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Learn Russian with a language course in St Petersburg, Russia
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St Petersburg, Russia
Minimum age: 16 Years, Average age: 33
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| St Petersburg | Russian Language School | Russian Language Courses | Exam Preparation Courses | Business | Russian + Work Experience | Russian + Culture Courses | Dates | Activities/Excursions | Visa | Accommodation | Prices | Registration | Russia | Visit St Petersburg | FAQ |
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St Petersburg
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| Learn Russian in St Petersburg, Russia - Improve your Russian with a Russian language course in St Petersburg, Russia - Russian language school in St Petersburg, Russia | ‚Pieter‘ as the inhabitants fondly call St. Petersburg, looks back at a short but moving history, which resulted in the enlisting of the old town into the UNESCO world heritage list.
A little more than 300 years ago, the area of nowadays St. Petersburg was a swamp area along the river bed of the ’Neva’ which is still dividing the city today. With over 800 Bridges, the water is still present and gave the city its reputation as the Venice of the north.
Today more than 4.6 Million inhabitants live in greater St. Petersburg granting it the status of the northernmost metropolis of the world. The city is the cultural capital of Russia and hosts one of the biggest museums in the world ‘The Hermitage’ (which holds the largest collection of paintings in the world). Further famous sites are the first stone building of the city the ‘Peter and Paul Fortress’ and the grand palace ‘Peterhof’ which was influenced by ‘Versailles’.
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Russian Language School
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Our Russian language school partner in St. Petersburg is located just off Nevsky Prospekt , just 5 minutes´ walk from the metro station Nevsky prospekt/Gostiny Dvur. The area offers some of the finest examples of St.Petersburg architecture and a wide range of cafés, bars, restaurants and shops are available within walking distance.
The school has 13 classrooms (11 suitable for groups and 2 - for mini-groups and individuals) year round. The classrooms are all equipped with a flat screen TV/DVD combo and whiteboards. Facilities also include a self-access centre with a library and students’ computers equipped with the essential software, as well as an internet cafe and a WiFi zone for the laptop users. | | The school also has a booking desk for excursions, tickets and onward travel and a cafeteria. Our in-house cafeteria is usually open from 09:00 am till 09:00 pm (05:00 pm during summer and on Fridays). The language school combines a demanding and intensive program with a relaxed, personal and friendly atmosphere. It is accredited by the local governments as a private language school for teaching Russian as a foreign language and are to date the only private language school which was admitted into ROPRYAL, the prestigious Russian Association for Teaching of Russian Language and Literature. For more information about our partner school’s accreditation, please refer to Accreditations. | | For more information about the Russian language school and St Petersburg, please go to Russian language courses in St Petersburg. Would you like to know where the school is located on the map? |
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More information about teachers (please click here)
| All teachers are native Russian speakers and have a University degree either in teaching Russian to foreigners (RKI) or Linguistics. The school pays particular attention to the professional development of the teaching staff. The school trains them in role-play, live discussions and creative work (drawing, story-telling) on a regular basis. The school constantly evaluates new teaching materials and develop its own text books. |
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Russian Language Courses
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| Russian language courses at all levels are run year round. The quality of our the courses is controlled by a clear course syllabus, detailed entry and exit questionnaires, clear complaint and backup procedures. All courses are based on communicative approaches and combine learning common expressions used in everyday situations with a thorough and systematic grammatical approach. This is of vital importance for learning a language like Russian, which has an inflectional system and a non-fixed word order – a language in which word endings or word's place create the meaning. The learning objectives and levels (6 levels from A1 to C1) are based on the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) and are determined by the peculiarities of the Russian language.
If you book a group course and your level is above A1+, your class will be taught by two teachers, where - broadly speaking – one focuses on grammar and the other focuses on conversation, which makes classes more varied and interesting. This system only works with well structured study plans.Your teachers clearly and regularly communicate the teaching objectives to you. |
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Further details:
- 1 lesson = 50 minutes
- Maximum group size: 12 students
- Orientation / testing usually take place on Monday (or Tuesday if Monday is a public holiday)
- Courses start on a Monday and end on a Friday
- Pre-course placement test upon arrival
- Welcome package upon arrival (either at the school or airport)
- Weekly progress test
- Course certificate upon completion
- Access to library and self study centre
- Use of computers with internet and W-LAN
- Guided city tour incl.
