Russian Group Classes

7 different levels

Classes meet once per week for 2.5 hours

Small class size (max. 9 students)

Experienced, native-speaking teachers

Four 10-week terms per year

Affordable tuition

Conveniently located at Dupont Circle

$340 for 1 level, $20 early-sign up discount through Sept. 1, 2010

The Russian Language Program at ILI consists of four 10-week terms throughout the year. We are offering three different basic levels, three intermediate levels and one advanced level. Classes meet at the Institute once a week in the evening. Our teachers are all native-speaking and experienced. The Russian Language Program integrates speaking, listening, reading and writing. We maintain small class sizes to enable adequate time for conversation in every class. To find your level, please refer to the level description or use our self-evaluation guide. If you have further questions, please call Francisco Todd, ILI's Foreign Language Coordinator, at 202-686-5610 ext. 105.

Level Description

Basic 1: The emphasis of this introductory class is on pronunciation, vocabulary building, basic grammar, and basic conversation. This course is for those students with little or no ability in the language. Introduction to basic listening, reading, speaking and writing skills will be addressed throughout the course. Dialogues, readings, and cultural notes will be introduced in class, in what life is like in Russia today. Previous Russian not required.

Objective:	To introduce Russian to students who never took the language at school or had Russian in their lives at all. This course aims to provide beginning students with a practical basic command of the language.
Learning Outcome:	At the end of this course, students will be able to engage in basic conversations about most common everyday situations and write simple notes and phrases. Upon completion of this course, students should be able to conduct basic conversations and write simple paragraphs about everyday topics.
Topics:	Introduction of the Russian Cyrillic alphabet, pronunciation, transliteration, regular and irregular verbs in the present tense, gender, personal pronouns, prepositional case, indeclinable nouns, possession, the accusative case, masculine/feminine/neuter adjectives, plurals, the genitive case, numbers, quantities, roubles and dollars and genitive pronouns and adjectives.
Textbook:	Golosa 1: Textbook, 4th Ed. with Audio Pkg combo, $119 incl. tax Golosa 1: Workbook/Lab Manual, 4th Ed., $47 incl. tax
Lessons:	Introduction to the Russian alphabet and chapters 1-5. Supplementary material provided by the teacher.

Basic 1: Mondays: 6:15 pm - 8:45 pm

Basic 2: This course is the continuation of the Basic 1 level and for students who have taken formal instruction a while ago, or have previous informal exposure to the language. Building of the basic foundation provided in the introductory level, students will learn to introduce themselves and conduct simple conversations on a range of everyday subjects. Listening, reading, speaking and writing skills will be addressed throughout the course.

Objective:	Upon completing this level, students will be able to converse comfortably on most everyday routine situations speaking in the present, future and past tenses. They will be able to say or express their ideas, sentences and desires easily at a basic beginner’s level. They will learn enough vocabulary to continue with Russian Basic 3.
Learning Outcome:	Upon completing this level, students will be able to converse comfortably on most everyday routine situations speaking in the present, future and past tenses. They will be able to say or express their ideas, sentences and desires easily at a basic beginner’s level. They will learn enough vocabulary to continue with Russian Basic 3.
Topics:	Future, past and conditional verb tenses, reflexive verbs, the dative case, imperfective and perfective, prepositional Plural, the infinitive, reported speech, impersonal constructions, the instrumental case, declension of surnames, time, date, age, ordinal numbers, superlative & relative clauses, obligation prefixes, and verbs of motion. Listening, reading, speaking, and writing skills will continue to be addressed throughout the course.
Textbook:	Golosa 1: Textbook, 4th Ed. with Audio Pkg combo, $119 incl. tax Golosa 1: Workbook/Lab Manual, 4th Ed., $47incl. tax
Lessons:	Chapters 6-10. Supplementary material will be provided by the teacher.

