Summer school Ruthenia 05

[I.F.]

Dear colleagues,
We are glad to announce the summer school of Russian language RUTHENIA 05 to
be held in Tartu, Estonia, 4-22 August 2005.
For more info please read the text in this message and consult the web-site
http://www.ruthenia.ru/summer.html

Ilon Fraiman
Jon Kyst
Maria Borovikova
Tatjana Fraiman
http://www.ruthenia.ru
http://www.livejournal.com/community/ruthenia/
staff at ruthenia.ru


"Language as Environment"
Russian Language Instruction through the Semiotics of Culture
(Tartu - Otepaa, 4-22 August 2005)

Ruthenia presents "A Russian August", a full immersion course in the Russian
language (intermediate and advanced levels) for all those interested in
Russian culture.

Instruction will be provided by the finest teachers of the Department of
Russian Literature at Tartu University, as well as by language professionals
from Denmark, Finland, Russia, and Ukraine.

It is no accident that the Summer School will take place in Estonia. For
centuries, Estonia has been home to a unique Russian subculture, at once
independent from and closely tied to the central capitals. A sizeable
Russian community continues to exist in Estonia to this day, and as a result
the local Estonian population is itself very proficient in Russian.
Furthermore, Estonia has recently become a member of the European Union,
thus providing the unique opportunity of Russian cultural and linguistic
immersion within EU territory.

Classes will be held in Tartu and in the lakeside resort town, Otepaa (at
the Marguse recreational center http://www.marguse.ee/?page=inx&lang=eng),
50 km from Tartu. Ruthenia-05 offers full cultural and linguistic immersion.
The Summer School operates on a Russian-only basis: for the duration of the
course all the world's languages other than Russian cease to exist. Students
communicate exclusively in Russian not only in the classroom, but outside
the classroom as well, with their teachers and among themselves. The Summer
School's instructors actively participate in extracurricular and leisure
activities, creating a convivial atmosphere in which entertainment and
Russian language study go hand in hand.

All instructors at the Summer School are experienced working with foreign
students. Our classes will give students a rare opportunity both to improve
significantly their language abilities, as well as to become familiar with
the local academic traditions of Tartu.

Curriculum

In-class curriculum includes 14 lectures (45 min.) and 3x14 practical
lessons (45 min.).

Lectures and practical lessons are geared not only toward improving students
' Russian language skills, but also toward functional mastery of various
communicative strategies. Lessons are organized into thematic blocks, which
are explored in terms of everyday communicative goals, historical background
(through readings of literary and historical texts), and in relation to
contemporary mass media (newspapers, the internet).

Ruthenia-05 offers students a two-part curriculum, consisting of daily,
in-class work and evening events, which include meetings with writers,
musicians, and politicians, viewing and discussion of films, and
experiencing Russian traditions and daily life (including the linguistic
aspects of these traditions). Topics for discussion during in-class work
range across the most current and vital in contemporary Russian culture:
politics, sports, identity issues, psychological and emotional experience
(love, sex, etc.), and the cultural landscape of Russian life (the communal
apartment, the country house or dacha, leisure activities, etc).

General lectures (in groups of no more than 15 students) combine cultural
aspects of a topic (relying on predominantly written sources) with coverage
of key lexical items. Subsequent practical lessons (groups of 5 students)
focus on various means of exploring the topic in different cultural
situations, employing different linguistic registers and styles (literary,
journalistic, conversational, etc). Evening events are organized to give
students an opportunity to put their new knowledge into practice (for
example, a picnic attended by both students and teachers will follow a
lecture on traditional Russian leisure activities).

School Schedule
4.08. -   arrival in Tartu
5-7.08. -   classes and excursion in Tartu
7.08. -   arrival at the recreation center in Otepaa
8-20.08. -   classes and two excursions
21.08. -   departure for Tartu
22.08. -   end of classes, banquet
22-23.08. -   night in Tartu (if necessary), final departure

Ruthenia-05 offers students the following package of services:

Accommodation in Tartu and in the Marguse resort 4-23 August.
All meals included (breakfast, lunch, dinner).
Classes (4 hours of classes every day except on Sundays plus four hours
Russian language activities outside classroom, except Saturdays and
Sundays).
Meetings with Russian writers.
Master-classes conducted by outstanding Russian scholars.
3 excursions in Estonia by bus.
All transportation inside Estonia.

Price: 900 EUR.

Application deadline 1 June 2005.

Organizers:

Ilon Fraiman
Jon Kyst
Tatiana Fraiman
Maria Borovikova


Сontact address: staff at ruthenia.ru

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