(no subject)

[happy-accidents.livejournal.com]

Can anyone here please give me their own briefing on what content is covered during your first year of college Russian? I was supposed to take it this year, but schedule conflictions disallowed that. I'm studying on my own right now, and am hoping to jump into 2nd level Russian next year, like I've been known to do with other languages...

So, what is covered?
What do I need to know?

Thanks!
Aimee

Comments

[kutsuwamushi.livejournal.com]

A lot of that will depend on what textbook the class is going to use. If I was in your situation, I would visit the instructor and ask to look at the book after explaining that I wanted to learn on my own. You could look at the chapter summaries or the index and jot down the subjects.

Or you could buy the book if there are any extra copies. Expensive, but if the class is following the book closely, probably your best bet.

It will be hard to learn on your own, though - especially the pronunciation. If the textbook the instructor is using comes with a tape, you might want to get a copy.

[happy-accidents.livejournal.com]

Although I agree that the information covered varies, it would be difficult for me to determine and obtain the book used because I don't even go to the school. So I'm just looking for a rough definition of what I need to know.

[bricoleura.livejournal.com]

First year Russian is A LOT of grammar!! You should know all the cases. The vocab is pretty basic.

[lexabear.livejournal.com]

What we went over in my first year, at least:
- the alphabet
- all cases
- verbs - conjugating, and the concept of imperfective vs perfective
- basic vocabulary

Like bricoleura said, it was a lot of grammar. I think it really was the hardest year, because you go over the most rote-memorization stuff, which I've always been pretty bad at. Second year, we moved onto more specific topics like verbs of motion, and started reading actual stories. My third year, all I did was translate short stories, and now this year (my fourth) I'm reading poetry.

ooh! Short stories!

[gnomygnomy.livejournal.com]

But in my class, we're studying the movie "The Irony of Fate" as our textbook. I guess we're focusing most on conversation, while, of course, reinforcing grammar everywhere.

I don't know if they have poetry in store for us in the fourth year course. That would be interesting!

[happy-accidents.livejournal.com]

Haha I've already covered this stuff on my own in 2 months.

[happy-accidents.livejournal.com]

Er wait I feel really stuck-up for saying that.
*Bows down to the Russian Gods and begs for forgiveness*

[idealforcolors.livejournal.com]

Last year we covered cases, verbs of motion (not exhaustively though, have used the prefixes but not drilled them in totally), aspect & reflexive verbs, & some very basic stuff like how to ask directions, ordering food in a restaurant, talking about preferences and hobbies and such, stuff like that. Also I think my professor's going to shoot us if we forget the date Stalin died (March 5, 1953), for some reason. It's slower moving in terms of actual grammar than it would have been had I just been learning from a book like in ancient Greek, but that's mostly because we spend a lot of time doing dialogues and trying to be better at speaking.

[happy-accidents.livejournal.com]

Luckily I have many of the dates to crucial events in Stalin's life memorized