Russian

Overview
This is a course for either complete beginners or for those who already have GCSE Russian. As well as coursebook texts, you will work on video and audio materials in our multi media language labs, and a number of Internet and other interactive sources. All language work is firmly linked to contemporary issues and life in Russia and other Russian speaking countries. There are plenty of chances to develop your authentic Russian. You will have small group conversation sessions each week with our Russian assistant. By the end of year 12 you will be able to study short off-air news items in Russian, and make brief summaries. You will also watch and analyse one or two Russian feature film .

Course Outline

Those students who have already done GCSE Russian will go straight onto the AS Level, while beginners will start with the GCSE and then move onto AS Level in Year 12.

GCSE (Yr 12 beginners only)
Unit 1: Listening and Responding
Unit 2: Speaking
Unit 3: Reading and Responding
Unit 4: Writing

AS (Year 12)
Unit 1: Spoken Expression and Response in Russian: Developing speaking skills on a range of topics including youth culture, lifestyle, travel, tourism, the environment, education and employment.
Unit 2: Understanding and Written Response in Russian: Developing comprehension and writing skills in the same topic areas.

A2 Level (Year 13)
Unit 3: Understanding and Spoken Response in Russian:
Developing speaking skills (including debate) on a range of topics including those listed for AS, plus customs, traditions, beliefs, past and present national and international events, literature and the arts.
Unit 4: Research, Understanding and Written Response in Russian: Developing comprehension, translation and writing skills in the same topic areas.

Assessment
No Coursework
Examination (100%)
Examining Board – EDEXCEL. 
Beginners will take GCSE Russian at the end of Year 12, while post-GCSE students take the AS exam. Either way, you can go on to complete the full A Level by the end of Year 13; if you do the full A Level course from scratch, we normally expect you to achieve GCSE A or A* at the end of Year 12 in order to progress to Year 13.

Special Entry Requirements
• Beginners: There is no requirement for Modern Foreign Language experience at GCSE.
• If you have taken another language to GCSE, then a grade B in that language and at least a C in English Language is required. If you have not taken another language to GCSE, then a grade B in English Language is required.
• Beginners take GCSE at the end of Year 12 but can still do the full A level in two years; post GCSE students of course take AS at the end of Year 12. Beginners intending to complete the full A level course must achieve at least grade A in the Year 12 GCSE exam in order to progress to Year 13.
• Post-GCSE applicants: Grade C in Russian is required .

Prohibited Options
Students do not normally study more than two languages to AS Level.

Career and Progression Opportunities
Joint degree combinations are very popular, for example combining Russian with another language, or Law, English, Business, Tourism, or indeed a wide range of other disciplines. Students going on to employment or training progress into areas such as retail and leisure and tourism.

Teaching Methods
You will develop language skills in a wide variety of ways, making full use of our two Multi-Media Language Labs and drawing on a range of sources from course books to Internet and satellite TV. In class you will carry out a lot of pair and group work designed to build up your communicative skills. Our VLE also has a range of interactive exercises including vocabulary learning and listening work. Each week, in addition to mainstream lessons, you will have contact with a native speaker through small group conversation sessions. Note that, if you start the course as a beginner, you will take GCSE Russian at the end of Year 12; you can then proceed to full A level at the end of Year 13.
 
Course Activities
Students can take part in an AS/A2 Study Day at the University of Birmingham Centre for Russian and Eastern European Studies.

Cost Implications
Approximately £15 for a good bilingual dictionary.

Complementary Subjects or Enrichment Courses
We run beginners’ language short courses in Spanish and Italian.

Find out more from our Russian Podcast

This information is correct for September 2013 entry.