If you’re not fully familiar with the Test of Russian as a Foreign Language exams (Тест по русскому языку как иностранному) check out my earlier overview post on Russian exams.

I’ve passed both Certificates and I’ve used most of the materials mentioned below myself.

The books are all in Russian only without the useful acute accents to mark stress you’ll find in many materials in the earlier stages. Hey, you’re at B2/C1 level now….Remember?

Without further delay, дамы и господа, allow me to present today’s runners and riders:

Russkyi yazik. Uchebnik dlia prodvinutykh

This is a four volume course, aimed at learners already at B2 who want to get to the top of C1 (that’s to say, to a level ready for the exam). Each volume is about 200 to 250 A4 pages, with some colour photos to break up the text.

As you’d expect at this level, the books won’t teach you grammar or vocab explicitly.

Each volume is sub-divided into two or three over-arching themes (e.g. “Towns and their inhabitants”, “Our holidays and important dates”, “The future of humanity is emerging today” and (I kid you not) “The Russian Army” (vol 4).

Each theme is the further sub-dived into divisions of the TRKI C1 exam (reading, speaking and listening (rolled into one section), vocab and grammar, writing. There’s a CD in the back of each volume for the audio material.

There’s a huge amount of material here in a range of registers. The input material (reading, listening) has exercises to prime you first and for reflection afterwards.

There are also occasionally QR codes to relevant additional material (e.g. Russian Wikipedia articles), which, one hopes, won’t become as obsolete as quickly as the pictures of 2015 ipads. (I do so wish authors wouldn’t labour the “latest” from the world of technology or entertainment. It always feels like an attempt to get down with the kids and is a sure-fire way to date a text rapidly.)

Even if you just get one of the four volumes, you’ll find a huge amount of material presented in an interactive way. There are lots of exercises of all types but their value for self study is limited in that most do not have answers.

Still, there’s an awful lot you could do with it in addition to what the authors intended. For example, there are transcripts for the audio so you could do dictation exercises. You could translate some of the reading passages into English and then try translating them back, and so on.

Russkyi yazik is a course to be begun maybe a year before the exam and used to provide structure as you move up from B2 to C1. As the day of judgement approaches, you could then move over to some of the books mentioned below, which are more tightly focussed on the exams themselves in the narrow sense (i.e. the questions rather than the general level of Russian you need as a prerequisite).

The publishes have posted a webinar by co-author Olga Khorokhordina exploring the book in detail This is aimed at specialists, not students. That said, if you want to start honing your Russian now and have one hour 14 mins to spare, “Russky yazik: the movie” could be for you. At least listen to the first minute or two and let me know in the comments below what you think she’s saying about a mysterious fifth volume

(Series details: Русский язык. Учебник для продвинутых. Рогова К.А., Вознесенская И.М., Хорохордина О.В., Колесова Д.В. Вып.1 2014, 204 стр. 978-5-86547-713-6; Вып. 2, 2015, 288 стр. 978-5-86547-851-5; Вып. 3, 2015, 228 стр. 978-5-86547-852-2; Вып. 4, 2016, стр 292. 978-5-86547-853-9)

V myre lyudeu

Three volumes, aimed at students who are approaching the end of B2 and want to do the TRKI-2 or B2 plus students working towards TRKI-3.

I used the first volume: “Writing and speaking” (B2 and C1). The second volume, “Reading and speaking” is also aimed at both levels but the third volume “Reading” is just for students preparing for the B2 exam.

The first two volumes weigh in at about 280 pages and there is audio with the second volume. There is some use of colour, including photos, to lighten and brighten the text.

The first volume covers nineteen topics (“Our home: capital city and provinces”, “The pace of life”, “Gender equality in the job market”, “Science and the future of mankind”….)

I didn’t have the book when I sat the TRKI 2nd certificate but used it a lot in advance of my TRKI 3rd certificate exam.

The two exam levels are interwoven through book one (exercises are marked TRKI-2 or -3).

Despite the title (“Writing, speaking”) there are passages to read as well (as a springboard for writing exercises, as in the exams).

There are lots of exercises. These are either aimed at developing and testing your vocabulary and syntax or aim to look and feel similar to the actual TRKI-2 or TRKI-3 writing or speaking exercises (the latter, though, in written form).

It’s great that you can correct many of the exercises with the key at the back. Of course, if you want corrective feedback on your free composition writing tasks, you’d need a teacher.

The second volume is split roughly in half. There is a large selection of audio of the types of monologues and dialogues required for the listening sub-test each level (including formal meetings, extracts from Russian films, news reports) with questions on what you hear and the answers. At the end of each section, there’s information on the format of the listening sub-test.

At 164 pages, the third volume is shorter than the first two. It describes itself as “3.1”, suggesting that a second part was planned. Like book 1, it’s all intended for both levels (though it’s indicated if individual questions or tasks are aimed at TRKI-2 or 3). There are texts of various registers and on a range of topics. A text will typically fill one page (say, about 400 words). Then there are a good number of varied exercises to each text. First multi-choice questions on the text, then a focus in on individual words. Next, the questions open out again to the topic, with a suggestion for how to use the topic for speaking practice.

Again, there’s an academic webinar on-line from one of the authors.

(Series details: В мире людей. Вып. 1. Письмо. Говорение: учебное пособие по подготовке к экзамену по русскому языку для граждан зарубежных стран, 2013, 288 стр. 978-5-86547-612-2; Вып. 2. Аудирование. Говорение…, 2016, 288 стр. 978-5-86547-916-1; Вып. 3. Чтение. Говорение…, Часть 1. 2018, 164 стр. 978-5-86547-941-3)

Trenirovochnye testy po russkomu yaziku kak inostrannomu II/Testovyi praktikum po russkomu yaziky kak inostrannomu II sertificatsionnyi uroven’

In the older of these two books (2012) you have two full past papers.

