Slavic (mis)understanding – Intercomprehension in Polish and Russian 4024-SMIPR-OG

The course is the result of the SIPORUS project (Slavic
Intercomprehension: Polish - Russian) between the University of
Warsaw and the Goethe University Frankfurt. The course is
developed entirely on the Moodle platform and focuses on the
practical application of intercomprehension. Topics include writing
systems, lexical (mis)correspondences (basic vocabulary, false
friends), historical facts, and a comparison of grammatical systems
(pronouns, adjectives, nouns, and verbs). Classes consist of
explanatory information and numerous interactive exercises with
automatic feedback. The goal is to develop strategies for
understanding spoken and written texts and utterances in a related
Slavic language.

Type of course

general courses
foreign languages

Learning outcomes

Upon completion of the course, the student:

*knows and understands:
K_W02: The specific nature of linguistic terminology necessary for
analyzing phenomena in Polish and Russian.
K_W03: The processes governing the development of Slavic
languages and the mechanisms underlying their mutual similarities.
K_W10: Phonetic and morphological phenomena that determine
the intelligibility of Russian and Polish texts.
K_W05: Mechanisms of effective communication in multilingual
environments.
K_W07: Differences and similarities between the Polish and
Russian systems in situations of language contact.
K_W13: Principles of ethical use of source materials and copyright
law in the context of digital resources.
K_W11: Psycholinguistic barriers that arise when attempting to
understand a foreign language from the same language group.
P6S_WG: Principles governing writing systems (Cyrillic and the

Latin alphabet) and their impact on text readability.
P6S_WG: The phenomenon of interlingual homonymy (“false
friends”) as a key element of linguistic awareness.
P6S_WG: Historical factors that have shaped lexical relations
between Polish and Russian.
*is able to:
K_U01: Apply techniques for decoding meaning in written Polish
and Russian texts.
K_U04: Argue for the importance of multilingual skills in the
contemporary world, based on linguistic knowledge.
K_U13: Use digital tools (e.g., Moodle platform, text corpora) to
independently discover linguistic meanings.
K_U09: Independently deepen knowledge of Slavic languages
using dictionaries and source texts.
K_U12: Use knowledge of linguistic structures to analyze and
interpret texts of various types.
P6S_UW: Identify phonetic regularities (e.g., sound
correspondences) that facilitate understanding of spoken language.
P6S_UW: Analyze complex sentence structures in Russian using
analogies to Polish and vice versa.
P6S_UO: Collaborate in a group to solve linguistic puzzles and
comparative tasks.
P6S_UK: Apply strategies for inferring meaning based on context
and knowledge of language relatedness.
P6S_UW: Select authentic materials (e.g., press, literary texts)
regarding their interlingual transparency.
*is ready to:
K_K01: Critically assess their own language competences and
consciously overcome communication barriers.
K_K02: Demonstrate openness to linguistic and cultural diversity.
P6S_KR: Use information resources responsibly and ensure
reliability in text interpretation.
P6S_KK: Apply linguistic knowledge to solving everyday
communication problems.
P6S_KO: Promote openness to multilingualism as a tool for
integration and building social capital.

Assessment criteria

1.A grade may be awarded provided the student has no more than

two unexcused absences.
2.Every week, students are provided with study materials and
exercises to complete. Students receive marks for tasks
completed on the Moodle platform, both during class and as part
of their homework.
3.The final grade is based on marks from the Moodle platform
(partial assignments) and the final assignment.

Bibliography

 Encyklopedia językoznawstwa ogólnego, pod red. K.

Polańskiego, Wrocław, 1999.
 Carlton, Terence R. (1991): Introduction to the Phonological
History of the Slavic Languages. Columbus, Ohio: Slavica

Publishers.
 Comrie, Bernard (1993): The Slavonic Languages. London:
Routledge.
 Maryniakowa I., Gramatyka konfrontatywna rosyjski-polska
(Morfologia ze słowotwórstwem), Warszawa, 1993.
 Meißner, F.-J. (2003): EuroComDidact: Learning and teaching
plurilingual comprehension. In: Zybatow, L. N. (Hrsg.): Europa
der Sprachen: Sprachkompetenz – Mehrsprachigkeit –
Translation, S. 33–48. Frankfurt am Main: Peter Lang
 Kusal K., Rosyjsko-polski słownik homonimów
międzyjęzykowych, Wrocław, 2002.
 Reichert, Anna (2013): Auditive intercomprehension between
Russian and Bulgarian. In: Besters-Dilger, Juliane; Schöller,
Uliana (Hrsg.): Slavischer Sprachkontakt, S. 119–130.
 Sosnowski, W. P.; Satoła-Staskowiak, J. (2019): A contrastive
analysis of feminitives in Bulgarian, Polish and Russian.
Cognitive Studies | Études cognitives 19.
https://doi.org/10.11649/cs.1922
 Sussex, Roland (2006): The Slavic Languages. Cambridge:
Cambridge University Press.
LINKI:
Interkomprehension BKMS-Russisch [Universität Zurüch]:
https://dlf.uzh.ch/openbooks/interslav/

Additional information

Information on level of this course, year of study and semester when the course unit is delivered, types and amount of class hours - can be found in course structure diagrams of apropriate study programmes. This course is related to the following study programmes: