Why Many International Students Never Learn Russian

As time goes on, Russia continues to maintain some of the world’s most prestigious universities and has been drawing in more and more foreigners to come study in Russia, offering scholarships and major employment opportunities. Surprisingly, many of them do not end up learning Russian, despite usually spending years in the country and having a great opportunity to learn it in their daily lives. Today we are going to talk about what students who study abroad in Russia stand to gain from learning Russian, what is keeping them from doing so, and some possible solutions.

The Main Hurdles Impeding International Students from Learning Russian

Here are the reasons why students in Russia often do not learn the language.

Reason #1: Their Courses Are Taught in English

International students usually do not study abroad in Russian. In Russia, they mostly attend their classes in English at a university where the other students are mostly foreigners as well, many of whom are from the same country. On top of that, English is an international language and is often enough to achieve their goals.

Reason #2: Russian’s Reputation as a Difficult Language

The first challenge that most people see right away in an intro to Russian class is the intimidating-looking Cyrillic alphabet that Russian uses. It also has an array of challenges in its grammar with cases, conjugations, and word stress.

Reason #3: They’re Pressed for Time

Students who study abroad in Russia have a lot on their plate with the courses they’re already taking. A lot of them are going to medical school, which is especially grueling. Adding an introductory Russian course to them would require organizing the time to do it.

Fortunately, some Russian schools are able to do so for them. For example, TransEurope has a spectacular online format that adapts to accommodate international students’ schedules, providing intro Russian, Russian intermediate, and Russian advanced programs.

Reason #4: Shyness

A lot of people are uncomfortable trying to approach strangers and talk to them, especially since they’re embarrassed of the way they might sound.

Reason #5: Culture Shock

It’s a lot more comfortable for them to hang out with people from the same culture as them. They often have totally different dietary preferences, values, as well as behavioral standards and get homesick.

Reason #6: Procrastination

This is such a typical form of behavior for students, as the term “student syndrome” stems from their typical behavior of waiting til the last minute to complete their assignments. In the same vein, students often postpone learning Russian over and over.

Reason #7: They’re Not Enrolled in a Russian Language Program

While they are attending courses in English, it’s difficult to find the motivation to achieve a certain level of Russian, even if they study abroad in Russia. The student needs to have a specific plan to learn it and a specific language school to get them to that goal. TransEurope is one of the best schools when it comes to achieving specific, set goals in linguistics and Russian language learning, beginning from introductory Russian.

Benefits International Students Get to Enjoy by Learning Russian

Russian is one of the most commonly spoken and most important languages in the world. It is also one of the eight official languages of the United Nations.

Benefit #1: The Breadth of Nations Where Russian Is Spoken

In addition to Russia, Russian is widely spoken all over the former Soviet Union and beyond, covering a major swathe of the globe. Such countries include:

• Belarus;
• Kazakhstan;
• Kyrgyzstan;
• Uzbekistan;
• Azerbaijan;
• Armenia.

Benefit #2: Employment Opportunities

Students who begin the language in a Study in RU-101-type class and progress all the way to fluency in Russian become an invaluable asset for international companies, particularly in sectors such as energy, oil and gas, finance, IT, minerals, and logistics. As globalization continues to expand, the demand for skilled professionals with language proficiency is on the rise, opening up a wealth of employment opportunities.

Benefit #3: Russian Arts and Culture

Russia is famous for its literature, theater, and artists. It draws quite a lot of enthusiasm from tourists. Whenever one has a chance to learn from another very different culture, it enriches the person’s life and there are always at least some lessons one can draw. Such a process also generates higher-level mutual understanding and a greater bond between nations.

Benefit #4: Meeting Friends and Establishing Contacts

If one is going to live in a country for a long period of time, it makes sense to study Russian abroad to meet the people that inhabit the country. Russians are very interested in people from other cultures. Many of those people are often students in the same field and knowing them could prove advantageous in the future for research and employment opportunities. Of course, at the end of the day, people want to be able to enjoy the city in which they live.

The Solution: Russian Classes & Intercultural Events

To effectively navigate these challenges, enlisting the guidance of a professional Russian teacher is essential. A skilled instructor can elevate an international student’s proficiency gradually, progressing through each lesson methodically. Below are several ways in which Russian classes facilitate this journey.

Pronunciation Practice

By having an in-person or online Russian tutor oversee the way the student is pronouncing words, the student will gain more confidence to not feel embarrassed by the way that they sound in Russian.

Being Motivated with a Clear Plan

The teacher in the Russian language will help guide the student along a specific program tailored to the student’s wishes and priorities. This approach ensures that the student has a manageable study load designed to fit seamlessly with their degree program.

Familiarization with the Culture and Intercultural Exchange Events

Russian schools organize events where the students and local Russians who are excited to meet foreigners will get to meet up in a comfortable, predictable setting. This is done in a way that helps ease the student into Russian culture. During classes, students will also learn about Russian authors, films, and artists, or whatever Russian role models exist in their particular field of study.

TransEurope

One of the most experienced companies at teaching Russian is TransEurope, which specializes in creating a warm, friendly atmosphere for foreigners. Once you tell us your goals, the results will be guaranteed as long as you stick to the plan. Our Russian tutor online or Moscow-based staff will ensure that you take advantage of every opportunity to enjoy the culture that surrounds you and develop yourself into a more well-rounded, attractive professional.

Fill out our contact form and try out your first Russian class today.