Testimonial by Benjamin Mason

I'm Ben and I was a participant in Aspirantum winter program for Russian. The program at Aspirantum is immersive, rigorous, and, above all, enjoyable. When I first arrived, I was not a confident speaker of Russian, having learned the language exclusively in the context of textbooks and classrooms. With the support of my excellent teacher Alyona, my conversational Russian developed substantially. Classes are comprehensive and cover every aspect of the language. I particularly noticed rapid improvements in my listening and speaking as classes assume a conversational form and participation forces you to speak and understand Russian. Now, I feel confident walking into stores and restaurants or interacting with native speakers in organic settings. Aspirantum also offers wonderful opportunities to immerse yourself in Armenian culture and Khachik and everyone at the school go out of their way to make you feel welcome and organise incredible weekend excursions. As a result, the experience is not only educational but collegial as well as you build close ties with your classmates and sample the warmth and hospitality of Armenia itself. I would unequivocally recommend Aspirantum to anyone considering intensive immersion in the Russian language, as the school offers outstanding instruction and superb organization in a great city where you're guaranteed to enjoy yourself.