ILS instructor Yulia Filatova, who teaches Russian as a Foreign Language, organized a quest lesson for her students from South Korea. She and her class went to the Sedanka City shopping center not only to make purchases but also so that the students could find their way by asking those around them for help.
“After arriving in Sedanka, the students had to find their own way to the shopping center without a map,” Yulia explains. “This gave each of them a chance to apply their language skills, and after asking 15 different passersby (not all of whom gave the same directions), we finally reached our goal.”
“Immersion in a language community, particularly when trying to solve everyday problems such as getting directions, helps give international students a better feel for the particulars of spoken Russian,” notes ILS Principal Olga Shevchenko. “The students overcome any language barrier they might have and feel more confident about their abilities. And they always have a teacher with them, who can help if problems arise.”
