report on second-year textbooks and mini-review of the new edi tion of � ����

[Michael Denner]

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Dear SEELANGSers,

=20

A quick synopsis of the handful of responses I received regarding a text fo=
r second-year Russian. Most instructors out there recommended =F7 =D0=D5=D4=
=C9, which is available in a new edition. Other respondents replied that th=
ey used materials cobbled together from various sources. No one expressed m=
uch satisfaction with the current choices.=20

=20

One respondent did point me to a couple of useful web pages that contained =
brief reviews of the materials that are available for Russian instruction:

=20

http://www.slavica.com/teaching/Rifkin.html

http://www.slavica.com/teaching/Robblee.html

=20

***

=20

Apropos of the new =F7 =D0=D5=D4=C9: I taught from the first edition of the=
 book for a couple of years a decade ago as a graduate student at Northwest=
ern, and remember it as awkward in the classroom - it required a lot of re-=
ordering of material, planning for each day, some things were far too diffi=
cult for language level or unworkable in class, etc. But I've continued to =
use bits and pieces of the book (like, for instance, the chapter =E4=CF=CD,=
 =D7 =CB=CF=D4=CF=D2=CF=CD =CD=D9 =D6=C9=D7=C5=CD) where I thought Welcome =
Back was weak. It also had =9Avery good, concise lists (like verbs that sha=
re conjugational patterns, irregular nouns, etc.) and excellent grammar exe=
rcises - elements that I have continued to use while teaching Welcome Back.=
=20

=20

I ordered the new edition of =F7 =D0=D5=D4=C9, and there have been substant=
ial changes that, at least at first glance, are improvements. Though parts =
of the old edition are incorporated, I don't think it would be unfair to ca=
ll it a new textbook, not merely a new edition. Whole chapters have been ad=
ded and deleted. The workbook won't be available until mid-September, but t=
he publisher has made fine copies of it (in Acrobat format) available on th=
e website, so that shouldn't prove too much of a hindrance. It appears that=
 they'll also digitally post the video and audio materials in the coming we=
eks for students and instructors alike.

=20

I've written a review of the new edition - if anyone would like to read it,=
 drop me a line & I'll forward it to you. I'm not a specialist in pedagogy,=
 but I've taught college Russian for a good while, so the review is more of=
 a "from the trenches" analysis.

=20

Best,

mad

()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()
Dr. Michael A. Denner
Editor, Tolstoy Studies Journal
Director, University Honors Program

Contact Information:
Russian Studies Program
Stetson University
Campus Box 8361
DeLand, FL 32720-3756
386.822.7381 (department)
386.822.7265 (direct line)
386.822.7380 (fax)
http://www.stetson.edu/~mdenner <http://www.stetson.edu/~mdenner>=20

=20


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