Learn Russian in Saint Petersburg ! |
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Who take part at our courses? The participants at our courses mainly consist of a mix of business people, students, people with a Russian partner, and people who study Russian as a hobby. Country of origin: most participants come from the Netherlands and Belgium, followed by Germany, Italy, UK and the United States. Other countries: Australia, Austria, France, Spain, Poland, and the rest of Europe. Age: people from all ages participate. In general, about 1/3 is below 25 years old, 1/3 in the category 25-40 and 1/3 is over 40 years old. Organisations: apart from private participants, a growing number of organizations is sending their employees to our center, like: Haskoning, ABB, Cargill, NOS Journaal, De Volkskrant, Stork, Kleyn Trucks, Matrix Agritech, Shell, Mitsubishi-Caterpillar, Boskalis, Ahlers, Hermitage Amsterdam, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands, Flanders Investment and Trade, Europese Commissie, Verenigde Naties, Nicolaas Witsen Foundation, Mammoet, Agfa-Gevaert, Ravenswaaij, Bekaert, Prolyte, Interfood BV, Queens Grass International BV, Geesa BV, Ploeger Machines, Baardse BV, Meplax, J. Oosterom & Zn BV, Sulzer, Mariinsky Theatre Trust, Reformatorisch Dagblad, IHC-Calland, Johnson Controls, Joris Ide, De Groenhoeve, Aids Foundation East-West, Ruukki, Alstom Power, Boerman Transport BV, Mooij Geforceerde Ventilatie BV, Pannenbakker, Vianen en Vianen, Mita Resort SRL, Nippon Carbide, DPW te Paske, Nijhof Bouw en Woonwaren, Stichting Friedenstimme, Nedap Agri, Sportnavigator, Beneparts BVBA, Van Abbemuseum, Cami-Pedrazzini SRL, OSCE, Borotov, Euro Sun Import-Export BV, Partner Logistics, LenGo, Caspian Service Group, Frylink, Terra Industries, Bauer Group, Scrapheap Innovations, TQ3 Travel Solutions etc. Some participants write a blog during their stay, which is mostly written in the form of a diary - chronologically reporting about the experiences (the language course and other activities) from the moment of arrival till departure. Such a blog can give a good view for a prospective student on what to expect. Below we provide you with some testimonials from our participants:
The excursions and practical lessons were a fantastic way to explore the city with a Petersburg local, and were a great learning environment for practicing our developing Russian skills. There is also ample free time to take in the art, beauty and cuisine of the city on your own or with new friends. I cannot recommend this course enough: the organisation, lessons and comfortable apartment ensure there is nothing more to do but immerse yourself in the language and culture of the incredible city. Since January 2006, I travel for my job ofter to Russia, Ukraine and Belarus. Only a few of the people with whom I work speak English or German. Therefore most of the conversations go through an interpreter, or - in case no interpreter - using hand, feet in combination with some English and German words. So, my goal was to reach a "survival level" in the Russian language, to be able to cope with standard situations (such as greeting, introducing yourself, order food, buy tickets, etc.). The 2 weeks of the group course went very fast. Although it is a difficult language (even more cases than in the German language), I was able to use my acquired knowledge of Russian into practice. Through the very enthousiast teacher and the active and motivating fellow group members, I built up a good grammar base to make easy sentences. The fact that the course is given in Saint Petersburg, is a great advantage: on the street, in the metro or during the dinner in a restaurant, you catch so many words that at some moment you start to understand where people are talking about. The other advantage of the group learning, is that you learn together, and help or add each other when trying to use the language in practice. Of course, next to studying, there was time available to see many highlights of the city and to have a beer with the other students. The organisation was good: transfer from and to the airport, a good accommodation with many facilities. With the basic knowledge I got through this Russian-in-Petersburg program, I am enthousiast to continue learning this language!
