Russian Language Immersion Program
I N F O    S T U D Y

The 2006 St. Petersburg summer immersion programs, designed for undergraduate and graduate students, journalists, businessman, cultural professionals, and others who wish to learn Russian or Business and to experience Russian life at first hand, offers the unusual combination of participating in an academic program and living with a Russian family, all at low cost.

In St. Petersburg English-speaking Russian staff members coordinate support for living arrangements, transportation, academic affairs, and English-speaking volunteers to accompany the group during the whole session. Classes will take place at Info Study center which is located in the center of St. Petersburg.

The academic component of the tour engages all registered participants in course work for four academic hours per day, five days per week, for each four-week session (80 hours per session). There are three sessions: June, July, and August starting from the very beginning of every month.

For the "Russian Immersion Program" each student registers for a normal course load of 6 credits per session, comprising one 4-credit language course (3 hours daily), and one 2-credit elective (1 hour daily).

The program offers continuity between the intermediate and advanced levels, so that most students can register for sequential sessions.

With an absolute maximum of 20 participants per session, class size averages 1-4 students in each language class.

You will be introduced to the staff and volunteers at a general meeting the next day after your arrival. Classes begin the third day. Interview and language placement tests will be held the first day of class. If you are not comfortable with your placement, alert your program director during the first three days. Classes run from 10:30 a.m. to 2.00 p.m.

Specialized study programs (continuation of the introductory course, multiple electives, individualized study or research supervision with a faculty member or academician) can be arranged but will require individual negotiation and may entail additional costs.

Students receive registration documentation from the Institute of Russian Literature (Pushkinskij Dom) of the Academy of Sciences and, upon completion of the program, an official certificate of courses with grades.

Language courses

SL025 Introduction to Modern Russian I (4 credits)

The fundamentals of the Russian alphabet, script, pronunciation, introductory grammar, vocabulary, and basic oral expression.

For students with little or no previous exposure to formal Russian.

SL026 Introduction to Modern Russian II (4 credits)

By special arrangement, for continuing students only.

SL047 Continuing Russian I (4 credits)

A review of grammar fundamentals, including conjugation, verbal aspect, participles, prepositions, and numerals. Readings from short, accented Russian literary texts. Development of speaking and listening skills.

For students with one year of college-level Russian or its equivalent.

SL048 Continuing Russian II (4 credits)

A continuing course in Russian with attention to practical phonetics, composition, paraphrase (pereskaz), the reading and analysis of extended texts, vocabulary building, and effective use of the spoken language.

For students with three semesters of college-level Russian or its equivalent.

SL227 Advanced Russian Grammar (4 credits)

Intensive and rapid reading of difficult Russian texts, translation from English into Russian, correct expository composition in Russian, a review of fine points of Russian grammar, and extensive practice in speaking.

For students with at least two full years of college-level Russian or its equivalent.

SL349 Advanced Russian Writing and Translation (4 credits)

A study of the subtleties of Russian syntax, vocabulary and style through extensive analytic reading and through both imitative and original writing; the theory and practice of preparing refined translations.

For students with at least five semesters of college-level Russian or its equivalent.

SL391 Advanced Tutorial: Russian Language (4 credits)

By special permission, for continuing students only. May be repeated for credit.

Elective courses

Note: Only a limited number of these electives, based on student choices, is available in a given term.

SL059 Readings from Russian Intellectual History (2 credits)

Tutorial reading, explanation and discussion of selected important texts in Russian intellectual history from the Medieval period through the Enlightenment to the Soviet Revolution and the modern reforms.

For students with any level of Russian-language skill. First-level students read texts in English. Students from higher levels work with Russian texts.

SL101 Russian Life and Culture (2 credits)

A study of life and society in Russia: work, family, friendships, recreation, politics, religion, and economic conditions.

For students with any level of Russian-language skill. First-level students work mostly in English. Students from higher levels use Russian texts.

SL123 A Survey of Russian Culture (2 credits)

A study and discussion of selected characteristic landmarks in Russian cultural history: short prose, poetry, painting, decorative arts, folklore, music, theater and dance. Development of the necessary vocabulary, conceptualizations, and practice for the further appreciation of the "Russian dimension".

Primarily for students at higher levels of Russian-language study.

SL124 Russian Phonetics and Intonation (2 credits)

The acquisition of accurate vowel and consonant articulations for Russian, combinations and linking of phonetic elements, intonation contours and patterns, styles of Russian pronunciation.

Primarily for students at higher levels of Russian-language study.

SL125 Russian Verbs of Motion (2 credits)

Extensive practice in coming to grips with the subtleties of Russian verbs of motion and the interactions of tense, aspect, determinacy, and mood.

Primarily for students at intermediate levels of Russian-language study.

SL128 Russian Syntax and Stylistics (2 credits)

Principles of word order in Russian sentences, the subtleties of expressions which accrue to grammatical and syntactic variation, synonyms and antonyms, the use of different kinds of Russian for different real-life situations, on the basis of short prose texts from artistic literature, journalism, and from everyday documents.

Primarily for students at intermediate levels of Russian-language study.

SL129 Russian Classical Masterpieces (2 credits)

The reading and discussion in Russian of masterworks from Russian literature: short stories, articles, essays, poems, and excerpts from novels.

Primarily for students at intermediate levels of Russian-language study.

SL151 The Contemporary Russian Press (2 credits)

An examination of the characteristics of Russian journalistic language. The reading and analysis of articles and editorials from major Russian-language newspapers and magazines, with attention to extracting the central content, discovering subtleties and hidden messages, discussing the issues involved, and expressing one's own position.

For students at higher levels of Russian-language study.

Program committee

Boris Egorov Academic Consultant

Senior Research Fellow, Institute of History, Russian Academy of Sciences; member, Union of Writers; Professor emeritus and former Chairman, Department of Russian Literature, Tartu University (Estonia) and Pedagogical University (St. Petersburg).

Sergei Alievsky Executive Director

MBA, Boston University; President, "Info Travel, Inc."; publisher, Info Study Newsletter (Russian language studies magazine) and Boston Courier (Russian language newspaper).

Anna Mikhailets General Director

Director of "Info World, Ltd.", Russian office of Info Study in St. Petersburg.

Irina Rumshina Academic Program Coordinator

Professor, Academic Director, Pedagogical University (St. Petersburg).

Experienced specialists in Russian as a foreign language and in humanities from the Academy of Sciences Institute of Russian Literature (Pushkinskij Dom), the Gercen Pedagogical University, the University of St. Petersburg, and other institutions of higher learning teach the various courses in this program.

Contact in Russia:
"Info World, Ltd.":  bclub@peterlink.ru
193015, St. Petersburg, Tavricheskaya st., 2-173
Tel.: (812) 275-15-13,   Fax: (812) 275-45-81