Portland Community College | Portland, Oregon

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Why study Russian at PCC?

There are more than 140,000 Russian-speaking immigrants in Oregon and Washington. The U.S. Census indicates that the Pacific Northwest has had the greatest influx of Russian-speaking immigrants anywhere in the nation over the last 20 years, making Russian the most commonly spoken language in Oregon, after English and Spanish.

Russian is also the second most sought-out language by employers in Oregon and Washington. Russian language skills are an invaluable career tool and are in high demand for business, real estate, high-tech, medicine, nursing, dentistry, teaching, education, social work, retail, law enforcement, and government jobs. Knowing Russian can give you an edge when applying for jobs.

Expert faculty

Portland Community College Russian faculty are experts in the language and culture. The Russian program at PCC boasts the largest enrollment in the state for first and second-year courses. All PCC Russian courses are taught using an immersion method. The goal of all Russian courses at PCC is to help students develop communicative competence and proficiency in comprehension, speaking, reading, and writing Russian, as well as cultural awareness.

Student honors

Twenty-three PCC Russian language students have won the U.S. State Department¡¯s prestigious Critical Language Scholarship in the last 12 years and studied for 8 weeks in Russia or another Russian speaking country all expenses paid. This scholarship is the most competitive undergraduate scholarship for Russian in the US.

PCC Russian language students are regularly recognized in the ACTR National Post-Secondary Russian Essay contest for their excellent Russian language skills. We have had two gold medal winners, five silver medal winners, six bronze medal winners, and nine honorable mentions in the last 10 years. 2024 saw 5 winners alone, showing that students can get a top-level Russian education at community college prices!

Degrees and certificates

PCC offers classes in this program but not a degree. These classes can be used as electives and as part of the following university transfer plans:

What will you learn in PCC Russian classes?

Russian classes at PCC feature:

• Language immersion with an emphasis on speaking skills
• A relaxed, fun classroom environment
• Instructors with Masters and Doctoral degrees in Russian, native/near-native fluency and more than 25 years of teaching experience
• Full integration of speaking, grammar, writing, listening and culture at every level
• Partner and small group activities during class every day
• Inexpensive, instructor-written textbooks ¨C just $80 for a full year.
• Free Russian tutors to help you learn and practice
• Course web pages with online activities for extra practice
• Additional elective courses on Russian culture and literature during winter and spring quarters (conducted in English)
• Free tuition for senior citizens over the age of 62 who audit

PCC offers a wide range of Russian courses. At the first-year level, we offer First-Year Russian as a three quarter, 4-credit series RUS 101, 102, 103. Beginning level RUS 101 courses are offered in fall and winter quarters. RUS 102 courses are offered winter and spring quarters. RUS 103 courses are offered spring and summer quarters.

At the second-year level, we offer Second Year Russian as a three-quarter 5-credit series: RUS 201, 202, and 203. This series begins each year in the fall. The Russian program’s 200-level specialty courses focus on Russian culture, film, and literature. Three Russian literature and culture courses are taught: RUS 241Great Russian Writers-19th Century, RUS 242 Great Russian Writers-20th Century and RUS 261B Russian Culture. All are conducted in English and no knowledge of Russian is needed.

Online courses with live synchronous Zoom classes

At PCC we teach all of our first and second year Russian courses in full immersion. Our online Russian courses are all taught remotely over Zoom with live synchronous class meetings twice a week. Each class session features both teaching of new material and a lot of breakout room practice of that material with other students. These synchronous online Zoom classes allow students to practice with classmates and get immediate feedback from the instructor, just as they would in an in-person class. Attendance at the first class of the week is required. The second class of the week is a choice of either attending another 2-hour synchronous online Zoom class or watching and completing the same learning activities asynchronously through a two-hour instructional video. Attendance at the second online Zoom class is strongly encouraged, but those who can¡¯t regularly attend both Zoom classes each week will still be able to learn Russian and do well in the course by attending the second class each week through the asynchronous class videos.

Students can also interact with their instructors during remote Zoom office hours. Our free Russian tutor works remotely 6 hours a week for extra practice and help.

Fall quarter we offer three sections of RUS 101 first-year Russian and one section of second-year Russian online using this live Zoom class format. RUS 102, 103, 202, and 203 continue in the same online remote format on the same schedule for the entire academic year. Winter quarter, we offer one additional section of RUS 101 First year Russian. We do not teach RUS 101 in the spring or summer.

Students who have taken online Zoom Russian classes since spring 2020 really enjoy the synchronous live Zoom classes and the option for an asynchronous format once a week, if needed. They love interacting and having fun during the Zoom classes with their classmates and their instructor. Not having to commute to class makes attendance faster and easier to fit into busy schedules. I¡¯m happy to report that students are attaining the same levels of oral, written, and listening proficiency as they do in on-campus face-to-face class. So, please do not let learning Russian online over Zoom deter you from beginning or continuing your Russian language journey! We would love to have you as part of our program!

What will you do with a PCC Russian education?

Russian has been designated a language of “critical need” by the U.S. government. Undergraduates who study Russian can use their language skills for careers in:

Degree options for PCC Russian students

PCC doesn’t offer a degree in this subject, but you can take classes that will transfer to a four-year school.