The 2019 volume has the same format and there are two more papers. It appears that there a CD but there also QR codes, so you can call up, for example, the film extracts for the listening text straight to your phone.

If you’re now a TRKI-2 student, you’re in training clover. Just think: when I was preparing in 2015, I didn’t know about the Trenirovochnye testy volume and all I had was the one, “official” model paper.

You should get hold of both relevant volumes and the official paper and train yourself under exam conditions on all five at intervals in the three months or so before your exam. You don’t have to spend a full half-day doing all the sub-tests at once but you should do each under “exam conditions”, with your stopwatch going.

(Details on both books) Тренировочный тесты по русскому языку как итостранному II, Андрюшина Н.П., Макова М.Н. 2012 4-й изд. ed 140 стр. 978-5-86547-466-1)/(Тестовый практикум по русскому языку как иностранному. II сертификационный уровень. Общее владение 2019 1-й изд. 164 стр.
978-5-907123-14-4)

Trenirovochnye testy po russkomu yaziky kak inostrannomu III

Practice papers are at a premium for the TRKI-3. There’s the one official model paper. This book adds an invaluable second and third model paper to your training roster.

You should get hold of this book and do both exams (and the “official” one) under timed conditions.

I did them all twice in the couple of months or so before the exam.

Both the II and III level books have audio/audio-video CD and/or QR code for the listening and speaking parts. The keys at the back give the multi-choice answers for the vocab/grammar, reading and listening sub-texts. It isn’t, of course, possible to provide answers for the writing and speaking sub-tests. All-in-all they are indispensable TRKI 2nd and 3rd Certificate materials.

(Details: Тренировочный тесты по русскому языку как итостранному II Андрюшина Н.П., Жорова А.П., Макова М.Н., Норейко Л.Н. 2019 7-й изд. 152 стр. 978-5-86547-812-6)

Testy, testy, testy II/III

These two books are essential additional practice for the vocab and grammar subtest of the TRKI-2 and TRKI-3 exams respectively.

Each book contains eighteen sets of multi-choice questions (on average forty or fifty per set). They follow the exam “Vocab and grammar” sub-test format but most sets focus in a particular one of the examiners’ favourite topics (cases, verbs of motion, aspects, prefixes, gerunds). At the end, there are a number of mixed sets of questions.

(Details on both books: Тесты, тесты, тесты… : пособие для подготовки к сертификационному экзамену по лексике и грамматике. II сертификационный уровень, Капитонова Т.И., Баранова И.И., Никитина О.М. Zlatoust (2019 изд.) 152 стр. 978-5-86547-820-1)/(Тесты, тесты, тесты… : пособие для подготовки к сертификационному экзамену по лексике и грамматике. III сертификационный уровень Капитонова Т.И., Баранова И.И., Никитина О.М. 8-й изд. 144 стр.
978-5-86547-820-1 144)

TRKI na 100% – Tests for Russian language B2 level; C1 level

This is much-needed new series of practice tests appeared only after I’d done the Second and Third Certificates. So, I haven’t used them myself but they sound very promising: first, they are actual past papers (each volume contains two complete papers), second, there are answers included, third, the exam audio is accessible online. There’s one volume for each level from A2 to C1. Can’t wait to have a look!

(Details: ТРКИ на 100%. Тесту по русскому языку – B2, Виноградов et al, Zlatoust (2019 изд.) 156 стр. 978-5-90712-362-5; ТРКИ на 100%. Тесту по русскому языку – C1, Левентал, И.В et al, Zlatoust (2021 изд.) 140 стр. 978-5-90749-316-2)

Uchebno-testirovochnye testy po russkomu yazyku kak inostrannomu

There are four books in the “Learning and Testing” series of TRKI 2nd and 3rd Certificate materials and we’ll look at each one in turn.

“1. Grammatika. Leksika”

Five chapters, each with about a hundred multi-choice questions as found in the vocab/grammar subtests at both levels. Most questions are suitable for both levels but there is a block of questions (each time about 15) aimed just at TRKI-3.

Then there are five more chapters, each of which delves into the topics tested in the first five. There’s a useful table of commonly confused words (гористый горный духовный душевный).

There’s a key to all the multi-choice questions, so this volume is great for self-testing.

“2. Chtenie”

The first two brief chapters offer some theory and reading skills tips. Then there are a further four chapters with a wide range of texts across different genres (popular science, journalism, sociological (economy, politics), creative literature). There are multi-choice questions to each text.

You get other types of exercise for each text too, for example identifying words or phrases which perform a particular function or are typical of a particular style of text. There are sometimes open questions arising from a text. There’s a key for self-correcting the multi-choice questions.

“3. Pis’mo”

Volume three begins with a brief initial “theoretical” section explaining the different types of rhetorical styles (scientific, business/official, conversational etc. and different types of text.

Then there are five chapters, each focussed on how to write different types of text (short business texts such as memos, formal and informal letters, essays. There is DVD with video clips which serve as sources for some of the writing tasks (e.g. a letter, description or essay).

According to my Russian teacher, some of the stylistic recommendations in the book are rather old-fashioned (pre-internet).

It’s not always made explicit how the material relates to which exam and it’s not always clear. Chapter Two “Записываем содержание изходного текста” is only four sides long and has a section on acronyms and abbreviation of words and how to précis a text. This appears to be aimed at question 2 of TRKI-3 for which you are required to use these. No keys to the exercises (as most involve free composition).

“4. Listening. Speaking”

The first section (two chapters) are theoretical background explaining and illustrating concepts such as the difference between “language” and “speech” and explaining what homonyms, synonyms and paronyms are or how when people listen, different types of listening (for gist, detail).

