The page cannot be foundThe page you are looking for might have been removed, had its name changed, or is temporarily unavailable.Please try the following:
HTTP Error 404 - File or directory not found.
|
Russian at Drake
During the 2009-2010 academic year, our Russian courses will be part of the Virtual Language Studies program. You can learn more about the details of that program here.
Studying Russian at Drake University is rewarding and productive from the very first day of class. Regardless of the level of study, students work with a native speaker of Russian and no more than three classmates and use Russian exclusively as to communicate things that are truly meaningful, i.e., not the mindless filler materials found in many current textbooks.
Through the standard sequence of courses (001, 002, 051, 052, 140, 150), students expand their competencies beyond the initial emphasis on speaking in order to develop skills in listening, writing, and reading. Although Russian has not been offered as long as some of the other languages in World Languages and Cultures, it has a fast growing enrollment.
In each Russian course, as in every language course in the program, students produce an individual electronic portfolio that normally consists of recordings students make of their own voices following a provided model, samples of videos students make of themselves, writing samples, clips from examinations, etc. This record allows faculty and the students themselves to track progress both within a given semester and over several semesters. Students can also use the ePortfolios after graduation to demonstrate to potential employers or graduate schools their ability to function in Russian.
Culture is not, of course, neglected in these courses. The faculty of World Languages and Cultures is well aware that culture is embedded in every language. The study of culture is additionally enhanced through the use of weblogs that focus the students' attention on many important topical, historical, and useful themes. The blogs are written in both English and Russian, depending on the students' level of proficiency with the language.
Students are able to take advantage of this program somewhat to tailor courses to suit their own professional and/or personal goals. The language professor, who designs the courses, gets to know all the students in the program and is able to take into consideration who will be in upcoming courses. The size and flexibility of individual sections allow the coordinator to consider the needs and wishes of those students.
Faculty Contact Information
Virtual Language Studies Program Staff
Courses Offered
