News

October 2005

In October 2005 the Department of Russian as a Foreign Language is pleased to announce a special offer for students from Eastern Europe. We are happy to invite students from Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Slovenia, Bulgaria, Romania, Croatia, Serbia and Montenegro, and elsewhere to study Russian with Language Link. You will receive a 7% discount on group and individual tuition irrespective of the programme. We are now recruiting for the following groups:

Beginners: lessons Monday-Wednesday, 11.00-13.15
Beginners: lessons Monday-Thursday, 19.30-21.45
Beginners (intensive): lessons Monday-Friday, 10.00-12.15

Intermediate: lessons Monday-Thursday, 10.30-12.45
Intermediate: lessons Monday-Thursday, 10.00-11.30
Intermediate (intensive): lessons Monday-Friday, 10.00-13.15

Advanced: sign up for an evening group

September 2005

In September we welcome the first wave of this year's British university students who have chosen to spend a semester studying Russian with our specialist staff at LL Moscow as part of their degrees. A tailor-made academic programme, focussing on a wide variety of subjects embracing Russian language, literature and culture, coupled with a diverse excursion programme, promise to give the students the best possible opportunity to make the most of their time in Russia.

August 2005

August has seen the arrival of a group of new students with an alternative approach to learning - Work-Study. Aspiring EFL teachers from UK, USA and Canada are currently undergoing intensive teacher training at LL Moscow before dispersing to centres in Moscow, St Petersburg and Volgograd where they will combine Russian study with teaching English. Not only are they benefiting from studying Russian in Russia (proven to be the most successful means of language acquisition), but they are also gaining international work experience teaching English. We hope they enjoy their stay working and studying with Language Link!

July 2005

July 2005 saw the launch of a new programme for international students coming to learn Russian in Volgograd: Russian study through excursions. The lessons were held in a variety of places including the "Cossack Kuren" Museum of National Architecture and Life, the Mamaev Kurgan memorial complex, the museum of 18th century Volga Germans called the Old Sarepta, and on the territory of the Volga-Don canal. In the classroom the teacher provided the students with essential grammar and lexical materials which then helped them to understand the guided tours, discuss related themes, compose dialogues, describe what they had seen, and read short texts. One lesson particularly enjoyed by all was "Russian Cookery" in which the students themselves cooked okroshka and shashlyk, explaining how they did it in Russian.

All the students wrote kind words about their summer spent in Volgograd in the visitors' book:

Percy Toop (Canada) - "Here we feel like home", "I have fond memories of Volgograd"

Jean Michel Jillet (Belgium) - "The best educational Russian Language Centre I visited before"

Stephen Warnes " I had a very good time in Volgograd and next year I'm sure that I will return to Russia for studies"

May 2005

In May and June, Language Link is running a summer semester programme for a group of students from Goucher College and John Hopkins University, USA . For one month the students will be attending intensive Russian language classes and studying the cultural life of Moscow and St Petersburg. Language Link has prepared an exciting programme of excursions, concerts, river cruises, theatre and circus trips, including visits to the Golden Ring towns Vladimir and Suzdal. Especially for our American guests, we invited the famous Benedict Sarnov and Ksenia Golubovich to give a lecture on life in post-perestroika Russia. This is the first ever summer semester of Goucher College and John Hopkins University at Language Link, and we look forward to welcoming their students again and again in the years to come.

April 2005

This April has seen the launch of 'Vacation Revision', the latest opportunity for university students to benefit from Language Link teachers' experience and expertise in academic Russian. Two groups of students from Cambridge University, UK, joined us in Moscow during their Easter break to brush up on their language skills and cultural knowledge in preparation for end of term exams. Giving up part of the holidays to study Translation, Literature, Grammar, Conversation and Language of the Media might not seem much fun, but in the words of Lawrence, who attended the course:
"I took part in frenzied and passionate discussions; I used Russian more intensively and effectively than ever before. I learnt much from highly skilled and expert teachers - including Elena Kallo, whom I would single out for praise for her top-quality lessons which were precisely what we needed and an enormous help! In short, I had a memorable and inspiring experience at Language Link."

March 2005

Spring is a time for fresh ideas. We are pleased to offer a new express course in Russian language and Orthodox culture beginning at the end of April, on the eve of Orthodox Easter. Classroom-based lessons are combined with excursions to famous places connected with the Russian Orthodox faith, for example, cathedrals and churches in Moscow, and visits to the monasteries at Sergiev Posad and New Jerusalem. You will also have the chance to celebrate Russian Easter (1st May) in a traditional Russian church.

