Department of Slavonic Studies

Part IA Option A

• Beginners' course in the first year
• Preparation, background and reference
• Language work
• Examination papers

Beginners' course in the first year

The first year of the Russian course is intended to provide the student with the basics of the language. By the end of the year the student should be able to use elementary grammar and syntax with a reasonable degree of confidence and accuracy, and should have sufficient vocabulary to be able to engage in simple conversation, tell a story, and translate simple texts. The first year also introduces students to literature: starting in the Lent term students attend a weekly lecture at which they make a close study of extracts from the work of authors of different styles and periods, so that students can start to use Russian, even at this early stage, as the basic tool of literary criticism. In addition the syllabus includes two short works, one by Pushkin and one by Tolstoi.

Allocations to ab-initio classes take place on Wednesday before the Michaelmas teaching terms starts, at 12 noon. Students receive details from their Directors of Studies or can contact the Departmental Secretary.

Preparation, background and reference

You are strongly advised to familiarize themselves with as much basic Russian grammar as possible before you arrive in Cambridge. This can be done by independent study and/or by attending language courses either in Great Britain or in Russia.

In the first instance you should work your way through at least the first six lessons of the basic book for the ab initio course, Colloquial Russian.

Basic textbooks and dictionaries

• Svetlana le Fleming, Susan E. Kay, Colloquial Russian (Routledge), textbook and cassette or CD
• The Oxford Russian Dictionary (Russian-English, English-Russian) (OUP)
• Terence Wade, A Comprehensive Russian Grammar (Blackwell)
• A.I. Smirnitskii, Russian-English online dictionary www.rambler.ru/dict/ruen/

In addition, you will find it helpful to explore the aspects of the Russian language on some of the available websites:

• http://www.russianlessons.net
• http://http://www.du.edu/langlit/russian/grammar.htm
• http://http://langintro.com/rintro/
• http://www.alphadictionary.com/rusgrammar/
• http://www.hello-world.com/Russian/EN_Russian.php
• http://www.languageguide.org/russian/

Apart from this grammar work, try to get a basic impression of some of the main features of Russian literature, history and culture. The following might be helpful:

• Auty, R. & Obolensky, D., eds. Companion to Russian Studies (vols. 1-3, Cambridge).
• Simon Franklin and Emma Widdis (eds.), National Identity in Russian Culture: an Introduction (Cambridge)
• O. Figes, Natasha'a Dance: A Cultural History of Russia (Penguin)
• G. Freeze (ed.), Russia. A History (Oxford)
• Daniel H. Kaiser and Gary Marker (ed.), Reinterpreting Russian History, Readings 860 - 1860s (Oxford)
• R. Milner-Gulland, The Russians (Oxford)

Read newspapers, watch films and documentaries! The following English-language online newspapers offer good coverage of events in Russia:

• http://www.mnweekly.ru/
• http://www.themoscowtimes.com/indexes/01.html
• http://english.mn.ru/english/list.php
• http://www.sptimes.ru/

Russian books can be difficult to locate. The fullest stocks are: Grant & Cutler Ltd., 55-57 Great Marlborough Street, London W1V 2AY (tel: 0207-734 2012).They will provide information and catalogues on request. Heffers Bookshop in Cambridge will have copies of some set texts by the beginning of the Michaelmas Term. Many Russian books are available for downloading free on the web. The Colloquial Russian course book can be purchased from the Waterstone's or Blackwell's online shops or from the amazon.com.

Language Work

You will be attending five weekly classes organized by the Department:

• Use of Russian
• Grammar Workshop
• Translation from Russian
• Conversation
• Oral Practice
• From Lent Term you will have a weekly lecture on Introduction to Russian Literature (RU A3) paper

In addition in the Michaelmas Term you can have a weekly supervision organized by the Department on behalf of your College.

Examination Papers

At the end of the year you will take three papers which are designed to test the various language and other skills you will have acquired:

• RU A1: Use of Russian
• RU A2: Translation from Russian and Oral A
• RU A3: Introduction to Russian Literature

Previous years' examination papers are available from the MML Library.

Ab initio students, on completion of their first year of studies, are advised to attend a summer language course which is held in the first three weeks of September in the Benedict School in St Petersburg.