Part 1: Directions

Brandeis - Tyumen Dialog

In this assignment you will have an opportunity to put your language skills to work. What is the purpose of all these drills and quizzes on case endings, the subjunctive? Why do we make you memorize those words? Of course, so that you could communicate with a real Russian on real life topics!

Historically, pen pals communicated via mail, but for this assignment you will be using Skype to communicate with your pen pal and if you’d like, follow up by email.

Marina Eneva, your TA from last year will pair you up with her students in Tyumen. These people are your age and are studying English as a foreign language at Tyumen State University. You will be speaking in both Russian and English during the Skype call, so that both of you can get language practice.

You will receive extra points for making the Skype calls, but you should make at least two calls before the end of the semester.

Each call should last at lest 30 minutes. You should always start your conversation in Russian and switch to English after 15 minutes. Try to stay within a suggested topic. If you have time, feel free to talk about other things that interest you.

After the conversation write the answers to all questions in Russian and submit them to your instructor

You are encouraged to keep in touch in other ways after the assignment ends, including via VKontakte (Russian social media site), Facebook, and email - you can arrange this with your Skype pal.

Before the Skype call, write to your pen pal and agree on the time of your conversation. Keep in mind that Tyumen is 10 hours ahead.

Some things to remember:

· Speak slowly, clearly, and loudly. Please refrain from using slang or words that are too colloquial (разговорная речь).

· Be kind. J Language learning is difficult, so we should all try to be as welcoming as possible. Both of you are learners of a second language so you know how hard it is to speak a language that is not your native.

· If you don’t understand something, ask your pen pal to repeat or say it in a different way. It may be helpful to use a dictionary as well.

· Try to stay in one language (first, 15 minutes of just Russian, and then 15 minutes of just English).

If you have questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to ask!

Дата добавления: 2015-11-14