The meat of the book is section two (three chapters).

Section II Chapter 1 One focusses on speaking with material and exercises on intonation, and relevant to speaking tasks such as resolving conflicts or discussing a film. Chapter 2 is “Let us listen and answer” and Chapter 3 is “Let us listen and discuss”. There are a wide range of materials to listen to and different types of exercises (with a key at the back for the multi-choice ones).

There is a DVD with audio and audio/visual clips for the exercises.

The book closes with a short third section “Preparation for giving a speech” which seems to be of limited relevance given that this is not required in either exam.

If an exercise in this volume is “of a type found in the certificate exams” (задание, подобное сертификационному), it’s marked with a big “C”. This is a minority of the exercises and it’s not made clear which level or which particular question rubric the exercise relates to. I think that the volume is best approached as a broader education in the skills and providing materials and exercises to think about what’s going on when you speak and to practise listening.

Overall, this series has a much more academic feel than the other books mentioned above.

I think the theory would have sat better if it was more tightly and explicitly linked to what you need to be able to do for the exams. Likewise, the “point” of the exercises throughout could have been made clearer.

I think the most useful are the “Reading” and the “Grammatika. Leksika” the vocab grammar volumes would be useful even in the last weeks before the exams.

The other two books feel to more like something you’d use in the long run up to the exams rather than in the immediate preparation phase. Yes, there’s lots of useful training material in “Listening. Speaking”, but you’ll need to use it along side the past papers to get a sense of where the authors are coming from. The “Writing” volume needs handling with care.

(Series details: Учебно-тренировочные тесты по русскому языку как иностранному. А.И. Захарова, Е.Н. Лукьянов et al. М.Э. Парецкая, И.Н. Савченкова, Г.Р. Шакирова, Выпуск 1. Грамматика. Лексика, 136 pages 2019 10-й изд. 88 стр. 978-5-86547-815-7; Выпуск 2. Чтение. 2012 4-й изд. 88 стр. 978-5-86547-494-4; Выпуск 3. Письмо. 2019-изд. 96 стр. 978-5-907123-17-5); Выпуск 4. Аудирование. Говорение. 2019 5-й изд. 168 стр. 978-5-907123-23-6)

TRKI 2nd and 3rd Certificate materials: Choose and use!

All the TRKI 2nd and 3rd Certificate materials reviewed above come from the Zlatoust press in St Petersburg, whose website you can check out for content page pdfs and sample pages for the other texts. You can generally obtain them from specialist foreign language booksellers and some may be on larger, well-known online stores.

Except for the past papers, the Testy books, TRKI na 100% and the “Gramatika. Leksika” volume in Leaning and Training Test series, all of the books discussed above have a wider purpose of getting you thinking about Russian and offering explicit instruction. You’ll find that the exercises range wider than the actual tasks require in the two exams and you’ll be exposing you to a lot of Russian texts whether written or audio/audio visual.

They’ll overlap then, with other types of exposure that you’ll want to use at this level.

Needless to say, as you move up through the levels, you’ll be getting as much general listening and reading input as possible. You’ll also be speak Russian as often as you can and don’t neglect the writing. For speaking and correction of written work in particular, taking lessons on Skype on a platform such as italki is convenient, flexible and good value. The other thing you’ll want is a good descriptive grammar book (I used Wade’s A Comprehensive Russian Grammar – but grammar books are a topic for another post).

Have you found other TRKI 2nd and 3rd Certificate materials, whether books or other resources that you’d recommend or that I should add to the list? Let me know in the comments below. Good luck with your exam preparations and don’t forget to enjoy the challenge and the journey. If you want to check out more on my chequered TRKI 3rd Certificate history, start with this post. Whichever exam you’re taking: yдачи вам!

The post Russian TRKI 2nd and 3rd certificate exam preparation materials reviewed appeared first on How to get fluent, with Dr Popkins.

Over the last two months, my work on Russian has mainly been practising writing each of the three types of written work required and going through my work with my teachers (online via italki, using Skype and Google Docs).  I’ve been simulating exam conditions (time limits, no English-Russian dictionary).

Regular readers will recall that I passed the other four TRKI third certificate papers last year.  The level corresponds to C1 (the lower of the two top levels) on the scale of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages.  If you fail one paper, you can retake it within two years and get the full certficiate (if you fail twice, it’s back to a full retake of all five papers. No pressure there, then.  Gulp).

Below, I log the pieces of written work that I’ve done.

For each of the three questions, I’ve also include two of my attempts, showing the corrections.

Quick takeaways from my advanced Russian TRKI third certificate writing sub-test experience

Have a look below for an in-depth report but, first, here are those takeaways:

Mistakes are part of the process.  You’ll see from the track changes that I’m making a lot: grammar mistakes, spelling mistakes, mistakes with choice of words and how they are combined in collocations by native speakers.

You learn by making mistakes.

Yet mistakes can be more irritating the higher your level.  You demand more of yourself and your linguistic horizons are wider than ever.  There are few quick wins by the advanced stage and often no real sense of progress.  That’s how if feels for me at the moment with my written Russian.

Plus, there are mistakes and mistakes.  In the context of an exam, too many can be fatal.  I could certainly do with fewer of the elementary spelling and grammar howlers that liberally pepper my work.

If you’re studying intermediate/advanced Russian (especially if you’re an English native speaker, have a look at the sort of errors I’m making.  Some of them are quite basic, which is a real concern for me at this stage.  Others are more excusable (style, collocation).  There are patterns of error and I’ll come back to this in a fuller post after the exam.

