Advanced study of Russian grammar, conversation and compositions while following current events in "Pravda" and other Soviet publications. Current problems in Soviet society will be discussed in Russian while learning to "read between the lines" of the current Russian Press.

The current Russian Press: Pravda, Izvestia, Argumenty i fakty, Nezavisimaya gazeta, Literaturnaya gazeta and other news resources that are available on the World Wide Web. Students are encouraged to watch 'Vremya' on TV daily as a source of Russian-language news information. The syllabus with links to all the on-line resources is itself on-line. Occasional comparisons with the reporting in the New York Times will also be drawn.

Common assignments taken from the Russian-language press and TV will serve as the basis for in-class discussions. Written assignments will be submitted weekly and will deal with one one topic treated in more than one source. There will be a systematic review of grammar. Students will also select a major topic of a running current event (detente, agricultural harvests, space exploration, sport events, human rights, etc.) on which he will periodically report to the class and on which he will write a final paper for the course.

Pravda, Izvestia, Argumenty i fakty, Nezavisimaya gazeta, ITAR-TASS Ekspress--all on line News broadcasts on video cassette Other sources from time to time (all provided by the Program).