I found Russian in Petersburg through an interest search, and the variable lengths of the program fit my schedule and budget well. As an intermediate speaker, it was difficult for me to find a program that would suit my needs, and this program offered individual lessons. I was concerned about meeting people and being able to site-see with daily one on one lessons, so I called the program director. Bart returned my call immediately, and assured me that I'd have a good social time while still being able to see the city and practice my skills. He also provided me with a reference. I spent three weeks in Russia, and I found that I had an experience as good if not better than my friends who had studied for semester abroad in St. Petersburg. I lived in the Dorm that Bart set up, which was great not only because I was able to meet other people but also because my lessons were so nearby to my living area. I had been concerned that being the only American in the program would be a disadvantage, but my concerns were assuaged quickly. The other students in the program all spoke English, and, besides being friendly, came from all around Europe. I quickly made friends with these other students from places I'd hardly think about otherwise. It was easy after lessons to find companions to go side seeing and enjoy some relaxation time with. I still found it easy to go out into the city on my own, and felt I got a great survey of Russian culture and life. I had been worried that being alone would be frightening in Russia, but my schedule allowed me to do a great deal of independent exploration, as well as with companions. I learned a lot about myself as a lone traveler on this tripe but still made life long friends with whom I still keep in contact. My lessons were intense but extremely helpful. Nastya was a wonderful teacher who was able to gauge my level or Russian and was prepared to give me lessons to supplement my knowledge. We designed a goal I could reach in my time in Russia, and met it. When I arrived, my Russian skills were rusty and I found it difficult to understand and speak with strangers that I met. By the time I left, I was able to understand passers-by on their cell phones, and would often volunteer to order at restaurants for my less skilled friends. The confidence I gained in Russian by speaking it all day was priceless, and my appreciation for the language grew greatly. I had one of the best times of my life during this trip, and the program that Bart had set up made it easily and fantastically enjoyable. I would recommend this program to any traveler or student of Russian. I was able to see the city and the country, improve my language skills, and have a wonderful time with friends.
On hand to help navigate my way through the bureaucracy of visa applications; ensuring I was transported safely from the airport to the accommodation and back again; providing a comfortable, clean environment for living and studying; all aspects that contributed to a great first trip and the reason why I came back again in September. Having experienced both group lessons (April) and individual tuition (September) I would definitely recommend the latter if you want to make progress in a short amount of time. The teachers will always keep things flexible however and make sure the class is geared towards the individual needs of those studying. Finally as an English speaker in a 'Dutch' school - though now with a wide mix of European nationalities - don't be concerned if you're arriving as a complete beginner. English was the second language of everyone, staff, students and teachers alike. As a means of supporting the cost of study I opted for their 'blog discount' which also proved a rewarding experience. Please feel free to follow the link below to see some of the details from my study so far... malcolmlearnsrussian.blogspot.com
I have attended a beginner's language course in July, it was very successful !!! In this period I could go from a zero level knowledge to a basic knowledge. The classes are intense, but well organised with very patient teachers. The city invites you to be discovered, encouraged by enthousiasm of the teachers. The stay in the shared apartment is a good solution, it is quiet and well served by the subway (2 stops and you're right in the center). I recommend this experience to all who are interested in studying the Russian language, and who look for people to learn and do cultural things together. I expect to return soon ! The company I work for, realize more and more sales in Eastern Europe and especially in Russia. So some knowledge of the Russian language would be welcome. Through internet I found Petrion’s language courses and decided directly to book the B PLUS course. To be short: this was pretty tough. All of a sudden I was back in class again.
Five hours per day of individual tuition plus some hours of homework: not easy for someone who left school a long time ago. But due to the patience of a very good and motivated teacher, I got the grammar quite well onder de knie. In addition, my passion for the language and the country have multiplied by 10! The knowledge of grammar I built up is a very good base to continue Russian language lessons in my home country. In addition, the conversation training is for me good to keep small conversations in Russian at exhibitions. Unforgettable were the visits to the Hermitage and the Russian Museum (where I learnt more about Russian history than during the last two years) and of course I will always remember the visit to the football match FC Zenit against Spartak Moscow. Due to some personal contacts of the course coordinator, I got into contact with a potential customer, possibly making this course a direct successful result! To summarise: 2 heavy weeks of study, learnt a lot, laughed a lot with the course participant Thomas, and my love for Russia and the Russian language got very serious!
