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Location: Vladimir, Russia
Dates of program: June 18 - August 19, 2012
Hosting institution: KORA Russian Language Center
Language offered: Russian
Levels offered: Intermediate and advanced

Program Structure

The CLS Russian institute covers approximately one academic year of university-level Russian study during the 8-week program, and is designed to meet the needs of students from a range of language levels and backgrounds. Students range in proficiency and experience from those who have completed the minimum required two years of college-level study or the equivalent, to heritage speakers already at an advanced level of proficiency.

CLS participants at Mikhaylovksy Theater in St. Petersburg before a performance of Swan Lake

Students take classes at the KORA Russian Language Center in Vladimir. Formal classroom language instruction is provided for an average of four hours per day, five days per week. Extracurricular activities are designed to supplement the formal curriculum, including regular one-on-one meetings with peer tutors for conversational practice, as well as cultural activities and excursions designed to expand students’ understanding of Russian life and culture. Students also live with host families, providing them an opportunity to experience life inside a Russian family and practice their language skills outside of class.

Outcomes

In 2010, the CLS Program adopted the Oral Proficiency Interview (OPI) developed by the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL) as an additional measure of the effectiveness and quality of the institutes overseas. Before the program, students take a diagnostic OPI test; at the end of their 8-week course of study, they take an ACTFL-certified post-program OPI assessment. The scores on these tests give students a concrete, widely-recognized measure of their speaking skills in Russian.

Student Activities

Cucumbers and other Russian culinary delights at the annual Cucumber festival in Suzdal

In addition to being in an immersive language learning experience, CLS students are encouraged to participate in the life of the community. This year, several Vladimir students traveled to the nearby historic city of Suzdal to participate in the annual Cucumber Festival. Students talked to local vendors and artists, and enjoyed fresh cucumbers, fried cucumbers, cucumber jam, bliny with cucumbers, and other cucumber-themed delicacies!

Alumni Highlights

CLS Vladimir participant Meagan Todd interviews the imam at a local mosque.

With help from an instructor at the KORA Russian Language Center, 2011 CLS Vladimir participant Meagan Todd was able to build on her current academic pursuits and lay the foundation for future fieldwork in Russia. During her time in Vladimir, Meagan arranged to meet with and interview an imam at a local mosque. Their wide-ranging conversation (exclusively in Russian) touched on issues such as the current state of Islam in Russia, educational and professional opportunities for Muslims in Russia, and the architecture of mosques. Meagan is currently a doctoral student at the University of Colorado-Boulder, and hopes to pursue field research in Russia for a dissertation on the geopolitics of Islam in Russia.

Program Highlights

View videos, read highlights, and more on the CLS Blog!

Alumni Ambassadors

James Stevens, '11 (Kazan)	Alyssa Yorgan, '10 (Ufa)	Phillip Bradshaw, '11 (Ufa)