch. 4- adjectives; Ia verb жить; stating location
Receive prep materials for final oral interview.
Sign up for interview appointment.
Day 20- Wednesday, November 25th or Thursday, November 26th:
Wednesday-no class today. (Not fair that you’d get
one less day off than the Thursday people! Plus too
many people will be gone for Thanksgiving anyway.)
Thursday-no
class-Thanksgiving.
Day 21- Monday, November 30th or Tuesday, December 1st:
Ch. 4- Ia verb жить; stating location; stating age.
ALL LATE HW and EXTRA CREDIT DUE NEXT CLASS
Day 22- Wednesday, December 2nd or Thursday, December 3rd:
Ch. 4- stating age; review for final.
TODAY IS LAST DAY FOR LATE HOMEWORK or
EXTRA CREDIT!
Write up of interview questions due at time of
interview.
**Class party today! Bring food to share for
our gluttony fest.
Day 23- Monday, December 7th or Tuesday, December 8th:
Finals week-Oral interviews. Come at your assigned
time and woe be it to you if you’re late!
Write up of interview questions due at time of
interview.