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Second 8-Week Spring 09 Course

INSTRUCTOR:  Prof. Steven P. Hill ("S-HILL4@ILLINOIS.EDU"; 333-1246, 3137 FLB).

TERM:  just under 7 weeks (total 20 class meetings).   Add-deadline: Fri., Mar. 20. Drop-deadline: Fri., Apr. 17.

TOPIC.  We will attempt to "demystify" the wide array of  people's names and nicknames, geographic names, literary characters' names, as well as abbreviations and technical terms, which over the centuries have made their way into English, from Russia and other East European nations.  Our approach will be similar to Classics courses that examine and explain our English heritage of words and phrases that came down from Latin and Greek.

PREREQUISITES.  Lectures and readings in English.  No prior knowledge of Russian or other foreign languages is necessary. (Of course, it doesn't hurt.)

READING PACKET (in English, appx. 25 pages/week, est. price $20).  Should be ready just after we return from Spring Vacation. Precise details on price and where to buy it will be announced in class.  The total packet will have 7 chapters, one for each week of the course.

*** TWO SECTIONS.  All students attend 3 class meetings per week,  and all students take two exams:  Exam #1  (1-hour "midterm", Mon., April 13, at 9 a.m.; and Exam #2 (1-hour, non-cumulative "final," Thur., May 14, 8 a.m.)  That amount of work awards TWO credit-hours, for which you register in "RUSS 199" (CRN 48398).  Grades based 50% on each of the 2 exams.

*** If you want THREE credit-hours, then you also need to do a THIRD component of work, by taking Exam #3 (1-hour "cumulative final" exam, Thur., May 14, 9:30 a.m.).   Grades based 33% on each of the 3 components of work. For the 3 credit-hours, register in "SLAV 199" (CRN 50340).

Note.  Students should be able to add this course on-line ("Banner/Enterprise/Integrate") by Fri., March 20 (add deadline). But if any student would be blocked by a contradictory message ("too late to add"?), simply E-Mail Prof Hill, who will explain an easy way to add -- if done by March 20.