Also in April, our new cinema club "Masterpieces of Soviet cinema of the 20th century (Eisenstein, Tarkovsky and Paradzhanov)" meets for the first time. You will be able to watch films and talk about the language of cinema, and Russia culture and history. A good atmosphere, tea from a Russian samovar and making new friends are all guaranteed. Fluency in Russian is not necessary as all the films have subtitles. The club is due to meet on Saturday afternoons. Ring us on (495) 258-08-04 and we will be happy to provide you with all the details.

We are still continuing admission for our evening class groups:

Elementary level - Tuesdays and Thursdays, 7pm to 9.15pm
Intermediate level - Monday and Wednesday, 7pm to 8.30pm

February 2005

This February, Language Link is welcoming not just one, but two new groups of UK university students for the academic semester program RLUS. As well as the established RLUS program in Moscow, for the first time ever, students will also be attending Language Link's school in Volgograd to complete the 'year abroad' component of their undergraduate Russian degrees. Both groups have an intensive semester to look forward to, with lessons including every possible aspect of Russian language and culture, from grammar and conversation to cinema, literature and media studies. To all our new students: "Добро пожаловать в Россию!"

January 2005

We would like to wish all our students Happy New Year - may 2005 be a year of success and good health for you all, and may your dreams and boldest plans come to fruition! In January we all start to think about our plans for the year ahead, so it is the perfect time to begin arranging trips and study abroad.

In March and April we start our new program "Easter vacation in Moscow". This new intensive course has been specially designed for students who are studying Russian at university / college level, to help them prepare for their end-of-term exams.

We offer specialist revision classes in the following subjects, which students may choose from according to their personal requirements:

• Translation
• Grammar
• Conversational Russian (for oral exams)
• Russian Literature (topics specified by participating students)
• History of Russia and the Soviet Union (topics specified by participating students)

The course runs for 6 days from Monday to Saturday, with 20 academic hours of study in total.

Start dates: 21st March, 28th March, 4th April 2005.

It is possible to extend the course by 1 or 2 weeks, or take supplementary individual lessons.

Course fee (tuition only) - $200 (discounts available for group bookings of 3 or more students)

December 2004

From 1st December Language Link will be running a special offer for new corporate clients who wish to study Russian "one-to-one" at Language Link's premises, at their office or at home. We are offering General Russian, Conversational Russian and Business Russian courses (morning, afternoon, evening or on Saturdays) for the special price of just $18 per academic hour at our school near "Novoslobodskaya" metro station, or $23 per academic hour at your office or home (our teacher will come to your place).

This special offer is valid till 31 January, 2005.

You can check your level of Russian by completing the on-line test on our website.

November 2004

SPECIAL OFFER

For teachers of foreign languages in Moscow and the Moscow region

From 1st November Language Link is offering General Russian courses (morning, afternoon and evening courses, or on Saturdays) for the special price of just $7.50 per academic hour. There are groups for beginners, intermediate and advanced students.

tel. 258-08-04 or
e-mail: russian@language.ru

You can check your level of Russian on by completing the on-line test on our website.

October 2004

As the students dive headfirst into their studies, they also have many opportunities this month for cultural excursions to flesh out their already intense language instruction. As part of Language Link's commitment to well-rounded education, we are offering the students a day trip to Yasnaya Polyana. In this small village, which was formerly part of Leo Tolstoy's country estate, the students will view the writer's home, study (where he penned "War and Peace" and other great works), the surrounding village, and his final resting place. Also, students were recently treated to a traditional Russian "Shashlyk" in the woods, a barbecue/picnic where teachers, students, and their guests mingled and relaxed in the beautiful weather among the trees and lakes outside Moscow. Even as the weather cools, Language Link will continue to offer unique cultural excursions to compliment its Russian language instruction.

September 2004

The beginning of September has seen the largest ever group of British students arrive at Language Link for the semester-long RLUS program. 16 students from various top British universities will be spending the next 13 to 18 weeks attending a comprehensive academic Russian course, covering everything from grammar to literature, and from phonetics to the language of the Russian press. The students' adaptation to Moscow has been aided by an initial week of intensive communication practice, whereby morning classes were spent learning vital 'survival Russian', and in the afternoons students were taken around the city to put what they had learned into practice in real-life situations: in shops, post offices, theatres, internet centres and cafes.

August 2004

Language Link appears in the Moscow Times!

The popular English-language newspaper 'The Moscow Times' recently published an article about the opportunities available for people living and working in Moscow to study Russian as a foreign language:

"...Well-established private institution Language Link, which has academic connections with Dickinson College in the United States, as well as the nearby Russian State University of the Humanities, or RSUH. Language Link is also a provider of Russian-language instruction for students studying on Britain's Russian Language Undergraduate Studies program.

In addition, Language Link offers a work-study program. Adam Abringer, an Australian student who came to Russia after graduating from college, was recently finishing up six months teaching English in exchange for Russian classes. Three other students, all Russian majors from Oxford, were wrapping up studies from their required year abroad by studying translation and interpretation.

"We came here at the end of our year to consolidate our studies," said Ferdy Koenig, one of the Oxford students. "It's going to be our final year when we go back, so we wanted to get some extra preparation for our exams."

June 2004

Language Link would like to invite interested students to join the following groups, currently studying Russian at our central Moscow school on Novoslobodskaya street:

Upper-Intermediate level - 10am to 12.15 on Thursdays
Intermediate level - 6.30pm to 8pm on Mondays and Wednesdays
Beginner-Elementary level - 10am to 11.30 on Tuesdays and Thursdays
A new evening group for beginner/elementary students will also be starting on the 5th July. Lessons to be held from 6.30pm to 8pm, twice a week, possibly on Saturdays.

The price for one academic hour (45mins) is 310 rubles.

There are only a limited number of available places, so be quick!

For more information phone us on (495) 258 08 04.

March 2004

In mid-February Language Link welcomed the latest group of students from British universities who arrived to take part in the spring semester RLUS program. More students than ever before have chosen to spend the obligatory study abroad component of their degree here at Language Link - altogether 13 students from the Russian Departments of Cambridge, Nottingham, Sheffield and other top UK universities will be perfecting their already impressive knowledge of Russian with us over the next 18 weeks. Their entry to our program was preceded by their American university counterparts who joined Language Link in January.

Speaking of American universities, the current group of students on Language Link's Dickinson-in-Moscow program is continuing to delve into the riches of Russian culture. Accompanied by their teachers, student trips in February and March have included a bus tour to the historical monasteries of Zvenigorod and Novy Ierusalim (Jerusalem), day trips to the beautiful former royal estates at Tsaritsino and Kolmenskoe, and an excursion to the Mayakovsky theater to see a modern experimental adaptation of Gogol's 'Revizor'. Another trip that particularly appealed to the students was their visit to the Glinka Musical Museum, where they had the opportunity to see and even hear in action some of the most unusual and ancient instruments from Russia and abroad, including harpsichords, bagpipes, and of course, the famous balalaika.

As Moscow's icy crust finally starts to melt, and the fur coats and hats are returned to their place at the back of the cupboard after the long Russian winter, now is the perfect time to turn your thoughts to the summer months ahead. Some might dream of days relaxing on the beach, but for those who seek intellectual stimulation, and the chance to experience a new culture during their holidays, Language Link's new SUMMER PROGRAM could be the ideal solution. The course will run at all levels from Beginners to Advanced, and apart from comprehensive Russian language studies, participants will have opportunities to go sightseeing with their teachers around Moscow's most famous museums and monuments.

Another group of students from Dickinson College, USA, will also be putting their summer to good use this year. Dickinson College has once again decided to run its highly successful Russian Language and Culture summer program at Language Link. This program complements the academic year and semester programs that are also run at Language Link in partnership with Dickinson and the Russian State University of the Humanities.

The Russian Department is glad to welcome a new face to the administration team, who already do such a good job running the department behind the scenes. Maria Finashina has taken over the responsibilities of Ekaterina Tchitchikina, who recently left Language Link for pastures new. Maria is a historian by profession (although she's had long and varied work experience as an Administrator) and her specialty is international relations in the 16th Century. She says she is delighted to have the opportunity to strengthen Russia's international links in the 21st Century working with Language Link's students, who come from as far afield as the Philippines to Italy and the United States to Japan.

October 2003

Christmas in Russia!!! If you want to combine Russian Language Course with discovering the real Russian Culture – welcome to Language Link for Russian Christmas (7th of January 2004). Our country is famous for its snow. This winter we offer our students a wonderful opportunity to study Russian outside Moscow in so called "Dom Otdyha", where you can enjoy skiing, skating, fishing and speaking Russian language!

Make your life in Russia easier! 4th of October and 1st of November we start Survival Russian Course for beginners on Saturdays. This course gives you an opportunity to study main conversational topics, which are necessary for living in Russia. Subscribe now!!!