When it comes to exams, there are also mistakes of exam technique which you want to avoid at all costs.  At the moment, like last year, I’m finding it really difficult to keep my pieces short enough for this exam.  The result that I create my own timing difficulties and don’t even have time to check them through.

Logging and sharing are great for motivation and accountability.  Below I’ve listed all the pieces of written work and the date written.  I will update the record until we get to the exam.

I’ve extolled the benefits of logging before: you build up form and don’t want to break your run.  The motivational benefits can be especially strong if people are watching.

If you’re in a group learing situation, you have the added incentive of “not wanting to let the team down”.

Another logging plus is that, later, you can look back and see where all the time went.  This will be useful if you fail but also a reminder that you deserve that pat on the back if you pass.  It’s amazing how quickly we can stop appreciating our achievements and forget just how hard it was to acquire new skills.

Don’t be intimidated by appearances.  When you catch a glimpse of some of those languages aces out there, gliding like swans across the surface of a smooth pond, remember that their legs are either paddling furiously just below the waterline, or that they were for a very long time.

I’m more ugly duckling than swan and there’s nothing graceful about my movements.  Still, by showing you some of the effort, I hope it’ll help you to get a perspective one way or another on your own efforts.

Don’t let anyone deceive you; getting good at a language can be a lot of fun but part the process is a long, hard slog.

I’m not smiling in the featured image for this post and it may seem to you that I am not doing enough for this exam….Looking at my list of writien work, it does seem a bit that way to me.  Yet I’m doing all I can without a further change of priorities (like cancelling further social engagements or blogging even less).

________

The Russian TRKI third certificate writing test requirements

I’ll hold back from commentary on the form of the exam and tips for technique until later but, to help you contextualise my attempted answers below, here’s the rubric in brief (if you’re doing the exam yourself, always be sure to double check as formats can always change).

• Question 1 (informal letter): the task is to read a 400 to 450 word text (often in the style of a serious newspaper or magazine report) and then write an informal letter to a friend of between 200 and 250 words.  You are told that your letter should refer to the source, analyse the information, explore the perspectives or opinions presented, give an outlook for the future and your own opinion on the topic  You have twenty-five minutes, the first five of which the examiners suggest you spend on reading the text.
• Question 2 (fax): this task is to read a factual, text which is 300 to 350 words long and generally in a more formal, scientific style than the text for question 1.  You then have to write a fax to somebody who has requested the information in the text.  Your fax should be between 50 and 70 words long and needs to be topped and tailed with suitable addresses and sign off.  You have 20 minutes (5 of which intended for reading). UPDATE: JULY 2017 – for my retake the exercise was to write an email, same time allowed and word limit.  Therefore: prepare to formulate an email as well as a fax.
• Question 3 (essay): this is the only piece of “free” writing which does not involve reading and reworking a text.  Instead, you are given a topic and topic that you should write a 150 to 200 word essay.  In your essay you have to state the problem (for example “Control over the content of the internet”, explore the causes and possible solutions.  You have to consider levels of social awareness and talk about your own involvement.  You have 30 minutes.

You are allowed to refer to a monolingual Russian dictionary throughout the exam.

My TRKI third certificate writing test preparation log

Below is a running list (which will be updated up to the exam) of the exam-style answers.

Some of these are based on questions or other material in my two main C1 textbooks: Makova & Uskova V mire liudei (St.P. 2013) and Rogova et al Russkii iazyk (4 vols. St.P. 2015) or on subjects that I’ve thought up myself (lack of materials is one of the problems of studying for this exam).

The first two “mock” exam papers are from Andriushina et al Trenirovochnye tecty III sertifikatsionnyi uroven’ (St. P. 2012).  The final mock paper is “offical” Education Ministry mock paper – Tipovyt testy po russkomu iazyku kak inostrannomu. Tretii sertificatsionnyi uroven’ (Moscow 1999) which is available all over the internet as a pdf.

Each one of the answers below represents about 30 minutes work with as long again (at least) typing it up.  I have then gone through most of the answers with one of my teachers, for their corrections.

This is not all the Russian I’ve been doing, but it is the backbone.

In the first few months of the year I was also doing some grammar study and exercises but I have now put this to one side to focus on practising writing and am taking in my grammar in the form of teacher corrections to my written work.

In the first few months of the year I also did a few other, non-exam format pieces of writing.  I am doing some reading.  I haven’t timed myself, but I guess it’s only a couple of hours a week maximum.  I wish I could somehow make time for more.

I’m listening casually to a lot of voice radio in Russian as I go about chores at home and I’m watching maybe a couple of hours of Russian TV serials a week.

• Quesstion 1 (informal letter):

• Question 2 (business fax):

• Question 3 (academic essay):

Example answers from the TRKI third certificate exam writing sub-test

Here are my example answers for the Test of Russian as a foreign language ToRFL / TRKI third certificate writing sub-test – Тест по русскому языку как иностранному третий сертификационный уровень.

There is not much information out there on how a good answer should look.  This is a particular problem in relation to the fax, where abbreviations are supposed to be used (and I have not used many and my teachers are all unsure what is required).

In my answers, teacher deletions are shown crossed out and teacher additions are in red.  Some of these pieces are too long or two short (coming in at the required length is quite a challenge).

Don’t forget that my teachers have only corrected the language.  The examiners will also be looking at how well the answers correspond to other aspects of the task (length, clear structure, critical thinking etc – see the teacher notes to the “official” mock paper for more detail).

Altogether, if you’re looking at this in preparation for the exam, consider what’s below just one student’s attempts to make sense of the tasks.  I hope you find it useful, but it is not the last word.

QUESTION 1 – INFORMAL LETTER TO A FRIEND

Дорогой Игорь,

Ты мне недавно рассказал, что страдаешь от стресса и спросил меня, что это такойе психоанализ и стоит ли тебе обратиться к психоаналитику.  Я, как раз, вчера прочёл статью именно по этой темие в журнале “Курьер”.

