RUSSIAN LANGUAGE FOR INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

The course is thought for the students of the M.D. in Comparative International Relations.
The 30-hours whole class teaching aims at strenghtening proficiency in Russian, reaching the B2 level set up by the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR). The course intends to provide the students with the necessary tools in order to understand, interpret and analyze thoroughly various kinds of texts in Russian, both in written and oral form, revolving around hot topics relevant to international relations. acquire theoretical and applied knowledge of the Russian language used in specific contexts, ranging from foreign politics to economics to the sociocultural field. Particular attention will be devoted to morphology, syntax, and speech organizational patterns.

Students will learn how to:

Acquire theoretical and applied knowledge of the Russian language used in specific contexts, ranging from foreign politics to economics to the sociocultural field. Particular attention will be devoted to morphology, syntax, and speech organizational patterns;

Understand, read through and analyze Russian texts into their background; tell apart their linguistic register and their subject area; write texts in Russian by themselves, employing the communicative strategies which pertain to their own sectoral field;
Develop non-trivial reasoning in Russian about general and specific topics relevant to international and intercultural relations, both in oral and written form;

Pick up texts written in Russian about topics concerning their own course of study; interpret and analyze complex texts, proving with that to be able to verify and evaluate correctly the appropriateness of their own work;

Develop a proper interaction in Russian about international relations, implementing a set of communicative strategies to arrange – by themselves or in small groups – written texts and oral presentations;

Reinforce the linguistic skills in the field of international relations, by reworking independently the information already acquired, arranging their own contributions and taking part in the discussion.

Knowledge of Russian language at the B1 level set up by the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR).

During the course several topics of socioeconomic and political nature will be debated. In particular, the following lines of discussion will be studied and pursued:
-the role of Russian media in broadcasting and screening information, with special regard to the public debate regarding hot topics of social and political nature;
-international politics of the Russian Federation towards Europe, Asian countries, and the USA;
-the organisation of Russian internal policy, its main organizations and the current political parties;
-the most important productive sectors and their role in Russian economy;
-trade relations with European and extraeuropean countries;
-some social aspects (the demographic issue, migration).

On translation:
Dobrovolskaja Ju., Il russo: l’abc della traduzione, Cafoscarina, Venezia 1997.
Malinin N., Tradurre il russo, Carocci, Roma 2012.
Kovalev V., Il Kovalev, Dizionario russo-italiano/italiano-russo, Bologna, Zanichelli 2014 (quarta edizione).
Dobrovolskaja Ju., Grande dizionario russo-italiano/italiano russo, Hoepli, Milano 2001.
On the specialized language of international relations:
Afanas'eva N.D., Lobanova L.A., Čitaem teksty po special'nosti. Vypusk 6. Ekonomika, Zlatoust, San Pietroburgo 2014.
Basko N.V., Obsuždaem global’nye problemy, povtorjaem russkuju grammatiku, Russkij Jazyk Kursy, Moskva 2013.
Lebedev V., Petuchova E., Delovaja poezdka v Rossiju, Zlatoust, San Pietroburgo 2012.
Moskvitina L., V mire novostej 1, Zlatoust, San Pietroburgo 2009.
On grammar:
Cevese C., Dobrovolskaja Ju., Magnanini E., Grammatica russa. Morfologia: teoria ed esercizi, Hoepli, Milano 2000 (o altra edizione).
Cevese C., Dobrovolskaja Ju., Sintassi russa. Teoria ed esercizi, Milano, Hoepli 2005.
Nikitina N., Eserciziario di russo. Livelli B1-B2, Hoepli, Milano 2016.
Further bibliographical references will be given during the lessons.

The exam consists of a written and an oral part.
The WRITTEN PART focuses on a Russian-Italian translation of a text about a specific topic talked on during class hours. This part lasts approximately 2 hours. It is allowed to use a bilingual dictionary.
The ORAL PART consists of the reading, the Russian-Italian translation and a comment regarding the language and the content of a random excerpt of the overall 100 pages in Russian students are asked to prepare on their own. This part lasts approximately 30 minutes.
The tenured professor will assign the 100 pages at the beginning of the course. Please note a page is equal to a 2000 characters sheet, spaces included.
The final mark will match the exact average of the marks obtained in both the written and the oral part.

Lessons, activities in small groups.

The attendance of seminars with the Russian lectors (CEL) is recommended.

written and oral