911³Ô¹Ï

 

LN776     
Russian: Level Four (Standard)

This information is for the 2025/26 session.

Course Convenor

Dr Olga Sobolev

Requisites

Assumed prior knowledge:

Language skills and knowledge of Russian at B1/B2 level of the Common European Reference Framework for Languages are required.

Additional requisites:

For all students who aim to reach proficiency in Russian.

Language skills and command of Russian at the B1/B2 level of the Common European Reference Framework for Languages (CEFR); 250 hours of language learning (including self-study).

All students must gain permission from the tutor in the Needs Analysis Interview to take this course.

Course content

Course Aim:

  • To bring the students to the advanced operational level of proficiency in Russian, corresponding to the B2/C1 level of proficiency defined by the CEFR.
  • To consolidate students’ command of written and spoken Russian.
  • To gain an insight into aspects of social, political, and cultural life in Russia and other Russian-speaking countries.
  • To establish linguistic skills and attitudes required for promoting and facilitating further study of Russian.

Communicative Content: At the end of the programme students will be able to demonstrate competence in the use of communicative functions in the four skills (oral, aural, reading, writing) by:

  • showing competence in the use of complex and technical language in a variety of contexts and with a substantial requirement to select and adapt appropriate language strategies;
  • being able to respond to a wide range of spontaneous foreign language interventions;
  • being able to use a variety of sources (print, audio, video, IT based);
  • handling factual knowledge within a specific perspective;
  • being able to produce, in a coherent and structured way, an oral presentation and a written work within the framework of studied topics;
  • being able to grasp the main ideas of a document in a target language and produce a coherent summary in English.

Structural Content:

  • This course is focused on discussion, gist translation, and essay work, based on extracts from newspaper articles, recorded materials, and topical texts.
  • All major grammatical areas are revised and covered in depth; particular attention is paid to syntax. In written work, the emphasis is on the structure and register of the language.
  • The language command in these areas is expected to be appropriate to the level and task with an emphasis on active usage.

Teaching

2 hours of classes and 22 hours of classes in the Winter Term.
16 hours of classes in the Autumn Term.

This is a 40 hour-course.

Please refer to the 911³Ô¹Ïtimetable for course teaching arrangements.

16 hours of classes in the AT. 22 hours of classes in the WT. 2 hours of group tutorial time, as arranged by the teacher during the AT, WT.

Indicative reading

  • Olga Sobolev, Natasha Bershadski et al,  Colloquial Russian 2, Routledge, 2018, ISBN-13: 978-1138098015
  • the current Russian press and media materials.

Optional: 

  • Terence Wade, A Comprehensive Russian Grammar, Blackwell, 2010 ISBN: 978-1405136396

Assessment

Oral examination (30%)

Continuous assessment (70%)


Key facts

Department: Language Centre

Course Study Period: Autumn, Winter and Spring Term

Unit value: Non-credit bearing

FHEQ Level: not applicable

CEFR Level: B2/C1

Total students 2024/25: Unavailable

Average class size 2024/25: Unavailable

Course selection videos

Some departments have produced short videos to introduce their courses. Please refer to the course selection videos index page for further information.