Автор данной статьи объясняет, что для элиты общества в США и Европе, психоанализ стал нормой жизни, хотя в России ещё смотрят скептично скептически  на него.

Как известно, основателем психоанализа был Зигмунд Фрейд, кто который  доказал, что большая часть психической жизни человека является бессознательной.

Эта техника предоставляет пациенту возможность выявить источник собственного невроза “переработать” и навсегда “ убрать” его из жизни.  Кажется, что после лечения, человек чувствует себя увереннее, спокойнее.

Все таки, в статьие говорится, что этот метод – не панацея: он показан лишь психически здоровым людям.

Более того, процесс длительноый. В среднем, курс лечения продолжается от трёх до пяти лет.  Приходится встречаться с врачом на час несколько раз в неделю.  Это Не обоийдётся тебе дешево.  За рубежём, стоймость одной сессии одного сеанса варьируется от 100 до 170 долларов.

 А самые сеансы какие? Что представляют из себя эти сеансы?  В статье говорится, что психоаналитик располагается в  кабинете так, чтобы пациент не мог его видеть, что способствует более свободному выражению чувств.  Задача психоаналитика: помочь тебе разобраться в себе.  Он не делает комментарии, не осуждает.

В статье тоже также рассказывают о длинном длительном процессе подготовки специалистов.  Главная  у них желательная черта – личная зрелость.

Автор статьи убеждён в полезностьи психоанализа.  Пишет, что он полезен даже для самых успешных людей и что нам всем приходится сталкиваться с затруднениями в условиях современной жизни, особенно если мы живём в больших городах.

А ты как думаешь?  Мне интересно узнать твое мнение. Напиши мне об этом и обо всех своих новеостях.

Твой, Гарет

13 июня 17 г. (279 слов – too long should be only 200 to 250 words!)

________

Дорогой Игорь!

Привет из Лондона!  Как твоеи делоа?  У меня – всё нормально, но слишком много работы.

Слушай! На счёт твоего желания купить недвижимость за границей: я спросил у своего старого друга, реальтора риэлтора, и он предлагает несколько вариантов.

Три из них на юге Европы, в Греции и в Болгарии, но хотя жить под солнцоем приятно, мне кажется, что все виллы или коттеджи комплексного типа в новых поселках.  Поэтому, там будет слишком много новых русских и детей.  По таким же соображениям предложеннойое жильё в Германии тоже исключается.

Тебе лучше подходил бы подойдёт что-то более индивидуальное.  У друга есть квартира в Швейцарии, но там, по моему, скучно.  Поэтому, купи квартиру в Лондоне!  У моего друга есть хорошая квартира в районе Уэстминстр.  Дом находится на самом берегу р. Темза, недалеко от метро.  Прекрасный район в самом центре.  Если у тебя интерес к этой квартире, скажи мне и я сразу же позвоню другу, чтобы больше узнать.  Приезжай ко мне на следующей неделие и можем вместе её осмотреть.  Как думаешь?

Жду от тебя ответа!
Твой, Гарэт

4 марта 2017 г.  (188 слов – too short.  Arghhhh!  Should be 200 to 250 words)

—oo—OOO—oo—

QUESTION 2 – BUSINESS FAX (update: July 2017 – when I did the exam, the task was to write an email of the same length.  I simply left out the addresses and put imaginary emails for me and the addressee at the top – we will see whether this sufficed). 

И. И. Иванов
ул. Ленина 15, кв. 7
Москва 123456
Факс (495) 12-34-5678

Деканата
Государственного университета управления
ул. Чадаева 15
Москва 123456
тел./факс (495) 98-76-5432

Уважаемый Иван Иванович!

В ответ на Вашу просьбу предоставить информ. о ГУУ, сообщаю Вам о том, что наш вуз основан в 1919 г., специализируется на подготовке управленцев. Выпускаем, выпуске учебников.  В ГУУ учатся 15 т. студентов по множеству специальностей.  Базовой специальностью является “Менеджмент организации”.  Мин. Образ. Р.Ф. разрешило ГУУ обучить МБА.  Расширяются внешние связи ун-та, укрепляется его учебно.-матер.иальная база.  Имеются всегда самые современные формы обучения.  Спрос на выпускников растёт – 55% работают в госучреждениях, остальные работаеют на предприятиях или становятся бизнесменыами.

Если у Вас будут дополнительные вопросы, буду рад на них ответить.

С уважением,
декан ГУУ                                                                                                                                            Г. Попкинс
17.06.17

(86 слов – excluding address and salutation/signature/date.  Not clear whether 50 to 70 word requirement includes these so I should be aiming towards the bottom of the word range)

________

И. И. Иванову
ул. Ленина 15, кв. 7
Москва 123456
Факс (495) 12-34-5678

ЗАО “Информ”
ул. Блока 7, д. 3
Факс (495) 765-43-21

Уважаемый Иван Иванович!

В ответ на Вашу запрос о содержании статьи “Жестокий альянс” сообщаю Вам, что она касается результатовы исследования Европ. ин-та антропол. исследований и соц. ЕИАИСПа  о карьерных перспективах женщин.

Специалисты выявили несколько “правил поведения” которые объясняют проблемы женщин: 1) уже с детства у девочеёк меньше опыта действовать в команде; 2) они не соотносят всю свою работу как возможность продвигаться по службуе; 3) они отценивают риск отрицательно.

Женщины поздно решаются начать восхождение по служебной лестнице, им трудно выбирать между карьерой и семейным счастьем.

Если у Вас будет дополнительные вопросы, я рад буду на них ответить.

