Russian (a highly inflected distant cousin of English) is the fifth most-widely spoken language in the world, the mother tongue of millions of people in a global power (the Russian Federation) spanning 9 time zones and 1/8 of the world’s surface, and by millions more in post-Soviet countries and a large diaspora.  It is the language of a rich literary tradition, as well as scientific and economic developments – and that’s without getting into its political importance.  

This class will begin with a review of the accusative case and present tense verbs.  Learners who want a refresher course are welcome, but this class is intended for true beginners.  Continuation courses are also offered, so check the course catalog.  The emphasis will be in reading comprehension (and thus translation), but students will learn to speak and understand spoken Russian.  There will be homework, perhaps an hour or 90 minutes a week.

We will use The New Penguin Russian Course by Nicholas J. Brown (ISBN-978-0-140-12041-7); it’s available online at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Books-A-Million, and the local BAM can order it.  I recommend students also a buy a verb book (e.g., “501 Russian Verbs” or “The Big Silver Book of Russian Verbs”) and “English Grammar for Students of Russian” by Edwina J. Cruise, and perhaps a grammar reference (e.g., “Russian Grammar” by I.S. Milovanova or “Essential Russian Grammar” by Brian Kemple), but these are not necessary.  Students may also want a Russian-English dictionary; I recommend the Oxford dictionary.  Students who have access to the internet will be directed to resource sites.