Program Overview

The CLS institute in Nizhny Novgorod is designed to cover the equivalent of 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.

Students take classes at Lobachevsky State University of Nizhny Novgorod, a national research institution which was founded in 1916. During the academic year, the instructors at Lobachevksy State teach foreign students from around the world who plan to proceed on to a Russian undergraduate educational institution and therefore need to attain a high level of Russian proficiency. Formal classroom instruction consists of approximately four hours per day of language classes, five days per week. Classes focus on the four skills of language development – listening, speaking, reading and writing and include authentic material from the mass media and pop culture.

Cultural excursions, lectures, and other enrichment activities are designed to support and enhance language learning and exposure to the host culture. Past activities have explored traditional arts and crafts, folklore, and history of the Volga region, manufacturing and trade.

CLS students in Nizhny Novgorod will get to experience daily life in the fifth largest city in Russia, which was closed to foreigners during the Soviet period, directly prior to its hosting of the 2018 World Cup. Home to historic figure Kuzma Minin, CLS participants will likely enjoy exploring the city’s many public parks, newly remodeled walkways along the banks of the rivers Oka and Volga, and the pleasant pedestrian street Bolshaya Pokrovskaya. Students may also consider traveling to nearby Moscow, Kazan and Vladimir during one of their free weekends.

Students on the CLS program in Nizhny Novgorod live with host families and meet regularly with language partners for more conversational practice and immersion in local life. In the past, students have enjoyed nightly dinners and conversation over tea with their host families, as well as exploring the city together. Language partners have introduced CLS students to local youth culture by going to the movies, the puppet theater and concerts, and introducing students to Russia’s popular “anti-cafes” where patrons pay for time rather than for beverages.

Learn more about Lobachevsky State University of Nizhny Novgorod.