<p>I'm a current sophomore looking to do a language-intensive study abroad in Russia this summer. I'm looking to do it in a substantially-sized city. Anyone have any experience with programmes in Russia or have any ones in particular to recommend or warn about?</p>
<p>bump? 10char</p>
<p>My daughter ended up in a Russian Language institute in Kiev, also lived with a Russian speaking family. There were safety concerns at the time due to political unrest. This was the first time her school had used this school in Ukraine and the language school was quite happy and treated these students well (I think only 4 went) The name is NovaMova (I just looked on her Facebook) Kiev is about the size of Chicago, I think. </p>
<p>My d. was saying you shouldn’t go to Russia unless you could look Russian. It’s not safe to walk on the streets unless you can blend in. To some extent also in Ukraine, she was careful to dress like the locals and keep her mouth shut while commuting to the school.<br>
She had a great time --but she did say that you can get a little confused with the blend of Ukranian and Russian being spoken. </p>
<p>BTW, a language school is really the most efficient way to go. (if you do your homework as assigned, you can cover a college year in only a few weeks) My other daughter just returned from one and she was amazed. (I attended one myself, a generation ago, for Spanish,)In those days they were only for Peace Corps workers or Missionaries. So much more effective than taking college classes. HTH</p>
<p>One more thing, maybe you could take a look at the slavic language program run in the summers at IU. (Indiana U) My d. was going to go, but then took off to travel, she says in retrospect she wishes she would have gone. It’s an immersion environment on the campus. Not as expensive as some of the other summer programs I thought at the time. They offer a lot of levels. </p>
<p>Perhaps you can find a local tutor that’s not too expensive for conversation. We try to do that as much as possible. I look on craigslist. HTH</p>
<p>^ I’m sorry to be so blunt but your daughter really has no idea what she’s talking about. Russia is perfectly safe, none of my friends who study Russian (and who lived there for a whole year as part of their degree) had any problems.</p>
<p>Most American study abroad programmes operate in either Moscow or St Petersburg. These are big international cities with many, many foreigners from all over the world. It doesn’t matter if you don’t look like a ‘Russian’ (and by the way there are over 160 ethnic groups indigenous to Russia), you’re not going to be attacked or in danger because you’re not white. In my experience Americans are far more xenophobic than Russians.</p>
<p>Dionysus58, I think you’re spouting nonsense there. Attacks on people who look Chinese, African, or as if they’re from the Caucasus are a real problem in Russia.</p>
<p>Perhaps there are some racially motivated attacks, but I have never heard of any in Russia’s big cities. Students from UCL go ever year to universities in Moscow, St Petersburg, Yaroslavl, Petrozavodsk and Volgograd and there has never been any problem. As long as you’re sensible and don’t walk around rough neighborhoods alone at night then you will be fine.</p>