Summer Deadline: February 15th
Fall Deadline: March 15th
Turkish Deadline: March 30th
The Advanced Russian Language and Area Studies Program (RLASP) in Tallinn, Estonia is a language-intensive, immersion-based program designed to help participants rapidly advance their Russian proficiency while living and studying in the cultural capital of Tallinn, Estonia.
Hosted by Tallinn University, the program includes approximately 20 hours per week of intensive, in-class Russian language instruction focusing on grammar, phonetics, conversation, and cultural studies. Participants may join for a semester, summer, or full academic year.
In addition to Russian language coursework, students may choose supplementary history and culture classes of their host country or enroll in Estonian language courses. RLASP welcomes undergraduate and graduate students as well as working professionals seeking intensive language training.
Program features include homestays, weekly excursions, regional travel, conversation partners, and opportunities to volunteer and engage with local communities in a Russian-language context. All instruction is conducted by experienced faculty, and academic credit is issued through Bryn Mawr College for Russian language study.
Improve your spoken, written, and overall comprehension of Russian language; you can opt to add Estonian language studies as well.
Engage with local Russian-speaking host families, conversation partners, and teachers on a daily basis.
Experience Tallinn: with incredible food, gorgeous old town, and a gateway to travel across Europe
Gain academic credit while refining skills in cross-cultural communication.
Join a community of curious, adventurous students ready to explore the world.
Tallinn, the capital and most populated city of Estonia, perfectly captures the spirit of Northern Europe — a blend of medieval charm, modern innovation, and a thriving cultural scene. The cobblestone streets of the Old Town, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, are lined with colorful buildings, cozy cafés, and restaurants that showcase both traditional Estonian dishes and contemporary European cuisine. From hearty rye bread and fresh Baltic seafood to Michelin-recognized fine dining, Tallinn offers a culinary journey that satisfies every palate.
Beyond its food culture, Tallinn is alive with opportunities for exploration and leisure. The city’s lively markets, boutique art galleries, and music festivals bring together locals and visitors in celebration of creativity and community. Whether you’re cycling along the seaside promenade, relaxing in a stylish café, or attending an outdoor concert in the summer light, Tallinn’s European elegance and welcoming energy make every day feel like a new discovery.
RLASP Tallinn features approximately twenty hours per week of intensive, immersion-based instruction in Russian. Students are placed into groups of four to six students, based on proficiency levels. In-country coursework includes phonetics, grammar, and conversation, as well as composition, oral comprehension, and reading. Courses also cover topics in literature, history, politics, culture, mass media, and area studies. Combined, classes taught at Tallinn University meet requirements for U.S. academic credit issued by the American Councils school of record, Bryn Mawr College, which issues the following credit:
· 8 undergraduate/10 graduate credits for summer
· 16 undergraduate/15 graduate credits for semester
· 32 undergraduate/30 graduate credits for academic year
Academic year and semester students may audit classes. Academic year participants with advanced Russian skills may also 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.
RUSS 350 | Advanced Topics in Russian Conversation | 1 Unit/4 Credits
RUSS 360 | Advanced Grammar and Lexical Study | 1 Unit/4 Credits
RUSS 350 | Advanced Topics in Russian Conversation | 1.5 Units/6 Credits
RUSS 360 | Advanced Grammar and Lexical Study | 1.5 Units/6 Credits
RUSS 339 | Eurasian History and Culture | 1 Unit/4 Credits
RUSS 351 | Practicum in Spoken Russian Norms | 1.5 Units/6 Credits
RUSS 361 | Analysis of Grammatical Categories in Russian | 1.5 Units/6 Credits
RUSS 340 | Topics in Eurasian History and Culture | 1 Unit/4 Credits
RUSS 550 | Advanced Topics in Russian Conversation | 1.25 Units/5 Credits
RUSS 560 | Advanced Grammar and Lexical Study | 1.25 Units/5Credits
RUSS 550 | Advanced Topics in Russian Conversation | 1 Unit/5 Credits
RUSS 560 | Advanced Grammar and Lexical Study | 1 Unit/5 Credits
RUSS 339 | Eurasian History and Culture | 1 Unit/5 Credits
RUSS 551 | Advanced Topics in Russian Conversation | 1 Unit/5 Credits
RUSS 561 | Advanced Grammar and Lexical Study | 1 Unit/5 Credits
RUSS 540 | Eurasian History and Culture | 1 Unit/5 Credits
RLASP Tallinn students live with specially selected host families who provide breakfast and dinner seven days per week. Participants reside in fully furnished, private rooms and are provided their own keys to the apartment. In addition to invaluable logistical support, host families offer unique insight into Russian and Estonian daily life, ongoing language practice in a warm, supportive environment, regular advice and assistance, and wide-ranging discussions of cultural nuances as participants adapt. AC staff vet all host families, regularly visit program participants at home, and closely monitor participant housing throughout the program.
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 the old town, national monuments, and heritage sites.
Experience daily traditions through festivals, performances, and authentic community interactions.
Tour local museums to capture a true sense of Estonia's history.
Travel beyond Tallinn to discover unique regional landscapes and culture.
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 local people, 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
Founded in 2005, Tallinn University is ranked among the world’s top 1,000 institutions of higher education. It enrolls roughly 7,000 students in such disciplines as the humanities, natural sciences, media, film, communications, education, and digital technology. Tallinn University’s campus is a short walk from the city’s medieval Old Town, Kadriorg Place, and the Gulf of Finland. The University maintains active affiliation agreements with more than 400 universities in Europe, the U.S., Japan, China, and Russia; roughly 11% of the student body is international.
Multiple sources of funding are available to support participants in paying for programs abroad. Participants are encouraged to apply for private scholarships, federal aid and grants, college/university scholarships, and American Councils fellowships and scholarships.
Summer participants attend a two-day orientation program on site immediately upon arrival in Tallinn (where they are met at the airport by AC Staff). Semester participants attend a two-day pre-departure orientation in Washington, D.C. before the start of their programs. Orientation sessions cover health and safety, academic culture, host-family life, cultural adjustment, onsite support, and strategies for maximizing language learning. Lodging and meals are provided.
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 study abroad offices, university partners, and family members 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. Students are responsible for obtaining any additional visas required by their travel plans. Visa instructions and forms are provided after acceptance.
