ДОБРО́ ПОЖА́ЛОВАТЬ В РУ́ССКИЙ ОТДЕ́Л!
WELCOME TO THE RUSSIAN F.A.S.T. COURSE!
Welcome to the Russian F.A.S.T. Course! We're glad you're going to be with us for the next 8 weeks, and we'd like to do everything we can to make this time both enjoyable and profitable for you. You may be wondering just what we have in store for you, and what you may expect to accomplish in the time you have. So, without further ado...
F.A.S.T. COURSE OBJECTIVES
The F.A.S.T (Familiarization And Short Term) course is designed to prepare students for life in Russia (and the Newly Independent States of the Former Soviet Union) by giving them the necessary basic skills in the language. We want you to leave here with the ability to face, without hesitation, any number of situations you will encounter in day-to-day life in those cities where you will live, work and visit. Some of the skills we will help you to acquire include the following:
The ability to ask simple questions pertaining to your daily practical needs. You will need to know HOW to get something done, HOW to elicit necessary information.
The ability to understand key words in the answers to your questions. You will learn to use those key words in your own speech.
The ability to work with numbers (as used in prices, phone numbers, addresses, etc.), especially the larger numbers which are in use today: 1,000 and above. Most importantly, you will learn to recognize and understand these numbers when you encounter them, either in written or in spoken form. You will also be able to produce simple number combinations of your own (your address, your telephone number, etc.)
The ability to read and understand street signs, signs in the metro and other forms of transportation, in stores, hotels, etc. You will be able to read and decipher such things as concert/theater programs, menus, instructions for guests in hotels, rules for using public transport, hours of operation of various establishments, etc.
You will become familiar with the telephone and be able to handle many types of different calls.
The ability to introduce yourself, and others when necessary; to appropriately greet people and to distinguish between different levels of formality and informality in the language. You will be able to speak about yourself, your family, your interests and work and be able to ask your friends and colleagues the same.
Finally, you will become familiar with Russia (and other NIS countries, whenever possible), its geography, history, politics, art and literature.
The F.A.S.T. course, and this textbook, have been designed to familiarize you with the Russian language and Russian culture in their broadest contexts. You should not expect to receive a formal presentation of the grammar and structure of the language. You WILL learn some grammar, but only that which it is necessary for you to know in order to perform a given task. There are simple grammar notes contained in each lesson, but if you are a student who wishes to learn more about the theoretical aspect of Russian grammar, you may find the purchase of Brian Kemple's Essential Russian Grammar helpful.
The course will emphasize more the development of good, oral skills and aural comprehension and less so the development of an ability to read and write in Russian. However, skills such as being able to read signs and to write down names, addresses and/or phone numbers will be essential for you to acquire. With the help of the book and your instructors, you will accomplish that.
All that remains to be said is that, while we are here to teach you the basics of Russian, you must realize that only you can learn them. No single textbook or instructor will be sufficient without a certain effort on your part. You will rarely be asked to do homework assignments, but you should plan on doing work outside the classroom. We have audio tapes to accompany each lesson, and the Multi-Media Center has some computer-assisted Russian language materials. All this together can combine to make your F.A.S.T. Course experience the best one possible.
УДА́ЧИ ВА́М!
GOOD LUCK!