Basic 2: Tuesdays: 6:15 pm - 8:45 pm

Basic 3: This course is ideal for those who studied Russian a while ago and need a refresher. At this level students will continue to build upon the foundation of the language that they acquired in Basic 2. Students will continue to improve on their listening and speaking skills through structured dialogues and other practical activities. This level continues to build up necessary grammar skills that will enable students to understand, read, write and translate sentences and paragraphs. This course is well-suited for students that have completed at least one semester of college-level Russian or the equivalent at a language institute. Students will learn to easily use the more complex verb tenses, along with more complex vocabulary and grammar. Listening, reading, speaking and writing skills will continue to be addressed throughout the course.

Objective:	Continuing to build upon the previously learned skills, students will acquire additional vocabulary which will enable them to converse in more complex conversations about their Russian history, culture, art, and familiar relationships. Students will learn grammar in a clear and concise format while being introduced to contemporary life and culture in today’s Russia.
Learning Outcome:	By the end of this course, students will be able to have a basic conversation based on daily routine activities. They will be able to say or express their ideas with a full command of adjectives, adverbs and prepositional phrases. They will be able to understand and be understood in most major tenses with some combinations of imperative and conditional as well as the passive voice. The average student will have acquired an active vocabulary of approximately 1,200 words together with many more words in speech and writing. The student is ready for intermediate level courses.
Topics:	Review of the more complex verb tenses, possession and purpose, declension of numbers, collective numerals, fractions, time expressions, negations, diminutives, proper names, politeness, indefinite pronouns, word order, writing letters, participles, verbal adverbs, “bookish” style, punctuation, short-term adjectives, abbreviations, names of Russian letters, and particles. Listening, reading, speaking, and writing skills will continue to be addressed throughout the course.
Textbook:	Golosa 2: Textbook, 4th Ed, $93 incl. tax Golosa 2: Workbook/Lab Manual, $47 incl. tax Golosa 2: Audio Program Pkg, $34 incl. tax
Lessons:	Chapters 1-5. Supplementary material will be provided by the teacher.

Basic 3: Wednesdays: 6:15 pm - 8:45 pm

Basic 4: At this level students will continue to build upon the skills of the language that they acquired in Basic 3. Students will continue to improve on their listening and speaking skills through structured dialogues and other practical activities. This level continues to build up necessary grammar skills as well as the expansion of cultural knowledge. This course is well-suited for students that have completed at least two semesters of college-level Russian or the equivalent at a language institute. This course provides comprehensive explanations of Russian grammar along with the structural practice students need to build accuracy. Listening, reading, speaking and writing skills will continue to be addressed throughout the course.

Objective:	Continuing to build upon the previously learned skills, students will acquire additional vocabulary which will enable them to converse in more complex conversations about their Russian history, culture, art, and familiar relationships. Students will learn grammar in a clear and concise format while being introduced to contemporary life and culture in today’s Russia.
Learning Outcome:	By the end of this course, students will have acquired a solid foundation of the Russian language. They will be able to say or express their ideas with a full command of adjectives, adverbs and prepositional phrases. The students will be able to express immediate needs and interests using complete sentences, and discuss likes and dislikes in literature and the arts. The average student will have acquired an active vocabulary of well over 1,200 words together with many more words in speech and writing. The student is now at a low intermediate level.
Topics:	Review of the more complex verb tenses, such as the third person-plural for passive/impersonal meaning, declension of last names, instrumental cases, speaking in generalities, verbs of asking, structures of holidays greetings, invitations and toasts, review of verbal adjectives and adverbs. Listening, reading, speaking, and writing skills will continue to be addressed throughout the course.
Textbook:	Golosa 2: Textbook, 4th Ed, $93 incl. tax Golosa 2: Workbook/Lab Manual, $47 incl. tax Golosa 2: Audio Program Pkg, $34 incl. tax
Lessons:	Chapters 6-10. Lab Manual and Workbook exercises will be determined by teacher.

Basic 4: Thursdays: 6:15 pm - 8:45 pm

Intermediate 1: This low Intermediate level course starts with a conversational grammar review which presupposes a basic knowledge of Russian. Emphasis will be placed on using this grammar in conversation. This class is ideal for those who studied Russian a long time ago and need a refresher. This class is also meant for those students who have studied basic grammar but don't feel as though they can adequately use it in conversation. Also, this course is appropriate for some students who grew up in Russian-speaking families. Listening, reading, speaking and writing skills will be addressed throughout the course. Students will review vocabulary, such as nouns, adjectives, adverbs and names.