After I had confirmed my booking and the fees had been transferred, doubts started to creep in, especially since I had also opted to live with a family. What was I doing, a 47-year-old university lecturer with a life of my own choosing to live with a family? I had no idea whether my Russian would be sufficient for everyday interaction. I had also opted for five individual lessons per day – 75 in total over a period of three weeks: after more than 20 years of teaching and lecturing, I would be sitting on the other side of the desk, and, all of a sudden, I was not sure that I would like that. Let me add, however, that once I got there all my fears were quickly dispelled. Learning Russian with russianinpetersburg.com proved not only to be good value for money, it turned out to be an excellent way to learn Russian. I cannot emphasize enough how much I enjoyed and profited from attending classes and living with a family. In fact, I am hoping to return for three weeks again in winter 2010/2011. Administration: I have to admit that I was put off by all the paperwork regarding the visa and the transfer of payments to Russia. In retrospect, my advice to anyone would be, “don’t think about it, just do it.” The head and owner of the school, Bart Leenhouts, who has been living in Russia for ten years and is married to a Russian, is, despite only being in his early thirties, an old hand at dealing with Russian bureaucracy. I just followed all of his instructions and recommendations and did not have a single problem. By the way, he speaks fluent English and he can always be reached by phone or by e-mail. Fortunately, he is easy to talk with and no question is ever too stupid for him to answer, and I have to say that I bombarded him with questions on an almost weekly basis. Arrival and Transfer: I chose to fly with Rossiya Airlines, which I booked online using a travel exchange site to get the best possible deal. The planes might have been a little older than what I am used to, but both flights were excellent and onboard service was good. I also plucked up the courage to try out my Russian on my flight to St. Petersburg and was able to move to a row of my own at the front of the plane. I have no idea why nobody else did this as the first four rows of tourist class were empty and the rest of the plane was packed. After I had gone through passport control and customs, who surprisingly asked me whether I had any diamonds on me (lots of laughter), I was met by my driver, Alexander, an engineer who works parttime as a driver to supplement his family’s income (a common biography in Russia). While he speaks basic English and is currently learning English, he adapted his Russian to my level. Upon hearing that I had been there before – when the city was called Leningrad – he made a 30-minute detour through the centre to show me how things had changed. By the way, Alexander is communicative, polite and punctual, knows the city like the back of his hand and is a very good driver. My Russian: Thanks to my stay, my Russian has improved to such an extent that I now have a firm grasp of the grammar as well as a good command of spoken Russian. With the aid of a dictionary, I am now reading by Bulgakov and by Pelevin. I am also able to watch Russian films on DVD, such as Брат, Брат 2 and стиляги, and really like listening to the Russian radio station Эхо Москвы as well as Russian music by such artists as Владимир Высоцкий, Кино, Ленинград, Дельфин and Наутилус Помпилиус. I could not have wished for a better learning experience and highly recommend russianinpetersburg.com, particularly if you are looking for a language school that caters to adult learners! The website russianinpetersburg.com is very clear, and trustful to me to directly book a course. Before travelling to Russia all my questions were answered. It all went so fast!! The driver waited for me at the airport and during the trip to the host family I knew everything would go smoothly. Once I got my suitcase in, the host lady gave me instructionshow to get by metro to the city center. What a nice feeling to explore such a beautiful city on your own! At dinner I told Antonina all what I saw and she gave me some hints for the next day.
