At the beginning of the semester, each student discusses his or her interests with the teacher, and together they define the course. Later, the original plan may be revised or adjusted. Some students write essays that have to do with their other studies. Some students do detailed text analysis, usually working with texts that they also study elsewhere, e.g. in government, history, or other courses. Some students concentrate on expanding their vocabulary in a specific field. The content of the course varies greatly depending on the student's needs.

This course may be the only option for those students who have a special project. For example, it may be taken by a student who wants to create a video documentary about a Russian family living in Ithaca, or write and produce a play in Russian, etc. Any project is eligible if it provides an opportunity to learn. The course may also be useful as a supplement to thesis or course-paper work, or as preparation for a research project.

At the beginning of the semester, each student is asked to submit a course proposal answering the following (or similar) questions and adding any other relevant information:

1. What are your reasons for enrolling in this course?
2. What do you want to learn? What are your goals, short-term and long-term?
3. How you are planning to achieve your goals in this course?
4. What other courses related to your interests in Russian are you taking this semester and why are they not sufficient or suited to your language study goals?

This course should not be taken by students whose interests can be served by taking other, more standard courses.

The course is taught only when the department has available resources.