Advanced Russian Conversation

The goal of the course is to develop advanced-level fluency in Russian, particularly advanced listening and spontaneous speaking skills. Students will gain practice in presenting an argument or hypothesis, engaging in discussion and debate, and using advanced vocabulary, phrases, and expressions characteristic of sophisticated written and oral speech. We will use a wide range of texts from various genres, explore current socio-political and cultural topics in the focus of public and media attention, and incorporate video segments, vlogs, film episodes, songs, and podcasts. The reading and listening assignments, as well as speaking practice, will allow you to better understand complex authentic written and oral texts, and comment on and discuss the issues raised in them. Counts as a course in language and linguistics.