Russian Language Semester Program
16 weeks, from Jan 12, 2025 to May 02, 2025

Yerevan, Armenia

Applications for this course are closed, check out upcoming courses.

For inquiries please contact [email protected]

Check Upcoming Russian Language Courses

Learn Russian Language | Summer School (5-10 credits), from Jun 22, 2025 to Aug 29, 2025 (10 weeks (or 5-9 weeks))

Come and join the Russian language summer school organized by ASPIRANTUM - Armenian School of Languages and Cultures. You can start the program on June 22, June 29, or July 6, 2025, and stay up to 10 weeks until August 29, 2025. If you prefer a shorter program, there are options for 5, 6, 7, 8, or 9 weeks. For more information and to apply, please see the details below. Homestays with local Russian-speaking families are available for those seeking a more immersive experience.

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Armenian School of Languages and Cultures - ASPIRANTUM is organizing a 16-week Russian language semester program in Yerevan, Armenia. The 16-week semester program of Russian language will start on January 12, 2025, and will last till May 2, 2025 (111 days, 320 hours of Russian language instruction).

The 111-day Russian language semester program in 2025 is designed to help participants master written and oral modern Russian, interpret Russian texts from various periods, and enhance their knowledge of colloquial Russian, Russian culture, linguistics, and religions of the region. Additionally, the program will provide an opportunity to learn more about Armenia.

As part of our semester-long Russian program, we offer our participants the opportunity to work as interns at various organizations in Yerevan, Armenia. This allows students to not only learn Russian in Yerevan but also gain practical work experience. We are currently in discussions with banks, language schools, and IT startups to form partnerships for this program. Internship positions are available in various fields including content writing in English, PR and marketing, English teaching, and political science. If you are interested in becoming an intern for 16 weeks in Yerevan, please indicate this in the additional information section of your application.

The 16-week Russian language semester-long program offers 320 hours of intensive Russian language classes during 75 days of teaching (from Monday to Friday each week). Every day, the participants will receive Russian language instruction for 4 hours, after-class lectures, and extra training. The classes commence in the morning or at noon, according to the schedule.

09:00 (14:00) - 10:00 (15:00) - Russian language class
10:00 (15:00) - 10:10 (15:10) - Coffee Break
10:10 (15:10) - 11:10 (16:10) - Russian language class
11:10 (16:10) - 11:20 (16:20) - Coffee Break
11:20 (16:20) - 12:20 (17:20) - Russian language class
12:20 (17:20) - 12:30 (17:30) - Coffee Break
12:30 (17:30) - 13:30 (18:30) - Russian language class (fourth and final class)

During the Russian language semester program, the following components will be covered every day to foster the Russian language knowledge of participants:

Grammar: Every day class will cover the main grammatical concepts of the modern Russian language.
Vocabulary: During the 16-week course, it is anticipated that the participants will learn more than 3000 new Russian words from literary language and words used in everyday life.
Listening: The classes are scheduled so that participants, with the guidance of an experienced instructor, learn the Russian language through songs and movies, watching and listening to news and other short videos about interesting and sometimes funny topics and stories about Iranian realities.
Speaking: Every day, the Russian language classes will push the students to exercise their speaking abilities through discussions, conversations, and role-plays about different texts and topics.
Writing: Each day, the participants of the Russian language class will have assignments and homework to complete for the next day, and the homework will primarily involve writing assignments.
Reading: Every day, students will read and discuss political texts, prose and poetry, conversations, and news. The corpus of texts to be read and discussed during the classes comprises different prominent Russian authors, daily conversations, and news of the day.

Levels:

This 16-week Russian language school is designed for participants, at least 18 years old, who want to make well-grounded progress in their knowledge of the Russian language and deepen their knowledge of Russian grammar, colloquial speech, and literary language.

The Russian language semester-long program will have 1 or 2 groups (beginner group and intermediate group) of up to 12 participants each (the ASPIRANTUM Russian language groups during the last 3 years have usually had 2-10 students). 

The participants of the intermediate group must have at least a lower intermediate and/or intermediate level of Russian language knowledge before starting the 16 weeks of classes with ASPIRANTUM. 

The beginners' group will start the classes by covering the central grammatical concepts of the Russian language and enhancing the participants' vocabulary.

Our Russian language instructors have extensive experience teaching students of the mentioned levels in a way that allows all students to rapidly grow their knowledge of the Russian language. 

ASPIRANTUM’s Russian language schools are organized so that undergraduate and graduate students, researchers, professors, and anyone interested in learning Russian benefit the most from them. So, everyone with lower intermediate and intermediate levels of Russian and everyone who wants to learn Russian from the beginning is welcome to apply and participate in ASPIRANTUM’s 16-week Russian language school.

Deadline:

The deadline to apply to the 16 weeks of 2025 Russian language school is December 1, 2024.

To apply, please fill in the application form below.

Participation fee:

The participation fee is 13,900 USD for the 16 weeks of the Russian Language course.

Each semester-long program participant may find sources of financial aid from their own University, School, Community, or other relevant foundations.

This price includes reading and writing materials, coffee during the breaks, welcome and farewell parties, transportation and meal costs during cultural trips, and some dinners with guest speakers.

