The Department of Russian & Slavic Studies at the University of Arizona offers two intensive 5-week fully online courses in Russian for beginners:
Russian 101: June 8 – July 9 Russian 102: July 13 – August 12
- The courses are based on the online and completely free textbook Mezhdu Nami and involve both self-paced activities and online meetings with the instructor using Zoom.
- Both courses are taught entirely online and involve synchronous online group and individual meetings for interactive practice with the instructor.
- At the 101 level, we offer 4 meetings a week. At the 102 level, 3–4 meetings a week are offered. All group meetings will be recorded and made available to the students.
- Meeting times are discussed with students prior to the beginning of the course in order to ensure the most comfortable schedule for those enrolled in the class. Upon request, individual meetings will also be offered. This is an excellent alternative to the traditional face-to-face environment you can get with a lot of individual attention given to every student!
In addition to flexibility, the online setting creates a more personal and engaging environment for both students and instructors. Below is a review written by one of their students, who has successfully finished her 4th semester of Russian:
“As a transfer student to the University of Arizona, I never thought I would be able to fit a new language into my schedule. Taking Russian over the summer allowed me to knock out a year of the language online while working with dedicated staff in a small classroom setting. Even though RSSS 101 and 102 were online, the face-to-face class sessions hosted on Zoom transformed these online courses into an in-person class enviornment. Learning a new language seemed intimidating at the beginning, but I honestly engaged with the material more because I felt comfortable attending classes from my home. Participating from a familiar environment removed the anxiety of class performance. Taking Russian over the summer required a lot of daily work, but it also allowed me to immerse myself in the language on a daily basis, which left me feeling prepared when entering into second-year Russian during a regular semester setting.”Please contact Anna Katikhina (akatikhina@email.arizona.edu), the instructor of record and a developer of the course, with any questions.