Individual Russian as a Foreign Language in Daugavpils, Latvia

I had four school hours one-to-one teaching five days a week for 10 weeks. Three of the lessons with a very experienced and competent teacher and one lesson with a so-called communication partner. The teacher was experienced and found the right level related to my level of knowledge. My communications partner was also a very knowledgeable journalist, and this part also worked very well.

The school was centrally located in the city, I rented an apartment nearby. I only attended one of the cultural events and it was interesting.

I have no objections to this teaching plan - it worked as expected for me.

Teachers were excellent, facilities nice, everyone was friendly. I was only there two weeks but I would definitely recommend.

The teachers were all excellent and the lessons crafted to my personal needs. The city is very friendly-- quiet but has everything you need within a short walk.

I particularly liked the interaction with two teachers, taking advantage of the different qualities and methods of the two teachers for my individual classes. All were very well balanced between the overpowering character of the grammar teacher and the gentle character of the teacher for conversations.

I learned a great lot, improved my grammar, writing, reading and of course above all, speaking.

The location of the University was very good; the classrooms were okay and perfect for individual classes. Due to construction work at the University and lack of spare rooms, I did make clear that students did not like that some staff of the University shared the classroom.

The facilities were not so much – the classrooms were okay. It was excellent to get a welcome package with a phone for local calls, business cards with all important addresses, information about Daugavpils, etc.

Given that I had 6 lessons a day and some 3 hours of homework, there would not be really time for activities. As a student, you make choices, so you would rather learn than do other things.

We had our city tour one week after arrival, which in a way was nice but not so helpful. The lady who did the city tour was nice, but after one week in Daugavpils, it seemed that the students knew more or at least what she knew about the city. The tour was on a Monday, and no special effort was taken to visit churches, the synagogue or the two local museums. A city tour for showing the important restaurants or shops is not really enough.

I was lucky with the housing. The room was perfect, calm and not hot in the summer. The lady I stayed with was very nice. We had fun and the stay was pleasant. For sure it would have been even better if the lady had included me more in her family, and had shown me more of the city than just the city center. I might have liked conversations after homework, or more conversations. But, I was really pleased.

Again, the initial experience was overwhelming -- so much Russian, so fast, after such a long flight. It might help students adjust, for instance, if the written material introducing the student to the rights and responsibilities of the program, and to Daugavpils, were in English as well as Russian (or at least had English subtitles). I would have appreciated, too, to have known what materials would be available when I arrived (I bought a phone in Riga, for instance, only to find a phone waiting for me when I arrived as part of my program materials).

However, everyone - from the director to the instructors to the family - with whom I stayed, was patient with me and supportive as I adapted to the immersion experience. The homestay was perhaps the most crucial: Ilga and Valerii were extraordinarily patient with me, put up with my limited vocabulary and adjusted to my level. Six hours of instruction a day was exhausting, and I hadn't expected the one-on-one instruction, but each instructor -- Alena, Marina, andLarissa -- was very perceptive in recognizing when to relax their expectations, when to give me a break, when to turn on the screws. I would have liked the catharsis of another student in the class, someone to have a beer with and say to each other "Wow, this is really hard!," but Alena came to fill that role for me.

Duagavpils is an extraordinary place, absolutely manageable and, despite my Latinsoft minders' concerns, very safe. There was enough to do and see that I was never bored, but not so many distractions as there might have been in Riga (or St. Petersburg, or Moscow). I hope I have made friendships there, and I hope to return.

I was impressed by the quality of instruction offered throughout my experience. Instructors were well-qualified to teach the selected subject and were sensitive to the needs and questions of their students. As my linguistic skills were higher than the skills of the bulk of the group, myself and another student were offered personalized, one-on-one training. Teachers took into account the linguistic ability and interests of their students and were able to impart a large amount of construction in a very short period of time.
I was also impressed with the host family as they were very respectful and tried to assist me with all of my endeavors.

As instructions were carried out at Dougavpils University, I found the location and facilities to be implacable for learning.

