Golosa: A Basic Course in Russian (English and Russian Edition) - Hardcover

Robin, Joanna; Evans-Romaine, Karen; Shatalina, Galina

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0131833790 ISBN 13: 9780131833791

Publisher: Pearson College Div, 2003

Synopsis

Golosa is a two-volume, introductory Russian-language program that strikes a balance between communication and structure. It takes a contemporary approach to language learning by focusing on the development of competence in the four skills (listening, speaking, reading, and writing), as well as the expansion of cultural knowledge. Each section in the text revolves around a topic and follows the same format: introduction of basic vocabulary, listening to introductory conversations, short dialogues with exercises and role play practice, practice in strategies for listening and reading, and grammar study with practice in both oral and written form. With its robust audio and video program on the World Wide Web, Golosa provides comprehensive explanations of Russian grammar along with the practice users need to build accuracy. This program is useful for those employees in fields where a working knowledge of Russian is necessary.

About this title

From the Back Cover

With its careful balance of communication and structure, GOLOSA has been the pathway to contemporary Russian for English-speaking students throughout the post-Soviet era. Students learning with GOLOSA work towards functional competence in all four skills while building a solid grammatical base. This foundation enables them to increase their proficiency through additional study.

The GOLOSA program consists of two texts (Book I and Book 2), two student workbooks, a Web-based audio and video program, and additional Web-based exercises. Each book offers realistic communicative activities (in listening, speaking, reading, and writing) that are designed for use in a learner-centered classroom. Students acquire personalized vocabulary to express individual needs and practice strategies that promote the balanced development of productive and receptive skills. The problem-solving approach in GOLOSA leads students to become independent, confident speakers of Russian.

The third edition of GOLOSA, Book 2, has been revised to recycle material presented in Book I and to expand language situations involving transportation and electronic communication. In addition, the third edition Web site www.prenhall.com/golosa features a complete video program with authentic interviews appropriate for the students' level of comprehension. The Web site also provides a regularly updated set of additional resources for teachers and students that further promotes independent, individualized work with the Russian language and realia. The entire audio program—about 20 hours of recordings—is available on the GOLOSA Web site as well as on CD.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

GOLOSA (Book 1, 3rd ed. Richard Robin, Karen Evans-Romaine, Galina Shatalina, and Joanna Robin, and Book 2, Richard Robin, Joanna Robin, and Kathryn Henry; Prentice Hall) is a basic course in Russian. Students successfully completing a course taught in concert with both Books 1 and 2 can expect to reach the ACTFL Intermediate range in speaking and Intermediate High in reading and listening.

Each volume of GOLOSA includes a main textbook, and a student workbook with laboratory drills and written exercises. The audio program runs approximately 15 hours per volume and includes listening comprehension exercises, speaking dialogues, and rapid-pace oral drills. Teachers adopting GOLOSA can download the audio from the Golosa website or order CDs of the audioprogram from Prentice Hall. Teachers receive desk copies plus access to the on-line Instructor's Manual with tape scripts and keys to the audio comprehension exercises.

MAIN FEATURES OF GOLOSA

• Goal statements. Objectives are explicitly stated for the book as a whole and for each unit therein in terms of global tasks, content, and language tools (grammar and lexicon). Cultural notes are highlighted.
• Separation of skills. Each language skill (speaking, reading, writing, listening) is addressed in its own right.
• Flexibility. The textbook dictates no particular methodological approach. While all skills are presented on an equal footing, teachers and students may choose to focus on those which best serve their needs without violating the structural integrity of individual units or the book as a whole. A class can move faster by eliminating some of the activities for reading and listening for content.
• Authenticity. Each unit contains authentic materials and realistic communicative activities for all skills.
• Spiraling approach. Students are exposed repeatedly to similar functions and structures at an increasing level of complexity.
• Cultural relevance. All texts and conversations are embedded within culture relevant to Russia today.
• Learner-centered. Each unit puts students into communicative settings in all four skills. In addition to core lexicon, students acquire personalized vocabulary for individual needs.
• Variety of exercises. Oral drills and written exercises progress from mechanical to contextualized to individualized activities.
• Learning strategies. Students acquire strategies for productive and receptive skills. The variety of types of exercises assures that a wide range of learning styles is served.
• Phonetics and intonation. Pronunciation (segmental and suprasegmental features) is presented and practiced in each unit in conjunction with material covered rather than in isolation.
• World Wide Web component additional activities for reading and grammar. The complete audio program and Instructors' Manual are also available on-line.

Edition details

• Publisher: Pearson College Div
• Publication date: 2003
• ISBN 10: 0131833790
• ISBN 13: 9780131833791
• Binding: Hardcover
• Language: English
• Number of pages: 464
• Editor: Robin Richard