The city has much to offer with respect to art and history. During my short stay I visited musea, churches and went to a fantastic opera. Also, I enjoyed one evening with the Belgians, and one evening at the Dutch expat scene. I went to shopping malls, and in «Дом Книги» I took a cup of coffee on the second floor and enjoyed the view of the busy Nevsky Prospekt. About the tuition I can only say "chapeau"! Bart does it with a young and alert crew. They all are very motivated, professional and know how to handle things. Nastya very well asked for my interests and explored my level of knowledge of the language. She gave me the necessary theory, combined with texts which really did interest me. I felt very well and also outside the lessons I learnt a lot about the city. During the practice lessons with Pasha, I proved - by all means - my knowledge of Russian. I chose what I wanted to do, but we only spoke Russian with eachother. Very nice also was the "Russian Club" organised on Wednesday evening by the teachers. Everything is so easy in this metropole which established Peter the Great 300 years ago !!! I came back home very satisfied, with a lot of knowledge and wisdom and definitely will book another course at russianinpetersburg.com. I am extremely grateful that the Petrion staff honored my wish to work on my Russian skills outside of the standard grammar-centered curriculum and to concentrate on Russian literature instead. My teacher Nastya crafted an individual course of study for me as we went along and generously shared her enthusiasm and expertise in Russian writing. She would not let me ignore the grammar, but the context (Bulghakov, Chekhov, Achmatova, Turgeniev) made studying Russian so much more interesting to me. I stayed in the studio apartment and found the place an excellent base. It is simple, but clean, efficiently furnished, and bright. It may be a bit lonely for another single student, but I lead a rather busy life in the US, so a quiet spell in Russia was most welcome, and anyway, I was mainly out seeing St. Petersburg and its surroundings. I would recommend Petrion to anyone wishing to study Russian, and a visit to St. Petersburg to anyone at all. Translation from Italian: For all those who are interested in a linguistic and cultural experience in St. Petersburg, I advise to organize their trip with "Russian in St.Petersburg". The coordinator was very helpful both before and during my stay. Upon my arrival at the airport, I was picked up by a driver, which is very useful in such a large city. The apartment is situated within a quiet area, and to move around you take the metro. Just two stops to get in the city center. The lessons were intense and we had a very patient teacher. The trips organized by a local student allowed me to discover places that otherwise would never see and practice a bit 'tongue. I hope to return soon. In the beginning of July 2008, I did a crash course for beginners. Through my work, I come in St. Petersburg since 2005, and met my current fiancée there. We are in the process of planning to live together in the Netherlands after our marriage, but so far we still live apart. This summer gave a good opportunity to participate in a language course and to be together in Saint Petersburg. Therefore I organised myself the accommodation.
Except for the usual words you pick up when travelling and during the relationship with a Russian, my knowledge of the Russian language was limited. In two weeks time, through the Russian in Petersburg program, and especially by the splendid lessons of teacher Alexandra, I built up a good base of the language and an extended vocabulary. After two weeks, I was able to have a conversation with my future mother in law (we also did the homework together). My fiancée and her friends were very impressed by the progress I made in a very short time. To be honest, the reading and speaking went quite well, but listening remains difficult in such a short period. However, through the bigger vocabulary and knowledge of grammar it gets easier to understand where the conversation is about. Nevertheless, the practice lessons were still very difficult for me. In addition I would like to mention, that everything around the course was very well organised and I am very well planning to continue to study Russian in my home country and to come back to Saint Petersburg for another course next spring. Eight years ago, I was in Moscow and Saint Petersburg during my end year study trip. Then my fascination for this country was born. Some years I also had a relationship with a Russian girl, and therefore I started to study Russian. At that moment a necessity, now it is just a passion. Unfortunately last year I was very busy and did not have much time to spend behind my Russian books. I found this language course on the internet, offering exactly what I was looking for: an opportunity to train intensively the Russia language and at the same time a cheap holiday in a fantastic city. Everything went smoothly. The communication with Bart, the transfer from and to the airport, the registration. Lessons with teacher Alexandra were perfect: she quickly understood what I did and did not know, and adjusted her lessons