One of the longest-running and most respected Russian language and cultural immersion programs, the Advanced Russian Language & Area Studies Program (RLASP) combines intensive classroom instruction with a wide range of extracurricular activities, including volunteer opportunities and community service, regional field studies, conversation partners, and discussion groups with local students.
Hosted by faculty from world-leading universities in Almaty, Kazakhstan; Tallinn, Estonia; and Yerevan, Armenia; the program provides approximately 20 hours per week of in-class instruction in Russian grammar, phonetics, conversation, and cultural studies for a semester, summer or academic year. Participants also complete coursework in the history and culture of their host country and may elect to enroll in Armenian, Estonian, or Kazakh language study.
RLASP serves both graduate and undergraduate students as well as working professionals. Program features include homestays, weekly excursions, travel to other regions outside the host city, conversation partners, and a wide range of opportunities to volunteer or pursue hobbies and personal interests in a Russian-language context. Participants receive academic credit for the program through Bryn Mawr College. Credited coursework may include such subjects as literature, history, political science, and contemporary society. All courses are taught in Russian by expert faculty with experience teaching foreign students.
Choose to study at one of our three program sites. Each destination combines world-class language instruction with vibrant local culture and academic excellence. Click on a location below to explore program details and student experiences.
RLASP is designed to provide intensive, immersion-based instruction in Russian while also providing unique opportunities to explore the language, history and culture of Armenia, Estonia, or Kazakhstan. The program features approximately twenty hours per week of in-class instruction. Students are placed according to proficiency level in groups of four to six for language classes. Course work typically includes phonetics, grammar, and conversation, as well as composition, oral comprehension, and reading. Language courses also cover topics in literature, history, politics, culture, mass media, and area studies. Academic year and semester students may audit classes at their host university.
Academic year participants with advanced Russian skills may substitute an independent research project for one of the American Councils area studies courses while continuing their language classes during the second semester. Research projects culminate in a 15- to 20-page research paper written in Russian.
Participants receive academic credit through Bryn Mawr College, an institutional partner of American Councils.
8 undergraduate or 10 graduate credit hours
16 undergraduate or 15 graduate credit hours
32 undergraduate or 30 graduate credit hours
To aid cultural integration and support academic learning, participants have the opportunity to meet with conversation partners for two hours per week. Conversation partners introduce participants to locals, accompany participants on sightseeing tours, organize cultural activities (cinema, museum, etc.), and provide students with academic support. The conversation partners are expected to speak only the target language to provide extra language immersion.
One day per week is set aside for travel to local sites of social, cultural and historical significance. All excursions are conducted in Russian and include sites such as museums, churches, schools, research centers, theatres, and historical estates. Towards the middle of the semester, resident directors arrange extended regional field studies trips outside of the host city. For summer participants, these regional field studies take place at the end of their program.
Visit museums, monuments, and heritage sites to explore local history deeply.
Experience daily traditions through festivals, performances, and authentic community interactions.
Tour universities, research centers, and schools to understand academic environments abroad.
Travel beyond host cities to discover unique regional landscapes and culture.
Program participants live with local, Russian-speaking host families.
Living with a host family provides valuable cultural experience to complement the academic program. Host families expose participants to authentic, everyday life in the host country while also providing a supportive environment for students to practice their growing language skills. While staying with a host family, participants are provided with a private room, two meals per day, and keys to the apartment or house. All host families are screened, selected, and monitored by American Councils home-stay coordinators and resident directors.
Multiple sources of funding are available to support participants in paying for programs abroad.
All participants must attend a mandatory pre-departure orientation before the program begins. Sessions cover health and safety, academic culture, host-family life, culture shock, and strategies for maximizing language learning. Students meet resident directors, peers, and alumni, with lodging and meals provided. Upon arrival, participants attend an in-country orientation led by program staff.
While abroad, participants have access to full-time in-country staff who offer academic, administrative, and personal support, as well as 24/7 emergency assistance. The AC Study Abroad team in Washington, D.C. stays in close contact with students, host institutions, and families throughout the program.
All participants are covered by Cultural Insurance Services International (CISI) for the duration of the program. CISI provides up to $250,000 in medical coverage per accident or illness and full emergency medical evacuation coverage.
American Councils provides visa support for participants for the duration of the program in the host country, if applicable. Students are responsible for obtaining any additional visas required by their travel plans. Visa instructions and forms are provided after acceptance.
