Amazon.com description: Product Description: Nachalo: When In Russia...is an exciting new 2 volume text for beginning Russian courses. Written by a respected team of Russian scholars and linguists, Nachalo: When In Russia...presents grammar functionally and teaches students the four skills of listening, speaking, reading, and writing within the context of a wealth of cultural information. The abundant practice material in Nachalo ranges from focused and controlled to open-ended and communicative. Nachalo: When In Russia...features an on-going story set in Russia with a cast of Russian and American characters, exposing students to new vocabulary and structures in authentic situations. Most exciting of all, Nachalo: When In Russia...includes the most extensive package of support materials for any beginning Russian text on the market, including a video tied specifically to the text, shot on location in Moscow.