The Language Centre
Why Study Russian?
General Information
The Russian Federation is the largest country in the world: it spans nine time zones and covers about 1/8th of the world's land surface. Russia has a population of almost 150 million people, which constitutes slightly more than 50% of the population of the former Soviet Union. There are around 270 million Russian speakers in the world.
Russian became one of the languages of world communication – or a global language – as early as in the early twentieth century. 
Today, there are less than ten global languages in the world. This means that the Russian language – just like English, French or German – is used for communication by a very large number of people around the globe. In addition, Russian is one of the official UN languages.
Science and Technology
According to a recent study, the number of publications in the sciences is highest for English, with Russian second. This is the case for chemistry, mathematics, physics, geology, mathematics and biological sciences. Russia always has had a rich tradition in the sciences, from Mendeleev to recent Fields medalists in mathematics and numerous Nobel Prize winners. The Soviet tradition of creating scientific towns and scholarly communities is giving way to a system of entrepreneurship backed by state agencies and private-sector start-ups. Innovations in computer programming, software engineering, and information technology are coming out of Russian government agencies and private firms.
Economy
Russia is one of the largest producers, if not the largest producer, of numerous natural resources and raw materials including oil, gas, petroleum, diamonds, gold, copper, manganese, uranium, silver, graphite and platinum. Russia is the second largest steel producer in the world after Japan, and has an enormous timber reserve. It is the world's largest producer of natural gas, third largest producer of oil and fourth largest in terms of the mining of coal. Russia has an estimated 40% of the world total reserves of natural gas. Russia's proven oil reserves are second only to Saudi Arabia's, and it is the top oil producer in the world. Russia is an enormous market for goods and services. With Russian language skills, you can work with international businesses participating in this successful market. And Russia ranks among the top ten countries in the world for entrepreneurship.
World Player
Russia is a member of G8 and G20 and has associations with the former Soviet republics of Central Asia, such as a Customs Union (Kazakhstan and Belarus) and collective security treaty organization. Key Russian politicians are proposing a "Eurasian Union" embracing these states, strategically encompassing the economic and security spheres. This prospectively boosts Russian economic and foreign policy, as well as its military influence in the region. Russia also defends its traditional influences in the non-aligned and developing world and continues to prioritize the modernization of defense. NASA depends on the Russian Space Agency to transport astronauts to the International Space Station. 
Finally, Russia's resource-based economy has emerged from the global crisis relatively unscathed. Energy industry analysts suggest that up to 50% of Europe's natural gas could be controlled by Russia by 2030.
Culture
Russia is home to some of the world's finest traditions in the arts. Literature, music, ballet, opera, theatre, cinema and visual arts are only a few of the areas in which Russians have established great traditions and continue to produce remarkable innovators. From Lev Tolstoy to Joseph Brodsky, Tchaikovsky and Rimsky-Korsakov to George Balanchine and Mikhail Baryshnikov, Sergei Eisenstein to Andrei Tarkovsky, Anton Chekhov to Boris Pasternak, Fyodor Dostoevsky to Ivan Bunin, Shostakovich to Khvorostovsky, Bolshoy and Mariinsky Ballet companies, and so on. Russia produces great arts and has more Nobel Prize winners in literature, music and arts than any other country in the world.
Future Career/Research Opportunities
Russian combines well with many other disciplines: science and Russian, political science or history and Russian, English and Russian, another foreign language and Russian, engineering and Russian, mathematics and Russian, physics and Russian, business and Russian, economics and Russian, music and Russian. Knowing Russian provides you with excellent career opportunities and looks great on CV. For instance, a biology student studying Russian can get a scholarship to study fresh water ecology in Lake Baikal and Lake Tahoe, and then go on to medical school. 
Knowing Russian strongly reinforces career opportunities in non-academic world as well. The areas where Russian language skills are currently particularly in demand are Banking and finance, Law, Oil and gas industries, Accountancy, Publishing, Advertising, Journalism, Foreign Office and Not-Profit Agencies.
... And Finally
According to the latest statistics (2012), over 500,000 Russians now live in London and the South East. There is a long established scientific and academic Russian community in Cambridge. The number of Russian undergraduate, postgraduates and post-doctoral research students in Cambridge University has been growing steadily in the last decade.
Qualifications framework level: CEFR A1
Prerequisites
For absolute beginners (ab initio learners) or for those with very little knowledge of the language.
Educational Aims
At the Basic 1 level the main aims are:
- To develop a basic understanding and an appreciation of the salient linguistic features;
- To establish the learner as a fairly confident language user in a range of predictable every-day situations;
- To introduce students to the cultural background of Russia within the context of language teaching.
