Lisa G .
Fourth-Year Russian, Summer 2007
College Student

"At Beloit I lived and studied with other Russophiles and native Russians as part of an intentional community, focused on studying Russian. For the first time in my four years of language study, I felt truly supported and comfortable single-mindedly focusing on Russian language and culture. Studying the Russian language in Russia had been a very different experience, and in many ways I enjoyed my time at CLS more—and even learned more. It was great to study Russian under my professor, a native speaker who also understands that American students learn better in a dynamic and interactive atmosphere.

Also, it's liberating to study Russian intensively without the psychological and emotional stress of being physically transplanted to another country. CLS is uncomplicated—I didn't need to adjust to a whole different way of living and viewing the world. Living on campus, I didn't even need to worry about preparing meals, let alone navigating a new country!

Our professors complemented each other well, providing the structure necessary to solidify the rules of the language in our minds and the freedom for us as fourth-year students to write and speak more as we would in English. Our professors were always willing to spend extra time with us, whether during extra study sessions, chatting over a late-night snack of piroshki or watching an extra Russian-language film on a weekend night. I left CLS with new friends from among the students and the teachers. I know that I will maintain these relationships, which encourage my language learning and love of things Russian, long after having left Beloit."