Objective:	To introduce students to a variety of strategies for learning Russian at home or office and practice at the institute. They will use common expressions and will learn much more, altogether idiomatic expressions and phrasal verbs. This program will focus in the development of all four language skills, listening, speaking, reading, and writing; together with a fifth skill, culture, which is an integral part of this program.
Learning Outcome:	Students will be able to have a normal conversation based on daily events and express their ideas in written and orally ways. This level will refresh the previous knowledge about simple present and past tenses and strengthen all grammatical structures learned. It will also master infinitive and imperative tenses and use them properly when explaining past events in conversation.
Topics:	Composing and responding to formal and informal letters, verb conjugations, prepositional case forms, time expressions, direct and indirect objects, plural forms, infinitive, internet terminology, dialogs on telephone conversations, hotels, banks, family, and several readings about everyday topics.
Textbook:	V Puti: Russian Grammar in Context, 2^nd edition, Student Activity Manual, 2^nd edition, Context Audio CD’s, and Reference Grammar Guide, $160 incl. tax
Lessons:	Chapters 1-4 and varied supplementary material.

Intermediate 1: Mondays: 6:15 pm - 8:45 pm

Intermediate 2: This course is for the student who is at a mid-intermediate level. Students at this level need to have a solid basic foundation of the language and are looking to expand their knowledge of the more complex forms of Russian. This level will teach students the difference between the future and past tenses and will complete study of the simple tenses. Listening, reading, speaking and writing skills will be addressed throughout the course.

Objective:	To become much more comfortable understanding and using the proper verb tenses as they relate to moods while speaking Russian. This program will continue to focus in the development of all four language skills, listening, speaking, reading, and writing; together with a fifth skill, culture, which is an integral part of this program.
Learning Outcome:	Students will be able to comfortably explain past events in both past tenses during routine conversations and plan activities in future tenses. Students will acquire a wider use of idiomatic expressions using phrasal verbs and using instrumental case forms. Students will become more comfortable navigating Russian internet sites.
Topics:	Various uses of the reflexive verb forms, future, formation and use of the passive participles, personal infinitive, present and past participles, describing where you live, vacations, dating, relationships, customs, reading about music, arts, ballet, etc.
Textbook:	V Puti: Russian Grammar in Context, 2^nd edition, Student Activity Manual, 2^nd edition, Context Audio CD’s, and Reference Grammar Guide, $160 incl. tax
Lessons:	Chapters 5-8 and varied supplementary material.

Intermediate 2: Tuesdays: 6:15 pm - 8:45 pm

Intermediate 3: This is the final conversational review grammar based course. This course is for students who are at a high intermediate level and don’t feel ready for the more advanced levels. Students at this level are able to handle everyday conversations with ease but are eager to expand their cultural and idiomatic knowledge of Russian, as well as wrap-up their learning of advanced grammar. Listening, reading, speaking and writing skills will be addressed throughout the course.

Objective:	This level will end covering all the grammatical structures needed to send the student into real-life situations speaking Russian and to get them ready for the more advanced courses. To have full command of the language most important verb tenses. This program will continue to focus in the development of all four language skills, listening, speaking, reading, and writing; together with a fifth skill, culture, which is an integral part of this program.
Learning Outcome:	Students will be able have a conversation with native speakers about different subjects using the right conjugation and right words when talking or expressing specific points of view. They will become familiar and comfortable using the more compound verb tenses. We will expand their knowledge of idiomatic expressions and phrasal verbs together with the use of the imperative forms.
Topics:	Introduction to compound verb tenses such as, prefixed verbs of motion, dependent clause vs. personal infinitive, declensions, comparatives, superlatives, adjective and adverb clauses, proverbs, impersonal expressions, imperatives, points of view, automobiles, modern life, pastimes, and several readings about everyday life topics.
Textbook:	V Puti: Russian Grammar in Context, 2^nd edition, Student Activity Manual, 2^nd edition, Context Audio CD’s, and Reference Grammar Guide, $160 incl. tax
Lessons:	Chapters 9-12 and varied supplemental material.