We will not cover accommodation, breakfast, lunch, dinner, visa costs, insurance, travel costs to Armenia, from Armenia and in Armenia, or any costs of accompanying friends or family members.

To apply, please fill in the application form below.

Registered participants should send 100% of the participation fee before December 10, 2024, online or via a wire bank transfer.

Trips in Armenia

During the 16 weeks of international Russian language school, four trips will be organized to Armenia's most famous cultural heritage sites. On the first day, the school will start with a trip to the Garni temple and Geghard Monastery. During five other weekends, the participants will have guided trips to Amberd fortress, Lake Sevan, Tsaghkadzor, etc.

Accommodation in Yerevan

Previously, our summer/winter and semester program participants have found great accommodation deals through Airbnb. Airbnb works perfectly in Yerevan, and it is very easy to search and find a proper place. ASPIRANTUM staff is always ready to guide you and help to find the best accommodation through Airbnb. Please also check our detailed guide about how to find accommodation in Yerevan. 

Scholarships

Each participant in the semester program may find other sources of financial aid from their own University/School/Community or other relevant foundations.

Letter of Invitation

ASPIRANTUM will offer applicants an official invitation letter to support scholarship and travel grant applications.

For questions and inquiries, please contact [email protected] or WhatsApp Dr. Khachik Gevorgyan +374-91-557978

To apply, please fill in the application form below.

Testimonials

  • “Whether you aim to enhance your career prospects, connect with Russian speakers, or explore a new language and culture, I wholeheartedly recommend this Russian language school in Armenia. It's a place where learning flourishes, friendships thrive, and linguistic goals become reality.”
    Annabel Baldwinson
    Student, Australian National University, Australia
  • “The syllabus, structure, and method of teaching were fantastic, and I really couldn’t have asked for a better class. Further, since so many people speak Russian in Yerevan, most of my daily interactions were in Russian, which was invaluable practice!”
    Catherine Pasternack
    Student, UCLA, USA
  • “The teachers at ASPIRANTUM possess so much knowledge, and their passion for sharing it matches their wealth of knowledge. They bring the language to life, infusing each lesson with cultural insights, laughter, fun activities, and a deep love for the subject. Their enthusiasm is greatly infectious, and it has definitely left a lasting impact on me.”
    Chika Nweke
    Khan Academy, USA
  • “This intensive program improved my language skills and provided fantastic excursions that added an entirely new dimension to my learning journey in Armenia. It was a special learning experience for me since I was in a class with peers with similar skills for the first time in my journey of learning the Russian language.”
    Ecem Saricayir
    PhD Student, Cornell University, USA
  • “The lessons covered a really interesting range of topics, ones that I had not always thought about before, like legal Russian. It was clear that much thought had been put into planning the syllabus.”
    Eleanor Inglin
    Student, University of Birmingham, UK
  • “Engaging, structured, and rewarding: in these three words, I would condense my experience of ASPIRANTUM’s Russian language summer course. Each week was tailored to a different lexical field within the Russian language, ensuring a holistic approach to language learning.”
    Willem de Mol van Otterloo
    Student, Cambridge University, UK
  • “What truly sets this program apart is its immersive approach. Beyond just teaching grammar and vocabulary, it immersed us in the Russian culture, enabling us to appreciate the language on a deeper level. Every aspect of the program was designed to foster a comprehensive understanding of the language and its context.”
    Xiaochuan Yu
    MA in Development Studies, Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies, Switzerland
  • “At my university, I have been participating in taking Russian for a year. A year is a long time, 365 days, and hours and hours of Russian a day. Within three weeks at the ASPIRANTUM school, I have learned more information about the Russian language than I have in an entire year.”
    Dinara Dunham
    University of Oregon, USA

Teachers

Alyona Shestakova-Stukun profile image

Alyona Shestakova-Stukun

 Instructor of Russian Language

Alyona Shestakova teaches Russian and Old Slavonic in Yerevan and online in a way you love the language forever.

Olga Piatko profile image

Olga Piatko

 Instructor of Russian Language

Olga will guide you through the complexities of the Russian language, helping you achieve fluency. She aims to inspire a passion for Russian in her students and to emphasize the practical utility and applicability of the knowledge they acquire.

Course Syllabus

Intermediate Russian Syllabus

Each of our daily lessons is a comprehensive blend of listening, reading, grammar, conversation, and exercises. We place significant emphasis on listening, as understanding unadapted live speech is a crucial skill in foreign language learning. Equally, we prioritize speaking to ensure active language use. Our lessons utilize original materials, which are meticulously analyzed for vocabulary, grammar, and communicative situations. To facilitate comprehension, students are provided with preparatory materials for each class. Studying these resources in advance enables more active and effective participation during the lessons.

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Learn Russian through the Constitution of the Soviet Union Syllabus

Constitution was the supreme law of the USSR. It sets out the fundamental principles by which the state is governed. The language type used in Constitution is called official style (официально-деловой стиль). It has its vocabulary, constructions, phraseology, and syntax. Learning Russian through the USSR Constitution can help you better understand the politics and political context of this time. The course will be interesting to those who want to immerse themselves in a more detailed study of Russian and regional history's linguistic and political context.

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Applications for this course are closed

For inquiries please contact [email protected]