Day #41: English students in Novosibirsk

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One of the women in the family I am staying with (my "sister") teaches English to Russians from her home - all day long there is a stream of students coming and going, about 50% adults and 50% children. The lessons for the younger children are quite intensive - it is not uncommon for them to come for 20 minutes or half an hour 7 days a week (their parents usually sit in on the lessons, which seems the done thing in Russia). A woman I met explained that in Russia parents will often work very hard and stretch their budgets in order to have at least some level of private schooling for their children, because the state system is considered poor and in order to get a good job a good academic record is necessary. The wealthiest parents, she said, like to send their children to English boarding schools.

The older children and adults are often intending to move or study abroad. In the two weeks I was there I met four English students with serious plans to emigrate - three to Germany and one to New York. All wanted to move to study, at least initially, and apparently the courses in Germany are - or can be - taught in English. They were keen and determined. Later my "sister" explained that she chose to teach from home because the students are more motivated, that teaching in state schools in Russia is boring and difficult, and that she now has the freedom to tailor the lesson to the pupil. According to her, the best way to get Russian teenaged girls interested in learning English is to get them to describe their future wedding - including the groom!

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