Student Activities Manual for Golosa, Book 2: A Basic Course in Russian

5 Responses to “Student Activities Manual for Golosa, Book 2: A Basic Course in Russian”

1. Barbara N. Scheine says:

   August 27, 2010 at 2:38 pm

   My son withdrew from Russian class 2nd day of school – Campus Bookstore will not let me return groundbreaking new book! Never used! I will never order book from them again!
   Reader’s Rating: 1 / 5
2. Sally says:

   August 27, 2010 at 3:11 pm

   Golasa RULES!!! I wouldn’t want to learn russian any additional way.
   Reader’s Rating: 5 / 5
3. Anonymous says:

   August 27, 2010 at 5:33 pm

   I have used this book in a two course sequence that was taught by a native Russian speaker who has graduate degrees in philology from prestigous universities in Moscow. I consider her considerably more knowlegeable about the Russian language and how to teach it to Americans than the know-it-all, KMM, who gives this book an unbelievable single star.

   Our instructor, who really knows something about Russia, having lived there for at least 45 years before coming to the US, repeatedly informed us that Golosa is the best text available and easily supersedes anything else that is available. It works for me.

   My teacher warned us that a very limited number of phrases weren’t culturally authentic and clarified why. But, this book is more than adequate. Though some of the tapes don’t conform exactly to the text, this engenders some level of sponteneity and helps renovate listening skills.

   Snub KMM’s diatribes against this book. Talk about a perfect lack of crediblity! KMM rails against the American authors of the book, but rumor has it that because KMM is French and knows a small English, too, KMM has practiced status and superior knowlege about how native English speakers should learn Russian. Duh???

   Wasn’t KMM the person who essentially indicated that only a native Russian speaker can teach a Russian course? So, by KMM’s own logic, snub a native French speaker’s comments on a Russian language text for Americans. KMM must agree that is it not possible for KMM to know the needs of an English speaker in learning any language, except possibly French?

   The point criticisms KMM makes of this book-terrible graphics and an incomplete “how to tell time” section-miss the mark, widely. Graphics: I’ve used the book and have two advanced degrees from nationally recognizable institutions. I’ve seen a lot of textbooks. These graphics are adequate. Though some of the letters and notes reproduced in cursive speech are a bit hard to read, isn’t the handwriting of many people hard to read?

   How to tell time: The time keeping information isn’t introduced just to provide a perfect discussion of how time is told in Russian. Rather, it is provided to acquint the beginner with one of the six complex “cases” that must be introduced to take in the basics. Hint to KMM: In Russian telling the time isn’t as simple as “Six heures et demi”, which is not different from English in structure.

   Maybe KMM is only upset because Russian is so much more complex and hard to learn than French. There are six “cases” and the nouns and adjectives must be “declined” to agree as to number, gender AND case. Even the “gender” is more intricate than French, because there is a neuter, not just a masculine and feminine. Then, nearly none of the words are English cognates, though there are some French cognates. Anyone who suggests that Russian can be learned in a self-instruction program doesn’t know enough about the theme to be taken seriously.
   Reader’s Rating: 4 / 5
4. Katy A. Palan says:

   August 27, 2010 at 7:34 pm

   I highly reccomend this book for anyone looking to learn Russian. It’s simple to know, and very elementary in its methods. I feel that you should take a class while reading this book, because there are a few words that Golosa will slip in that they don’t specifically introduce. Excellent luck learning a new language!
   Reader’s Rating: 5 / 5
5. Joseph P. Lashway says:

   August 27, 2010 at 8:36 pm

   not the best learning aid I’ve had for a foriegn language, that much is certain. But the shipping was excellent, and a reasonable fee.
   Reader’s Rating: 2 / 5