My hosts, the Semenov family, were very kind and welcoming. They ensured that I had comfortable bedding and closet space, and made great food. They were always willing to talk to me and include me in their daily activities at home. I practiced speaking Russian much more often than I would have if I had not stayed with a host family. The school is very close to the apartment where I stayed, so it was an easy walk in the morning. The school is located in the center of town, near most of the shops and restaurants on Rigas street. The city itself has a lot to offer despite its size, including great dining opportunities, a bowling alley, a movie theater, two fitness centers, and a thriving night life. Larissa and Alyona, my language instructors, taught each lesson effectively, using teaching methods that helped me learn. Dimitri, my regional studies instructor, was clearly very knowledgeable about the history of the Baltic region, and my excursions with him helped me understand Latvia's place in 20th century history. Overall, the experience was great, and I would definitely recommend it to a friend.

This program was one of the best organized language immersions I have done. The guide books stated Daugavpils was not a very scenic town but I was very impressed. The historic parts of town are very pretty and the history of the area is amazing. We were able to spend time in Riga as well as a weekend trip to Lithuania (Vilnius, Kaunas and Trakai). The family I stayed with took the experience very seriously and treated me as a guest and friend. The instructors were also very friendly, to the point that I am still in contact with several people there.
In addition to the classes, there were many different activities available for evenings. I went fishing, motorcycle riding, and even saw a moose (European Elk) that crossed the road in front of us.
I hope to go back in the future for another immersion.

I had one on one classes which helped me to progress quickly with teachers who were both incredibly kind and helpful. Living in Daugavpils was a really pleasant introduction to Russian life; the town was big enough to have things to do but small enough to be a safe environment when you are unsure of the language. My host family talked to me at every meal and fed me traditional food, so I was totally immersed. The classrooms were just over five minutes walk away, which was very convenient. At the weekends and at points during the week, trips were organised to various parts of Latvia, which I enjoyed a lot. There was a lot of homework and it was very intense, but that enabled me to progress very quickly and ultimately improved my Russian immensely. I would happily return.

I had an absolutely positive experience in every aspect. Teachers were very knowledgeable, very approachable and mainly patient. As a native Russian speaker I needed a bit higher level of training, so I got to take some classes at Daugavpils University led by their best staff. Nice and cozy school building, I mentioned drinking green tea once, and a box of it appeared in the kitchen the very next morning. Location couldn't be any better; I could walk from my apartment to school, and anywhere in town to get dinner or some toiletries in a few minutes. There is a movie theater in town and a great sports complex. I had a blast with my host families; most nights I hardly had time to do homework because of long, interesting conversations we had. Not to mention all the great food I got fed; healthy, organic, and delicious. And be ready to do lots of walking and picture taking, there will be many educational, historical, and just fun excursions. I would definitely go back at the first opportunity!

From start to finish, my experience with Learn Russian in the European Union was absolutely fantastic. All of the teachers were highly qualified and always demonstrated the utmost professionalism. Each day, my instructors had a thorough lesson plan and their teaching style was marked by patience and enthusiasm. In addition to the academic program, the classes were complemented by frequent excursions outside the classroom. Each trip offered valuable insights into the history and culture of the area. Furthermore, the housing conditions were excellent as well. My host family was always prompt in providing entertainment and meals, and they remained cordial for the entire duration of my stay. Honestly, I am hard pressed to find any criticisms of the program at Learn Russian in the EU. The only negative point that comes to mind is that I sometimes found it hard to keep up in some of the more rigorous history classes. My Russian ability at the time I took the course was not effective enough to comprehend a sufficient amount of the material. All in all, my time spent there is unmatched by any other language program I've taken so far. I would highly recommend it to any aspiring Russian language students.

The teachers I worked with were phenomenal. I was very rusty upon my arrival, and their English was excellent. Not something I have encountered at every school. My classes were very customizable to my needs. My teachers paced really well off my needs.

Sergey, the course director, took care of everything I could possibly want or need. He is very involved and very helpful in the whole process. He is a man that is very excited to facilitate others' success.

My home stay was really great. They were adamant about me using my Russian, which I needed. They were also very inclusive of me in their trips to the dacha and other things.

The instructors for this course were outstanding. They were obviously experienced and were able to bring culture into the mix to make our studies very interesting. The facilities were not climate controlled, so it did get hot/cold in the class often, however, the classes were able to accommodate our needs. There were numerous interesting excursions and activities that we did, however, sometimes it took several more hours than intended, which could affect our sleeping patterns. My host family was excellent, kind and excited to help us out!