Projects
Fall Semester 2020
Project 1 - Student Activity Club Poster
In this project, we created two club activity posters giving details as to what the club is, the kinds of things that they do, where and when they meet, and why people should join.
World-Readiness Standard:
Presentational Communication
I presented information about a hobby/interest that other people may enjoy partaking in. I gave descriptions of the kinds of activities that they do, where and when they can get together, how to contact the organization, and why this club would be something others would be interested in. I inform and persuade others that these clubs are worthwhile and.
Can-Do Statement:
Intermediate Presentational Communication
I was able to present information about these club organizations with more descriptions than I previously was able to in respect to the times, places, and dates that the club meets, the events that the club has hosted in the past using past tense, and the fun activities that you can participate in if you do join. I used new phrases and nouns to give others a good, written description that is easily understandable, though concisely.
Project 2 - Family Photo Album
In this project, we created a family photo album with descriptions of who is in our family, and what relation they have to us, what is happening in the photo.
World-Readiness Standard:
Presentational Communication
I presented information about my family, relationships, and the things that were happening at the time the photo was taken. I also described the relationship that they had to other people in my family as well as what some of their interests are and where some of them live.
Can-Do Statement:
Intermediate Presentational Communication
I was able to present information about my family with these pictures informing others who they are to me and to others, what they do for a living, and what is happening in the photos. I was able to use new vocabulary that gives more descriptive information about familial relations and past tense descriptions of what events were happening at the time. This unit was useful as we learned new ways of expressing who people are in our lives and how they may be related to us and others.
Project 3 - Airbnb Ad
In this project, we created an Airbnb ad about an apartment/house detailing the price of rent, where it is located, what is near the apartment/house, the things that are allowed vs. not allowed in the apartment/house, and some of the amenities that are included.
World-Readiness Standard:
Presentational Communication
I presented information about an apartment for rent in terms of the price, location, neighborhood, furniture, amenities, restrictions, and ways to get around in that area. I informed and possibly persuaded readers that the apartment is ideal with a detailed account of what the rooms looked like, what furniture was in the room, the convenience of the location, and when the apartment was readily available.
Can-Do Statement:
Intermediate Presentational Communication
I was able to present information about the apartment with a level of detail beyond what I had previously been able to do, along with using new vocabulary pertaining to amenities and those who also live in the building. I would be able to use what I learned in this unit to talk about plans I have to move into a new apartment or visit a new area and the place that I am staying at during that period.
Project 4 - National Character
In this project, we created a video detailing an eligible (in my case not actually eligible) bachelor/bachelorette by describing who they are, what they look like, and some different traits that they have. We also gave information about the kind of person they would ideally like to date.
World-Readiness Standard:
Presentational Communication
I presented information about Sergey in which I informed the viewers about who he was, what his appearance is, and some of his personality traits, hopefully persuading them that he is an ideal partner. I also used past knowledge to give background information about Sergey and a more detailed explanation of what his interests are.
Can-Do Statement:
Intermediate Presentational Communication
I was able to present information about Sergey in a way that was easy to understand, though I used more descriptive vocabulary that I learned in this unit to convey what he looks like and who he is as a person. I drew on past units to give more details about some of his interests and background information such as where he is from, where he studied, and what he would be like as a partner, along with additional information as to what he would need in a partner.
Overall Reflection on Proficiency:
In these projects, I am still using fairly simple sentences, though the adjectives and nouns that I am able to use in sentences are more detailed and convey more precisely what I want to inform and present to others. For the purposes of these projects, I feel that I gave enough information to give readers and viewers a less basic understanding of everyday topics compared to what I was able to present in elementary Russian.
Spring Semester 2021
Project 1 - Cultural Trust
In this video project, we created an informative video about any Russian-speaking country's culture surrounding music. We included information about popular bands/artists, concerts, and events in that chosen country.
World-Readiness Standard:
Presentational Communication
I presented information about Latvia and the culture surrounding music in that country. I spoke about a few popular artists and the genre of music that they work with, as well as giving more information about the Latvian festival of music and dance. Furthermore, I gave viewers a new perspective about Latvian culture and the role that music, dance, and performance arts plays in the country.
Can-Do Statement:
Intermediate Presentational Communication
I was able to present information about Latvia using new vocabulary pertaining to music, dance, and performance arts in a more detail than I had previously been able to do. I continued to use grammar and vocabulary knowledge from past units in order to convey ideas about Latvian music and culture, although I made more strides in being more specific about events that take place annually, genres of music Latvians are interested in, and so on.
Project 2 - Pittsburgh Brochure
In this project, we prepared an informational brochure about a chosen place of interest in Pittsburgh for Russian-speaking visitors. We included various amount of information about this attraction in terms of location, things to do, how to get to that place, its history, etc.
World-Readiness Standard:
Presentational Communication
I presented information about Mount Washington in Pittsburgh with respect to its history, where it is located in Pittsburgh, how to get there, and things to do in that area. Readers will be able to get a more clear idea about what to expect if they were to visit Mount Washington with my brochure, and they could reference it for finding interesting activities to do while they are in that area, which includes restaurants to visit and site seeing spots.
Can-Do Statement:
Intermediate Presentational Communication
I was able to present information about Mount Washington with more detailed information about modes and means of transportation, hours of operation at restaurants and activity sites, the location of places relative to a point of interest, and the history of that particular area. I drew upon the vocabulary and grammar from this unit in order to convey more specific action/motion verbs with respect to this project.
Project 3 - Russian Restaurant Visit
In this project, we chose from a list of restaurants in Russia, and explored the menu. We described the different menu items that were offered and discussed what our preference would be with respect to the kinds of food we like.
World-Readiness Standard:
Presentational Communication
I presented information about a menu of my choosing at a restaurant and the different choices I would make for appetizers, main dishes, drinks, and desserts. I further described to viewers what ingredients were included in the menu items and my reasons for preferring these particular options over others.
Can-Do Statement:
Intermediate Presentational Communication
I was able to present information about cuisine, food preferences, and typical menu items you would encounter at restaurants. I utilized the new vocabulary that expanded upon different kinds of food and their taste (salty, spicy, sweet, bitter, and so on) as a way to give more details about what foods I prefer and why.
Project 4 - Television Show Review
In this project, I chose 5 of my favorite TV shows to give reviews about as it pertains to the story line, the actors/actresses, the type of category they would fall under, and so on.
World-Readiness Standard:
Presentational Communication
I presented information about these 5 TV shows by briefly describing what the premise of the show is, what category or genre they would fall under, and why I think the show would be worth watching. I gave enough details about the TV shows to give someone a preliminary idea as to whether that show would be suited for them or not.
Can-Do Statement:
Intermediate Presentational Communication
I was able to present information about the different television shows by using the new vocabulary we learned in this unit with respect to TV, movie, or book genres/categories, as well as practicing giving more descriptive details about the plotline, what happens in the TV show, and the reasons why you should watch the show.