Learning Materials: Textbooks and copies are incl. in the price. Important Note: A very important minimum requirement for all group courses is passive knowledge of the Cyrillic alphabet. |
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| Standard Russian Language Course (20 lessons per week) | | This Russian language course of 20 lessons per week is offered year-round, with a new student intake every second week, and follows a modular pattern of two-week units. The curriculum is built up like a spiral, which means that each new level of language acquisition starts with the revision of previously studied grammar constructions logically connected with different speech patterns. This has two advantages: group newcomers feel themselves involved in the learning process, while continuing students acquire new vocabulary based on previously acquired grammar material. The schhool teaches Russian in Russian right from day one. This will develop your ability to interact in Russian much faster and also helps to overcome any language barrier. Details: - 20 group lessons per week
- Timetable: 10.00 am – 13.50 pm from Monday to Friday
- Start Dates: every second Monday (see Dates below)
- Duration: 2-52 weeks
- Levels: beginner (A1) to upper-intermediate (B2)
Note: 100% Beginners may start on the dates indicated with a * (see below) and are advised to be familiar with the Cyrillic alphabet. | |
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| Intensive Russian Language Course (25 lessons per week) | | The Intensive Russian language course consists of 20 morning lessons which are taken together with the students who have booked our Standard Group Course and five additional lessons taught on two afternoons offered at a minimum of three different levels (A1 – B2). The content of the afternoon lessons depends on the language levels and reaches from survival Russian on the beginner level, outdoor classes, telephone training over lectures on Russian mentality and traditions, cuisine and history to business, economy and political topics on the higher levels. | Details:
- 25 group lessons per week
- Timetable: 10.00 am - 13.50 pm from Monday to Friday and 2 afternoons (usually Wednesday & Friday)
- Start Dates: every second Monday (see Dates below)
- Duration: 2-52 weeks
- Levels: beginner (A1) to upper-intermediate (B2)
Note: 100% Beginners may start on the dates indicated with a * (see below) and are advised to be familiar with the Cyrillic alphabet. | |
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| Our partner school offers a variety of one to one courses which are all aimed at a high improvement level. | | One-to-One Russian Language Course (15, 20, 30 or 40 private lessons per week) | All one-to-one courses are tailor-made. The teacher and the student jointly determine the exact content. The student is invited to specify his/her fields of interest by completing a needs analysis (available on request), which allows to pre-select material, establish a study plan and prepare a specific vocabulary. One-to-one courses are available in varying degrees of intensity: 15, 20, 30 or 40 lessons per week. 30 classes per week or more are taught by two teachers, who constantly complement the programme and co-ordinate its fulfillment. Details: - 15, 20, 30 or 40 private lessons per week (additional lessons can be booked as a supplement to either group or one-to-one course, please, contact us for more information)
- Timetable: upon arrangement from Monday to Friday (weekend lessons possible upon request)
- Maximum 1 participant per group
- Start Dates: every Monday (except holidays)
- Duration: min. 1 week
- Levels: beginner (A1) to advanced (C1)
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| Total Immersion Russian Language Course (20 private lessons per week outside the classroom) | This Total Immersion Courses is a one-to one Russian language course with 20 weekly lessons run outside the school. The lessons are given by one of our teachers who see the student where he lives (host family, apartment, hotel, etc.). The course is targeted at people who do not want to have any contact with other non-Russian speakers during their stay. Details: - 20 private lessons per week at your place of living
- Timetable: upon arrangement
- Maximum 1 participant per group
- Start Dates: every Monday (except holidays)
- Duration: min. 1 week
- Levels: beginner (A1) to advanced (C1)
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Exam Preparation Courses
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| TRKI Exam Preparation Russian Language Courses (5 private lessons/week – only in combination) | The TRKI exam preparation course is an extra module, which is booked in addition to a standard or intensive group course or in addition to another one-to-one course. This extra module is a one-to-one course. You and your teacher jointly determine the number of modules you need in order to pass a particular exam. We advise students who wish to take the exam to book one module in advance. If you and your teacher decide that this is not enough, you can book another module in directly at our partner school.
