Lessons in Russian as a Foreign Language are always interesting and enlightening, as the teachers create tasks that allow their young learners to acquire not only knowledge of Russian speech, but also of Russian culture and traditions. At one recent lesson, RFL teacher Yulia Filatova and her students explored the topic of traditional dishes.

In preparation for the lesson, the group discussed various dishes, and on the day of the class, everyone sampled the delicious offerings that had prepared, including Russian pirogi and ryazhanka, Chinese pelmeni, and Korean kimpab and bulgogi, and told about their history.

“Russian language lessons should be memorable,” explains Yulia Filatova, “so we decided that for the topic of traditional dishes, we would acquaint each other with some of the most popular foods from each country. I gave a presentation on what Russian pirogi are and how they are made. The students learned the words for different ingredients, and sampled some tasty dishes from three countries. I think the students will have no trouble remembering these new words.”

“Students always get great pleasure from studying, when their teacher is truly interested in the subject,” says ILS Principal Olga Shevchenko. “We devote considerable attention to Russian as a Foreign Language, as we understand that when students have the chance to study in Russia, they should learn the language well.”