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Russian Formal Register

Twelfth graders learn Russian’s two ways of saying “you” — informal ты (friends, family) and formal вы (strangers, elders, business). Choosing the right register is a mark of politeness (вежливость) in Russian.

Grade 12Formal Register50 minutes1 class periodACTFL / World LanguagesExplicit teaching4 StandardsACTFL
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Lesson at a Glance

Everything you need before the bell rings

Learning Objectives

Students will be able to…

  • ✓Tell ты from вы.
  • ✓Learn formal & informal.
  • ✓Sort by register.
  • ✓Choose the right one.
Essential Question

Ты or вы? When do you use formal vs informal Russian?

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Lesson Phases
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Vocabulary Terms
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Standards Aligned
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Interactive Task
Sort It · Interactive

Informal (ты) or Formal (вы)?

Project this and sort each phrase into Informal (ты) or Formal (вы).

🗣️ Sort each — informal (ты) or formal (вы)?Try it
😎 Informal — ты
🙇 Formal — вы
Tap a phrase, then tap a box.
The Lesson · Language Flow (Warm-Up · Present · Practice · Speak · Reflect)

50 minutes, five moves

Tap any phase to open the teacher moves and student actions.

1

Warm-Up — Two Ways to Say “You”

6 min

When do you use formal vs informal Russian?

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Greet a friend, then a stranger.
  • Ask who each is for.
  • Set the goal.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Listen.
  • Wonder.
  • Get ready.
2

Present — Formal Register

12 min

Students learn.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Send students to Informal or Formal?
  • Sort each phrase.
  • Note ты vs вы.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Sort.
  • Note it.
  • Note it.
3

Practice — Practice

13 min

Students practice.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Make “Как ты?” formal.
  • Make “Как вы?” informal.
  • Pick a level for a teacher.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Change.
  • Change.
  • Pick.
4

Speak — Speak

13 min

Students speak.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Greet a friend (ты).
  • Greet an elder (вы).
  • Ask a partner both ways.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Greet.
  • Greet.
  • Ask.
5

Reflect — Reflect

6 min

Students close.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Name the two registers.
  • Say when to use вы.
  • Complete the exit ticket.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Name them.
  • Say it.
  • Complete the exit ticket.
Standards Alignment

Built to the standards you report on

Aligned to the ACTFL World-Readiness Standards for Learning Languages (Intermediate-Mid).

ACTFL
Cultures 2.1

Explore politeness & register.

ACTFL
Communication 1.1

Interpersonal: choose the right register.

ACTFL
Comparisons 4.2

Compare formality systems.

ACTFL
Communication 1.3

Presentational: adjust formality.

Differentiation

One lesson, every learner

Multilingual Learners

ELL / EMERGING READERS
  • Phrase pairs (ты / вы).
  • Who-to-use-it-with chart.
  • Model both aloud.

Support & Access

IEP / 504
  • Start with Привет / Здравствуйте.
  • Sort one at a time.
  • Use pictures of people.

Stretch & Extend

GIFTED / EARLY FINISHERS
  • Note plural вы for groups.
  • Rewrite a dialogue two ways.
  • Discuss age & status.
Materials

What to gather

  • 📽️Screen / board
  • 🗣️Phrase cards (2 registers)
  • 💻Informal or Formal?
  • 👥“Who to use it with” chart
  • 📓Notebooks
  • 🎫Exit-ticket slips
Vocabulary

Key terms — hover for a quick definition

формальныйformalнеформальныйinformalты (ty)you (informal)вы (vy)you (formal)как тыhow are you (inf.)как выhow are you (form.)уважениеrespectвежливостьpoliteness
Evaluate

Exit Ticket

Preview the three formative checks. Tap “Sample answer” to see what mastery looks like — hide them before you print for students.

QUESTION 1
Which “you” is formal in Russian — ты or вы?
вы.
QUESTION 2
Would you use ты or вы with a teacher?
вы (formal).
QUESTION 3
What does “Как вас зовут?” mean?
What is your name? (formal)

Reflect: formal register.

Have students write a greeting two ways in Russian — informal (ты) and formal (вы). A printable Russian register sheet is in the World Languages library.

Study · Flashcards

Study the key terms

Tap a card to flip it, then rate whether you knew it. Built from this lesson’s vocabulary.

🃏 Russian Formal RegisterFlip
Card 1
Term
Tap to flip →
Meaning
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Nice work!

Practice · Quiz

Check your understanding

A quick self-check with instant feedback, drawn from this lesson’s key terms.

📝 Russian Formal RegisterQuiz
Score: 0
1 / 6
Question 1
0%

Nice work!

Practice · Worksheet

Printable worksheet

A print-and-go review sheet with a built-in answer key. Tap “Show answer key” to reveal answers, or print the clean version for students.

🖨️ Russian Formal RegisterPrint
Name: ________________________
Date: ____________

Part A · Write the word that matches each meaning

Word bank: вежливость, вы (vy), как вы, как ты, неформальный, ты (ty), уважение, формальный
  1. how are you (inf.)
  2. respect
  3. formal
  4. you (informal)
  5. informal
  6. how are you (form.)
  7. politeness
  8. you (formal)

Part B · Show what you learned

  1. Which “you” is formal in Russian — ты or вы?
  2. Would you use ты or вы with a teacher?
  3. What does “Как вас зовут?” mean?
Answer key — Part A: 1) как ты · 2) уважение · 3) формальный · 4) ты (ty) · 5) неформальный · 6) как вы · 7) вежливость · 8) вы (vy)
Part B: 1) вы. 2) вы (formal). 3) What is your name? (formal)