The TRKI exam can be taken at the St. Petersburg State University. Exam dates have to be enquired with the university.
Currently the TRKI examination system consists of six distinct exams, ranging from elementary to proficiency level.
Details: - 5 or 10 private lessons per week in combination with another course
- Timetable: upon arrangement (usually in the afternoon)
- Maximum 1 participant per group
- Start Dates: every Monday (except holidays)
- Duration: min. 1 week
- Levels: beginner (A1) to upper-intermediate (B2)
Exam Fees: approx. 130 – 150 EUR per exam (subject to change) |
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Business
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| Business Mini-Group Russian Language Course (5 lessons/week - only in combination) | | The Business Mini-Group Russian Language Course can be booked only in addition to any Group or One-to-One course and consist of 5 lessons held in the afternoons. It gives useful language for everyday business situations: telephone calls, making appointments, running a meeting, dealing with clients. On higher levels it develops practical language skills within real business scenarios: presentations, negotiations, meetings and discussions. This module is ideal for professionals who need to expand their business vocabulary, especially in marketing and sales, and to improve their ability to build and establish successful relationships with Russian Business partners. Details: - 5 mini-group lessons per week in combination with another course
- Timetable: 2 afternoons on Mondays/Wednesdays or Tuesdays/Thursdays with 2 lessons on one day and 3 lessons on the second - starting from 15.00
- Maximum 4 students per group
- Start Dates: every second Monday (see Dates below)
- Duration: min. 2 weeks
- Minimum Level: elementary (A2)
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| Russian for Special Purposes Language Course (20 general group + 5 private special focus lessons/week) | Russian for Special Purposes courses are a combination of a standard group course (20 weekly lessons) with additional 5 weekly individual lessons (one-to-one). The individual lessons focus on specific needs for students working in one of the following sectors: - Hotel and tourism (hospitality)
- Airline staff (flight attendants)
- Alpine ski instructors
These professional courses are tailor-made, open only to staff working in above mentioned areas. Professional or Student ID/proof of employment need to be shown by the time of booking to secure enrolment. Details: - 20 general Group Russian lessons + 5 Special Focus Russian Private Lessons
- Timetable: Standard Group from 10.00 am - 13.50 + afternoon lessons upon arrangement from Monday to Friday
- Maximum 1 students per private lessons
- Start Dates: every second Monday (see Dates below)
- Duration: min. 2-4 weeks
- Levels: beginner (A1) to upper-intermediate (B2)
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More Details on different special focus modules (click here)
| Russian for the hotel and tourism industry (hospitality) The individual lessons of this course focus on communication for industry-typical situations for hospitality professionals working in sales, front-desk, concierge and reservation departments. Case studies will be used and analysed. Vocabulary typical for the industry will be learned and repeated. Included in the course is a guided tour to one of the international hotels in St. Petersburg. Russian for airline staff The individual lessons of this course focus on communication which is typical for cabin crew. The syllabus was designed jointly with the training center of a major European airline and focuses on airline vocabulary and real-life case studies, conflict solving with Russian speaking passengers and other inter-cultural aspects. Russian for ski instructors The individual lessons of this course focus on vocabulary typically used by ski-instructors dealing with Russian speaking customers. The syllabus was designed jointly with professionals working at the slopes and goes beyond pure ski-specific vocabulary. Real-life case studies will be used and analysed. |
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Russian + Work Experience
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Our Russian language school partner is one of the first organisations to offer meaningful study and work programmes in Russia. The school offers two kinds of work experience programmes. |
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| Russian + Internship | You will combine a min. of 4 weeks Russian language course with 4-24 weeks of an unpaid internship, depending on the host organization’s requirements. An Internship is a temporary, supervised, practical experience programme in which a young person, usually a college or university student, carries out a training experience in a temporary position at a host company. | Our Russian language school partner provides internships in the following areas:
- Mass Media (journalism)
- Public Relations
- Sales & Marketing
- Legal and consulting firm
- Chambers of commerce
- Medicial care
