July 24, 2024
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Every year, students from different countries come to Â鶹´«Ã½ through exchange programs. One of the courses they study is Russian. We asked some of them about their success in learning the language. Narrated by Annabel Gorman.
– My name is Anna, and I am an exchange student from the USA. I have been studying Russian for more than two years. However, there are few Russian speakers at the university in Missouri where I study, and I did not have much experience communicating in Russian.
Therefore, in the beginning, life here was very difficult. I didn't know many words that are used in everyday life. Besides, I understood more than I could say and had many problems when I tried to explain something and answer questions. I was also ashamed when I spoke because I have an accent, I often make mistakes, and I was always afraid that I would accidentally say something rude!
But with the help of my wonderful teachers Zharkyn Kasymova and Olga Voitekhina, my friends, and my host family, I became more confident. Thanks to them, I realized that the most important thing is that people understand me and I don't need to be nervous. They also introduced me to new ways of learning Russian. For example, my friends and host family recommended that I listen to songs they like, and I started listening to more songs in Russian. I also started watching more TV in Russian, actively participating in class, visiting cinemas, and attending the cinema club "Watching Movies in Russian" by Zharkyn Kasymova. The more I listen to music and watch TV in Russian, the more I understand. For example, my friend and I recently watched the new three-hour film "Dune" in Russian, and I understood more than I expected!
In the future, I will continue to study Russian, and after graduation, I hope to return to Kyrgyzstan and maybe start learning the Kyrgyz language.
I am very grateful for the wonderful opportunity to study in Bishkek, where I can use (and need to) Russian daily. I seem to always learn something new!
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