С уважением,
Директор фирмы                                                                                                                            Г. Попкинс
06.07.17

(93 слов – excluding address and salutation/signature/date.  Not clear whether 50 to 70 word requirement includes these so I should be aiming towards the bottom of the word range)

—oo—OOO—oo—

QUESTION 3 – ACADEMIC ESSAY

В этом сочинении обсуждается тема национальной культуры в эпоху глобализации. Проблема состоит в том, что процесс глобализации оказывает сильное влияние на культуру многих стран.  С одной стороны, получается новая, смешанная международная культура.  С другой стороны, самая сущность национальной культуры и разнообразие мирового культурного наследия оказываются под угрозой.

В список объективных причин данной ситуации, должны быть включены: во-первых, продвинутая степень глобальной интеграции мировой экономики.  Глобальноый рынок очень открытый для капитала и, что является ключевым моментом,  для труда.  Во многих развитых странах живёт большое количество экономических мигрантов.  Сверх того, приезжают беженцы из горячих точек мира.  Во-вторых, развитие глобального телевидения (путём спутническойковой технологии) и изображениеетение интернета, резко ускорили поток внешних культурных влиянией через (сквозь) все национальные границы.

Главной субъективной причиной культурных забот волнений можно может считаться страх перед чужим неизвестностью , который является старейшей человеческой чертой.  Также должно быть упомянуто столкновение конкретных обычаев, например религиозных.

Переходя к путям решения проблемы: на первом месте я назвал бы видение введение определённых изменений в ролль  образования.  Правда, наш вопрос обсуждается в СМИ, что уже свидетельствует о некоторой степени осознания его обществом.  Однако, по-моему, внимание, уделенноеяемое СМИ подкрепляет предрассудки народа.  Ещё один момент: надо, чтобы страны достигли договоренности о более справедливом разделе беженцев между разными странами.

Что касается моего личного участия в решении этой проблемы, я хочу сказать, в заключение, что занимаюсь языками и иностранными культурами, и стараюсь убедить всех так делать, чтобы они воспринялииимали влияние извне на нашу культуру не как угрозу, а как возможность открыть новые перспективы, создать новый синтез.

25 июня 17 г. (240 слова – should be only 150 to 200 words!)

________

В этом сочинении обсуждается проблема негативнойго влияния развития интернета на традиционные СМИ.

Проблема заключается в том, что дальнейшее существование старых СМИ, будьте будь то газеты, радио или телевидение, под угрозой исчезновения из-за бурного роста альтернативных источников информации и развлечения в интернете.

В список важнейших изменений в сфере СМИ должноы быть включены: во-первых, широко-распространённая компьютерная технология (у почти у каждого есть ноутбук или современный мобильник, на которых быстро работает интернет);.  вВо-вторых, возниклиновение многиех сайтыов и эппы приложений, которые предлагают свои услуги безплатно.  В результате все меньше людей смотрят телевизор или покупают газеты, журналы.  У этих подобных  старых СМИ прибыль поадает.  Много газет, особенно в часности, закрыли.

Существуют разные точки зрений на текующий процесс.  С одной стороны, приветствуют возникновенияе альтернативных источников информации.  Сегодня слишно множество новых голосов можно услышать  различные мнения по одной проблеме.  С другой стороны, выражают озабоченность (тем, что) о том, что качество “безсплатной” информации в интернете нижнее низкое , и что люди читают только те сайты, которые отражают их личное (собственное) мировоззрение.

В заключение, я должен заметить, что мое личное поведение, наверно, тоже типично.  В отличие от раньше Еще вчера я пользвался старыми средствами информации, но сегодня я почти никогда не покупаю газеты.  Я даже не имею телевизора.  Всю информацию получаю через интернет, хотя часто от с сайтов известных старых СМИ, которым удалось завоевать свое место онлайн.  Дело только Единственный вопрос в том, что  для этого я совсем не плачу за эту информацию и, в результате, мне совсем не понятно, как обстановка может продолжатся в дальнейшем плане откуда подобные СМИ возьмут финансирование?

15 мая 17 г.  (211 слово – should be only 150 to 200 words!)

—oo—OOO—oo—

So there we have it. Project Write Russian Right is trundling along the tracks.  There is a week an a half to go to the exam and, for me, it’ll be more of the same till then.

Is that the light at the end or the proverbial oncoming train?  Given the number of (often quite basic) mistakes I’m still making and the difficulty I’m having in coming in within the required length and time limits, I’m afraid it may well be the loco.  They do say it ain’t over till it’s over, though, don’t they?  I’ll report back when I have the result…

In the meantime, if you have experience of this or a similar exam, questions or tips of your own, do let me know in the comments below.

UPDATE:  9 JULY 2017 –  I did the exam yesterday. There were two deviations from the expected format. First, an email not a fax was required for Q2.  Second, there was a choice of essay questions for Q3.  The format was otherwise unchanged.  The letter to a friend (Q1) was based on a text about the pros and cons and future of television.  The email was based on a text factors increasing the risk of a heart attack and how to avoid them.  The essay question was either on the causes and possible solutions of the economic crisis or the importance of culture in society.  I chose the first.

As to how I feel I did: it certainly went better than last year.  I did the essay first and it felt fine.  The letter was more rushed, the email very so (but it’s a shorter task, which is why I left it to last).  I think I covered most of the bases in terms of the required content in all three questions and observed the requisite word limits.  I have no idea how to formulate an email (I just dropped the addresses I used for the fax format and added an imaginary email address for me and the addressee), so one question is how this will be received.  I did not use more than a couple of abbreviations (you are supposed to use them).  The other – and crucial – question will, of course, be how many pure linguistic mistakes I made (grammar, spelling, vocab).  I had time to check my essay (the first question I answered and caught a few stupid errors.  I did not have time to check the letter and email fully but was able to scan over some of what I had written.

