Learn Russian - Schools and Courses in Riga, Latvia

Course Prices Accommodation Prices School Facilities Course Details Accommodation Details

Russian School in Riga, Latvia

Latvia is located on the shores of the Baltic Sea in North-Eastern Europe. It is the heart of the three Baltic States. With a warm welcome it invites you to visit its inspiring capital Riga and the beautiful countryside of green forests, blue lakes and rivers, blossoming meadows and the murmuring sea. Baroque palaces and stone manor houses, cozy wooden farmhouses and the charm of Art Nouveau buildings offer inspiration for everyone.

The history of Russians in Latvia is quite long - about a thousand years. Russian and Livonian chronicles state that the first Russian merchants came here as early as the XII-XIII centuries. Russia had always longed for access to the sea and thus control over Latvia. In 1721 Sweden lost Northern War to Russia and Latvia became part of Russia. After a period of Latvian independence from 1918-1940 Latvia was annexed by the Soviet Union. Soviet rule lasted until Latvia regained its freedom in 1991.

Only true architectural wonders make the UNESCO World Heritage List. The historical center of Riga is one of them. Riga's Old City is a living museum where modern life and comfort goes hand in hand with picturesque charm from the Middle Ages.

One third of Riga's downtown buildings were constructed in Art Nouveau style. They explode with gargoyles, nymphs and satyrs. The large number of buildings and various styles that can be found make many think Riga has to be the Art Nouveau Capital of Northern Europe.

Riga has also preserved a great many of its old, wooden buildings, and has possibly the largest bodies of historic, wooden architecture to be found anywhere in Europe.

Latvia has long, white sandy beaches. Tourists can find spacious, clean and white dream beaches in the wilderness. The seaside resort Jurmala alone has got 25 km of white fine sand beach.

Forests make up 45% of Latvia area. If you come from a heavily populated area, then Latvia's vast forests can feel like heaven. Relax, feel the serenity and the sweet scent of the pine trees. If you are lucky you might encounter lynx or fox crossing a road.

Russian Courses in Riga, Latvia - Fees

Accommodation Fees

Our Russian Language School in Riga

Our school provides quality Russian language courses. We are located in the historical part of Riga city and are surrounded by major places of interest, shops and cafes which students make use of at break and lunch time. We strive for excellence in quality of teaching, innovation and after-class activities. The school is involved in several pioneer projects for the investigation of the Russian language and finding innovative methods for teaching Russian as a foreign language. Our classrooms are equipped with audio and video facilities which teachers make use of in lessons. It helps to set the language in an authentic audio-visual context as well as providing a useful starting point for oral practice, group discussion activities and written work. Fax, e-mail and Internet facilities are available at the school for the students' use.

Our work is all about communication. Our teachers act as animators, whose job is to get you to speak. You'll get all the corrections, grammar and vocabulary you need to take you to the next level, but our priority is on active speaking. To make sure you get your say, we keep the classes small, an average of 6 and a maximum 8 students. From the beginning you will speak only Russian in our classes. It's like jumping in the deep end but it is worth it, because this way you will be able to pick up the melody and rhythm of the language more quickly. You will learn everything you need to communicate with Russian speakers around the world. In addition, our after-class program will be an important part of your studies ensuring you speaking Russian as much as possible during your stay.

The staff at our school are experienced native speakers qualified to teach Russian as a foreign language and have professional linguistic degrees as well as additional qualifications in cultural studies, modern languages, science and business. All tutors employed with us are required:

• To be native Russian;
• To have special education for teaching Russian as a foreign language;
• To have an extensive experience in teaching Russian;
• To have excellent recommendations from previous employers;
• We have a strict selection and recruitment procedures. The quality of work is highly controlled on the daily basis.

Six reasons to study Russian in Latvia :

• Almost 50% population are Native Russian speakers
• US and EU citizens do not need visa
• Latvia was a part of Russian Empire and Soviet Union
• Latvia is dynamic, democratic and very secure country
• The culture of Russian language and academic traditions are well preserved
• Much higher quality of services and lower prices than in Russia

Our Russian Language Courses in Riga

This Russian course is an innovative program based on incorporated work with audio and video media as well as cultural discovery. It is designed for students interested in learning Russian for travel, academic study, employment or cultural purposes. The course is very intensive and is divided into morning and afternoon components thus allowing a combination of general Russian lessons and cultural classes every week. Integrated Russian has a maximum of 8 students per class. This course presupposes total immersion in Russian culture and language.

