KEY BENEFITS: Golosa: A Basic Course in Russian, 5e strikes a true balance between communication and structure. It takes a contemporary approach to language learning by focusing on the development of functional competence in the four skills (listening, speaking, reading, and writing), as well as the expansion of cultural knowledge.
KEY TOPICS: The units are organized thematically, and each unit contains dialogs, texts, exercises, and other material designed to enable students to read, speak, and write about the topic, as well as to understand simple conversations. The systematic grammar explanations and exercises enable students to develop a conceptual understanding and partial control of all basic Russian structures. This strong structural base enables students to accomplish the linguistic tasks and prepares them for further study of the language.
MARKET: Volume 1 of a 2 volume series for beginning students of Russian.
I would like to single out for attention the sequencing of the presentation of verbs of motion, which is particularly successful in comparison with that in other textbooks. What distinguishes Golosa's presentation of the verbs of motion is the principle of presenting on the basis of actual usage, rather than linguistic convention that would give equal weight to every form. I think the explanations are excellent ...
The vocabulary selection in each chapter is excellent. The authors have done a great job selecting a first vocabulary in Russian for beginning students and the Scope and Sequence proposes to eliminate words that have faded from use (e.g., who refers to a black & white or color television anymore?) and introduce words that have become important (including references to SMS and cell technology).
What swayed me definitively to the adoption of Golosa for our program was the vast amount of listening comprehension that comes with the book and the improved (and expanded) reading comprehension texts and tasks.
The increased number of reading comprehension texts and tasks, especially the genre of the extended e-mail exchange, is an important advantage of the fourth edition over previous editions of Golosa. The texts in the textbook are typical of those that our students will need to and want to read and write.
~Benjamin Rifkin, Temple University
Golosa covers all the topics necessary for understanding basic Russian, and gives more than ample practice. I like the readings and authentic texts you have chosen.
The dialogues, which you have used in all the editions of your text, are very fine ways of showing the vocabulary in context, and leading to the grammar presentations. I have always enjoyed working with them...
~Mary Helen Kashuba, Chestnut Hill College
Golosa is the best communicative textbook out there.
~Anonymous
I like the balanced attention to the development of all four major language skills. The attention to comprehension of authentic Russian handwriting and e-mail communications is especially beneficial.
With its inclusion of a sustained, compelling e-mail correspondence and sophisticated accompanying website, this is the textbook series for English-speakers which best combines the electronic, cyberspace norms of Russian usage with traditional pedagogical emphases on the four basic language skills.
The regular inclusion of a variety of authentic handwritten texts for students to read and discuss is extremely valuable and unique.
~Charles L. Byrd, University of Georgia