Learning Outcomes
By the end of the Course students will be able to:
| Listening/Speaking | Understand basic instructions or take part in a basic factual conversation on a predictable topic. |
|---|---|
| Reading | Understand a set of basic notices, instructions or information. |
| Writing | Write letters or make notes on familiar or predictable matters. |
Topics
The Course introduces students to the following functions and notions:
How to say hello, present oneself, to tell your origin, age and ask people relevant questions to get same information - to converse about work/study as well as family and languages spoken - to be able to describe a dwelling, give/ask for address, ask/explain who people live with... - to talk about preferences, interests, sport, hobbies, weekend activities - to place orders at the bar, talk about likes, dislikes, ask people what they want to drink... - to make a restaurant booking, read the menu, ask about the dishes, place order, talk about food, ask for the bill and ask for info re the bill... - to talk about your work/study, the timetable and to talk about your professional past - to ask for directions, understand indications, traffic signs, call a taxi, explain where to go... - to be able to read texts in a historical context, understand issues about Russian history, talk about the past in general and tell stories - to buy food and clothing items, inquire about prices, size, quantity and get other relevant information - to understand information relevant to travel, holiday and stay in hotel - to talk about health and fitness, describe ailments, understand instructions and discuss them.
Syllabus:
Qualifications framework level: CEFR A2
Prerequisites: CULP Basic 1 / CEFR A1
Educational Aims
At the Basic 2 level the main aims are:
- To establish the learner as a confident language user in a range of predictable everyday situations;
- To further develop the understanding and an appreciation of the salient linguistic features of the language;
- To enhance students understanding of historical and cultural background of the Russian speaking world;
Learning Outcomes
By the end of the Course students will be able to:
| Listening/Speaking | Express opinions on abstract/cultural matters in a limited way or offer advice within a known area, and understand instructions or public announcements. |
|---|---|
| Reading | Understand routine information and articles, and the general meaning of non-routine information within a familiar area. |
| Writing | Write brief letters or make notes on familiar or predictable matters. |
Topics
The Course introduces students to the following functions and notions:
- To be able to describe one's study/work routine, free time and weekends;
- To be able to talk about hobbies and interests;
- To be able to describe one's work experience including previous studies/jobs;
- To be able to discuss lifestyles, cooking and food;
- To be able to talk about the past and compare it with the present, tell about historic events;
- To be able to comment on one's plans and wishes, and to analyse what one would do in a variety of hypothetical situations.
Syllabus:
Qualifications framework level: CEFR B1
Prerequisites: CEFR A2
Educational Aims
At the Intermediate 1 level the main aims are:
- To build on a basic understanding and an appreciation of the salient linguistic features;
- To establish the learner as a confident language user in a range of predictable everyday situations;
- To equip the learner with the skills and knowledge to deal with straightforward job applications and interviews;
- To increase students' knowledge of the cultural background of Russia within the context of language teaching.
Learning Outcomes
By the end of the Course students will be able to:
| Listening/Speaking | Express opinions on abstract/cultural matters in a limited way or offer advice within a known area, and understand instructions or public announcements. |
|---|---|
| Reading | Understand routine information and articles, and the general meaning of non-routine information within a familiar area. |
| Writing | Write letters or make notes on familiar or predictable matters. |
Topics
The Course will include:
- To be able to introduce oneself, giving information about one's age, origin and where one lives;
- To be able to describe one's routine, free time and weekends;
- To be able to describe one's work experience including studies/jobs, and writing a mini CV;
- To be able to describe what one used to do before the current work/study situation, one's current responsibilities, and to produce a CV for an interview;
- To be able to identify a suitable job from a website, apply for it and attend a job interview;
- To be able to talk about one's health, request medication and understand instructions given by a doctor or pharmacist;
- To be able to discuss life styles and fitness routines;
- To be able to recount an accident in general and to follow the diagnosis and treatment;
- To be able to recount an incident in detail, describing the setting and elaborate what could have happened in another circumstance;
- To be able to analyse how life used to be in the past and compare it with the present, recounting historic events;
- To be able to comment on one's plans and wishes, and to analyse what one would do in a variety of hypothetical situations.
Syllabus:
Qualifications framework level: CEFR B2
Prerequisites:
Students who have successfully completed the Intermediate 1 course in the Language Centre, or have acquired proficiency equivalent to B1 in Russian.
Educational Aims
At the Intermediate 2 level the main aims are:
- To develop a fairly advanced understanding of the language structure and vocabulary;
- To develop the ability to engage in conversation in Russian, where the learner is able to express his or her opinion on a variety of topics;
- To develop in the learner the awareness of the different registers of both written and spoken Russian;
- To develop an awareness of the cultural diversity among Russian speaking countries and regions;
Learning Outcomes
By the end of the Course students will be able to:
| Listening/Speaking | Understand spoken Russian in a variety of both predictable and unpredictable linguistic situations and be able to express themselves in a variety of situations where a fair amount of detail is necessary; |
|---|---|
| Reading | Understand written Russian when texts are intended for native speakers, where visual information is not necessarily available and where the text relies on language structure and lexical refinement to convey specific messages; |
| Writing | Write both formally and informally to a single recipient in a variety of topics, using the appropriate register and formulae to achieve communication. |
Topics
The Course introduces students to the following functions and notions:
- Introducing oneself, introducing others, talking about our origin and our mother tongue, explaining why we study Russian.
