A couple times every week, locals will ask me why I came to Almaty and I often reply: “I came here to study Russian.” Short and simple. I most recently said it to a taxi driver as part of our small talk while driving through pre-rush hour traffic. Occasionally I try to be more specific, and I add that I am also here to learn some Kazakh.
Even though I am completely honest when I give my answers as to why I’m in Almaty, most of my responses do not entirely convey what it means to study in another country or learn a foreign language in another country. If studying a foreign language overseas is reduced to the amount of time spent in the classroom and doing homework, then how different is it from studying a foreign language in the United States? The difference is the education and experiences outside the classroom and without the textbooks.
I have classes Monday to Friday and no two days are alike. Some classes are intensive and information-loaded like Grammar, which is definitely the most challenging class. Other classes focus on how we understand and use our Russian language skills like Speaking/Reading and Phonetics. And other classes go beyond Russian language and focus on the history, politics and culture of where we are in the world: Kazakhstan and Central Asia.
I have learned a lot from all of my classes since the first week of the semester, but I would say that only half of my learning comes from the classroom. And it’s the learning outside the classroom that makes this program fantastic. One or more times a week we all meet up with our language partners, all locals and native Russian speakers, and practice speaking entirely in Russian about a variety of topics. Spending a few hours each week with my language partner has given me greater confidence in communicating in Russian, especially when our conversation topics are not planned in advance. Also, during our first week, several university students walked up to our group to ask if we were Americans, and now we’ve created a book club with some of them to read Russian literature once a week.
Then there are the learning experiences I take entirely on my own initiative. A few weeks into the program I forced myself to order lunch at a restaurant without a phrasebook or notes. Now I can comfortably order food at several restaurants. In the two months I have been here I have been able to order food at restaurants almost every day. I’ve also bought books and school supplies from stores and market corners - I used some Kazakh for it too - and recently at a market I successfully bargained for a jacket when I didn’t have the full amount of money on me.
I’ve learned to do all of these things since coming to Almaty, all of them have helped me advance in my Russian language skills and understanding of my host country, and none of them have received a grade! I came to Almaty to learn Russian, some Kazakh, and the history, politics, and culture of Kazakhstan. While I learn a lot in school, some of my favorite learning lessons take place outside it.
Title VIII Fellowship for Overseas Language Study and Research Recipient
Al-Farabi Kazakh National University (KazNU)
Almaty, Kazakhstan, Academic Year 2023-24