Our teachers are experienced, many-sided specialists who sincerely love their work. They are ready to share their knowledge and good mood with students every day. One of these teachers – Elena Yablonskaya, a graduate from the Faculty of Philology of BSU and a graduate from the graduate school of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus — has kindly agreed to give an interview.
— How long have you been working at the school of Russian as a foreign language?
— I have been working at our school since December 2015. In General, I have been teaching Russian for more than 20 years.
— Do you consider Russian to be one of the most difficult in the world?
— No, I don’t. Russian is my native language. I was born and raised in Russia. Therefore, for me Russian is one of the most beautiful and rich languages in the world. I am becoming more and more convinced in that day by day with my
teaching foreign students.
— What is the most difficult thing for students while studying Russian?
— The most difficult thing for them is to learn to “think in Russian”, to see the world with "Russian eyes". This is very important for successful language acquisition.
— What is the first thing that sticks to their memory?
— It differs from person to person. Someone will remember the acquaintance with Cyrillic graphics, another will keep in mind Russian names with father’s names, the third will memorize Russian verbs.
— What countries did your students come from?
— It is difficult to list all the countries. When I started working, students were mainly from China, Africa, Afghanistan, Iran, Slavic countries. Then lot of students from Turkey, Korea, Latin America have joined. Now I have students from Holland, Italy, Spain, France, Germany, Poland, Serbia and, of course, Turkey.
— Describe the Russian language in 3 words.
— Unusual, interesting, many-faced.
— Are you a strict teacher?
— Moderately strict. I like students who really want to study and strive to get as much knowledge from me as possible. I like curious ‘whyers’.
— How are you trying to evoke interest in class?
— Russian language, Russian culture and Russian mindset.
— How many foreign languages do you know?
— I know German, Polish, Turkish and some English.
— Is there any formula of success that will allow you to learn a new language as quickly as possible?
— There is such a formula. And it’s very simple: ‘Work hard.’
— Is it possible for a foreigner to study Russian from the ground up?
— Foreigners who speak Russian well and have studied Russian from the ground up are not uncommon. So the answer to your question is ‘Yes, it’s possible.’
— Describe your ideal day
— A day ideal for work: good weather, lessons do not start very early, students have done their homework and want to study productively.
A day, perfect for having rest: good weather, phone off, good plans for the day, nearest and dearest are close to me.
