Modern Language programs for Russian?

[Natalija]

DD13, who will start high school in the fall, wants to study Russian.

 

The program I have heard about the most is Rosetta Stone. It is very $$$. Is it worth it? She would probably do all three levels.

 

Any other good options?

 

Should this program be acceptable for high school credit by colleges? I am not familair yet with high school transcripts or what will be acceptable by colleges. I was checking out a Laurel Springs online open house and I think I remember it being mentioned that Rosetta Stone is not typically accepted by colleges??? Is this true? I think they were using Powerglide, which changed its name to something similar ( but I can't remember!).

 

So, I would like feedback on your favorite modern language porgrams for high school that will not be rejected by colleges. (I guess I need to start a new thread solely on high school transcripts and courses as I am in the dark about that whole thing.)

 

Thanks!

Natalija

[Classical Katharine]

Natalija,

 

I am not familiar with high school programs, but I studied Russian in college. The first year text was by Stillman and Harkins. I used it at the age of 17. (Way too long ago!)

 

In terms used on this board, it would be considered a "parts-to-whole" program. Paradigms and grammar instruction came first in each chapter, then translation work. I found it laid a solid foundation for learning Russian as a second language.

 

You are probably wondering why I am even mentioning a college textbook! And why I asked about your daughter's language background.

 

There are quite a few people adapting the Latin text called Wheelock's, a college text, for use by younger students. So if your daughter is capable with grammar, motivated, and you will work along with her, she might well be able to move slowly through a college text. She would almost certainly need extra drill and translation sentences, to master each concept before moving on, but I am guessing you are a Russian speaker or a speaker of another Slavic language, and you would be able to supply these for her. If she has any background in the grammar of Latin or Greek, she'll have a great head start on Russian since the noun systems are similar.

 

I'm sorry this is not the perfect recommendation--especially since I am not familiar with recent editions of the program--but I didn't know if you'd get ANY leads, so I thought I'd toss it out as a clue.

 

At any rate, using a college program might help you in your quest for college credit.

 

Happy hunting!

Edited April 5, 2009 by Classical Katharine
supplied a missing word or two

[NancyL]

The Potters School is offering one starting next year! (year one) Also I think BYU independent study had a high school Russian class at one time. Reviews of their classes have been mixed, but my friend that's doing Spanish said that the Spanish at BYU is just fine, but you do have to be motivated to get the work done since you don't go online to speak with the teacher. I like to mix a distance curriculum with an inexpensive tutor, if available, just to help keep them on track. My older one reallly struggled just doing it by herself without a tutor. (keeping to deadlines, etc)

[NancyL]

Also Natalija--you don't have to worry about the curriculum if the course (or school) is accredited. If it has accreditation, then the colleges will accept it. They have agreements in place so they don't have to pick through everyone's program. To get accreditation they have to prove the substance to the accrediting body. (Find out who they are accredited by, then check out the other schools that have this same accreditation) This should help you decide if it is a valid program. From the outside it may seem like a "weak" curriculum, but they could add additional projects etc. My dd did a Latin course through U. of North Dakota and they had ton's of extra vocabulary sheets added in addition to the book. It kind of turned her off, since Latin is usually hard enough using the HS Latin texts!

[Natalija]

Classical Katherine...

 

I speak Serbian and she does as well, but not as much as I wish. She has the basic vocabulary, no grammar instruction ( I, myself, could use it!!:-), and can somewhat read the easy stuff in Cyrillic but wants to learn Russian as piano teacher and chamber music teachers are all Russian.

 

I tried several times to plug in Latin over the years but never got too far. We just ddn't/don't have enough time to add more in, due to music lessons, practice, etc.

 

I still wish I could get her to take at least one year of Latin but she isn't too interested as she really wants to learn Russian, which should be easier sine she knows Serbian....very similar Slavic languages, as I am sure you know.

 

I am looking for something she can do on her own and Rosetta Stone seems very popular.

 

I am still very unclear about what colleges will accept as high school credits. I think that is my #1 question at this time. I guess I need to start a new thread!

 

Thank you for your input!

Spasiba! Hvala!

Natalija

[Natalija]

Thanks, Nancy.

 

I know this is veering off my modern language topic but....

 

As I posted above, I am a "newbie" at all this....what a college will accept as high school credits from courses done at home or maybe in a co-op setting....not from an online university high school program.

 

I really need to better uderstand this whole new area as Dd will be in 9th in the fall! Yikes!!

 

Any feedback on that would really help me get through this fog!!::tongue_smilie:

 

Spasiba! Hvala! Gracias!

Natalija

[Natalija]

Oh, yeah...thanks for the info! :-)

[PeterPan]

Natalija, I took russian in high school and our class used a college text which they simply spread over two years. She should try the free trial of Rosetta Stone and see what she thinks. I don't see how it would help you learn the grammar, even though you would learn a lot of vocab. Is Serbian highly inflected? I assume it is. Well then you know you have to actually sit there going through the declensions and pushing your pencil to really learn the grammar.

