SUMMARY
In this Russian Language course which consists of several levels, we will 1) overcome our fears of learning Russian language, 2) acquire a basic level of Russian needed to communicate, to be understood, and to understand other people, 3) get familiar with the language so it is no longer a stranger to us. This class covers the fundamentals of Russian language and provides a solid base for communication. We will practice speaking and understanding, expanding our vocabulary and grammar knowledge. 

WHAT WE WILL LEARN
Level 1 introduces us to a few basics of the language: we will learn a few useful combinations and rules for communicating in Russian. At the end of Level 1, we will be able to 1) say our name and our age, 2) we will be able to describe what people are doing with the select verbs in the present tense, 3) introduce members of our family, 4) learn numbers 1-20, 5) read familiar words in Russian.

Why this sequence of lessons? 
In traditional study of Russian, a lot of emphasis is put on studying the minute details of each letter and sound, and it takes months for students to progress which leaves them discouraged. 
In this class, we will cover alphabet, of course, but a lot of emphasis will be put on the desire of learners to communicate in the target language. They want to say something, to read something, to understand others. Therefore, we start with talking about ourselves from the beginning. During our first class, we will even read Cyrillic without prior instruction of the alphabet. We want small victories in the beginning so we know that it is manageable to learn this language. We also cover the most used vocabulary and grammar in the sequence that is recommended by polyglots who study Russian as a foreign language. 


CLASS PARTICIPATION
To be successful in this course:
1) Turn your camera on during the meetings for best experience;
2) Keep your mic on so that you can ask and answer questions and participate in class;
3) Bring a separate notebook for all the new words and phrases that we will learn and a folder for all the printouts;
4) Bring notes from all the past classes so you can refer to them as we build on our previous knowledge.


PRIOR EXPERIENCE
This course is recommended for those who either knows a little bit of Russian like alphabet and a few phrases or someone who doesn't know any Russian.