Russian
Because of the recent reforms in Russia, the importance of Russian in the modern world is obvious. It is the official language of the largest country in the world and one of the five official languages of the United Nations. It is spoken widely as a second language in Eastern Europe. The difficulties of the language itself are exaggerated; contrary to the expectations of many, the alphabet is quite easy and can be mastered in a few weeks. The study of Russian provides a fascinating insight into a country that has long been enigmatic but is now the focus of world interest. Russian is a useful tool for students of the arts, history and political science and, because of the prominence of Russian technology and research, it is also of benefit to students of business and all natural sciences. The knowledge of two or three languages is vital in today's global environment.
Training in Russian helps prepare students for careers in:
- International business
- Foreign service
- Publishing
- Translation
- International law
Russian 1000
Elementary Russian I is a course intended to give beginners the fundamentals of Russian grammar and a basic knowledge of the spoken and written language.
Lectures: Three hours per week
Laboratory: One hour per week
Prerequisite: None
Russian 1001
Elementary Russian II is a continuation of Elementary Russian I with the same basic text and a reader.
Prerequisite: Russian 1000 or equivalent
Lectures: Three hours per week
Laboratory: One hour per week
Russian 2900
Russian Culture I is a study of the evolution of Russian culture and Russian intellectual history until 1917. Lectures regularly supplemented by examples of Russian art, music and film. Lectures are given in English. This course qualifies as a research/writing course.
Lectures: Three hours per week
Prerequisite: None
Russian 2901
Russian Culture II is a study of the evolution of culture in the USSR and during the post-Soviet period. Insights into the social and political character of pre- and post-revolutionary Russia. Lectures regularly supplemented by examples of Russian art, music and film. Lectures are given in English. This course qualifies as a research/writing course.
Lectures: Three hours per week
Prerequisite: None
Notes:
- Russian 1000 and 1001 are prerequisites for all other Russian courses, except Russian 2030, 2031, 2600, 2601, 2900, 2901, 3005, 3023 and 3910.
- A number of courses may be of interest to incoming students. They require no prerequisites, the language of instruction is English throughout and they cover Russian culture and literature, for example, Russian 2600, 2601, 2900, 2901 and 3004. These five courses may not be used as part of the bachelor of arts requirement for two courses in a second language.
- Russian 2600, 2601, 2900 and 2901 qualify as research/writing courses for the Faculty of Arts
