BEING immersed in a foreign language or culture can pave the way for an individual’s growth in various aspects.
The upcoming free Russian educational programme, to be held from Dec 2 to 11 at the Russian House in Kuala Lumpur, offers an opportunity for Malaysians – both children and adults – to gain such an immersive experience.
Organised in collaboration with the Pushkin State Russian Language Institute in Moscow, the programme will feature four educators from the institute conducting a series of activities.
Participants can discover opportunities for both free and paid education at the institute, including scientific internships, competitions and projects for children, students and educators.
They can also learn basic Russian phrases and develop reading skills through a beginner-friendly crash course.
Additionally, they can take part in workshops introducing traditional Russian arts and crafts, as well as traditional folk dance.
Other interactive sessions include singing in Russian and playing an engaging game to learn fascinating facts about Russia, its people and culture.
Assoc Prof Dr Daria Trukhanova, curator of the School for Russian as Foreign Language Teachers, and Assoc Prof Dr Anastasia Tananina, head of the Centre for Teaching Russian as a Foreign Language – both at the Pushkin State Russian Language Institute – will be among the four educators conducting the programme.
Trukhanova emphasised the significance of the Russian language for its users.
“The Russian language is not just the language of Russian culture and great Russian poets, writers and composers. It is the foundation of Russian education, a key tool for promoting Russian science, education and business abroad.
“And of course, it is the language of inter-ethnic and intercultural communication, which will open up new opportunities for those who speak it,” she told StarEdu.
On the upcoming activities, she said everyone will be able to find something interesting for themselves.
“We planned the masterclasses and quizzes for schoolchildren and bilingual children, a crash course ‘Let’s start Russian’ for students and adults, and seminars for experts in the Russian language and parents of bilingual children, and a literary and musical evening ‘Pushkin – the Genius of Russian Literature’. For all those who are interested, there will be a dance masterclass ‘Russian Quadrille’,” she said.
Tananina said the aim of the activities is to introduce the Russian language to Malaysians.
She added that the Pushkin State Russian Language Institute, which was founded in 1966, was where the methods of teaching Russian as a foreign language were developed for the first time.
“These methods created the foundation for training national and foreign experts in the Russian language, and many teaching and methodological guides were designed,” she said.
In addition to the in-person programme, Trukhanova said enrolments are now open for a free online Russian language training course for students and adults.
“Attend our events, and we will tell you how to sign up for further classes. The main thing is to take the first step and sign up, and the unique methods of teaching Russian designed by the Pushkin Institute will do the rest for you,” she said.
The free educational programme initiative by the Russian Science and Higher Education Ministry comes after Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin at the 9th Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok last September.
During the bilateral meeting, discussions were held on areas such as the economy, higher education, tourism, the halal industry and connectivity.
Interested participants may register for the programme via https://forms.gle/g8FK6UwzX6Xmwvr7A.
For more information, please contact 03-2144 4001.