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Russian Basic Language Program

Russian Basic Language Program

Our Courses

Russian 1, 2, and 3 is the three-semester sequence that comprises the Basic Russian Language Program at Penn State. Students who successfully complete Russian 3 or its equivalent will satisfy the 12-credit language requirement for most majors.

Students who grew up in a home where Russian was spoken but had minimum exposure to writing and reading are advised to enroll in Russian 410, a course designed for heritage speakers of Russian. This course alone satisfies the 12-credit language requirement for most majors. In case of doubt, please contact Dr. Irina Mikaelian at ixm12@psu.edu.

Our Approach

We follow a communicative approach to language teaching which means that students are asked to interact with each other but also with different media, e.g., informative texts, short literary texts, and films, in a meaningful way. During class, students practice high-frequency grammar structures and vocabulary in interactive, communicative activities. We help students develop all four language skills: listening, speaking, reading, and writing. Our expert instructors strive to create meaningful, productive, and fun classes. We offer a comfortable and welcoming learning environment.

Our Goals

  • Provide students with the linguistic and cultural tools that will allow them to interact with Russian-speakers in a variety of contexts
  • Expose students to art, literature, and music from the Russian-speaking world
  • Increase cultural awareness of the Russian-speaking world amongst our students
  • Help our students develop intercultural competence
  • Promote study abroad opportunities for our students
  • Provide students with a solid foundation for pursuing a minor or major in Russian Studies at Penn State
  • Help students increase their level of Russian proficiency from Novice to Intermediate Low according to the American Council for Foreign Languages (ACTFL) or A0-A2 according to the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CERF)

Not sure which of our Basic Russian Language classes is the right fit for you?

Please check Penn State’s Placement Policy for World Languages for more information. Students who grew up in a home where Russian was spoken are advised to take a placement interview to define their level of Russian. Please contact Dr. Irina Mikaelian (ixm12@psu.edu) to schedule a placement interview.

Questions?

Please do not hesitate to reach out to

Irina Mikaelian
Russian Undergraduate Program Director
ixm12@psu.edu

An introduction to the fundamentals of the language and culture with emphasis on communicative proficiency, clarity of pronunciation, and basic skills in reading, writing, and conversation. This course assumes no prior knowledge of Russian. Students who grew up in a home where Russian was spoken must take a placement interview with the course instructor at least a week prior to the beginning of classes.
Continued introduction to the fundamentals of the language and culture with emphasis on communicative proficiency, clarity of pronunciation, and basic skills in reading, writing, and conversation. Students who grew up in a home where Russian was spoken must take a placement interview with the course instructor at least a week prior to the beginning of classes.
Continued study of grammar and review of basic grammatical structures with emphasis on acquisition of vocabulary and continued development of conversational, writing, and reading skills. Students who grew up in a home where Russian was spoken must take a placement interview with the course instructor at least a week prior to the beginning of classes. Upon successful completion of this course, students are expected to attain Intermediate Low level of speaking proficiency according to the ACTFL guidelines.
Introductory course for heritage speakers aiming at developing basic reading, writing, and grammar skills in Russian. The course is intended for students who grew up speaking Russian at home but had minimum exposure to writing and reading. Study materials include simple original readings (fairy tales, short stories, poems, songs) and visual and multimedia texts. The course is designed to enhance the students’ knowledge and understanding of Russian culture and increase their awareness of their own complex cultural identity.