The CDROM

 

In the mid-1980s David Adshead of the Department of Russian Language and Literature at the University of Birmingham produced computer-based exercises which were used by first-year undergraduates to gain competence in the Russian language.

The programs were originally written for the BBC micro and, with the help of Trevor Batchelor and David Pollard were adapted for Windows.

 
 
         
     

The programs have more recently been made available on a CDROM entitled Russian Language Routines. The CDROM has been produced by David Adshead and Mike Beilby. It contains Windows versions of the four programs, Nouns, Verbs, Adjectives and Words.

Copies can be obtained from Ruslan Ltd.

  
         
     
 
     
 
      There are four programs, called Nouns, Verbs, Adjectives and Words. The programs have a common interface. Answers are entered from the keyboard, with a standard mapping (cf. Word Perfect), or by clicking on a screen-based keyboard.  
       
  Nouns  

The program Nouns contains a database of stems of Russian nouns and English meanings.

Students are expected add the ending for a particular combination of form and case chosen at random.

More ...

 
       
  Verbs  

The program Verbs is similar and contains a database of verb stems and students are asked to supply the endings.

 
         
     

In both programs students can listen to recordings by native speakers. In addition, there are notes to explain the use of cases, irregularities and special uses of verbs.

As students work through the exercises, their score is monitored and mistakes listed. Their progress is reviewed and reported. If too many mistakes are made, the programs revert to a browse option, for less demanding study!

  
 
         
     

Over the years, the programs, and the pedagogical approach, have been modified according to class experience.

More ...

 
       
  Adjectives  

In the program Adjectives students are required to add the ending to adjectives placed in sentences.

Common mistakes are recognised and provoke a response from the computer. The program contains a database of adjectives and comments which are appropriate for the mistakes that experience has indicated are likely to occur.

More ...

 
       
  Words  

In the program Words gaps have to be filled in a series of texts taken from a variety of themes. Varying numbers of words are missed out according to the difficulty set.

To help fill a gap the student is able to call on a concordance facility which gives the context of the missing word as it occurs in other texts.

The number and selection of texts is flexible and can be adapted to the profile and level of the student.

More ...

 
       
  The project  

This project has been fortunate in having the active support of the Department of Russian Language and Literature and Information Services at the University of Birmingham, who installed the programs on local networks.

The work has been described in papers presented at several conferences:

  • Teaching and Testing Russian Using a Microcomputer, Horwood Language Teaching Centre, Melbourne University Australia, Jan 1990
  • Towards an Expert System, ICSEES World Conference, Harrogate, UK, July 1990
  • Using Computers in the Teaching of Russian, BUAS Annual Conference, London, April 1991
  • Using the Computer as Informant, University of Auckland, New Zealand, March 1992
  • Chalk, Talk and High Tech, Conference on ab initio language teaching, Portsmouth University, April 1994

It has also been described in the following articles:

  • Using the Computer as Informant and for Concordancing, in Innovations in Language Teaching, Occasional Papers No 1, Horwood Language Teaching Centre, Melbourne University, Australia 1994
  • Towards an Expert System in Papers in Slavonic Linguistics, Queen Mary and Westfield College March 1996,
  • Chalk Talk and High Tech, Portsmouth University, June 1995

Enquiries about the academic content should be mailed to David Adshead, D.Adshead@bham.ac.uk.

 
       
The product  

The project has produced a CD-ROM which is suited for learners in higher education. The material is currently being used and developed at Birmingham as part of the degree programmes in Russian Language and Literature. The programs are accessed by students at all levels from ab initio to final year.

Earlier versions of the programs are used in institutions throughout the United Kingdom, copies can be found in universities in Australia and the United States. Comments from students and staff have been invaluable in producing this latest updated version.

The materials are displayed using Asymetrix Toolbook 3.0a, a run-time version of which is included on the CD-ROM. The programs can be accessed on an IBM-PC compatible with a minimum specification of a 486 processor, a 2-speed CD-ROM drive (or a network connection), a soundcard, and 8 MByte RAM. The program requires Windows 3.1 or Windows 95/98 installed and uses a standard MCI interface.