My Russian Summer Immersion Experience
My Russian Summer Immersion Experience
My time at Middlebury College was challenging, but immensely rewarding.
(Author in traditional Russian dance costume, holding ложки, a type of spoon. | SOURCE: Author)
This summer, I had the privilege of participating in the eight-week-long Russian Summer Immersion Program at Middlebury College in Vermont. Middlebury Language Schools is renowned for having one of the best language immersion programs in the US. They offer seven-to-eight-week language programs where you are expected to speak only your target language for the entirety of the program.
I am going to be a junior at Washington and Lee this year, pursuing a double major in East European & Russian Studies and Politics with a minor in Journalism & Strategic Communication. This program was an excellent fit for me as I aspire to continue studying the Russian language and culture at W&L in the fall.
I came to Lexington not knowing any Russian, but what started as merely fulfilling my language requirement has turned into something that I love studying. But signing up for eight straight weeks of it went beyond even the rigor of my major.
Key to the Middlebury language programs is the Language Pledge, which states: “In signing this Language Pledge, I agree to use ___________ as my only language of communication while attending the Middlebury Language Schools. I understand that failure to comply with this Pledge may result in my expulsion.” In my case: Russian.
You are fully immersed in the language, something that is taken very seriously. Of course, with the Language Pledge, some challenges can arise. For example, what do you do if you do not know a word? This problem is inevitable since not everyone at Middlebury is fully fluent in their target language. In this case, we were encouraged to use “circumlocution,” which means to use words you do know to describe the unfamiliar word. When this failed, we often resorted to a sort of charade to convey our point.
In the Russian program, we were encouraged to limit our contact with English speakers and our consumption of English media as much as possible. This meant that we texted each other in Russian, listened to music in Russian, and found shows and videos dubbed in Russian.
Our daily schedules were also strict and intensive. For the Russian program, classes would begin around 10:00 a.m. and conclude around 3:30 p.m. We had a grammar, speaking, writing, and reading class every day, conducted entirely in Russian. There was a written and oral exam every Friday, as well as one essay and a vocabulary quiz due each week. Lunch and dinner were at designated times to avoid any contact with other language programs. We would eat meals with our classmates and professors, speaking only Russian, which was very helpful for practicing casual conversation.
After classes, we completed homework and participated in a wide variety of clubs. Clubs offered included a variety of sports, zumba, Bible reading, painting and crafts clubs, culinary club, and theatre or choir (all, of course, in Russian). There were also screenings of Russian movies and guest lectures every week, as well as a fair, дискотеки (dance parties), чаепития (tea parties), and a trip to a nearby lake. I tried several clubs, but settled on the culinary club and the Russian choir.
In the culinary club, I had the chance to learn how to make several traditional Russian dishes such as борщ (borsch), пельмени (dumplings), and блины (pancakes). In choir, I learned traditional Russian dances, songs, and how to play the instrument ложки (spoons). In the Russian program, it is tradition to have a choir performance at the program’s conclusion every year. This highly anticipated concert brings so much joy to program participants, so I was proud to be a part of it.
In addition, the community at Middlebury is wonderful. Both professors and students live together in the dorms (where you are also expected only to speak Russian). The program unites everyone with the express goal of learning Russian, helping to form close bonds with your classmates and instructors. Professors recognize that it is a fast-paced and challenging program, so they do everything they can to be understanding and encouraging of students during the learning process.
In sum, although challenging, the Middlebury Russian Summer Immersion Program is highly effective. I went from being able to recite only some simple Russian phrases to being able to hold full conversations in Russian, read short articles, and write essays.
As intensive and intimidating as this program may sound, I highly recommend Middlebury Language Schools to everyone. It is hard work, but if you are committed, you will make significant progress in a short period of time.
The opinions expressed in this magazine are the authors’ own and do not reflect the official policy or position of The Spectator, or any students or other contributors associated with the magazine. It is the intention of The Spectator to promote student thought and civil discourse, and it is our hope to maintain that civility in all discussions.
