Summer Introductory Courses

We offer intro courses for students embarking on ab-initio Russian in September:

Ab-initio courses are intensive and demanding. First year courses expect you to:

• Master the alphabet (not just learn the 33 letters, but get your reading up to speed);
  
• Learn a new vocabulary (which, unlike French or German, has few shared words with English);
  
• Cover a tremendous amount of grammar (think 5 basic noun forms and then make your adjectives agree in gender, case and number!... Not to mention verbs...)

Coming on a preparatory course in Moscow will give you a significant head-start with the above. But most importantly, you will get a genuine feeling for the language - so that the structural elements will fall naturally into place during the academic year.

Spending some time in Russia, learning the basics of communication (rather than intensive grammar), getting an ear for the music (pronunciation, intonation) and learning a little history and culture will set you up for the year ahead.

You'll start the year at the ‘top of the class' with an advantage which will last you through the first term and hopefully avoid that feeling of drowning in old vocabulary lists that most first year students experience.

Program: the program is subject to change because you may not be a complete beginner or may wish other specific elements to be included. We confer with you before you arrive and during the week to make any necessary changes to the program, but in general, you can expect something like the following: