Easy Languages

Program

Destination

As the world’s largest country by landmass and 9th largest by population, Russia is a great power in Eastern Europe. It is also one of the great contributors to world culture: Russian authors such as Leo Tolstoy or Fyodor Dostoevsky, composers such as Tchaikovsky, and painters such as Wassily Kandinsky, are key figures in not only the European, but also the global artistic landscape. Learning to speak Russian is the first step to unlocking the door to the door to this powerful and enriching nation.

St. Petersburg, Founded in the early 1700s to serve as the Capital city for the Russian Empire, a function which it would serve for over 200 years, St. Petersburg quickly grew to be the focus of Russian society. This history is clearly visible in the streets of the city; the entire city centre is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and many Russians still call St. Petersburg the severnaya stolitsa, or capital of the North. The beauty of St. Petersburg lies in the unique harmony of its architecture - Baroque, classicist, eclectic and art nouveau, all enhanced magnificently by the ever-present waterways. No other city in the world possesses an intact historical city centre on the scale of St. Petersburg and no city struggles more to hold on to its priceless inheritance.

It is customary to say that it is the most European of all Russian cities. It is true that the situation in North-West Russia, nestled in the Gulf of Finland, makes St. Petersburg a Russian window on the West. The city has a heritage of the Tsars Tercentenary: National Museum of the Hermitage, Peter and Paul Fortress, sumptuous palaces and buildings amid prospects, these huge avenues, also known as Nevsky, celebrated by the writer Nicolas Gogol. The city of Peter the Great is a magical destination, romantic and timeless.

School

Our institution provide the best Russian instruction available. We regularly host graduate students from top level European universities such as Oxford, Sorbonne, Genoa and also employees from the world’s most successful firms and corporations such as Lufthansa and Siemens.

Our centre, licensed for teaching Russian as a foreign language by the City Administration Committee of Education, occupies the 4th floor of an attractive 19th century building located only minutes from the Nevskiy Prospect, the city’s main street. Our school facilities in include fifteen classrooms, a library with a large choice of Russian newspapers and a fine cafeteria (with freshly prepared hot and cold meals). The school is accessible 24 hours a day, seven days a week, provides PC workstations and offers full, free Internet access to all its students. Bars, restaurants and many theatres are within walking distance. The administration and all classrooms are located in the same building on the 4th floor.

Our partner school was the first school in Russia to become a member of the International Association of Language Centres (IALC) and now has an excellent international reputation. The school is an official testing centre for the Test of Russian as a Foreign Language (TRKI). These exams are recognised by the Federal Ministry of Russian Education.

Courses

Teachers, lesson plans and textbooks are all geared towards a fairly high speed of learning. For most levels we recommend three to twelve weeks in a general group course or two to eight weeks of one-on-one lessons. For general group courses we use our own textbook, developed by the school and regularly tested and improved. Each lesson lasts 50 minutes. Groups are determined by a diagnostic test taken upon arrival, and do not exceed 12 students.

At the end of the course, each student receives a certificate of participation. Students signed up to private tuition receive a detailed report of their progress and comments from their teacher.

The programmes offered are the following:

• Standard Group course: 20 lessons per week
  Classes take place Monday to Friday.
  
  This programme is dynamic and runs in two week periods. For students studying 4 weeks or more, each successive period builds upon the base of grammar established in the first period.
  
  This course is offered to all levels. We ask that students have a light knowledge of the Cyrillic alphabet upon arrival.
  
• Intensive Group Course: 25 lessons per week
  The Intensive Group Course programme is an add-on of 5 lessons supplementing the Standard Group Course programme and has the same starting dates. However, students on this programme must be at the intermediate level. These mini-groups are organised as 2 weekly afternoon sessions (normally on Tuesdays and Thursdays). During these lessons, students are introduced to subjects of general interest, such as Russian for Business, Russian Mass Media Today, Russian Culture, History and Literature. Each course runs for 7 weeks and students can either stick with a certain subject or change subjects weekly to get a broader education. If a student wants to participate, but does not have the necessary level of competence upon arrival, he or she can start with standard group courses and begin intensive courses upon feeling more comfortable.
  
  Options:
  
  • Russian for Business, Business in Russia:
    Business vocabulary, telephone correspondence, human resources, business negotiation, business mentality, types of structures of corporations, security issues.
  • Russian Mass Media Today:
    TV news, radio shows, newspaper articles, press overviews, Soviet press, political issues, press freedom.
  • Russian Culture, Literature and History:
    Religion and nationalities, poetry readings, Pushkin and his time, Russian avant-garde, screening and analysis of Soviet and Russian movies, Russian folklore, Dostoyevsky in St.Petersburg, Peter the Great.
    
    
  
  
• One-to-one Course
  One-to-one courses guarantee rapid progress, but require a certain level of personal investment.
  
  An analysis of participants’ goals permits the instructor to adapt the lesson plan to the needs of the student.
  
  One-to-one courses are offered at different levels of intensity:
  • Leisure (15 lessons per week)
  • Standard (20 lessons per week)
  • Intensive (30 lessons per week)
  • Crash course (40 lessons per week)
    
    
• TRKI Preparation Modules
  These modules of 5 individual lessons are available as a supplement to our Group Courses or One-on-One Courses. Our school is an official preparation centre for the TRKI, or Test of Russian as a Foreign Language, which is roughly equivalent to the English TOEFL. The TRKI measures a students’ linguistic ability for university studies in Russia, and can be taken either in Russia or the student’s home country. We offer courses to prepare students for up to Level Three of the exam. To enter a Russian university a student must satisfy the Level Two requirements of the exam.
  
  
  

Activities and Excursions

Our centre combines intensive studies with a wide range of excursions and other cultural and social activities. These activities are offered year-round and are intended to give our students an opportunity to acquaint themselves with the magnificent city of St.Petersburg and the Russian way of life. Some activities are free, such as the city tour for new students and our Friday cocktail, and others are available at reasonable rates.

Activities include sightseeing within St Petersburg and in famous city suburbs, such as Pushkin and Peterhof. There are also weekend trips to the ancient Russian cities of Pskov and Novgorod.

After-school activities are also for students (walking city tours, sports, museums and theatre visits, and discos).

Accommodation

The school organises accommodation in host families, and well-equipped residence halls. While most students prefer the opportunity to experience Russian family life, our school also offers competitive residence rates to suit every budget.

Host Family

Our host families are not always the traditional married couple with children. Above all we look for people who are sociable, like to meet new people and can give a warm welcome to our students. Our host families will take the time to talk to our students; they are patient, understanding, careful and prepared to provide help with any problem that may arise during a student’s stay in Russia.

The Language Centre has approved all accommodation offered. Families and their homes are personally known to the staff member responsible at the school. Families are inspected at least once a year. The quality of the families is monitored by questionnaires (entry and exit) given to students.

A student’s room is furnished with at least one bed or sofa-bed, wardrobe, desk with chair, light and a mirror (in a wardrobe or a separate one).

The rooms are clean and spacious, by Russian standards. Bathroom and kitchen are shared with the family. Breakfast and dinner are always included. Maximum travel time to the school is 50 minutes; average travel time is 40 minutes. About half of our families live in the centre, the other half in modern suburban areas of Moscow.

Participants may specify the preferred type of host-family when signing up. These preferences will be taken into consideration as much as possible, but unfortunately we cannot make any guarantee that they will always be fully met. We usually select families without any foreign language knowledge, however, if a participant feels uneasy about this approach, we will try to find an English-speaking household. Our experience shows that even absolute beginners will be able to communicate after the first few days.

It is obvious that a certain amount of flexibility and tolerance on the part of the guest will be necessary for successful integration. Russia is a country with very basic amenities and power or hot water failures are not uncommon. However, famous Russian hospitality will play its part in overcoming most of these problems.

Host family accommodation is always calculated from Sunday to Sunday. If a student arrives Saturday or earlier, there are supplements for additional days.

Shared Apartment

Students in need of a bit more independence can choose to live in an apartment shared with other students.

The apartments feature single rooms (2 to 3 per apartment usually), a shared bathroom, and a kitchen. Bedlinen and kitchen utensils are provided.

All apartments have a TV, a telephone, a washing machine, and a vacuum cleaner.

Staying in an apartment costs the same as staying with a host family, although meals are not included.

Prices and Dates

Dates 2012

The one-to-one courses start every Monday.

Group courses start on the following dates:

2012: January 9* and 23; February 6* and 20; March 5*, and 19; April 2* and 16 and 30*; May 14 and 28*; June 11* and 25*; July 9* and 23*; August 6* and 20*; September 3* and 17*; October 1, 15* and 29; November 12* and 26, and December 10*.

* = Start dates open to total beginners.

Accommodation is included from Sunday to Sunday.

Our schools are closed on the following public holidays. No lessons are held on these days and no compensation is provided.

January 1, 2 and 7; February 23; March 8; May 1 and 9; June 12; November 4.

The complete fee structure for this programme is laid out in the table above.

Prices include:

• Programme chosen by the student
• Accommodation in a host family with half-board (2 meals a day) or residence (self catering)
  
• Transportation between the local airport and your accommodation
• Course book & academic materials
• Assessment test
• Orientation tour
• Internet access at school
  

If you opt for accommodation in a residence, the prices are the same as for the host family, but they do not include meals.

Please note that airport pickup is included in accommodation fees if the arrival day is a Sunday. If the arrival day is not a Sunday, there will be a 40€ transportation fee.

Practical Info

Transport

• Arrival airport or train station: Saint Petersburg
• An (optional) transfer is available between airport and accommodation. It is included in the accommodation fees if you arrive on a Sunday. If not, the transfer price is listed on the price table.
  
  

If you prefer, we can book your flights for you. This must be made clear at the moment of enrolment.

If you intend to book your own flight, try to arrive the Sunday before the start of your course and leave the Saturday following its end.

Visa Information

Everyone needs a visa to enter Russia. To obtain one, you must apply at your nearest Russian Embassy or Consulate. You will need a letter of invitation from our partner school, which will send to you with the confirmation of your enrolment.

Citizens of he Schengen Area will need to apply for a student (short term) or tourist visa.

• Student Visa 1: only for Schengen Area citizens. This is valid for 90 days, and one entry only. It is free but requires the letter of invitation from the school and a valid visa. This visa cannot be extended.
• Student Visa 2: for every nationality, and for Schengen Area citizens staying longer than 90 days. The letter of invitation must be written by the Russian Federal Migration Service (UFMS). The passport must be valid for 6 months following the return date. This visa is valid for 90 days and can be extended up to 365 days.
• Tourist Visa: for students outside of the Schengen area who wish to study in Russia for fewer than 4 weeks. A letter of invitation from the school will be enough. This visa is valid for a maximum of 30 days and cannot be extended.