PR of the Heritage Speakers' Program 2005

[Valery Belyanin]

Dear Robert, dear Oscar, dear David, dear Christine, dear Bob, dear Dawn,
dear Gina, dear Nadya, dear Irina,
Dear all heritage speakers: Anna, Len, Stan, Diana, Victoria, Michelle,
Katya and definitely:) Lawrence)

I have finally returned safe to Toronto and I am writing you to share the
sweet memories of this summer Language Institute and specifically about
heritage speakers' program.

I am really grateful to the administration of Slavic dept. and REES that we
have applied for this program. And I am grateful to Fulbright Fund that they
had trusted us. On the whole I consider the program was a success also due
to the efforts of the administration of the Moscow State University (Center
for International Education).

My special thanks to the instructors: Irina Makoveeva who did a wonderful
job in Pittsburgh and Elena Vasjanina who did a great job in Moscow.

As you may remember the information about the summer program is located at
http://www.cie.ru/index_ru.asp?action=display_stud&stud_log=101
and a special page is devoted to Heritage Speakers
http://www.cie.ru/index_ru.asp?action=display_stud&stud_log=100

Regarding PR of the program I would like to say that I have been delivering
speeches about the program at two conferences.
- one was in Moscow Linguistic Institute and was devoted to "Language and
culture" and was held in September
http://www.gaudeamus.ru/rus/conf.htm
I spoke there about the image of Russia in the consciousness of heritage
speakers
- the second one was in Moscow State University in the Center for
International Education where I had a plenary speech in the end of October.
I spoke there about the cultural competence of heritage speakers
http://www.cie.ru/index_ru.asp?action=display_spec&spec_log=98
The interest of all the participants was so great that I was interviewed by
the national TV Chanel "Culture".
My and Elena's Vasjanina interview is located here:
http://www.tvkultura.ru/news.html?id=75358&cid=48

I hope I did not violate your (dear heritage speakers) privacy sharing
situations I had during this short but impressive Summer Language Institute
program.
Let me also use this opportunity and to say "THANK YOU VERY MUCH"  for the
patience you had, for the industriousness most of you:) have revealed and
wish you all the very best in your future studies. I hope you will be able
to use Russian language for the cause of peace in the world:)

All this would not work out if it were not for Dawn (whom I fell in love,
please do not tell my wife:)  I have no words to depict how helpful and well
organised she was.

Dear administrators, let me also say THANK YOU for the wonderful opportunity
to have another challenge in my life. I did my best and I shall always
remember all the 4+5 weeks (including Russian movies, happy hours and
exhausting excursions outside Moscow:).
Dear administrators please accept my gratitude for support I had during the
program. These are some examples:
- Chris was always of great help, and had an answer to almost every question
- Oscar was very keen in foreseeing future problems and offering solutions
- Bob even treated me and Dawn with trout in Moscow:)
- and Nadya made our live in Moscow harder but even brighter:)

P.S. I plan to put the numerous photos on the website someday:)
--
Yours truly, Валерий Белянин / Valery Belyanin,
Director of Moscow program of the Summer Language Institute of the
University of Pittsburgh (2005)
Associate of the Centre for European, Russian, and Eurasian Studies of U of
Toronto
Phone in Toronto (416) 423-2484
Email: russianforyou at gmail.com
URL under construction: http://www.russianforyou.com
Psycholinguistic forum in Russian: http://www.mospsy.ru/phorum/list.php?f=2
personal web-page http://individual.utoronto.ca/psyling/