Difficult Moments in Russian Vocabulary

Have you ever felt that you don’t have enough Russian words to express your ideas in Russian, or that you are unsure how to use this or that word or expression? If yes, then this course is for you. This course explores vocabulary usage in the Russian language, particularly in contexts where the meanings of the words in English and Russian do not overlap, thus creating difficulty for Russian language learners. Students will learn to distinguish between the various meanings of a single word with several closely related meanings, and between the different shades of meaning that synonymous words have. Students will learn how to create new words in Russian, using the principles of word-building and semantization. Informal language and idiomatic expressions will be introduced in conversation activities and games. Typical vocabulary errors made by English-speaking learners of Russian will be addressed. Counts as a course in language and linguistics.