FURTHER UPDATE (SUMMER 2017) – Hooray!  I passed the exam!  Full story here: How to pass an advanced foreign language writing exam (TRKI third certificate writing sub-test)

The post Intermediate/advanced foreign language exam preparation: Russian TRKI third certificate writing sub-test appeared first on How to get fluent, with Dr Popkins.

Project Advanced Russian: how I got here 

My back history with Russian is rather similar to my German one.  With knobs on.  I got my initial grounding in both informally “on the hoof” in the first couple of years as a graduate student of Russian history.  I spent a year in archival research in Russia (all my documentary sources were in Russian) and later – when I was a history lecturer (assistant professor) returned for shorter research visits.

Scroll on a few years and I had qualified as a lawyer and spent four years working in the Moscow office of an international law firm (drafting and negotiating in English, but speaking a lot of Russian with colleagues).

When all this time “in the field” is added up, it comes to about six years overall.

During my stays in Russia I was certainly well-integrated linguistically.  I felt able to do everything I needed and lived much of my life through the language.  Yet again, I was working very long hours at the law firm and in my free time I focussed on seeing the country and friends.  Although I was using a lot of Russian, I wasn’t taking active steps to get better.

The truth is, by the end, I was camped firmly on a linguistic plateau.  It’s seven years now since I left my job in Moscow and, until last summer, I hadn’t been using my Russian more than for a few conversations a year.

Reviving a foreign language after a long break

If you stop learning a language at a lower level or if you learn to a high level very quickly, you can lose much of it (though revival is of course always easier than from scratch).  It seems that my knowledge, in contrast, was deep enough to be stable.  As I’ve found with my German, if you have substantial experience in the language at an upper intermediate-ish level, you can very get back up to speed very quickly after a long break.

The revival began last summer.  I attended a ten-week advanced evening class one evening a week (two and a half hours).  I started watching things on YouTube, started tuning in again to Russian radio.

I put my Russian on hold again for the last four months of last year, while I focussed on my German but for the last five months, Russian has been back in my study routine.

The motivation is two-fold: first – and foremost – because moving further towards mastery is incredibly enriching of itself.  Second: I’m always looking to hone those skills that I have with an eye to potential career moves.

Why should you take a Russian exam?

Why take an exam?

Well, for one thing I like certificates.  They help shore up my fragile self-esteem….at least for a short period until I start to think “well, the standard can’t be so high after all if even I managed to pass.”  To paraphrase Groucho Marx: it the club really worth being in it if will have me as a member?

Ok, ok, there are other rather better reasons too.

Execution, as they say, focusses the mind.  A clear goal to aim for, not so far ahead that action can be postponed, is a real help in getting back into shape and – hopefully – cranking up a gear.

There’s no place to hide in another sense too: an exam is a recognised objective standard.  It’s useful as a shorthand to others where you stand, particularly if you need your language for work.

Meet the Test of Russian as a Foreign Language

The exam I’m going to take is at the C1 level, the second from the highest on the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages.  This corresponds to 3/3+ on the Interagency Language Roundtable Scale used by Federal agencies in the USA or Advanced High on the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages scale.

This will be my second C1 exam, following my Goethe Institute German C1 exam four months ago.  Russian and German are, with Welsh, the languages that I’ve got furthest with so far.

The name of the exam is the “Third Certificate” of the Test po russkomu iazyku kak inostrannomu or TRKI for short (Test of Russian as a Foreign Language (TORFL)).  As I understand it, the framework requirements are set by the Russian Ministry of Education and Science but the exam is now administered and certified by individual Russian universities.  I will be taking the exam at the Russian Language Centre in London.  The examiner is sent over by Moscow State University.

The “Third Certificate” is one of four levels at which TRKI can be taken.  The lowest (First Certificate) is B1 level lower intermediate, the highest (Fourth Certificate) is the upper advanced the C2 level.

As to competences (according to the Russian government’s requirements): “Successful performance in the Third Level Certificate in Russian indicates an advanced level of competence in Russian which enables a candidate to communicate fluently in all communicative spheres, to do scientific research in Russian and to teach Russian in courses at an Elementary level.”

At each certificate level, the exam has five parts, usually spread over two days: Vocabulary and Grammar (90 mins), Reading (60 mins), Listening (35 mins) and in the second day the last two: Writing (75 mins) and Speaking (45 mins).

The mysterious TRKI-4 – the TORFL fourth certificate –  for exceptional native speakers only?

The TRKI level descriptions do cause me a certain confusion.  The TRKI-3 description sounds more like C2+ to me: it claims to enable the holder to: “Participate professionally in philology, translation and interpreting, editing, journalism, diplomatic service and management in a Russian speaking environment; receive diplomas, bachelor’s, master’s and Ph.D degrees in these fields (except specialist’s degrees and Master of Arts degree in Philology)”.

The Third Certificate does sound quite something, in fact so much so, that I’m left wondering what the point of the Fourth Certificate is (the description says: to “receive a Master of Arts degree in philology, undertake all forms of work in Russian philology”).  I thought C2 was supposed to be about approximating to native ability?  How many natives are ready to roll with a degree in philology?

Some university masters programmes in conference interpreting require TRKI-4 (yes, of course they’re in Germany!  I’m thinking of you, Institüt für Übersetzung und Dolmetschen der Universität Heidelberg).  Yet very few places (if any) in Western Europe seem to offer the chance to sit the Fourth Certificate exam and I haven’t found any clear evidence of anyone on the internet who’s done it who doesn’t have a Russian-sounding name.

