Middlebury Russian Language Program in Kazakhstan

I really enjoyed this program! I got to explore Kazakhstan, take interesting classes, and learn independence all while being fully immersed in the Russian Language. Going into this program, I already had an intermediate understanding of the Russian language, but I wanted to learn more about the Russian-speaking world. I found that Kazakhstan — typically unexplored by the average American study-abroad student —and, in particular, the program with Middlebury, were well-suited to my academic and personal goals. I got to work intimately with Kazakh students, learn about a previously unexplored culture, all while eating good food, celebrating important Kazakh holidays, and viewing breathtaking architecture (attached). For Russian-speaking students interested in furthering their academic career and being fully immersed, consider the program in Astana!

Middlebury offered me the opportunity to return to Russia, continue my education, and form ties in Russia that have kept me here since.

My Russian levels went from a 1+ to 4 within several years of studying at Middlebury and all instructors were of the highest quality. Furthermore, Nana and Shushana were not only excellent professional resources, but wonderful sources of support. I remain in close contact with them to this day. For example, when it became clear that graduate students probably should be able to live on their own in Moscow, they quickly adapted the program for us as living with a host family was stressful as an independent adult. Their flexibility is one of the best parts of the program.

In this vein, there’s a lot of free time, which I used to find a job and create a social circle, in turn helping my language skills immensely. It can be a blessing or a curse as some students will simply spend this free time at home talking to their family and friends on Skype. This is less true for the undergrad students, whose lives are more structured within the program.

The academics provided by Middlebury are strong, but the courses provided at host institutions are less organized and students are left to fend for themselves a bit, which in actuality is an excellent opportunity for language practice. A lot depends on the student, so it really is what you make of it. While I loved and thrived from the lack of confines in the program, others in our group felt as though there could have been a bit more guidance.

Overall, the graduate program is great and I highly recommend it for its flexibility and intensive language-learning environment. I only recommend it for those grad students who are willing to take initiative and be independent, however. Middlebury provides a genuine Russian experience - Moscow is not a place to go on vacation, but a place to learn, live, and try to get by.

I went on the Yaroslavl study abroad with Middlebury to complete education requirements. This is an excellent program. The class offerings are diverse. Yaroslavl is a safe city and a short train ride to both Moscow and St. Petersburg. The teachers really help you succeed and learn. And Yaroslavl is a beautiful place with a hopping social scene. Anna, the coordinator for the Yaroslavl program, is very helpful. She's strict about enforcing the language pledge, but she's fair and will go out of her way to help students with problems they may encounter. We went on excursions out of Yaroslavl, met some interesting people, and saw some cool things. I've had a number of friends who went on various study abroad programs and we have all agreed that this one is the best out of all the ones we have been on.