[lg policy] How Russian pensioners are teaching foreign students their language

Mon Jan 23 17:02:04 UTC 2017

 How Russian pensioners are teaching foreign students their language bridging
divides

LinguaLink of Generations was launched by three individuals who’ve studied
at a school in Moscow. The program pairs retirees and students for language
lessons using Skype.

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January 20, 2017 Moscow—Svetlana Pavshintseva, Kirill Golubev, and Andrey
Lisitsa, who have studied at the Higher School of Economics (HSE) in
Moscow, have older parents and observed a common problem: After people
retire, they can sometimes struggle to feel useful and connected. The HSE
trio saw a way to help.

They launched a program enabling retirees to teach Russian to foreign
students using Skype. The LinguaLink of Generations
<http://www.lingualink-g.com/> project started in October, and about 100
older people have been paired with students, based on their interests.

“[We] received a lot of requests right away,” says Ms. Pavshintseva, who is
now pursuing a master’s degree at HSE and is the public-relations manager
for the project. Interest in the initiative, she notes, surged after
several media outlets wrote stories about it.

According to Pavshintseva, the idea to create such a project came from
Brazil, where a school in a small town used the internet to connect to a
retirement home in Chicago. The point was to help Brazilian children study
English. Unfortunately, the venture lasted for only a few months.

Now, in Russia, pensioners from all over the country have asked to
participate in the Skype lessons, Pavshintseva says, although most are from
Moscow and other big cities. The majority of the students come from
European countries, the United States, China, and former Soviet republics,
say the project’s founders. In particular, many requests come from Italian
students.
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<http://www.csmonitor.com/World/Europe/2012/0202/Sochi-Soviets-and-czars-How-much-do-you-know-about-Russia/Territory>

Most of the pensioners don’t have a language degree. However, LinguaLink of
Generations is not only about practicing Russian, but also about exchanging
cultural experiences more generally.

“By communicating with the students, I get a chance to share with them
knowledge about my country and city,” says Galina Kuchmiy, a retiree from
Moscow in her 60s. “I know a lot of facts about Moscow and may outperform
any tour guide. I am happy that my interest in Moscow’s architecture is
helpful for foreigners who would like to visit our capital.” Ms. Kuchmiy
joined the project after a friend recommended it to her.

Rauza Valieva, a pensioner from Moscow in her late 50s, is also excited
about participating in LinguaLink of Generations. “I have a lot of free
time now, and I am very happy about communicating with young people,” Ms.
Valieva says. She is working with an Italian student who is passionate
about the Tatar culture, in addition to Russian language and culture. As
Valieva represents this ethnic group, she is glad to share her knowledge
about Tatar dishes and folk songs with her student.

All can participate in the project free of charge. LinguaLink of
Generations received a grant from the Vladimir Potanin Foundation, a Moscow
charity, to set up the organization and cover other expenses.
<http://www.csmonitor.com/World/Europe/2012/0202/Sochi-Soviets-and-czars-How-much-do-you-know-about-Russia>
Sochi, Soviets, and czars: How much do you know about Russia?
<http://www.csmonitor.com/World/Europe/2012/0202/Sochi-Soviets-and-czars-How-much-do-you-know-about-Russia/Territory>

LinguaLink of Generations works with several nongovernmental organizations
that deal with pensioners.

“The members of our organization showed great interest in the project,”
says Gulnara Minnigaleeva, head of the NGO My Years – My Wealth, which
provides older people with opportunities to stay active and be involved in
social activities. “Of course, there are some technical problems, as some
of the retirees are not advanced computer users, but I guess these are all
manageable difficulties.”

Ms. Minnigaleeva is also an associate professor at HSE; Pavshintseva was a
student of hers and proposed a collaboration between her organization and
LinguaLink of Generations.

Forwarded from the Christian Science Monitor, 1/23/17

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