Aleksander has been a Liden & Denz student in Moscow for the past two weeks. On Friday he attended his last lesson and on Sunday he travelled back home. I had the pleasure to be one of his classmates and to interview him to know his opinion about his experience in this school and his life in Moscow.
Hi Aleksander, can you tell us a bit about yourself?
Sure. I’m 22 and I’m from Poland, where I study Economics.
What did you do here in Liden & Denz?
I studied Russian in a standard group course and I also had some individual lessons, because I wanted to do a full immersion! Actually I wish I had booked 3 weeks instead of 2, because I feel like this hasn’t been enough for me, but it was a nice adventure anyway. I came alone and it was the opportunity to meet new people and do something different!
Why do you study Russian?
I started studying Russian for pleasure, because I like speaking different languages. This is the reason why I also speak English, French and a bit of Italian. I came up with the idea of studying Russian three years ago: I had a private teacher but it didn’t go very well, so I stopped after 2/3 months and started again 2 years later with another teacher.
Was this the first time in Russia for you?
No, I also came last year. I travelled across Russia in a long car trip for two weeks, during which I saw a lot of beautiful places: Moscow, Saint Petersburg and all the cities of the Золотое кольцо (Golden Ring). Unfortunately I didn’t speak Russian a lot, I could barely understand people and only if they spoke slowly, not like in a normal conversation. Now I’m satisfied because I improved my Russian language skills. I definitely feel more comfortable speaking Russian, I have become more fluent and I can also understand better people while they speak. Actually I’m still having some problems when watching movies, but I’m working on it!
Why did you choose Moscow?
I was wondering about Saint Petersburg or Moscow but the weather decided for me, because SP is a lot cooler than here. Also I prefer to live in a metropolis where there is a lot to see and do. Moreover, when I visited Moscow last year, I only stayed for a couple of days here and I needed to discover more about the city.
How did you spend your time in Moscow?
Apart from studying Russian, I visited many places, like parks and museums. My favourite spot is Tsaritsino park and then the city centre with the Kremlin and the Red Square. I also loved Gorky Park and Christ the Saviour Cathedral, even if I didn’t go inside…everything is amazing here! Actually it is very difficult to choose a favourite place or activity, everything during these past two weeks was great and this is the best experience of all time for me!
Do you think the language can be an obstacle?
Not all Russian people speak English, so it could be a problem at the beginning, but it actually made this experience more stimulating, so that I had to speak Russian all the time. Only on the first day I ordered my mobile phone card in English and it wasn’t so easy as I thought. From that moment I tried to speak Russian only and it turned out to be more useful, engaging and satisfying!
Any tips for students coming to Moscow?
Don’t speak English with your friends here, it’s not the main point of your путешествие (Russian for “trip”. He cannot stop using Russian words…these weeks seem to have been useful!). I usually spoke Russian with my schoolmates to keep up the language, but we didn’t know if we where speaking correctly or which mistakes we were making. Therefore, meeting Russian friends is the best thing that can happen to you: it will help you improve faster because they can correct you when necessary and you will discover how good it is to live like a real Russian citizen!
Going back home, what will you miss about Russia?
I will miss the people I met here and the fact that I can feel that I’m improving. Learning Russian at home it’s a bit different, because I only speak Russian a couple of hours a week and I don’t have the same feeling that I’m making progress. Living in Russia and studying the local language is way better: I managed to speak more fluently than before because I practiced everyday, whereas at home it is less likely to happen. So I hope to come back soon, but unfortunately not until next year!
Thank you for your time, Aleksander. Have a safe journey back home, never stop learning Russian and I hope to see you soon in Moscow!