A complete list of current positions and fact sheets about the individual host organisations are available on request. | | For legal reasons, all work experience assignments in Russia are unpaid. You also need to be aware that you are responsible for accommodation and insurance costs. Accommodation may be arranged via the school or individually. Placement is done pre-arrival, so that you know well in advance where you are going to work. In order to successfully match student and host organisation, it is important that you not only send us the necessary booking forms, but also supply us with a workplacement application form and a current CV and recent photograph at least 8 weeks prior to course start. On successful completion of your assignment you will receive two documents: our graded course certificate and confirmation from the host organization. Requirements:
- Minimum Age: 21 years (or higher according to indications of host company)
- Minimum Russian level: Elementary+ A2+ (or B1 if no prior language course booked) (evaluation through telephone or Skype conversation)
- The student needs to have had previous working experience or the qualification (or in process of the qualification) in the chosen field of interest
Internship Placement Fee: EUR 250 Internship Placement Fee (if no language course booked): EUR 400
For further information on our unpaid internship program in St Petersburg, Russia, please refer to our pdf file Professional internship in St. Petersburg or Moscow, Russia. For general information on our work programs please refer to our Study & Work abroad page. |
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| Russian + Volunteering | You will combine a min. of 4 weeks Russian language course with 2-24 weeks of an unpaid volunteer work, depending on the host organization’s requirements. A Volunteer programme is a temporary, supervised, practical training in which a person voluntarily carries out a task which has social, environmental or cultural relevance. | Our Russian language school partner offers volunteer programmes with the following types of host organisations:
- Orphanages
- Charity Programmes
- Children’s Hospitals.
A complete list of current positions and fact sheets about the individual host organisations are available on request. For legal reasons, all work experience assignments in Russia are unpaid. You also need to be aware that you are responsible for accommodation and insurance costs. Accommodation may be arranged via the school or individually. | | Placement is done pre-arrival, so that you know well in advance where you are going to work. In order to successfully match student and host organisation, it is important that you not only send us the necessary booking forms, but also supply us with a workplacement application form and a current CV and recent photograph at least 8 weeks prior to course start. On successful completion of your assignment you will receive two documents: our graded course certificate and confirmation from the host organization.
Requirements:
- Minimum Age: 18 years (or higher according to indications of host company)
- Minimum Russian level: Elementary+ A2+
Volunteering Placement Fee: EUR 250
For further information on our unpaid volunteering program in St Petersburg, Russia, please refer to our pdf file Volunteer placement in St Petersburg or Moscow, Russia.
For general information on our work programs please refer to our Study & Work abroad page. |
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Russian + Culture Courses
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| Russian Music Mini-Group Course (5 lessons/week - only in combination) | | The Russian Music Mini-Group Course can be booked only in addition to any Group or One-to-One course and consist of 5 lessons held in the afternoons. Students who choose this module will have a possibility to learn more about Russians through songs and music. Lessons include listening to famous Russian songs of the XX century, starting from folk songs and ballads up to rock and pop music. There also will be lectures on the history of typical Russian music genres, all with the aim to expand the vocabulary of our students with both poetic lexica and modern slang. Details: - 5 mini-group lessons per week in combination with another course
- Timetable: 2 afternoons on Mondays/Wednesdays or Tuesdays/Thursdays with 2 lessons on one day and 3 lessons on the second - starting from 15.00
- Maximum 4 students per group
- Start Dates: every second Monday (see Dates below)
- Duration: min. 2 weeks
- Minimum Level: elementary (A2)
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| Russian Literature Mini-Group Course (5 lessons/week - only in combination) | | The Russian Literature Mini-Group Course can be booked only in addition to any Group or One-to-One course and consist of 5 lessons held in the afternoons. This module is devoted to classical and modern Russian literature. Reading and discussing Tolstoy, Dostoevsky, Pelevin and many other renowned and popular writers will hopefully bring our students closer to the mysterious Russian soul or at least offer them a better insight into the Russian literary world. Details: - 5 mini-group lessons per week in combination with another course
- Timetable: 2 afternoons on Mondays/Wednesdays or Tuesdays/Thursdays with 2 lessons on one day and 3 lessons on the second - starting from 15.00
- Maximum 4 students per group
- Start Dates: every second Monday (see Dates below)
- Duration: min. 2 weeks
Minimum Level: upper-intermediate (B2) |
