Course Description:
Immerse yourself in a simplified version of The Master and Margarita by Bulgakov while strengthening your Russian language skills through lively, interactive seminars. This course focuses on building advanced vocabulary and fluency through discussion, oral practice, and written composition—all conducted entirely in Russian. Engaging group activities and guided instruction will help you reach an intermediate-advanced level of proficiency.
This course welcomes students of varying language backgrounds, including heritage speakers, and emphasizes personal growth over competition. Grades are based on your individual effort, progress, and engagement with the material, creating a supportive and inclusive learning environment.
Learning Outcomes:
After completing RUSS_V 304, you will be able to
- apply and expand language skills learned in lower-level RUSS language courses and
- narrate, describe, analyze, explain, argue, persuade, inform, entertain and express feelings in Russian;
- use verbal aspect, aspect in participles and verbal adverbs, aspect in prefixed motion verbs, selected phrases, verbs, and idiomatic expressions;
- recognize and use approximately 2300 Russian words in literary texts, conversation and composition;
- demonstrate an understanding of how the linguistic elements of the language work in relation to each other and other and the English language.
- clearly and confidently articulate ideas in Russian when delivering effective presentations.
Instructional Materials:
All course materials including the novel “Master and Margarita” are provided by instructor.
Course Evaluation:
Grading will be based on your participation, homework assignments, quizzes, tests and presentation. No final exam.
Participation 10%
Homework Assignments 20%
Vocabulary Quizzes 30%
Test Essays 30%
Presentation 10%
Participation (10%)
Students who cannot attend a class should review the slides of the missed lecture, do all the activities that their peers did in class, and submit this assignment in Canvas in the Participation section by the due date. If they submit this assignment on time, they will get 100% for participation. To learn how to submit an assignment, please click How to submit an online assignment
Home assignments (20%)
Home assignments are mandatory, and they will consist of written exercises from the textbook and other miscellaneous grammar and vocabulary assignments. Hand in your written home assignment in class. If you cannot attend a class, submit this home assignment in Canvas in the Home Assignments section. Home assignment submitted after the due date will receive a maximum of 80% of the value of the assignment. No home assignment will be accepted after the end of classes.
Vocabulary Quizzes (30%)
There will be three vocabulary quizzes. Each quiz is worth 10%. Details of each quiz will be announced the week prior to the quiz date.
In-class Test Essays (30%)
There will be two in-class test essays, in which you will have to answer questions in essay form. Essay tests are designed to showcase your abilities to provide specific information. Each test is worth 15%, and its details will be announced the week prior to the test date.
| Criteria | Excellent | Meets Expectations | Approaches Expectations | Needs Improvement |
| Completeness | Shows a thorough understanding of the question. Addresses all aspects of the question completely. | Presents a general understanding of the question. Completely addresses most aspects of the question or addresses all aspects incompletely. | Shows a limited understanding of the question. Does not address most aspects of the question. | Does not answer the specific central question. |
| Analysis | Analyzes, evaluates, compares, and/or contrasts issues and events with depth. | Analyzes or evaluates issues and events, but not in any depth. | Lacks analysis or evaluation of the issues and events beyond stating accurate, relevant facts. | Lacks analysis or evaluation of the issues and events beyond stating vague, irrelevant, and/or inaccurate facts. |
| Evidence | Incorporates pertinent and detailed information from both class discussions and the novel. | Includes relevant facts, examples and details but does not support all aspects of the task evenly. | Includes relevant facts, examples, and details, but omits concrete examples, includes inaccurate information, and/or does not support all aspects of the task. | Does not incorporate information from pertinent class discussion and/or assigned readings. |
| Writing | Presents all information clearly and concisely in an organized manner. | Presents information fairly clearly and concisely and may have minor organization problems. | Lacks focus, somewhat interfering with comprehension. | Organizational problems prevent comprehension. |
Presentation 10%
You will perform a five-minute individual presentation on one of the topics related to the novel “Master and Margarita,” Moscow in 1928-40 years, or other works of Bulgakov. Preparedness of your presentation, pronunciation, fluency, and accuracy of your speech will be taken into consideration when grading your performance.
Individual Presentation Scoring Rubric (Guideline)
| Exceptional
(90-100 %) |
·well prepared and has obviously rehearsed
·a fluent speaker, no pronunciation errors |
| Outstanding
(80-89%) |
·well prepared and has obviously rehearsed
·a fluent speaker, a few minor pronunciation errors/heritage learners are expected to communicate without pronunciation errors |
| Competent
(70-79%) |
·prepared but may need more rehearsals
·a fluent speaker, a few pronunciation errors ·heritage learners may make a few minor pronunciation errors |
| Satisfactory
(60-69 % |
·somewhat prepared but obviously need more rehearsals
·various pronunciation errors that do not affect understanding/ heritage learners may make occasional minor pronunciation errors |
| Adequate
(50-59 %) |
·occasional pronunciation errors that do not affect understanding/ heritage learners may make various pronunciation errors that do not affect understanding |
| Inadequate
(0-49 %) |
·inadequate pronunciation and intonation, and a student is often difficult to understand |