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 is intended for those who know no Russian at all.  Learners who want a refresher course are welcome but should be aware that we will be starting at the very beginning.  Continuation courses are also offered, so check them in the catalog.  We will begin with the basics of the alphabet and pronunciation and continue with grammar and reading practice.  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.  The local BAM store can order it.  I recommend students also 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 a Russian-English dictionary; I recommend the Oxford dictionary. Students who have access to the internet will be directed to resource sites.