Russian Videos

[David Stephan]

At 03:11 PM 5/2/97 -0500, you wrote:
>Hi, fellow-SEELANGERS:
>        I have a questions about Russian language videos for begginner
>students.  Can anyone recommend something good, something that I can use to
>supplement my 1st-year textbook?
As we reached the end of the semester, we were looking for something to do
with the extra 4 days.  We were using the new ACTR-developped "Live from
Moscow - Stage I" and thought it appropriate to show a real Russian film.
We asked around and decided on "Operatsiia 'Y,'" a Soviet-era slapstick
comedy.  We needed something that the students would understand even if they
couldn't get most of the words.  This film is good because there's not a
tremendous amount of dialogue and there is a lot of action and most
importantly *humor*.  We showed the first two episodes ("Naparnik" and
"Navazhdenik") and prepared advanced organizers/vocab. lists.  It was a
tremendous success-- the students loved the film and gained a sense that
they could understand speech at normal rates of speed.

P.S. I'm not using the royal "we" but including my colleague who does not
use e-mail.
David Stephan
Bryn Mawr College