RUSSIAN (RUSS)

Essential basics of Russian for everyday conversations. Lays foundation for development of four language skills (speaking, writing, listening, and reading) indispensable for communication on everyday topics in a variety of contexts. Fosters interaction through acquisition of essential communicative and conversational strategies. Introduces learners to structure of contemporary standard Russian through culturally relevant materials.

Further basics of Russian for everyday conversations. Continues to lay the foundation for development of four language skills (speaking, writing, listening, and reading) indispensable for communication on everyday topics in a variety of situational contexts. Fosters further interaction through acquisition of essential communicative and conversational strategies active in contemporary standard Russian through culturally relevant materials.

Transitional skills for fluent speaking, writing, listening, and reading for intermediate learners. Furthers learners' competency for communication on everyday topics. Prepares learners for communication on subjects beyond their immediate needs. Expands interactive skillset necessary to maintain conversations and present individual opinions using complex structures. Employs adapted and non-adapted learning materials to promote mastery of contemporary standard Russian.

Skills for fluent speaking, writing, listening, and reading for intermediate-to-advanced learners. Develops and deepens learners' mastery of contemporary standard Russian. Stresses communication, individual expression, and fosters cultural sensitivity through systematic expansion of learners' ability to conduct conversations in contemporary standard Russian on a widening variety of culturally relevant subjects.

Reading and discussion of great works of 19th century Russian literature (Pushkin, Gogol, Turgenev, Dostoevsky, Tolstoy, and Chekhov). Readings and lectures in English.

An introduction to the Russian fairy tale with attention to its roots in Russian folklore, its influence on Russian culture, and its connections with American folk and popular culture. Lectures and readings in English.

The study of mystery and suspense in Russian literature of the 19th and 20th centuries. Readings and class discussions in English.

A survey of the themes of love, sex, and marriage as they developed in Russian literature and culture from the Bolshevik Revolution to Perestroika. Readings and class discussions in English.

This course will focus on key works of Russian and Soviet science fiction. Readings and discussions in English.

An introduction to the Russian short story, focusing on the topic of love in all its intriguing aspects. The readings include works from the 18th century to the 20th. Taught in English. Previously offered as RUSS 460.

A survey of fascinating history of Hollywood stereotypes of Russian villainy from Elizabethan England to Boris Badenov, Natasha Fatale, Ivan Drago, and Xenia Onnatop. What do these theatrical buffoons, cartoon-movie monsters, and cinematic seductresses tell us about Russia -- and about ourselves as consumers of stereotypes? Readings and discussions in English.

Survey of masterpieces of Russian literature in the context of their transcultural cinematic adaptations. Lectures and readings in English.

Permission of the instructor. Directed readings in Russian on topics in literature and linguistics not normally covered in scheduled courses.

Intermediate-to-advanced communication, conversation, composition, phonetics, and grammar in contemporary cultural context. Meets the needs of learners looking to expand their practical knowledge of contemporary standard Russian in the context of present-day culture, while developing active applied skills pertaining to comprehension, production of, and communication in Russian.

Hones skills necessary for advanced communication, conversation, and composition. Presents phonetics and grammar in contemporary cultural context. Learners expand their practical knowledge of contemporary standard Russian in the context of present-day culture, while developing applied skills pertaining to comprehension, production of, and communication in Russian actively using authentic cultural materials.

Develops and maintains advanced skills for speaking, writing, listening, and reading in contemporary standard Russian in a variety of communicative situations. Assists advanced learners in solving a wide range of communicative tasks with the aid of unadapted authentic cultural materials.

Prepares advanced learners of contemporary standard Russian for communication with educated native speakers of the language in the area of their professional competence. Furthers interactive skills for speaking, writing, listening, and reading in a variety of communicative situations pertaining to the learners' professional expertise.

Reading and discussion of selected authors in Russian aimed at improving reading skill and preparing the student for higher level work in Russian literature. Readings and class discussions in Russian. Course previously offered as RUSS 250.

A survey of the major novels and stories of 19th century Russian fiction, which have entered the canon of world classics and redefined the idea of literature. Taught in English; some readings in Russian for qualified students.

Examines "The Absurd" in Russian literature and culture as it developed from 19th century to the present. Through works by important Russian writers and representative films students encounter facets of "The Russian Absurd" viewed as literary, cultural, and social phenomena. Taught in English; some readings in Russian for qualified students.

As Russia became a laboratory for sociopolitical experiments of global significance, its culture reflected on the most spectacular of its aspirations and failures. Course surveys 20th-century literary, musical and cinematic artifacts that emerged to affect the world profoundly. Taught in English; some readings in Russian for qualified students.

Study of major works of Dostoevsky and a survey of contemporary literary and cultural trends relevant to his creative career. Taught in English; some readings in Russian for qualified students.

Study of major works of Chekhov and survey of contemporary literary and cultural trends relevant to his creative career. Taught in English; some readings in Russian for qualified students.

Study of major works of N. V. Gogol and a survey of contemporary authors and literary trends relevant to his creative career. Lectures and seminar discussions. Taught in English; some readings in Russian for qualified students.

Vladimir Nabokov's novel Lolita (1955) became a global phenomenon due to its unflinching portrayal of pedophilia. This course will delve deeper into the novel's moral complexity, its international context, and its reflection in mass culture, including movies by Stanley Kubrick (1962) and Adrian Lyne (1997). Taught in English; some readings in Russian for qualified students.

Study of the major works of Tolstoy and a survey of contemporary authors and literary trends relevant to his creative career. Taught in English; some readings in Russian for qualified students.

This course delves into the scintillating literary, visual, musical, and cinematic culture created by Jewish universalists seeking to build their new secular identity under the aegis of the Soviet Communist experiment in the aftermath of the 1917 Bolshevik coup. Surveys the works of Isaac Babel, Eduard Bagritsky, Marc Chagall, Sergey Eisenstein, Ilya Ehrenburg, Masha Gessen, Vasily Grossman, Osip Mandelshtam, and others. Taught in English; some readings in Russian for qualified students; films with English subtitles. Honors version available.

Using Alexievich as our beacon, we will explore the writers behind the term "Russian Women's Prose": Valeria Narbikova, Lyudmila Petrushevskaya, Tatyana Tolstaya, and Lyudmila Ulitskaya. The course will delve into gender identity and body politics as they manifest themselves in the literary texts of lasting aesthetic quality and social relevance. Taught in English; some readings in Russian for qualified students.

Study of topics in Russian literature and culture not currently covered in any other course. The specific topic will be announced in advance. Taught in English. Some readings in Russian for qualified students.

RUSS 515 provides advanced learners with opportunities to develop linguo-cultural skills necessary to practice their profession in Russian. While engaged in academic discourse in contemporary standard Russian, learners research topics in their academic majors, prepare and give presentations and lead discussions focusing on their areas of professional competence. In addition to student-centered segments, the course comprises instructor-led discussions of current affairs and academic subjects. Readings, viewing materials, and discussions in Russian.

A continuation of RUSS 515, RUSS 516 develops and maintains the linguo-cultural skills of advanced-to-professional learners by preparing them for professional study-abroad experiences at Russophone institutions of higher learning. A seminar-style course with rotating instructors, it engages learners in contemplation, research, and discussion of subjects within the instructor's professional expertise. Readings, viewing materials, and discussions in Russian.

Examines Russian from the perspective of linguistic analysis. How do sounds, words, and sentences pattern in Russian? How do these compare with patterns in other languages? Also considers the influence of evidence from Russian on the development of linguistic theory.