ACTR and their program in Moscow

[Kristine Shmakov]

I too participated on an ACTR program at Herzen Pedagogical Institute  
in fall 1989. It was my second study abroad program (the first one  
with CIEE) and both programs were excellent in every way. Studying in  
Russia changed my life in every way. Had it not been for those  
programs, I never would have been able to gain the proficiency needed  
to go on to get a graduate degree and then to teach at the college  
level, which I have been doing for the last 15 years. I regularly  
have students who transfer to other institutions and then participate  
in an ACTR Russian program at the 3rd or 4th year level. They have  
all had great experiences and been very happy with all aspects of the  
program. I highly recommend ACTR to any student wanting to study in  
Russia.

Kristine Shmakov
Portland Community College


On Dec 1, 2007, at 8:25 PM, Shuffelton at AOL.COM wrote:

> As a teacher who has benefitted from ACTR programs for more than  
> twenty
> years, I find it unfortunate that Mr. Hosseini has chosen to take  
> such a  negative
> approach to the organization. As Professor Garza points out, he  
> could  have
> addressed his personal concerns to personnel at American Councils  
> rather  than
> airing them on SEELANGS.  Since he does invite commentary  and thus  
> offers an
> occasion to note  the good that ACTR does for the  Russian field, I  
> am happy
> to mention just a few examples.  To list all the  positive ways  
> that ACTR
> serves students, teachers, and the Russian field in  general would  
> make this
> posting far too long.
>
> Very simply put, ACTR's programs have changed my life.  I was a   
> participant
> in the first high school teachers'  summer exchan to the USSR,   
> spending six
> weeks in Leningrad in the summer of 1986.  It was that summer  that  
> gave me my
> first immersion in Russian language and culture, allowing me   
> finally to feel
> competent and comfortable speaking Russian.  It was also  that  
> summer that
> introduced me to some teaching methods and classroom activities   
> that I continued
> to use for the rest of my career. And it was that summer when I   
> began to
> acquire authentic materials to use in my classroom.  I found the   
> ACTR oversight
> of that program extraordinarily competent, professional, and   
> helpful.  Other
> participants in that summer program still  remember that summer  as a
> milestone in their lives.
>
> ACTR, in cooperation with CORLAC and other organizations, continued  
> to  offer
> many rich resources for high school teachers, including summer  
> institutes  at
> Bryn Mawr College where teachers, were exposed to the latest  
> approaches  in
> second language acquisition as well as outstanding professional  
> development
> classes.  I became a very different classroom teacher thanks to  
> those  summer
> institutes. My classes also benefitted from ACTR publications,   
> especially the
> Face to Face textbook series, which remains the only Russian   
> textbook series
> designed with pre-college students in mind.
>
> My experience leading a  delegation of high school students to   
> Russia was
> very different from what Mr. Hosseini describes.  When we had a   
> problem to deal
> with, the staff in the ACTR offices in Moscow and in Washington  were
> immediately responsive and helpful, even answering middle of the  
> night  phone calls.
> I was immensely grateful for their support and thankful  that I was  
> on an ACTR
> program that summer.
>
> I have nothing but respect and admiration for the work that ACTR  
> does for
> all of us in the field.  My reaction to all the fine programs and  
> people
> involved in the organization has been to involve myself in a number  
> of ACTR
> activities, in part out of gratitude.   I have served on the Board  
> of  Directors
> since 1988(I think that is the correct year), administered the   
> National Russian
> Essay Contest since 1989, served as Secretary of the Board of   
> Directors and am
> currently President of the organization.
>
>  As Professor Garza notes in his reply, ACTR  stands as a model  to  
> the
> foreign language field in the area of exchange and study programs   
> that directly
> benefit students and  instructors of Russian.  I am  always proud  
> to point out
> to colleagues in other language fields the wealth  of programs,  
> exchanges, and
> publications that ACTR makes available.
>
> Jane Shuffelton
> President, ACTR
>
>
>
>
>
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