Slavic Languages and Literatures

Russian (Division 466)

Language

101. First-Year Russian. No credit granted to those who have completed or are enrolled in 103 or 111. (4). (LR).
In this course the student is introduced to the basics of Russian pronunciation and grammar. The course begins with an intensive study of the Russian sound system and orthographic rules (the alphabet and correct spelling). Students spend an average of 1.5 hours per day working in the language lab in the first few weeks of the course. After the basics of pronunciation and spelling are mastered, the course turns to the basics of the Russian grammar and the nature of the homework shifts. Now students spend two hours each week in the language lab, but do an average of 1-1.5 hours a night writing exercises. The class is supplemented by video shows and slide shows. Students who intend to concentrate in Russian Language and Literature or in Russian and East European Studies might consider taking the intensive class, Russian 103.

102. First-Year Russian, Continued. Russian 101 or equivalent. No credit granted to those who have completed or are enrolled in 103, 111, or 112. (4). (LR).
In this course, the sequel to Russian 101, students complete their survey of Russian grammar, expand their vocabulary and learn to express themselves in Russian about topics of interest including Russian history and culture. The class is conducted entirely in Russian and is supplemented by video shows and slide shows. Students are expected to spend at least two hours a week listening to tapes in the language lab and to complete 1-1.5 hours of written homework every night.

103/RC Core 193. Intensive First-Year Russian. No credit granted to those who have completed or are enrolled in 101, 102, 111, or 112. (8). (LR).
This course covers in one term what is ordinarily covered in two terms in Russian 101 and 102. The course carries eight credit hours which is over half the average underclass academic load and is designed for highly motivated students who wish to acquire rapid mastery of Russian. This course is especially recommended for students intending to choose a concentration in Russian language and literature or Russian and East European Studies. Students are expected to complete approximately 16 to 20 hours of homework per week, including four to five hours in the language laboratory. Cost:2 WL:4

105. Spoken Russian I. Russian 101 or equivalent; student must be concurrently enrolled in Russian 102. (1). (Excl).
Russian 105, 106, and 107 are designed for students who wish to supplement their work in Russian grammar classes with more conversation practice. The courses meet for one hour per week, and are one credit hour. Students are expected to be prepared to converse on assigned topics. The conversation courses are recommended for those students considering a concentration in Russian, or for students from the Center for Russian and East European Studies. These courses are calibrated to move together with the regular Russian grammar courses, and are limited in size to 15 students, assuring all those interested have the opportunity to speak up in Russian. Generally 105 is appropriate for students in Russian 102, 106 for students in Russian 201, and 107 for students in 202 or even 301. An individual oral evaluation at the beginning of the course, and again at the completion, serves to provide a basis for the final grade. Participation is heavily considered in the final grade. Cost:1 WL:3 (Shishkoff)

106. Spoken Russian II. Russian 102 or equivalent; student must be concurrently enrolled in Russian 201. (1). (Excl).
Conversation practice course for students in Russian 201. See description for Russian 105.

107. Spoken Russian III. Russian 201 or equivalent; student must be concurrently enrolled in Russian 202. (1). (Excl).
Conversation practice course for students in Russian 202. See description for Russian 105.

201. Second-Year Russian. Russian 102 or 103 or equivalent. No credit granted to those who have completed or are enrolled in 203. (4). (LR).
This course reviews and expands grammatical concepts first covered during the First-Year Russian (101 and 102) courses, focusing on verbal aspect, declension, and the verbs of placement. The course also emphasizes speaking and listening skills. Students are expected to complete 8-12 hours of homework per week. Cost:3 WL:4

202. Second-Year Russian, Continued. Russian 201 or equivalent. No credit granted to those who have completed or are enrolled in 203. (4). (LR).
This course assumes students' knowledge of the fundamentals of Russian grammar, and involves a comprehensive study of the declension of numbers, the use of verbs of motion (with and without special prefixes), the formation and usage of participles and gerunds. Students read and write texts of increasing complexity, discussing Russian and Soviet history, culture, and other topics of interest. The course requires 8-12 hours of homework per week. Cost:3 WL:4

Literature

231/UC 174. Russian Culture and Society: An Introduction. (3). (HU).
This interdisciplinary course seeks to acquaint students with the major achievements of Russian art, music, literature, architecture and cinema, and is taught with the aid of multimedia visual and audio presentations. As we examine the evolution of Russian culture from the 10th century to the present day, we will be exploring everything from Russian icons to the architecture of St. Petersburg, the prose of Dostoevsky and the music of Shostakovich, the exquisite Easter eggs designed by the jeweller Carl Fabergé for the last Russian tsars, and classics of Russian cinema such as Eisenstein's great film Ivan the Terrible, in whose production Stalin played a direct role. Despite the raising of the Iron Curtain at the end of the 1980s, Russia continues to remain "a riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma," and this course provides an opportunity to explore in detail the paradoxes of a society which has produced some of the world's most barbaric rulers and some of its finest artists, writers, and musicians. The course is designed to appeal to students with no background in Russian studies, and to those thinking about becoming Russian concentrators. No knowledge of Russian is required. Cost:3 (Bartlett)