Our Russian courses are structured to accelerate your learning with maximum time in the classroom. There design enables students to reach their academic and career goals in the shortest possible time period.

Cultural Studies include various exciting modules: Press and Media, Tourism, Russian Cinema and Music, Russian Cuisine, Russian Slang, Russian Mentality and other.

In our Russian courses we teach five levels of Russian: beginner, elementary, intermediate, upper-intermediate, advanced. The groups are formed according to an assessment test, which is compulsory for every participant.

Number of lessons: 20/30/ 30+10 lessons per week

• Lesson length: 45 minutes
• Class Size: 6-8 students
• Minimum Age: 16
• Levels: beginner to advanced
• Course Length: minimum 2 weeks
• Starting dates: On demand

Fee includes: tuition, assessment test, teaching material, orientation tour, European School of Russian facilities. Accommodation costs, which include the arrival transfer, are listed in the accommodation section of this website. Students are free to choose currency of payment (EUR, USD or LVL).

All successful students receive graded certificates at the end of their stay.

Individual Tuition

One to one tuition can be arranged for students of all ages. The individual approach speeds up the learning process and focuses on the needs of the particular student without having to comprise on, or take into consideration, other students.

We offer one-to-one tuition as an additional option for students who wish to develop their language skills as quickly as possible in a limited period of time.

One-to-one lessons can be tailor-made to suit your specific needs and requirements. Professional, friendly teachers using modern materials will ensure that you make rapid progress. The lessons will concentrate on the specific skill that you wish to improve, for example:

• writing skills for students who are unaccustomed to the Russian alphabet;
• reading skills for students who wish to increase their vocabulary, speed and comprehension;
• pronunciation skills for students who have difficulty with individual sounds and the intonation of the Russian language;
• extra grammar practice for students who are learning Russian for specific professions such as banking, medicine, tourism, marketing etc;
• special vocabulary usage for students who are learning Russian for specific professions such as banking, medicine, tourism, marketing etc.

Students enrolling for a one-to-one course receive a written progress report at the end of their stay. In the report, students find a detailed analysis of their progress covering all four aspects of language learning including suggestions on further studies, recommended reading and so on.

Number of lessons: as agreed

• Lesson length: 45 minutes
• Class Size: 1 student
• Minimum Age: 16
• Levels: beginner to advanced
• Course Length: any
• Fee:12 EUR/h

For details of more specialized courses, such as business Russian, Individual courses with a stay in the teacher's family, or holiday courses, etc, please contact us we'll endeavor to offer the course of your choice.

Russian School in Riga, Latvia - Accommodation

Be aware, that the success of your Russian courses abroad for learning also depends on the comfortable feeling provided by the right accommodation choice. That is why all the accommodation offered to students is carefully selected by the school.

Our Russian school in Latvia arranges accommodation in studio-type apartments, summer camping on the seaside and hotels of all categories. Our school offers very competitive apartment rates and various types of hotels, to suit every budget. The most popular type of accommodation is studio-type apartments located in the historic center of Riga and the Old Town.

Studio

You can choose from 50-70 sq.m. fully furnished and equipped studio type apartments. Most of them are located in historical buildings in the city centre, are just renovated and thus in excellent condition. Most flats within the featured conveniences have cable TV, Internet and convenient transport access. Normally we offer students various options to choose from before their arrival.

Youth Hostel

We offer our students accommodation in youth hostel which is 15 min from Riga centre. Most likely you will share room with two other students; however, there is an opportunity to arrange single room as well. You will be provided with such facilities as public lavatory and shower cabins, as well as two well-equipped kitchens located on each floor, a telephone and a TV-room, a computer room hooked up to the Internet, a training classroom, a cafeteria shop, a hairdresser, a dentist's, a gym, a sauna, and a solarium.

Summer Camping

Upon requested, we can arrange your stay in Jurmala, the pearl of the Baltics, a renowned resort 30 min by train or car from Riga. Your camping is situated just 2 min walk from white sandy beach and will be surrounded by picturesque pines.

Hotels

If necessary, we will find and book any category hotel meeting your price, comfort and location requirements. There is an opportunity to choose from smart and expensive hotels such as Hotel de Rome, SAS Radisson and Grand Palace Hotel or less expensive economy class hotels.

Please note: All prices are quoted in Euros. For the equivalent in your currency, please visit www.xe.com/ucc.