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| Russian Language Courses for Expatriates | If you are already living and working in Russia you will have different language needs to students who come to Russia just for a language course. We have developed specially designed courses if you need to combine work and study. We offer open group and one-to-one courses in the evenings, with flexible starting dates for all levels – perfect for expatriates ready to invest in their language skills after working hours. We also organise In-company training for individuals and small closed groups. For further information please contact us at . |
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Dates
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- The classes take place from Monday to Friday (except holidays)
- Arrival day: Sunday (you can arrive before by booking extra nights)
- Departure day: Saturday, after the end of the course
| | Starting dates in 2012 | | | Jan | Feb | March | April | May | June | July | Aug | Sept | Oct | Nov | Dec | | | 09* | 06* | 05* | 02* | 14 | 11* | 09* | 06* | 03* | 01 | 12* | 10* | | | 23 | 20 | 19 | 16 | 28* | 25* | 23* | 20* | 17* | 15* | 26 | | | | | | | 30 | | | | | | 29 | | | *Starting Dates for beginners. Beginners should be familiar with the Cyrillic alphabet. If Monday is a holiday, the course starts on Tuesday. |
| Holidays in 2012 | | | Jan | Feb | March | April | May | June | July | Aug | Sept | Oct | Nov | Dec | | | 01 | 23 | 08 | | 01 | 12 | | | | | 04 | | | | 02 | | | | 09 | | | | | | | | | | 07 | | | | | | | | | | | | On holidays the school is closed, courses are neither recuperated nor refunded. Compensation is only provided for One-to-One Courses. The school is closed for Christmas holidays from 23rd December 2011 to 08thJanuary 2012 and from 22nd December 2012 to 7th January 2013. |
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Activities/Excursions
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| Throughout the year, the school offers you the opportunity to meet and experience the people and culture of Russia. Foreign students can meet Russians who study English, German, French, Spanish and Finnish. The school also organizes several very popular joint events (for instance, boat trips) for our Russian and foreign students to encourage language and cultural exchange. Some activities are free, such as the city centre tours for new students and our Friday cocktails. Other activities are sold at reasonable rates. All excursion and guided visits are conducted in Russian. | |
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More information on activities & excursions (please click here)
Depending on the time of the year and the number of participants a variety of activities are offered.
The table below shows an example of the activities available (depending on time of the year and minimum participants):
- Walking city tour
- Rivers and canals of St. Petersburg (min. 10 pax)
- Secrets of the Romanov family walking tour
- Excursion to the famous Peterhof estate - Versailles of Russia
- Dostoyevsky in St. Petersburg exploration tour
- Day Trip to Novgorod
- Visit of the village Pushkin
- Visit of the 'State Russian Museum'
- Boat trip through the channels of St. Petersburg
- Thanks God It’s Friday!!!! – Vodka tasting
Further activities are announced upon arrival and during the time of your stay at the school. Ticket Service The centre in St. Petersburg offers a ticket desk, which can book tickets for many different cultural events, from ballet to open-air concerts or football matches. A booking fee is payable. Furthermore, train and plane tickets and hotels in other parts of Russia can be booked. |
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More info on airport transfers (please click here)
Airport Transfer Airport transfer one way upon arrival incl. from St. Petersburg airport or from any railway stations/sea + bus terminals if accommodation is booked. Departure Transfers + Transfers if no accommodation is booked: Airport Transfer from St. Petersburg airport - EUR 50 one way / Transfer from Railway Stations/Sea + Bus Terminals - EUR 35 one. |
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Visa
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Please be aware that visa applications are necessary for almost all foreigners. Our partner school provides invitation letters for a tourist visa for all students studying up to 4 weeks. A torusit visa is only valid for a single entry and a maximum stay of 30 days. For students wishing to stay longer than 4 weeks a student visa needs to be issued. In this case there is a difference between proprietors of a passport from ‘Schengen’ countries and others. None ‘Schengen’ passport holders will get an invitation letter issued by the Russian Ministry of Interior Affairs. This procedure takes at least one month. For all 'Schengen' passport holders, our partner school is alleged to issue an invitation letter, which allows issuing of the visa at short notice. It is the student’s responsibility to arrive at the school upon the correct visa. For further information, please refer to: http://www.russianembassy.org/ and check the Russia country information on our visa service page. |
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| Our partner school is accredited by: Founded in 1992 |
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