Russian in Use: An Interactive Approach to Advanced Communicative Competence

Sandra F. Rosengrant. Russian in Use: An Interactive Approach to Advanced Communicative Competence. New Haven and London: Yale University Press, 2007. 448 pp. Tables. Maps. Illustrations. Bibliography. Appendices. $53.00, paper.Rosengrant’s Russian in Use is a proficiency-based, advanced-level textbook of Russian accompanied by a DVD for listening practice. Its stated aim is to provide readings “on a wide range of non-academic topics of general interest,” combined with exercises and other pedagogical materials. The textbook covers six topics, including “Geography,” “Education,” “Politics,” “Ecology,” and “America Through the Eyes of Others.” Each chapter starts with a preparation phase (a list of new vocabulary comprising about 200 items), a contextualized review, explanations of new vocabulary, lexical concepts (synonyms), and grammar and syntax. These are complemented with meaningful exercises. The preparation phase is followed by a practical one. In the practical phase (called “resources”), students are guided through independent work with excerpts from the Russian mass media so that they can write compositions and prepare oral presentations.Each chapter has four readings (excerpts) with comprehension questions in Russian and one open-ended question that prompts discussion with a focus on narration, description, and supported opinion. Each chapter also ends with audio exercises, composition topics (“real-world projects that present opportunities for group work and independent research”), some additional assignments to supplement the readings, and a “fill-in-the-blanks”-type review of grammar and vocabulary. The texts provided for grammar and vocabulary review are drawn from a variety of sources, including journals, magazines, newspapers, and prose works. In completing the grammar drills, students not only practice using constructions and words, but also receive exposure to other authentic reading texts.Grammar topics covered in the book include the most troublesome topics for learners of Russian at this level: verbs expressing the notions ‘to be’ and ‘to have’, verbs of location and position, aspect, aspect of negated and imperative verb forms, basic and prefixed verbs of motion, and the conditional/subjunctive mood. The textbook reviews the use of prepositions to express location, direction, distance, cause, time, and duration. It also reviews the syntax of subjectless and impersonal constructions, complex and compound sentences formed with conjunctions, relative clauses, participles, gerunds, and voice (active and passive).