Advanced Conversation Practicum

Students in this class will focus on expanding their lexicon and their syntactical repertoire in scholarly and journalistic speech and on preparing scholarly presentations in their area of interest. Main themes will be political, economic, cultural, and social life in Russia, as students approach interesting and sometimes controversial topics concerning contemporary Russian society and culture. Students will read assigned articles from scholarly and media sources; watch videos on Russian politics, society, and culture; discuss these materials; and write compositions. Grades will be determined according to participation in class discussions, weekly compositions, an oral presentation, and a final oral examination.