Armenian (Division 474)

171/Armenian 171. First-Year Armenian. (4). (LR).
This course is designed for students with no previous knowledge of Armenian. Reading, writing, and speaking are equally emphasized. Homework assignments and listening to tapes on a regular basis, frequent short tests, and a final examination are required. Overall performance throughout the year/term and in the final examination and compliance with requirements will determine the grade. Cost:1 (Bardakjian)

Polish (Division 447)

121. First-Year Polish. (4). (LR).
Introductory course presenting basic grammatical information and vocabulary. Constant oral drill and practice. Regular use of language laboratory. During the second term short Polish stories and poems are read as part of the classwork, and conversations and discussions in Polish are introduced at an elementary level. Cost:1

Serbo-Croatian (Division 473)


131. First-Year Serbo-Croatian. (4). (LR).
An introduction to the grammar of the principal literary language of Yugoslavia, with exercises in reading, writing and speaking, including drill in the language laboratory. Cost:1 WL:5 (Stolz).

Ukrainian (Division 494)


151. First-Year Ukrainian. (4). (LR).
Introductory course in Ukrainian language including grammar, extensive drills both oral and written, reading of dialogues and supplementary materials. Some work should be done in the language laboratory. The textbook to be used is Modern Ukrainian by Professor Assya Humesky. (Rogovik)

Slavic Film and Surveys (Division 474)


150. First Year Seminar. (3). (HU). May be repeated for a total of 6 credits.
Section 002 - Understanding Russia through its Heretics and Holy Fools.
An introduction to Russian culture, through an examination of some of its most extraordinary and colorful features. Russia's remarkable and numerous heretics, literal and figurative, from the Middle Ages to the present day, and its holy fools, ancient and modern, have played an abiding and surprisingly central role in the definition and re-definition of "Russian-ness," and have attracted many modern writers, artists, and historians, who have seen in such "outsiders" elements key to an understanding of Russian as a whole. Moreover, the political history of modern Russia has meant that the concept of heresy and the role of the holy fool have remained possible and even necessary features of social and cultural life up to the present day. Materials - including texts, music, film, and paintings - representing a range of interests and historical periods will be examined; figures to be studied include: the great prose authors of the nineteenth century (including Tolstoy and Dostoevsky), the seventeenth-century schismatic Avvakum, author of the "first Russian autobiography," and the dissidents and martyrs of the Soviet period; if possible, a visit to a Russian sectarian community in the Midwest will also be included in the course. Requirements are: active participation in class discussion; one presentation; four short (two-to-three page) papers; a final, longer (ten-page) paper. (M.Makin)

151. First Year Seminar. (4). (Introductory Composition). Laboratory fee ($35) required.
Section 001 - Russian Film, Russian Life.
In this seminar we will explore the competition between differing social and cultural values in 20th century Russian life by examining how these values have been represented in Russian film. All of the films to be seen and discussed in the seminar involved events in Russian history (from life in the medieval period to the collapse of the USSR) and in contemporary Russian society. Even what the "historical" films have to say about art, politics, religion, gender, ethnicity, and social issues is always targeted toward the debates of the periods in which the films were made. Thus, two time periods are always relevant: the era the film depicts and the era in which it was produced. Film in Russia was subject to varying degrees of ideological control. But visual film language proved in many ways difficult to censor completely, so that in many periods ingenious film directors were able to work within the system, balancing the Communist Party's preferred views on issues with their own, more or less dissident, views. The end of censorship in the mid-1980s brought a new, more frank, treatment of many themes: nationalism, religion, youth culture (rock and roll, punk), women's issues, the role of the artist in society. In all cases, we will have an eye not only on issues as they were relevant in the past, but also on their effects on perceptions and debates within Russia today. (Eagle)

225/UC 173. Arts and Cultures of Central Europe. (3). (HU).
The course is an introduction to the rich cultures of the peoples of Central Europe (Croats, Czech, Hungarians, Jews, Poles, Serbs, and Slovaks) seen against the background of two world wars, communism, and its recent disintegration. Culturally vibrant, Central Europe reveals the tragic destiny of twentieth-century civilization which gave rise to two totalitarian systems: fascism and communism. The course will outline the ethnic complexities of the region, with special attention to Jewish culture and its tragic destruction during the Holocaust. The trauma of the war on the civilian population will be documented by contemporary films. The course will examine the fate of culture under totalitarianism, and study subterfuges used by novelists, dramatists, and artists to circumvent political control and censorship. Students will read works by Kafka, Milosz, Kundera and Havel, see movies by Wajda and others, become acquainted with Czech and Polish avant-garde art and music, and the unique cultural atmosphere of Central European cities: Vienna, Prague, Budapest, and Warsaw. (Carpenter, Toman, Eagle)