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Karla Aurazo, an intermediate group student, is a Boren Fellow, who studied Russian in Kazakhstan. We asked Karla to share with us her experiences in Central Asia, and tell the story behind her gorgeous traditional dress: “Я жила в Казахстане один учебный год. У меня было много прекрасного опыта в Центральной Азии. От прогулок по базарам до походов в горы – мало-помалу я понимала силу и происхождение казахского народа. Их традиции, их гостеприимство, их языки, их прошлое, настоящее, и то, что…

Michelle

Every year, STARTALK at UCF eagerly welcomes returning student. Some of them, like Michael Mallis, participated for 3 years in a row! According to Michael, the program made him a competitive candidate for graduate programs and employment opportunities. We asked him to share how STARTALK transformed his life. “Having attended as a student and teaching assistant for the STARTALK Russian Language Program at UCF for three years, it is an irreplaceable tool for immersing oneself in the language while boosting…

The Moscow Metro was created in 1935 and serves the city of Moscow, along with the neighboring cities of Krasnogorsk, Reutov, Lyubertsy, and Kotelniki. The total route length of the Moscow Metro is around 400km, and it has 232 stations. This makes it the fifth longest metro system in the world. The Metro is almost entirely underground, with the deepest part of the system being Park Pobedy station (84 meters underground). It is the busiest metro station in Europe and…

Russian is a native language for 154 million people, with around 265 million total speakers. Russia’s population has around 190 different ethnic groups and nationalities, so learning Russian provides the learner with a broad perspective of the world that stems from a plethora of eastern European and Central Asian cultures. Examples of other countries where Russian is a popular or official language include Belarus, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan. Knowing this information helps us understand why Russian is classified as a…

Happy day 3 of STARTALK! By the third day, beginners have mastered multiple phrases, like “я живу во Флориде” and “очень приятно,” that are useful both in daily conversations and business setting. Intermediate students are comfortable with longer conversations on topics of hobbies and navigating the airport. Classrooms are filled with Russian chatter and laughter. Have a look at how well Ahmed and JP, two beginner students, introduce themselves to each other: So what kind of wild beast is Russian?…

STARTALK would not be possible without the incredible team of instructors and teaching assistants. Over several weeks, the team has closely worked together to develop the curriculum for STARTALK 2019 “East Meets West.” The instructors are excited to share language and culture with new and returning faces! They are not afraid to challenge themselves with delivering fast-paced, engaging lessons that prepare students to be active global citizens. Just like every year, they came up with new interactive activities that provide…

STARTALK Russian language program at UCF is a three-week intensive language program with a mission to popularize critical need foreign languages. The University of Central Florida has successfully hosted the Russian program since 2015 and has become well-known in the Orlando community. This year STARTALK at UCF had a brand new addition: now it is offered not only in Russian but also in Arabic.    Every year, STARTALK brings together participants from various backgrounds, who are looking to practice their…