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“The best teachers are those who show you where to look but don’t tell you what to see.” - Alexandra K. Trenfor
As a child, learning a language is essentially obligatory and even though learning a foreign language comes with a whole heap of benefits academically and professionally, not that many of us master one at school.
Languages that aren’t as commonly taught in schools, such as Russian, tend to be more valuable than others. However, as we said, very few of us master the language we’re taught at school so it can be worthwhile to learn foreign languages outside of compulsory education.
When it comes to learning Russian as a second language, classes are a good way to go as they can teach you vocabulary, grammar, and pronunciation, for example.
But Russian isn’t commonly taught in schools like French, German, and Spanish so you’re probably wondering where a child would learn Russian.
Don’t panic, we’ve got the answers!
Teaching Children Russian in a Language School
In many countries, Russian isn’t as widely taught as a lot of other foreign languages. However, some schools specialise in teaching Russian.
A language school or language centre is a private educational establishment where students study foreign languages including Russian.
Some language schools focus solely on Russian whereas others might be centres for teaching a variety of different foreign languages. It can be useful to think of these types of establishments as halfway between your typical school language classes and private tutorials.
There are some excellent Russian language centres and foreign language schools around the world, but there’s a bigger selection of schools in major cities. Many of them offer classes for all ages, including introductory classes for young children and adults.
Don’t hesitate to search for your nearest language centre and see if they specialise in Russian or offer classes in the language. Usually, centres will offer a language if there’s demand for it, so even if they don’t currently offer Russian, you might want to let them know that you’d be interested if they ever did.
Find out more about teaching children Russian.
Teaching Children Russian with Russian Associations
For adults, it might be worth getting in touch with Russian community associations. While they don’t always offer activities or lessons for children, some do. These associations are usually run by local Russian communities to celebrate the Russian language, culture, and tradition. In some cases, their outreach will include offering language lessons in the local community.
This is a chance to learn more about the Russian language and culture since the two are inexorably linked. It’s also a good opportunity for you and your children to participate in Russian festivals and celebrations as these places could offer a more informal route to learning the Russian language.
The important thing is that children have fun when learning languages and some associations will have members who’d be happy to teach children how to speak their mother tongue even if classes aren't formally offered. In many cases, as this tutoring will be more informal, it may be cheaper than working with a professional qualified Russian tutor.
So are you tempted?
Search for your local Russian association. There are also lists offered by the Russian Embassy in the UK.
Find out how kids can learn Russian.
Teach Children Russian with a Private Tutor
While probably more expensive than learning with an association, Russian tutors are an excellent solution for parents looking to teach their children Russian. A private tutor can work around your schedule, needs, and even teach your child from the comfort of their own home.
On Superprof and other tutoring websites, you can search for Russian tutors that specialise in teaching children. After all, teaching young learners is an entirely different game from teaching adults. They’ll adapt their teaching approach and resources to their students.
Similarly, the language they’ll learn will be different to that adults would learn. After all, there’s no point in teaching children business or economic vocabulary when they’ll never use it!
Much in the way a language centre will have classes aimed at children, a private tutor will not only adapt the lessons to children, but they’ll adapt the lessons to the child they’re teaching, too. Getting kids to concentrate on something they enjoy is hard enough as it is and it takes a real expert to get them to focus on something and also learn from it.
Of course, this bespoke service tends to be costlier than a group class in a language school or centre, but it’s worth it. On Superprof, you can find Russian teachers for kids for very affordable amounts and many of them offer the first lesson for free.
Find out what Russian lessons for kids are like.
Teach Children Russian with Online Courses
It’s a great idea for children to learn the Russian language. However, we don’t always have the time or money to take kids to a language school or hire a private tutor. You don’t want to be running around getting them ready for their lessons, either.
Don’t worry! There are online classes in almost every subject that children can enjoy from the comfort of their home including maths, English, science, and even Russian!
You can find everything you’re looking for online. Private tutors are offering online lessons for adults and children alike. In addition to Superprof, there are several other websites for finding private tutors online and around the UK.
As long as you have a computer, webcam, microphone, and a decent internet connection, you can learn from tutors all over the world. The best thing about online tutors is that the younger generation are far more used to digital resources and using computers so it rarely bothers them. With a professional, you also don’t need to worry too much about leaving them alone with the tutor.
Of course, you’ll want to check first just to be safe, but once you’ve verified the tutor, your child can learn Russian and how to be an effective autonomous learner. Two good things.
Discover the best Russian languages resources for kids.
Teach Children Russian in Anglo-Russian Schools
We don’t always think of it, but there’s a chance that your child could learn Russian in school. There are a handful of establishments where children can learn Russian and in Russian.
A child doesn’t necessarily have to be Russian or from a Russian family to attend, either. They can learn Russian whilst at school and still speak English at home without ever actually visiting Russia. It’s a pretty standard way for young children to learn how to speak a foreign language.
The idea is that while also learning Russian as a subject, being immersed in the language in everything else they learn will teach the children the language more quickly and effectively. This is quite a common practice for pre-schools.
With nurseries and pre-schools, this is a useful way to kick-start a child’s Russian before they move on to working with tutors or attending other classes. As we said, there aren’t many of these establishments around the UK so this is a solution that only a handful of parents will be lucky enough to try.
Fortunately, there are plenty of ways for a child to learn Russian and most parents will be able to find a solution that works for them and their budget. Whether you choose a tutor, Russian classes at a language school, online lessons, or teaching them yourself, you’re bound to find something that works.
They’ll soon see their Russian language skills coming along nicely.
So are you ready to start helping your child to learn Russian?
On Superprof, you can find Russian tutors offering face-to-face, online, or group tutorials. With each type of tutorial having its pros and cons, you need to think about which type of tutoring will be right for your child, how they like to learn, and your budget.
Face-to-face tutorials are just between the tutor and the student, which allows them to tailor every part of the lesson to the learner. While these types of tutorials are often the most costly, they're also the most cost-effective since every minute of the lesson is spent focusing on the student.
Online tutorials tend to be a bit cheaper than face-to-face tutorials since the tutor doesn't have to worry about travel costs and time and can charge more competitive rates with fewer outgoings. Furthermore, online tutorials allow you to look for tutors all over the world, which means that you can look for Russian native speakers from Russia or the other countries around the world where the language is spoken.
Group tutorials are great for those on a budget as you can share the cost of the tutorials with the other students in attendance. While students won't get as much one-on-one time with their tutor or lessons that are tailored specifically to them, they do get more opportunities to practise their Russian with other students of a similar level.
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