Heritage Language Programs - Russian
Russian Cultural Center
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Address: 1825 Phelps Place NW Washington, DC 20008
Web address: http://www.rccusa.org
Contact person
Name: Marina Beliaeva
Title: Russian Language Courses Coordinator
Email: rcc@rccusa.org
Telephone: (202) 265-3840
Fax: (202) 265-6040
Levels: Adults
Languages/dialects taught: Russian
Program Description
Purposes and goals of the program: The program offers Russian language at all levels and allows goals to be defined by the students enrolled. It is designed to improve students’ proficiency in the Russian language and allow them to feel comfortable with different features of the language.
Type of program: Heritage and foreign language program
Program origin: The program was founded in 1999.
Students
Students
• First-generation immigrants
• Second-generation immigrants
• Americans
Countries of origin: Russia, United States
Total student enrollment: 33
How the program determines the language background and language proficiency of students: Students must fill out an application and indicate their proficiency level in Russian. Testing is also administered to determine language proficiency.
Instructors
Number of instructors in the program: 6
Languages in which instructors are proficient: Russian, English
Proficiency level: Native Speakers
Credentials: All instructors have an M.A. in either Linguistics or Russian.
Instruction
Total contact hours per week: 2 hours per week
Times per week: Once or twice per week
Student grouping: Maximum of 3-4 students in a group
Hours devoted to language teaching: Depends on the individual student’s need
Hours devoted to culture teaching: Depends on the individual student’s need
Language skills
Skills developed by the program: Listening, speaking, reading, and writing
Heritage language skills: Listening, speaking, reading, and writing
Culture
Aspects of culture taught: Geography, customs, history, politics, and traditions
Methodologies
Methodologies and instructional strategies used in the program: Language courses are designed to attain oral, listening, reading, and writing proficiency and are structured to feature grammar and lexical study, phonetics, and development of vocabulary.
Materials
Textbooks:
Russian for Beginners, Ovsienko J.G.
Russian-Intermediate Level, Ovsienko J.G.
Yes, I speak Russian, Karetnikova L.G.
Invitation to Russia-Entry Level Workbook
#1-2, Korchagina E.L.
Other materials used for instruction: Books on CD and tape cassettes
Assessment
Assessments used to evaluate students’ progress: Weekly quizzes and chapter tests
What the program has in place
Financial support the program receives: Funded by the Russian government