 

I think there are some universities that offer correspondence courses for Russian. Another option, one that she might be a little young for this year, is to do a summer program. It's actually a FABULOUS way to learn a language, because you cover so much so quickly. Google russian language summer programs and see what you find. There are some pricey ones (Middlebury) and some more affordable. I did the one at Indiana University two summers and it was AMAZING.

 

As far as high school language, here's the deal. Pick a reasonable text or program, put in the time (a unit is defined by the number of hours you spend, and universities look at units, not credits which are the number of books/courses you cover). What really validates your work is when you go to college then and take the placement test. I took two years of russian in high school using that college text and placed into 3rd year russian at IU, so I was pleased. I was right in with junior russian majors and I was only a freshman, hehe... But anyways, it's what she accomplishes that matters, not the book. Read about the differences between units and credits for transcripts.

 

If you don't know any russian at all, investigate your options. Can you get a tutor and use a college text at a slower pace? Correspondence course? Did Rosetta Stone add an interactive component to their software? I think Auralog is interesting, but I haven't looked at their russian demo. If she could just make some russian friends and hang out with them, she could probably learn enough to understand the limited things a piano teacher would say. (faster, slower, etc.)

 

If she can't find the russian she wants, I suggest she do french while she waits. It's what happened to me when I was a freshman, and the french had a lot of value. BTW, do they have texts for serbians to learn russian? That would be another obvious solution, if she can read serbian. I know they have them for ukranian to russian.

 

Hope your pursuit turns up something great! I'd lean toward a correspondence course, my personal opinion, and then her junior year send her away to a summer program.

[Classical Katharine]

Hello again, Natalija--

 

I should add that what kind of program you end up using should reflect your goals, and your daughter's, for fluency level. If she just wants to be able to use some phrases with Russian speakers, she could use a conversational program light on grammar. She could do that on her own.

 

If she wants to become fluent--to read and to hold significant conversations--she'll need a substantial grammar component. I second Oh Elizabeth--fluency requires learning those paradigms.

 

If this would represent too much time on your part (grading, learning alongside), then a distance program might be best for you--but I'd still look closely at the syllabus and make sure it mentions declensions and conjugations. A conversational component would be great too, of course.

 

I'm most familiar with parts-to-whole programs, but you can read on this board about "reading" programs, in threads about Latin. This might help orient you to what you'll find as you explore Russian programs, as a lot of the issues would be similar.

 

latinteach, who posts here, is knowledgeable about these methodologies (and others).

[momof165]

My dh who is fluent in Russian and Ukranian listened to the Rosetts Stone language course in Russian. He really liked it - but our son 9 just does not want to learn Russian! (at least not yet). Things might change down the road. So, if he likes Rosetta stone Russian as a native speaker, I would assume it's good!:001_smile:

 

Sonja

[PeterPan]

The issue with Rosetta Stone is learning style and whether it's a good fit for the student, not the quality of the speakers.

[momof165]

OhElizabeth,

 

thank you so much for pointing this out. I guess, foreigners just can't comprehend and understand the American language as well as they should!:) Sorry for my unfitting reply!

 

Sonja

[SonshineLearner]

Hey There,

My husband took some Russian in college, but really became proficient in Russian, while living in Oregon. Of course, he was also doing some program that starts with a "P" (not powerglide) and I'll edit this later to put in which one. He is really good.

Carrie

Edited April 7, 2009 by NayfiesMama

[JumpedIntoTheDeepEndFirst]

We've been using Rosetta Stone. I think it is worth the money and if you have the cash and commitment to invest you do get a break for ordering all three levels at once. I do recommend the homeschool version as it allows you to have multiple students working at one time. There really aren't many kids programs out there for this language.

 

I haven't begun to investigate college credit issues yet but is there an AP exam in Russian that she could ultimately take? I think I would begin with RS and maybe before college find a community college or university course to take before she is done.

Edited April 7, 2009 by JumpedIntoTheDeepEndFirst

[PeterPan]

Hey There,

My husband took some Russian in college, but really became proficient in Russian, while living in Oregon. Of course, he was also doing some program that starts with a "P" (not powerglide) and I'll edit this later to put in which one. He is really good.

Carrie

 

Pimsleur?

[sarahli]

My DH is proficient in Russian, and I tried to learn some with Rosetta Stone, but I didn't really care for it. I have free access, you can see if your library does, if they do definitely check it out to see if she likes it. Personally, I don't think it's worth the cost to pay full price. You have to know Cyrillic before beginning, which I didn't completely, and it doesn't really teach grammar, or writing (since it is different from their printed alphabet). It's also frustrating to learn sentences like "the boy sat under the airplane, the boy sat on top of the airplane" and take it seriously :001_huh:.

I like a combination of a speaking program like Pimsleur (I don't use this since I just speak with DH), and a grammar text- I have Simplified Russian Grammar by Fayer, published by National Textbook company 1987. It's an excellent and solid one year beginning curriculum teaching grammar and handwriting. If she can spend a few minutes after a music lesson talking with a teacher in Russian, that will be the quickest way to pick up phrases. Maybe they will even offer to tutor her a little if they have the time.