on that. We very well got along with each other. Also with Ruth, my flat mate, I got well along. She provided me with some worthy do's and don'ts. Two weeks passed very quickly, but anyway I learnt a lot in a short time and I got enough time to do cultural things and to relax. So, I am very satisfied about my period in Petersburg and whenever I get an opportunity again to leave for 2 weeks Saint Petersburg will definitely be an option. Poka Rossiya! The countries that I work with are Russian speaking countries and Russian is essential for my business, so that work is as efficient and customer oriented as possible. It is a wonderful but some times challenging language but the instructors were amazing and dedicated to helping me reach my goals. I can't say enough about the instructors; they truly were the reason I enjoyed my lessons and the language so much. I discovered the program through a business associate who had participated in the program. I decided to take the Program B Super and it was definitely intense but well worth it. I hope to come back in a year and increase my knowledge of Russian. For a city like Saint Petersburg, two weeks are not enough indeed to see all the city highlights. I saw the most of this wonderful city, and I was lucky to see the white nights and also the regata on the Neva River. But most of all, I was lucky to meet nice people with whom I made easily a contact, no matter their age or nationality. I shared a room with a Belgian guy and an Italian one, so these two weeks went by really fast and I'm keeping a great memory of that time. I am glad that I had exactly what I needed in a linguistic point of view, which is to say more practice and less grammar. Besides, my understanding of the Russian culture and lifestyle improved. I found similarities between Bulgarians and Russians but also I was curious to understand more about the perception of the political regime, which is related to my studies at Sciences Po in France. I feel more than satisfied and I hope that I will get back to Russia soon. "Często spotykam się z biznesowymi partnerami zza wschodniej granicy. Dotąd porozumiewaliśmy się po angielsku lub za pośrednictwem tłumaczy. W końcu pomyślałem, przecież uczyłem się tego jezyka - fakt, dawno - 25 lat temu, dlaczego by znów nie spróbować ? Kurs w Petersburgu w pełni zaspokoił moje oczekiwania - nie mogłem ani chwili narzekać na nudę - przemili i mądrzy ludzie, u których mieszkałem, indywidualne lekcje, zajęcia praktyczne zawsze w miłym towarzystwie oraz samo przepiękne miasto - wszystko to przyczyniło się do tego, że już po kilku dniach, zacząłem czuć się swobodnie i mimo oczywistych braków słownictwa, bez większych kłopotów komunikować się z napotkanymi ludźmi. Czasu po powrocie również nie marnuję - natychmiast pojechałem znów do Rosji - tym razem służbowo by ciągle mieć kontakt z językiem i pogłębiać jego znajomość. Duże podziękowania i pozdrowienia dla Barta, Saszy, Katii, Nastii i Miły !" Translation from Polish: In my job, I often meet with people from behind our eastern borders. As these conversation always go in English or through translators, I decided to study the Russian language. After all, I learnt this language in school 25 years ago, so why not give it a try again? The course in St. Petersburg, fully fulfilled my expectations. Nothing to complain: the classes, practice lessons and the family with whom I lived, and of course all in a spectacular city! It all has contributed to the fact, that after several days I could much easer communicate in Russian, despite my lack of vocabulary. As I will continue to visit Russia for business, I will enlarge my knowledge and skills. Many thanks and greets to Bart, Sasha, Katya, Natya and Mila ! As a non-student, I had to get used to the intensity of the course. Four hours of lessons per day, homework and several practices lessons and excursions, make it... indeed an intensive course. If you have not been in Russia before, you will need to get acquainted with the country... especially if you are used to luxury and service. But behind the apparently rigid, indifferent and closed culture, you'll find passionate and interesting people.
Being the cultural capital of the country, St. Petersburg is a really to be recommended. A city where presence and past, East and West meet each other. Every "dive" on the escalator into the deep metro is a "party": watching people and being watched. You will never be alone when drinking a beer, because everybody does it, also on the street. Everything and everybody goes fast... But if you show that you want to speak the language... then people appear to be proud and patient. "Russian in Petersburg" is the best way to study the language and to get to know the Russian people and culture. The teachers pay very good attention to your personal wishes and there is a light and informal way of interaction, to my opinion really good, both from a didactical as a practical point of view. For you a recommendation, for me a reason to return... Zajecia praktyczne z Nastya – rowniez bardzo dobrze przygotowana do zajec z obcokrajowcami. Nie tyle nauczyciel, co osoba, ktora potrafi i chce przekazac swoim studentom jak Rosjanie mysla i reaguja w zyciu