Meet Shallom, a dedicated student from the USA who took on the challenge of learning Russian at RLA BORN in Riga! Over 12 weeks, Shallom dived headfirst into grammar, vocabulary, and mastering tricky tongue twisters. Let’s hear about her journey, study experience  and maybe even a few words she’ll never forget!

Shallom, tell us – what’s the secret to surviving your first week of Russian? Any unexpected challenges or surprises?

The first week is definitely something I needed to get used to because my Russian was not particularly good. The classes are taught in Russian and I was encouraged to communicate in Russian as much as possible. Contrastingly, in university classes I learned Russian with English explanations, so during my first week here I had to acclimate to understanding, responding, and asking questions in the Russian language. However, it was surprising how quickly you can pick up the language once you make it a habit to use it every day. After the first week, I felt much more confident in speaking and comprehension skills.

Russian grammar can be… let’s say, “unique.” Was there a particular part that required an extra cup of coffee?

One of the hardest concepts for me to grasp was prefixes of the verbs of motion. When I finally thought I understood how to use the verbs of motion, I was hit by the endless number of prefixes that could connote so many different meanings. Multiple cups of coffee were consumed for me to get those down!

Shallom, what’s the one Russian phrase you now find yourself saying all the time? (And should we be worried?)

I have found myself using the phrase “Может Быть” (maybe) very often when I speak Russian. I think that comes with the uncertainty of whether I am answering a question correctly or if my response makes any sense. I believe with time I will probably get rid of that habit once my confidence in using the language increases.

How would you describe the teaching style at Russian Language Academy BORN? Was it more like a friendly chat or a Russian grammar boot camp?

The teaching style at the academy is incredibly effective. While the textbook and exercises are very helpful in learning grammar, the engaging conversations I had with my teachers are really what helped me learn how to carry a conversation in the real world. A big part of learning a language is building the confidence to speak and express ideas, and I think the teachers here nudged me in the right direction. Every class had a theme and the conversations would be built around that; this helped me learn new vocabulary as well as use my grammar knowledge. This was one of the best experiences I have had learning a language. I have learned more Russian here in 3 months than I had in a year.

 Riga’s famous for its charm! Did you get a chance to explore, or was it all about those Russian verbs?

Riga is such a unique city with beautiful architecture and a calming atmosphere. I spent a lot of my time walking around the old town and exploring the variety of museums here. My favorite place to go was the open air market where I indulged in a number of local foods it had to offer. Pelmeni is a must! Thank you Russian Language Academy BORN so much for this amazing experience. I hope to be back!