References

Studying Russian in Tver has many advantages over more conventional choices such as Moscow and Saint Petersburg. First, the quality of the language courses is probably the best that I have ever experienced – exceeding my further Russian training in Moscow as well as my studies of German and French in the US. All of the students in both the beginners' and advanced classes that I knew were very satisfied with the challenge of classes and the quality of the teachers. Second, since Tver is a smaller city than Moscow or Petersburg, it is easier to gain an impression of "the real Russia" rather than melting into the more international and expat-dominated scene of the larger cities. Years afterward, I maintain contact with a number of friends I met through InterContact and have some of my best memories of my experience abroad from the year I spent there. I would recommend to anyone to try InterContact's courses and to study for as long a time as possible. Hopefully, the result will be similar to mine – intense cultural immersion, intellectual stimulation, and vivid memories that last a lifetime.

Best wishes, Jon

Coming back, it feels the same, for the most part, though plenty of things have happened since I left... Anyway, I've been telling everybody about Russia. Friends and family have told people I don't know, «Ryan was in Russia» and they all ask «well, how was it?» and of course I say excellent». Everyone has been asking a lot of questions, but I don't mind yet. I showed my dad the book of samovars that Olga gave to me and he said that he never knew that tea was such a big thing in Russia. And my mom was being a little flakey and was impressed that the numbers are the same in Russian as in English (you know: 1, 2, 3…). That was the strangest thing, though. I teased her a little bit, «yeah, everything is in Russian, but the numbers are in English». One thing I've learned about going away for a while like that is to clean up my room or at least make an effort to remember where I put things (I lost so much because I forgot where I threw it in the mess). I'm still looking, though. Hopefully everything will be in order by the time I go back to school next week.

You know, I still can't really believe that I ever went over there. I miss it, though. Lots of good memories. I want to come back very badly.

Ryan

I arrived safely in New York after a pleasant flight. Since then, I've been frantically running around visiting everyone I know in New York. I still keep almost speaking Russian by mistake, especially in stores where my instinct is to say things like «Skol'ko stoit» and «spasibo», which probably wouldn't make much such to the store clerks! I've gotten to practice the language a bit with my Russian friends, who say that I've improved more than I thought, which is fairly encouraging. Russia feels a bit like a dream; I can't believe I really was living there for 2 months. I miss you all and am feeling that I want very much to come back again — maybe next summer I'll come with my friend Maria, who will be going to Moscow to visit her relatives. Thanks again for everything you did to make my trip so incredible!

Gabriela

One night I made a real Russian meal for my housemates: cabbage borshcht, kasha, and stuffed eggplant. I used Lilia Grigorevna's recipe for the eggplant. Everyone loved it and said I should make it again — thank her for me if you see her :) And of course thank both Lilia and Samvel for their wonderful hospitality. They truly welcomed me into their homes and their lives, and it made a huge difference in my trip. On stressful days I still think back to our times walking in the woods or eating in the garden of the dacha and feel a bit more peaceful. I've decided to continue studying Russian! I wasn't planning to continue right away, but I went to the first class and immediately realized I couldn't bear to give it up. Much to my surprise, the teachers at my school thought I had learned enough Russian over the summer to skip a whole year, i tak seychas ya slushayu chetvertyi kyrs russkovo yazyka, gde my chitaem i obsuzhdaem sovremennye russkie rasskazy.

Gabi

Just a little note to say “hi” and also to thank all those concerned for my enjoyable and first-rate Russian courses with you. Olga is an excellent teacher — Russian verbs of movement became possible in her capable hands — please thank her for me. I appreciated the professionalism and not least the friendliness of your team. I will not hesitate to recommend your services if I can. After 25 years of teaching English as a foreign language I know a good thing when I see it.

Best wishes
Susie
English Teacher at French Civil Aviation

Program Strengths:
The instruction was outstanding: classes are both rigorous and hand-tailored to the classes' needs. Classes are conducted completely in Russian and, while this was very difficult for me for the first two weeks, my comprehension improved extremely rapidly. Professors are not only talented, but very personable and kind. They often invite you out on the weekend (Dasha's B-day party was one of my favorite experiences in Russia). There are lectures three days a week after classes (in Russian) about Russian film, literature, and politics/history. Excursions within and to other cities are organized at least two other days a week. There is a tea time between the morning 'para' and afternoon 'para' with all of the students and teachers, where every day we had lively conversations. One of the most important strengths of the program is the location, in the city of Tver. Tver is centrally located on the railway between Moscow and Petersburg (2 hours from Moscow and 5 from Peter) but, unlike these major cities, Tver offers complete Russia emersion. In Moscow and St. Petersburg , many people speak perfect English; if comfort in

How this program compared to this student’s expectations:
I hoped mainly to improve my conversational Russian and I definitely achieved this to a much greater degree than I had expected. Also, the grammar instruction was very thorough.

Program Strengths:
The somewhat "remote" location made it impossible not to speak Russian, and the personable and helpful staff were fantastic. I found Tver a wonderful place to study, and the folks at Delta were great. It was also a very restful place to be, which for me was good. I think that much of your language learning progress and experience is dependent upon your own drive. I suppose that could be either a strength or a weakness.

How this program compared to this student’s expectations:
It did. My goal for the summer was to be able to skip third year Russian and enroll in 4th year when I got back to campus. I accomplished this, and had a wonderful experience in the interim.

I definitely recommend Delta as a language school, and Tver as a destination over Petersburg or Moscow. I think it would have been altogether too easy to speak English and too overwhelming an introduction to had I lived in either Moscow or Peter. I'd also say to take advantage of the fantastic faculty that Delta provides for you and attend the lectures that they arrange. The lectures were one of the best parts of my experience at Delta. I would also recommend getting involved in something besides the school itself - I regularly attended a church and ended up going to their youth retreat, something that was not only a great cultural experience, but also fantastic for my Russian!

Program Strengths:
The program is small and personal. As a result, I was able to develop good relationships with my professors. Sometimes they invited us out for drinks or we had dinner at their home. The co-director of the program always accompanied us on expeditions. Many of the Russians involved in the institute also teach at the Tver State University and asked a few of their former students to spend time with us and show us the city. It felt more like being part of an extended family instead of a study abroad program. They tailored our language programs to meet our individual needs. I received instruction in advanced Russian grammar, textual analysis, pronunciation and intonation, etc. Each week there were lectures on history, politics and literature. In addition, we visited local museums during the week. The director of the program helped us coordinate trips to St Petersburg and Moscow, going so far as to buy train tickets and reserve hostels for us.

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