Russian Immersion Program
The 8-week program offers instruction at six levels, from introductory through advanced Russian, and is designed to cover approximately an academic year of material.
The program enrolls a diverse mix of undergraduates, graduate students, recent graduates, professionals, and lifelong learners. Heritage learners – people who grew up speaking Russian at home – are encouraged to apply.
In addition to daily level-based instruction, we offer tutoring to help students address gaps in their language skills. Students at any level may schedule time to work with a tutor. There will be special sessions for heritage learners, who may engage comfortably in conversation but need support to strengthen their reading, writing, and knowledge of grammar.
Curriculum
Classes normally meet for at least four hours per day, five days per week, for a total of 160 contact hours. Daily work outside of class usually requires three to five hours, and students are encouraged to spend three to five per week in cocurricular activities of their choice. Middlebury awards four units of undergraduate academic credit for successful completion of the 8-week program. (One unit equals three semester hours of credit, so the four units are usually treated as equivalent to 12 credit hours.)
All courses in the 8-week program provide proficiency-oriented instruction in listening, reading, speaking, writing, and grammar, with an emphasis on contemporary Russophone culture in its historical context.
Each level of study includes intensive practice in phonetics (pronunciation and intonation). This aspect of our program is consistently popular, and one-on-one tutoring in phonetics is available. In preparation for the summer, visit our phonetics site and practice on your own!
Levels
Placement in a specific level is determined by language proficiency. All students take a language assessment prior to the start of the program. The language assessment is not part of the application process. Read more about level placement.
Pre-Arrival Preparation
Arrival on campus can be as intimidating as it is exciting. To help you prepare for the immersion experience, visit our pre-immersion learning site. Some of the material is specifically for beginners, but there is something for everyone!