codziennym. Zawsze mozna liczyc na ciekawa dyskusje na wszyskie tematy. Dostosowuje swoj program do potrzeb i zainteresowan konkretnego studenta. Jako Polak moglem bez przeszkod i jakiegokolwiek zarzenowania swobodnie wymieniac poglady o naszej wspolnej historii. Podsumowujac, nauczycielka bardzo otwarta na innych, profesjonalna i dobrze przygotowana do zajec praktycznych. Wycieczki – Uczstniczylem w nich zaledwie jeden razz e wzgledu na moj indywidualny program zajec i duza ilosc zajec praktycznych. Stwierdzilem, ze dzieki tym wycieczkom studenci z Holandii mogli skorzystac z poglebienia swojej wiedzy na temat Rosji i wykorzystac dodatkowy czas z Nastya od zajec praktycznych. Ja w tym czasie wolalem swobodnie cieszyc sie swobodnym zwiedzaniem. General remarks Zdecydowanie polecam Wasz kurs jezyka rosyjskiego w Sankt Petersburgu. Dobrze wykonana praca, gratulacje i dziekuje! Translation from Polish: Theoretical course with Nastya - she is an excellent teacher and in my opinion she loves her job with the foreigners. She really knows how to explain the grammar in an efficient way. Besides, as an individual student I was able to start speaking in Russian after as little as 2 weeks, so that’s great. Thank you anyway. Practical course with Nastya – she is also very well prepared to work with the foreigners. The best thing she does is that she really explains what do the Russians think and how do they react. As a Polish I could even easily speak about our common history. Resuming, she is very open, professional and well prepared for the practical course. Excursions – I have participated only once because I wanted to give an opportunity to Dutch students to enjoy more their time with Nastya. As I had 5 practice classes I wanted also to enjoy the city by myself. General remarks – I would definitely recommend your course to other Polish students of Russian language. Good job! Thanks a lot. I was positively surprised by the quality and the enthousiasm of the teachers. Even at the end of a long day, they managed to keep speed, and using a good mix of tuition methods they efficiency of the lessons remained high. As a former director of a school, I know from my own experience how difficult this can be. For everybody, who does not know yet St. Petersburg, the excursions and practice lessons are a very good addition to the lessons. Due to the fact that the lessons were given in the (very well established student accommodation) there was no loss of travelling time and therefore many time available to study and for excursions. Both the lessons as the accommodation really exceeded my expectations. One and a half year ago, I started with self-tuition of the Russian language - besides my work as a environment consultant in The Hague - due to my interest for history, geography and international politics, and because of the role of the former Soviet-Union and the current Russia as one of the super powers. Shortly after I discoverd the Russian in Petersburg website, I knew directly that I wanted to do something like this in addition to my self tuition. After I visited as a tourist Moscow and St. Petersburg (in Soviet time I had visited Ukraine once), I this year took the decision to apply for the course. The program more than answered my expectations, although my ambition for the level to achieve was unrealistic high. I chose for an individual course and a stay in a host family, because I wanted to use my time in the most efficient way. Well, I definitily have succeeded in that, thanks to the very good lessons of my teacher Alexandra. She was very flexible to the speed of the lessons (both excellerating as slowing down). The efforts of my practice tutors and the good care of my host lady Antonina very much motivated me to practice my achieved knowledge.
The practice lessons could be arranged according to my wishes, resulting in some less touristic trips to less known, but at least as interesting objects in St. Petersburg, like an art gallery (with an exposition of a gallery owner who recently exhibited in Amserdam), a market and a trip to Kronstadt where a bridge with flood barrier is built in the Neva by a Russian and a Dutch company. This, in addition to some nice excursions with other course participants to the Peter and Paul Fortress, the Hermitage and the Russian Museum. It should be clear that I not only gained a lot of knowledge, but also had very interesting experiences. My praise for the excellent and professional organisation of the accommodation and the transfers by teh course coordinator. The program was organised so smoothly that it appeared "non-Russian"; due to my experiences in the eighties, I expected more improvisation. My thanks to Bart, Alexandra, Nastya, Kshosha, Pasha and Antonina; it was wonderful and unforgettable, to stay a few weeks in the nice St. Petersburg. Due to the nice city and your efforts, I could feel myself a little bit Russian. I'm Spanish mum of two children, six and ten years old. When for different reasons I decided my children to learn Russian I couldn't imagine having those surprising results with both of them. Two hours a day lessons for each and some practical during the afternoon has been enough to start with this difficult language.