- Describing our home town and our country, talking about the community where we live: comparing our life in the past to our life in the present.
- Describing our profession or topic, describing current activities, describing our previous training, summarising our work experience, describing a work routine.
- Describing life in the past, understanding the importance of a historical event, talking about historical facts and their relevance, comparing life before and after a historical event.
- Talking about our plans for the future, talking about what we would do if something happened, expressing good wishes.
- Describing a personal incident, commenting about something that happened to someone we know, expressing surprise, describing a pain, asking for a prescription.
- Explaining what we do to stay in shape, understanding advice to stay in shape, giving advice, analysing causes and effects for being in shape.
- Understanding alternative medicines.
- Studying distinctive features of cities in Russia, understanding the context of opinions on current topics.
- Debating about topics of local and international relevance.
Syllabus:
Prerequisites
A content-based language course for those who already have a fairly good command of the Russian Language (at least B1 and preferably B2). Ideally suited to those students who have completed the CULP Intermediate 2 and/or Advanced course or have taken Russian at AS Level. The level is upper-intermediate/advanced.
Course Outline
Every session will explore a specific film within the context of its historical and cultural background. We will focus on the film’s linguistic features by working with a range of relevant viewing, listening and reading material, with some communicative exercises and tasks. After the viewing of the film (students will do this in their own time) there will be a session devoted to the artistic context (director, actors, style of expression, etc.) followed by a further discussion about the film's aesthetic, wider cultural, historical and political implications. All teaching and discussions will be conducted mostly in Russian and students will be expected to prepare some informal presentations to address various points of interest.
Rationale
The course is based around classic Soviet and Russian films that offer good base to explore the country’s historical and cultural heritage. The concept of the course is one of reinforcing Russian vocabulary and structures, improving comprehension of the language in various registers and overall linguistic fluency.
Assessment
The Russian Film Group course features no formal summative assessment component and upon the completion of homework, one presentation, participation and attendance (attendance required is at least 12/15 sessions) students will be awarded a Certificate of attendance issued by the Language Centre.
Syllabus:
Russian Through Film and Culture
With effect from August 2022 CULP Advanced level students will be included in the population for the HESA student return. We obtain much of the information required via the annual student registration exercise. CULP students, who are not currently following another course of study, will receive an email inviting them to complete Registration. At the start of the student registration process there is further information about the data collection for statutory purposes and the relevant privacy notices from the University and HESA.
Qualifications framework level: FHEQ 4 / CEFR C1
Prerequisites
Students who have successfully completed the Intermediate 2 course in the Language Centre, or have acquired a proficiency equivalent to CEFR B2 in Russian.
Educational Aims
At the Advanced Russian Level the main aims of the Course are:
- To develop the language skills needed to understand and express complex ideas and opinions in real-time oral/aural situations and to improve the presentation skills in the target language;
- To deepen the knowledge and enhance the appreciation of the cultures of the countries where the language is spoken, as well as of the varieties of the spoken language;
- To equip learners with the necessary knowledge and skills as well as to establish them as successful and independent lifelong language learners.
Learning Outcomes
By the end of the Course students will be able to:
| Listening/Speaking | Contribute effectively to meetings and seminars within own area of work or keep up a conversation with a good degree of fluency, coping with abstract expressions. |
|---|---|
| Reading | Read quickly enough to cope with an academic course, read the media for information or understand non-standard correspondence. |
| Writing | Prepare/draft professional correspondence, take reasonably accurate notes in meetings or write an essay demonstrating the ability to communicate. |
- Communicate fluently whilst maintaining a high degree of grammatical accuracy;
- Apply their language skills effectively in a broad variety of contexts including academic ones;
- Use relevant language registers and acquire an understanding of the main aspects of the historical, political, economical, cultural and linguistic situation of the countries where the language is spoken;
- Understand audio/visual items from the media;
- Conduct research in the target language;
- Speak in public and deliver presentations in the target language.
Syllabus:
The Advanced courses run by the Language Centre lead to an official, award-bearing University qualification called the CULP Award, which is issued by the University of Cambridge, and which corresponds to C1 level on the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR). Advanced is the only level, which leads to a CULP Award. The Language Centre issues Certificates of Proficiency for all the other levels.
Semi-intensive (2 sessions per week) - Easter 2023
MMLL = Faculty of Modern and Medieval Languages and Linguistics
| Mon | Tue | Thu | Fri | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Basic 1 | 17:00 - 19:00 (MMLL) |
17:00 - 19:00 (MMLL) |
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| Basic 2 | 17:00 - 19:00 (MMLL) |
17:00 - 19:00 (MMLL) |
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| Inter 2 | 15:00 - 17:00 (MMLL) |
15:00 - 17:00 (MMLL) |
