Reading
Fall Semester 2020
Reading Assignment 1
World-Readiness Standard:
Presentational Communication and Relating Cultural Practices to Perspective
I presented information on the different students and their studies at their respective universities including their specialty/major, the classes they are attending, and their aspirations for the future. I also was given some insight as to the types of courses, specialties, and career options students in Russia pursue while comparing that to what I know about Americans and their university life.
Can-Do Statement:
Intermediate Presentational Communication
I was able to present answers to the questions based off the students' descriptions of their university life while giving more details pertaining to their course year, the specific classes they are taking, and what they would like to do in the future with the specialty they are studying. I was also able to explain their reasons for taking certain classes and what they liked about those classes.
Reading Assignment 2
World-Readiness Standard:
Presentational Communication and Relating Cultural Practices to Perspective
I presented information by answering questions about relationships being discussed in the article pertaining to how the couple met, what the couples did together, what their wedding was like, and other information about the couple. This also put into perspective some differences between relationships/dating in Russian and American culture.
Can-Do Statement:
Intermediate Presentational Communication
I was able to present answers to the questions based off what I read in the article about how the couple's relationship progressed. I used new vocabulary in this unit to reiterate some of the main ideas of the article along with giving more descriptive information in the past tense form. Furthermore, I was able to relate that information to my own life and stories about others that I know.
Reading Assignment 3
World-Readiness Standard:
Presentational Communication and Relating Cultural Practices to Perspective
I presented information based on the statistics and explanations given to me in the articles about American versus Russian technology usage. I answered questions about different subjects such as the kinds of devices they most frequently use, what they use those devices for, and what different applications, websites, and social media that they use. This gave me perspective as to how Russians and Americans are similar different as to their technology usage.
Can-Do Statement:
Intermediate Presentational Communication
I was able to present answers to the questions based off what I read in the article about technology usage and devices using the new vocabulary that we learned in this unit. I could interpret the statistics and the descriptions under the figures to determine what devices they use, how they use it, along with information that pertained to the demographics of people and their device and technology usage.
Reading Assignment 4
World-Readiness Standard:
Presentational Communication and Relating Cultural Practices to Perspective
I presented information based on the travel advertisement that was presenting an apartment that was available to rent for vacation purposes. I answered questions about the advertisement with respect to the rooms and furniture in the apartment, the amenities that are included, and different travel spots and arrangements you could make if you stayed at the apartment. I was given some insight as to the kind of apartment that is offered in Eastern Europe and what may be available if you were to vacation there.
Can-Do Statement:
Intermediate Presentational Communication
I was able to present answers to the questions based off what I read in the apartment ad as it pertained to some new vocabulary we learned in this unit as well as drawing on vocabulary that I had learned in previous units on this subject. I was able to give more descriptive answers as to what was available and what you could do if you were to vacation there. Furthermore, I was able to give my opinion as to what I liked about the apartment and what I would enjoy doing if I were to visit that city.
Overall Reflection:
These reading assignments contributed to my learning as they made use of a lot of the vocabulary and grammar we learned in these different units as well as giving me some real life examples of text I could come across in the future in Russian language. Based on the information that was being presented in the different reading assignments, I also gained more cultural perspective on various everyday topics that pertained to the units that we were studying at the time.
Spring Semester 2021
Reading Assignment 1
World-Readiness Standard:
Presentational Communication and Relating Cultural Practices to Perspective
I presented and answered questions based on the information about the famous Russian composers and musicians with respect to their lives, careers, famous compositions, and more. I was also given more insight about Russian history and the role that music plays in Russian-speaking cultures.
Can-Do Statement:
Intermediate Presentational Communication
I was able to present answers to the questions based off what I read in the different summaries about the Russian composers and musicians using the vocabulary and grammar of this unit pertaining to music, the performing arts, and theater. I would be able to have some basic knowledge about these famous Russian figures and convey that to others.
Reading Assignment 2
World-Readiness Standard:
Presentational Communication and Relating Cultural Practices to Perspective
I presented and answered questions based on the information about different tours that were being offered in Russian cities. I discussed where the tours would be, what different places were being offered in the advertisement, and the history surrounding some of the different landmarks of the city. I also learned more about cities I had not previously know about in Russia.
Can-Do Statement:
Intermediate Presentational Communication
I was able to present answers to the questions based off what I read in the different advertisements for walking tours in the Russian cities. I would be able to read information about different sightseeing tours in the future and make considerations about which tours would be worth exploring and have background knowledge of these different cities that were mentioned in the tour guides' promotions.
Reading Assignment 3
World-Readiness Standard:
Presentational Communication
I presented and answered questions based on the weather conditions of different Russian cities and the specific dates that you could expect the weather condition to be worse or better. I was able to give my input further about which cities I would be more inclined to visit based on the information that was given.
Can-Do Statement:
Intermediate Presentational Communication
I was able to present answers to the questions based off what I read in the different weather reports for the various Russian cities. I could be more descriptive about the temperature, the precipitation that might occur, and when a decent time would be to visit. I would be able to read weather reports in the future based on the vocabulary and grammar we learned in this unit.
Reading Assignment 4
World-Readiness Standard:
Presentational Communication
I presented and answered questions based on the explanations that different individuals gave about their hobbies and interests. I further gave my input as to what hobbies I felt were most interesting and whether I may consider pursuing those hobbies in the future.
Can-Do Statement:
Intermediate Presentational Communication
I was able to present answers to the questions based off what I read in the different sections detailing different individuals' interests and hobbies. I would be able to discuss my hobbies and my opinions about these different pursuits in the future based on the vocabulary that we learned in this unit as it pertains to activities and interest to keep oneself occupied.
Overall Reflection:
Overall, I felt more comfortable with the vocabulary that we learned in this unit and applying it to the various reading assignments. I was able to give my input on various matters as it pertained to the information that was being presented and being able to relay that information to others.