The thing I like best is that both of the children want to come back again, they have learned too much and have had fun. Teachers has bean very patient especially for the small one and very professional. The organization seems to be perfect, nothing to be changed on Visa support, transfer, apartment.. Two weeks passed very quickly and I really want to come back again and learn Russian myself to. After some years of Russian lessons at an evening school in my country, I decided to let the language get alive by participating in a language course in Russia. Soon, the internet led me to this language course in Russia. So full of enthusiasm I booked this crash course in Saint Petersburg. The communication with the course coordinator (Bart) was very clear. I got good instructions for the visa application, the payment and the journey. At the arrival on the airport the driver was waiting for me. After a typical Russian greeting (none!) we drove to the apartment where Bart and the other participants welcomed me. We had a very nice group, did a lot of activities together and went together out for dinner or we cooked at the apartment. The lessons were in a classroom next to the sleeping rooms, so no travel time in the morning! The teacher was very motivated. In the evening we were for hours doing homework! The afternoon we spent by visiting the city for an excursion or a practice lesson, together with Russian students or city guide. They also led us to the non-touristic spots, where you really are between the Russians. They told a lot about their life in Saint Petersburg and about the local habits. All in all, I can tell that I had a great time. Very nice as a holiday, but also valuable for someone who wants to learn the Russian language. I am very satisfied about my stay in St. Petersburg. The student apartment, where also the lessons took place, was very comfortable and situated at 300 meters from the Finnish Gulf. The sea was totally frozen during my stay, so for me this was a special place to walk. The grammar, explained by the very good teacher Katya, is now totally clear to me. Very special for me were the trips per elektichka to the surrounding villages. The quietness of these wooden villages were a pleasant change to the big St. Petersburg. To see the other extreme, I went by night-train to Moscow: an absolute recommendation to combine with your visit to Petersburg. I was very pleased with Arktika, a concert hall with cafe and internet, located on a 15 minute walk from the student apartment (next to metro station Primorskaya). I visited this place a lot, because of the shows of Russian and sometimes foreign metal- and folk rock bands. My stay in St. Petersburg was a special experience and therefore I recommend the language courses at this language centre for anyone who wants to study Russian (on any level) and wants to visit the city with its many tourist attractions, and the surroundings. We very much enjoyed our stay in Russia. The lessons were very practically organised: a good mix of grammar and vocabulary. Very patient and motivated teachers.
We could directly examine our knowledge into practice and we mentioned that the Russians really got friendly when we did our first efforts to speak Russian. The combination of language lessons and visiting the beautiful city of Saint Petersburg is definitely a direct hit. I can everybody recommend! I once studied Russian by self-tuition, that was the reason to chose for a group course "basic" level. That very much suited to what I had learned. But, Russian you will only really learn in the country where it is spoken. In this language program, you not only study from the books, but there is also much attention to how the language is spoken in daily life. This organisation works with very enthusiast teachers and guides. Saint Petersburg is a beautiful and sprakling city. In the free time I, together with fellow students, enjoyed all the city had to offer. The housing was good, in case you did not want to go out for dinner, there was a small kitchen so you could prepare a meal yourself.
I just had my last lesson. Two times five days in a row of Russian language lssons. Now I will need to continue the study myself. In the first, week we went very fast through the course book. This week the speed slowed down and we repeated a lot. For me it was very difficult to quickly find answers on questions in the Russian language. To make a good Russian sentence is not so easy. First to find the right words, then to place them in the right order, and of course not to forget to use the falls and change the endings of nouns and adjectives. Fortunately, I got a lot of questions to “process’ making me stumbling and fall and repeat, repeat and repeat. A magic word!
