Russian Language & Literature: The Art of Word and Thought
An online Russian language and literature course for teenagers from Russian-speaking families living abroad.
Finding your own voice in Russian - through classics, contemporary prose, journalism and media texts
We create different texts: miniatures, essays, columns, reviews and storytelling
We learn to see the subtext and hold a discussion worth having
4–8 students
90 minutes
2 lessons a week
Zoom, online
Certificate on completion
23 yearsof teaching experience
4.9Google rating
270Google reviews
Behind the Pygmalion Academy programme is Pygmalion Language Centre, a language centre founded in Latvia in 2003. About the centre
This course is a good fit if your teenager…
Is 15–17 years old and growing up in a Russian-speaking family
Understands spoken Russian at normal speed, reads adapted texts and writes short connected paragraphs
Speaks Russian well but wants to write more confidently - there is a group with the emphasis on written Russian
About the programme
In our lessons the language always works together with the text: vocabulary, spelling and punctuation are learned in context, not apart from practice. Each lesson lasts 90 minutes: we read, discuss, write and edit - to learn to express our thoughts clearly and precisely.
The art of the word
Shades of meaning, word order and the logic of a statement - and a miniature of your own.
Language as structure and as choice
Syntax, punctuation, rhythm and style - we learn to choose the precise word and create one text in several styles.
Literature and the author’s voice
The character, the atmosphere, the author’s position, irony and subtext - we write an essay on a character and an analytical column.
The workshop of text and speech
Composition and argument - we work on a draft, create a second version, take part in debates and record a fragment of a vlog.
Media and the final project
We work out how media texts act on the reader and where manipulation hides. At the end - a text of your own and its spoken defence, after which the teenager receives a certificate.
What we read in class
Classics
Russian classics - short pieces.
Gogol
Chekhov
Bunin
Kuprin
Bulgakov
Platonov
Nabokov
Tolstoy
“The Overcoat”
“A Chameleon”
“Light Breathing”
“The Garnet Bracelet”
“Yushka”
And others
Contemporary
Contemporary Russian prose.
Vodolazkin
Yakhina
Shishkin
Pelevin
Tolstaya
Abgaryan
Glukhovsky
And others
Media texts
Essays and columns, interviews and podcasts, advertising and blogs.
Bykov
Yuzefovich
Arkhangelsky
TED talks
Arzamas
Meduza
What we talk about in class
We discuss texts, their characters and the authors’ ideas: how words change meaning, how intonation is made, what hides between the lines, and how to put a thought more precisely. We read classics, contemporary prose, columns and talks.
What a lesson consists of
We read a fragment - a classic and a contemporary text on the shared screen
We discuss, argue and take the text apart: composition, details and intonation
We practise the language on what we have just read - on the interactive whiteboard
We write a short essay or a column and edit the text together
We do a creative task and a mini-project, and get a short piece of homework
How lesson time is divided
Discussion30%
Reading20%
Writing30%
Grammar in context20%
Skills your teenager will develop during the course
Uses Russian with confidence: speaks, writes, formulates and argues their thoughts
Writes correctly and chooses words precisely, aware of their shades and tone
Builds natural Russian phrases and holds a text together
Creates different kinds of texts: miniatures, essays, columns, reviews and storytelling
Reads and interprets fiction and journalism: notices the tone, the author’s position and the subtext
Takes part in discussions, knows the different media formats and spots manipulation in media texts
Teachers
Raisa A.
Teaches the teen courses and the discussion club - ages 12–17
When we find the exact word for a thought, confidence follows - and language opens up our inner strength, becoming a support in talking with others and in understanding ourselves and the world.
Learn more
Education
MA in Philology
Languages
Russian (native), English (B2)
Teaches Russian language and literature to students aged 11–18, drama and public speaking, and the “Media Literacy” and “The Magic of Words” clubs
Her students have won and placed in international and national olympiads in Russian language and literature, in creative competitions and at debate tournaments
Takes part in national and international educational projects
Author of teaching materials; methodology consultant and textbook reviewer
Diana
Teaches the teen courses and the discussion club - ages 12–17
The more languages a person knows, the brighter and fuller their life becomes.
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Education
BA in Philology (University of Latvia), teacher training (Liepāja University)
Experience
20 years of teaching
Languages
Russian (native), English, Spanish
Her students have won prizes at national Russian language olympiads
Teaches the “From Word to Meaning” and “The Art of Word and Thought” courses, as well as all three discussion club groups
Timetable and price
Group4–8 students
TimetableTwice a week, 90 minutes
120 €/month
Russian Language & Literature: The Art of Word and Thought, Ages 15–17 - 120 €/month.
Monday and Wednesday
15:00
16:00
17:00
18:00
19:00
Tuesday and Thursday
15:00
16:00
17:00
18:00
19:00
Times are Eastern European Time (EEST, GMT+3; EET, GMT+2 in winter).
We’ll settle on convenient days and a time together with you when you enroll, taking your time zone into account.
Children growing up with two languages learn to see the world from a broader perspective and easily switch between different ways of thinking.
Russian develops thinking skills
By learning the language more deeply, children learn to express their thoughts more precisely, understand complex ideas, and formulate their own ideas - building intellectual maturity.
A link to culture and family
A language is stories, traditions and the people closest to you. It helps a child feel part of the family and keep their roots.
Frequently asked questions
Lessons take place on Zoom in a small group: teenagers see the teacher and each other, read, discuss texts, write, and edit what has been written together. All you need for the lessons is a computer or tablet with a camera.
Yes, you can join at any time during the year - we’ll find a group that matches your teenager’s age and level.
No. Everything you need is already included in the price of the course.
Yes. At the end of the course the teenager completes a final piece of work - a project or a short essay - and receives a certificate of completion. The teacher tracks progress throughout the course through the written work, the analysis of texts and participation in discussions.