Intermediate 3: Wednesdays: 6:15 pm - 8:45 pm

Advanced Russian - Reading for Speaking: This course is devoted to reading different articles from various Russian media about political/economic/business/criminal/cultural events. Discussion of related topics will follow reading articles and elaborating on new vocabulary from them (Russian journalistic style consist of a combination of written and conversational speech). Articles or new items will be analyzed in content.

Objective:	Through a mixture of media in Russian, students will be able to analyze current events, converse and think critically about them in Russian. Reading articles which will be organized in a specific way to help students gain and remember new, useful vocabulary which will allow them to discuss different serious topics in Russian.
Learning Outcome:	Upon completion of this course, students will be able to hold a very complex conversation about the news in Russia in all forms of media. They will also be able to write a résumé of news happening in Russia.
Topics:	Rigorous use of multi-media vocabulary; idiomatic expressions; news vocabulary; analytic style of writing in Russian.
Textbook:	Various sources of newspapers from the internet.
Lessons:	N/A

Advanced Russian: Thursdays: 6:15 pm - 8:45 pm

Program Details

2010 Schedule:

Winter Term	Jan. 11 - Mar. 20, 2010	Deadline: Wednesday, January 6, 2010
Spring Term	Apr. 5 - June 12, 2010	Deadline: Wednesday, March 31, 2010
Summer Term	June 28 - Sept. 4, 2010	Deadline: Wednesday, June 23, 2010
Fall Term	Sept. 20 - Dec. 4, 2010	Deadline: Wednesday, September 15, 2010

Tuition: $340 for one level. Early sign-up discount through Sept. 1, 2010: $20 for one level. Please click here to apply on-line.

Duration: Classes meet once weekly in the evening or on Saturday mornings for 10 weeks. Each session is 2.5 hours.

Refunds: No refunds are issued once classes have started.

Textbooks: May be purchased at the time of registration or at the Institute before or on the first day of class. Prices are subject to change at any time.

Attendance & Tardiness Policy: It is important for students to attend every class meeting. It is also important that they arrive on time for class. We cover a lot of material in each class. The instructor cannot repeat material for students who are absent or come late. Students will be marked absent when they do not come to class. Students who arrive 15 minutes after the advertised starting time will be marked late. For every 3 times that the student is marked as late, it will count as a missed hour. If we notice that a student’s attendance is in danger of falling below 70%, we will issue an attendance report to the student.

Performance Measurements: Our program requires each student to participate in weekly quizzes, which will be graded, based on a “Pass” or “Fail” system. There will be a final quiz that will measure the sum of the instructional objectives for the course. Grades are verbally communicated to students at the end of each class/course, and are marked on the attendance/performance sheet. Students must have completed and passed at least 70% of the quizzes to move to the next level.

ACCET Certification: ILI’s foreign language group programs are now accredited by ACCET (Accrediting Council for Continuing Education & Training), and we also offer 2.5 Continuing Education Units (CEU’s) per every successfully completed course, 5.0 for the accelerated courses. Upon request, our Certificates of Completion can include the CEU’s earned per semester.

Certificates of Completion: We issue certificates at the end of the semester and they can be ordered at the front desk. In order to be eligible to receive a certificate or pass to the next level, you are required to attend a minimum of 70% of the classes and have a “Passing” grade. We will need a couple of days in order to verify your attendance and passing grade before issuing the certificate.

Inclement Weather: Classes are cancelled in accordance with federal government closings (not school closings!) due to inclement weather. Please check public announcements on radio, TV and the Web; or call ILI at (202) 362-2505.

Cancellation/Substitution: The International Language Institute reserves the right to cancel any class if deemed necessary. Prior to commencement of class, students will be given a full refund. In the event of cancellation after the commencement of class, the pro-rata portion of the unexpended tuition will be refunded within $5. The pro-rated amount of refundable monies will be determined by the ratio of classes completed to the total number of classes in the scheduled program. The International Language Institute reserves the right to assign substitute instructors whenever necessary.

Location: See address below.

Questions? Please call Francisco Todd, Foreign Language Coordinator of ILI, at 202-686-5610 extension 105.