Dr Robert Lagerberg
Email: robertjl@unimelb.edu.au
Russian is one of the world's major international languages: it is spoken by over 140 million people and is one of the six official languages of the United Nations. A knowledge of Russian may increase access to careers in international relations, development studies, business, science and the arts.
The overall objective of the Russian Studies program is to teach students to process information from a wide variety of materials in Russian, both written and spoken, and to produce accounts and discussions of that information in a variety of forms.
The core Russian language subjects are organised in a progressive sequence from Russian 1 through to Russian 6. Entry and exit points are determined by the Russian Studies program based on the student's background in the language, placement testing or prerequisites. Students normally progress through the subjects in consecutive order. Mid-year entry is also possible into subjects with even numbers, subject to appropriate prior experience and approval from the head of the Russian program. Accelerated progression is possible on advice from the Russian Studies program.
Interpret a range of different genres relevant in Russian-speaking social and cultural contexts;
Communicate effectively in a variety of oral and written formats, comprehending and producing Russian discourse with fluency (relative to entry level) and appreciate its cultural contexts;
Specialize in at least one of the three core areas of modern Russian literature, linguistics, and cultural studies;
Apply relevant research and analytical skills combined with a strong sense of intellectual integrity and the ethics of scholarship;
Appreciate Russian-speaking cultures in a differentiated and informed way;
Engage critically and to constructively in intercultural dialogue as a bicultural and bilingual person and as a global citizen;
Independently apply a wide range of learning techniques (in Russian and English) as autonomous, motivated, self-directed and well-organised learners;
Act confidently in Russian-speaking milieus and target culture, and work effectively in a cooperative way using Russian and English as media.