Alexandra asked me to write a small story about my experiences in St. Petersburg. What I wrote was that it was very difficult for me to study Russian, but that I had a very good time. She also gave me a small Russian book as a present, to practice making sentences. Very nice! I can use this very well during me further trip through Russia. Sunday night I get on the train to Moscow. One week later on the Trans Siberian Express. I got a lot of motivation during the last two weeks and I am planning to keep this and continue to study on with this language. So soon I will be able to conduct completer conversations. My two weeks were very intensive. Besides the lessons and the homework, I wanted to visit as much as possible. In this city with 5 million inhabitants, on every corner of the street there is something to see. Street venders selling salted cucumbers or dried mushrooms, shops with a total assortment of Smetana and other typical products. And of course the “classics” like the cruiser Aurora, the marine museum, the artillery museum, the Isaac Cathedral, the icebreaker Krasin, the communication system, etc. The longer you are in the city, the more things you discover. And you keep being surprised, for example: before going to the swimming pool, you need to get a medical test for 100 roubles (3 euros) before diving into the water. One of the biggest advantages of a language course in the country where it is spoken, is that you get to know a lot about the culture. And that is necessary to understand the people. This language course provided me the possibility to take part in the Russian society. Thanks to the language courses and the practics lessons, I could get to know from the inside Saint Petersburg and the Russian life, and not standing at the sideline like tourists do. For me it was an adventure. I was astonished by the greatness of the country, the power of its citizens, the richness of its art and the medieval magic of its religion. Russia is more than just another country, it is another world. From the outside it looks like a Western civilization, but behind the façade there is a very interesting population, quite different from ours. It is more than worth to discover this. From “da, nyet and spasiba” to basic Russian. My tutor at university once recommended me to study Russian after having defended a thesis about the Ukrain. I could not easily find a good course in my home country, but through the internet I found this course in St. Petersburg. With a ticket, a visa, a suitcase and many do’s and don’ts advices from friends, I traveled to Russia.
The first impressions were “grey” and “communistic”, very cold, dangerous traffic. But my impressions changed when reaching downtown Petersburg. How cold and snowy it was outside, so cousy and warm it was inside the apartment, where stayed two other students. The city indeed seemed to have rightly earned the title of “Venice of the North”. I was surprised by the Russian manner of buying food, standing in lines, the life in metro, the Nevsky Prospekt and the driving styles of many Lada’s. The language course we followed wtih 2 in a group, and because we both already knew the alphabet, we directly could start working on grammar and vocabulary. Our teacher seemed to have an endless patience by repeating grammar, falls, Russian logics of words and sentences. Between the lessons there were coffee breaks together with other students and teachers. During the breaks we did not learn less than during the lessons: a lot stories about Russian culture, and many new Russian words. Without any idea what to expect from this language course, I started this program and came back home very satisfied, with many extra books and cd’s to continue to study Russian. I am convinced that I will come back to use the language in practice and because my experience of this month just asks for more!
In July 2003 I did a language study of three weeks in Saint Petersburg. This course was organized for me by Petrion. The advantage of this organization is that it is managed by a person from the Netherlands. The content and planning of the course could therefore very easily be discussed in advance. As a result I could travel to Petersburg with a safe feeling. The support at the spot was very well; all agreements were met and there was a very pleasant contact with the teachers and the course coordinator. At the beginning of the course, I almost did not have any knowledge. I just knew the Russian alphabet. I can recommend to anyone, to learn the cyrillic alphabet in advance. In this way you’ll book many progress from the very beginning of the course. The content of my lessons and the learning speed, I discussed in advance very well with my teacher. I also would advice anyone to do the same: make for yourself and for your teacher clear what your goals are and on what to put the emphasis (grammar, pronunciation, reading, conversation skills). The teacher spoke English well, but tried to use it only when necessary. At the end of three weeks I was able to understand easy conversations and take part in it. I thereby reached the goals I set for myself in the beginning. I stayed at a host family, which I could recommend to anyone. Both during the day and in the evening I was in a total Russian language environment. This positively influenced my learning results. I am satisfied about the way I was guided and supported. I seriously think of doing again a course in the near future. And I definitely will do this at the same institute. Important is to have a good and realistic idea of the goals and to discuss this in advance. The strong asset of this program is that within the broad staff of teachers always ca be found a teacher and program which directly match with your intentions. I woud like to share my experiences with future participants of the "Russian in Petersburg" course. The two weeks stay in St. Petersburg in May 2008 was for me a very instructive and impressive period. My limited knowledge of the Russian language, I could bring into practice (or better to say: I "had to" bring into practice!). My goal is to travel alone in Russia, to make myself heard and to be able in musea to read things.
The time next to the lessons and the homework, I used for siteseeing and I really enjoyed it. Also the shopping at the supermarkets and the kiosks on the street, the local transport and walking long distances, give me an nice impression of the daily live. I have to compliment mr. Leenhouts for the good information and communication prior to the course. In case my age (62 years) allows, I would definitely want to come again.
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Simon and other students with teacher Nastya 
