Overview
Budem na svjazi (“We’ll be in touch”) is a two-volume, open educational resource (OER) textbook for first- and second-year Russian language instruction. Developed originally for Russian courses at the University of Texas at Austin, the project emerged from a long-standing need for flexible, engaging, and pedagogically sound instructional materials that could respond to the realities of contemporary language teaching and learning.
In 2023, after several years of success using the digital materials for online and in-person use, the project team was awarded a Department of Education International Research and Studies grant to transform Budem na svjazi into a fully open, accessible, and publicly available textbook.
Motivation for Creating an OER
The creation of Budem na svjazi as an OER was motivated by concerns shared widely across language programs: the high cost of commercial textbooks, limited adaptability of proprietary materials, and insufficient representation of the linguistic and cultural diversity of the Russian-speaking world. From its inception, the project sought to move away from a traditional textbook model toward materials that could be updated, customized, and distributed freely to students and instructors. Support from a U.S. Department of Education International Resources and Studies grant made it possible to transform these locally built materials into an open resource designed for adoption by a broad range of institutions and learning environments.
Equally central to the OER mission of Budem na svjazi is accessibility and inclusion. All content is developed with accessibility in mind, including video captions, audio and video transcripts, and alt-text for images. In addition, the project intentionally expands the geographic and cultural scope of Russian language instruction by representing Russian-speaking communities both within and beyond the borders of the Russian Federation. Through interviews, images, and authentic materials collected across Central Asia, the Caucasus, the Baltics, and other regions, the textbook highlights the global nature of Russian.
Pedagogical Approach
Budem na svjazi is grounded in a communicative, proficiency-oriented approach to language teaching. Designed for absolute beginners, the two-volume sequence aims to guide learners toward intermediate-level proficiency through sustained engagement with meaningful language use. Each unit is organized around a central theme with articulated communicative goals that encourage learners to integrate linguistic forms and cultural knowledge to steadily develop interpretive, interpersonal, and presentational skills.
New vocabulary and grammatical structures are introduced through a combination of implicit modeling and explicit explanation, followed by carefully scaffolded opportunities for practice and reuse forms. Instructional pages pair clear explanations with example texts and embedded audio and video, while interactive exercises, quizzes, and workbook activities support both guided practice and independent learning. The textbook is designed to function effectively in face-to-face, hybrid, and fully online instructional settings, including synchronous and asynchronous courses.
Content and Structure
The Budem na svjazi series consists of two web-based volumes corresponding to first- and second-year Russian, each comprising ten thematic units. Built using the Pressbooks platform, the textbook integrates a wide range of multimedia materials, including instructional videos, animations, interviews with Russian speakers, an original narrative, interactive exercises, and an accompanying workbook for synchronous use.
Across both volumes, the textbook includes hundreds of instructional pages, video and audio assets, upward of a thousand quizzes and practice activities, and extensive visual material representing the region’s varied cultural landscapes. An original narrative thread and recurring characters provide continuity across units, while authentic texts and interviews expose learners to diverse voices and registers. Together, these components support sustained engagement with language in context and foster learners’ ability to communicate effectively across cultures.
By combining open access, inclusive representation, and a communicative, learner-centered pedagogy, Budem na svjazi offers a flexible and comprehensive resource for Russian language instruction that reflects both the diversity of the Russian-speaking world and the evolving needs of today’s language learners.