An online reading and conversation club for teenagers from Russian-speaking families living abroad.
Pushkin, Chekhov and Zheleznikov - alongside Murakami, Rooney and Adichie
We learn to put an opinion into words, argue for it and hear the person opposite
We talk about what matters: identity, emotions, relationships, growing up and choosing your own path
5–9 students
60 minutes
once 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 club is a good fit if your teenager…
Is 14–15 years old and growing up in a Russian-speaking family
Reads and writes at a basic level - that is enough to take part in the conversation
Has something to say but still finds it hard to put their thoughts into Russian
About the programme
In our lessons we go from “who am I when I am real” to “I choose to be myself” - through conversations about identity, emotions, other people, relationships, choice and growing up. A lesson lasts 60 minutes, and every conversation has something to lean on: a fragment of a book, a scene from a film and a question for discussion. There is no need to read the whole book beforehand.
In the lesson on self-acceptance, for instance, we read Turgenev, Haig and Strout, watch a scene from “The Perks of Being a Wallflower” and discuss what the character accepts in himself and why it matters.
Identity
Who I am when I am real: the inner voice, self-respect, self-acceptance and the courage to be yourself.
Emotions
What makes an emotion mine: honesty with yourself, emotional steadiness, depth and maturity of feeling.
Other people
People as worlds: motives and histories, masks and expectations, conflict and reconciliation, trust and respect.
Relationships
Closeness, boundaries and responsibility: why we fear love and fear losing ourselves. The anchor text is “Eugene Onegin”.
The world and one’s path
The world as a space of choice and your own path through it: what I want, what stops me and what carries me forward.
Maturity
Inner ground and a freedom that takes others into account. The anchor text is “A Hero of Our Time”. The block ends with a personal manifesto and the final piece of work, after which the teenager receives a certificate.
What we read in class
Cultural grounding
Russian classics on growing up and on choice - fragments and short prose.
Pushkin’s “The Captain’s Daughter”
Lermontov’s “Mtsyri”
Turgenev’s “First Love”
Chekhov’s short stories
Zheleznikov’s “Scarecrow”
Poems by Yesenin and Okudzhava
Wider horizons
Contemporary world fiction on the self and on relationships.
Saint-Exupéry’s “The Little Prince”
Haig’s “The Midnight Library”
Green’s “The Fault in Our Stars”
Palacio’s “Wonder”
Murakami’s “Norwegian Wood”
Rooney
Strout
Moyes
Adichie
What we watch and discuss
At every meeting we watch a short fragment of a film and discuss it. A familiar story makes it easier to start the conversation and move on to the meeting’s main question. We watch “Inside Out”, “Wonder”, “Soul”, “Lady Bird”, “The Perks of Being a Wallflower”, “The Martian” and other films.
What a lesson consists of
We warm up and meet the topic we are going to discuss
We read a literary fragment - sometimes two: one Russian and one from elsewhere
We watch a scene from a film and do a task in pairs
We discuss the topic with the whole group, share our opinions and do a short piece of writing
How lesson time is divided
Discussion50%
Reading20%
Writing20%
Film fragment10%
Skills your teenager will develop in the club
Understands themselves better: their feelings, boundaries and motives
States their opinion and knows how to argue for it
Tells complicated emotions apart and learns to cope with them
Understands other people’s motives and feelings
Learns to build honest and respectful relationships while keeping their boundaries
Makes decisions and answers for their choices
Leads a discussion and knows how to listen
Writes short essays and texts about their own thoughts and feelings
Teachers
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.
Learn more
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
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
Timetable and price
Group5–9 students
TimetableOnce a week, 60 minutes
60 €/month
Book Discussion Club: A Point of Support, Ages 14–15 - 60 €/month.
Saturday
10:00
11:00
12:00
13:00
14:00
15:00
Mon, Tue, Wed, Thu
17:00
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: we warm up, read a fragment of a book, watch a scene from a film, work in pairs and discuss everything together. There are 5–9 students in a group, so everyone gets to speak. A computer or tablet with a camera is required for the lessons.
60 € a month. The price covers every lesson in that month - once a week, 60 minutes - and all the necessary materials. There is nothing extra to buy.
Yes. At the end of the programme the teenager completes a final piece of work - a considered opinion, a short essay or a creative piece - and receives a certificate. The teacher tracks progress at every meeting through participation in the discussions and the ability to argue a case.
Yes. The club runs alongside the main courses, so the two can be combined.