If anyone can enlighten me further on TRKI-4, or has done TRKI-3 or 4 themselves, I’d love to hear from you [UPDATE: for more on the 4th Certifiate, see my subsequent interview with successful TRKI-4 candidate Daria here]

An overwhelming task?  How I’m preparing for my advanced language exam

I have a lot of work to do.   If you don’t speak Russian and you heard me speak, you’d be impressed but, while my Russian may sound fluent, if truth be told, it’s it some ways pretty rough and ready.

The further I get, the less sure I feel.  That’s may be faux panic in my eyes in the jokey feature photo at the top of this post but, really, I’m feeling pretty overwhelmed at the moment and can’t see how I’ll be able to pass this exam.  I’m doing what I can to advance on a very broad front.

As there isn’t time to review everything, I’m focussing on some of the areas of grammar that I still find most difficult.

The one thing I’ve always felt least comfortable with are the complexities of the conjugation of the verb, in particular when there are changes in the stem or the stress.

Aspect and verbs of motion are two other tricky facets of Russian that no learners will need reminding about.  While I understand the principles, practising taking apart my game – not just teasing out the finer nuances but getting back to basics – also makes a lot of sense.

The use of long and short form of adjectives, gerunds and participles are also firmly back on the agenda.

I have cranked up my learning actions for the three months or so to the end of June.

Back in the Add1Challenge

As with my German C1 preparation, I’m again using the Add1Challenge on-line study group to establish accountability and provide positive community support (you can sign up or get on the mailing list for the next one here).

I’ve committed to study 30 minutes study a day, five days a week, but that’s just a minimum.

There are several of us on the Challenge working on our Russian.  I have to post brief thirty-day and sixty-day update videos in Russian on my progress and record a fifteen minute conversation with a native speaker at the end of the Challenge.  Here’s the video.

Which learning activities?

I’m busy with a mixture of reading, exercises and audio from textbooks, referring to grammar books (I prefer those which have accompanying exercises with the answers for self-correction).

I’m also translating from English into Russian.  I write the translations by hand.  Then I wait a day or two (spaced repetition in action) and type them up.  Learning to touch type is something I should long ago have done in Russian.  Now, I’m killing two birds with one stone.  Once I can type fast, I’ll be able to stop writing in Latin letters on Russian friends’ Facebook walls (it looks like an emaciated Polish).

I have high-quality talk radio on in the background as I do other things about the house.  I’m doing some initial reading (beyond the textbooks)(though never as much as I’d like).

I’m pulling apart Russian poems (which I still find at times excruciating difficult).

At C1 level, Vocabulary 12,000 words, 7,000 of them active.  I still occasionally come across quite basic words that I didn’t know and wonder how I’ve got so far without them.  That said, vocabulary is not generally a major problem for me and I wouldn’t be surprised if my passive vocabulary was comfortably at this level.  One area where I can improve, though, is the multiple meanings of verbal prefixes.  The principles are not complicated, but meanings and usage are endless and they’re tested mercilessly in the grammar/vocab paper.

I’ve also had an assessment at the Russian Language Centre and, for the last six weeks before doomsday will be having 90 minutes a week one-on-one tuition there with one of their most experienced tutors, Dmitrii.  He’s a hard task-master.

I’ve also found two really good teachers via italki, Andrei (in Kiev) and Mikhail (in St Petersburg) and I’m trying to box myself in by pre-booking a couple of sessions a week with both teachers (two one-hour and two thirty minute slots).

The time with the teachers mainly goes on general conversation across a range of topics and some exercises from the books.  I’m also having my teachers go through my translations with me during the lesson.  They may be dotted with mistakes, but at least they’re beautifully typed

Whatever level I’m at with a language, I always try to engage in active production of the language as much as possible.  I’m trying to see the inevitable mistakes as positive feedback rather than a discouragement.

Sometimes that’s easier said than done.  It can be more discouraging at this level, simply because of the vast amounts of time, energy and emotion you’ve already invested in the language.

Trying to keep the exam in proportion

Exam skills are important too: I don’t want to be let down by unfamiliarity with the format.

For me, though, this period is also opportunity to focus on Russian is something to be savoured and enjoyed.

For as long as possible I want to spend most time practising the language generally in ways that I will be continuing with after the exam and which reflect what I want to be able to do with it later.

I don’t want the time to be dominated by worry about the exam and its requirements.  It must be kept in its place.  Only in the last month or so before the exam will I really pull apart the structure of the paper and practising past questions.

Watch this space!

I’ve gone into more detail about how I prepare for language exams in my post on German.

My approach with Russian will be essentially the same and rather than going over the same ground again in detail, my next posts in Project Russian will be updates on how I’m going.  I’ll look at the materials I’m finding useful for advanced Russian too.

Oh, and before I go, if you’ve got this far, you deserve an apology for the pun in the title.  I promise nothing like that will ever happen on the site again……well at least not until after a decent interval

UPDATE POSTS

For the two-part story of what happened next in my quest to pass the TRKI 3, check out the subsequent posts below:

My Russian TRKI 3rd certificate results: insights for your advanced language exam preparations.

Improving intermediate to advanced writing skills in a foreign language: Operation Write Russian Right

Intermediate/advanced foreign language writing exam preparation: a view from inside Operation Write Russian Right

How to pass an advanced foreign language writing exam or “writing Russian right” for the Test of Russian as a Foreign Language Third Certificate

Further update (April 2021): 

For a sense of the level of the TRKI third certificate (including in comparison with the TRKI second certificate), check out this webinar from a Russian lanaguage teaching expert from St Petersburg University (the video is aimed at teachers, but it’s packed with useful information fro students, too):

The post Project Advanced Russian or steppe-ing up for the TRKI 3rd Certificate appeared first on How to get fluent, with Dr Popkins.