Business Russian Language and Internship Program

  Russia

• St. Petersburg: 
St. Petersburg
• Moscow: 
Moscow (Moskva)

Term: Academic Year, Fall, Spring, Summer 
Dates: Aug-Dec; Aug-June; Jan-June; June-Aug

Description: The American Councils Business Russian Language and Internship (BRLI) Program combines a specially designed curriculum focusing on the language of Russian business with an internship averaging ten to fifteen hours per week at a multinational company, business, or non-governmental organization agency in Russia. Moscow International University and the Russian State Pedagogical (Gertsen) University in St. Petersburg host this program; students may apply to study for a semester, academic year, or summer. BRLI participants are granted U.S. academic credit through Bryn Mawr College.

The highly individualized BRLI curriculum can be tailored to serve students ranging from intermediate to near native speakers of Russian; however, less advanced students should consider whether their language proficiency will enable them to engage in substantive internships and benefit from instruction in the style and lexicon of business speech. (Students lacking a strong command of Russian grammar, for example, should consider enrolling in RLASP before applying to the BRLI program.) A full-time U.S. resident director provides ongoing logistical support and emergency assistance to participants. Students may choose to live in university dormitories or with host families screened and selected by American Councils staff. Peer tutoring, Russian-American discussion clubs, and a broad range of extra-curricular activities provide unique opportunities for BRLI students to connect with Russian friends and immerse themselves in daily Russian life.

Highlights: Courses of instruction will focus on intensive Business Russian language. Participants attend tutorials or classes in small groups, based on their language skills and background in business, economics and finance. Internships will be arranged individually. Every effort will be made to place participants in positions that complement their professional interests.

Recent participants have had internships at the Agency for Political Consulting, American Chamber of Commerce, Case and White Law Firm, Center for Humanitarian Aid, IBM, the National Press Institute of St. Petersburg, Russian Orphan Opportunity Fund and the St. Petersburg Office of the Stockholm Trade Representative.

Participants are offered the chance to meet for two hours per week with tutors recruited from the department of Russian as a Foreign Language at their host universities. In addition to valuable academic support, the peer-tutoring program provides an important opportunity for American students to meet their contemporaries in the increasingly fast-paced, cosmopolitan culture of post-Soviet Russia.

Qualifications: Two years of college-level Russian

Minimum Education: High School

Cost in US$: Inquire for more info.

Experience Required: no

Participants Travel to Russia in Groups

Typically Participants Work in Groups of 2-4

Application Process Involves:

• Letters of Reference
• Physical Exam/Health Records
• Transcript
• Written Application

Post Services Include:

• Alumni Network

American Councils for International Education: ACTR/ACCELS's Mission Statement: American Councils has administered intensive language-immersion programs for U.S. undergraduates, graduate students, teachers, and scholars at universities and specialized institutions in Russia and Eurasia since 1976. More than 5,000 students, teachers, and scholars from universities and colleges throughout the U.S. have participated in American Councils programs for research and language study in Russia, Ukraine, Central Asia, the South Caucasus, Moldova, Belarus, and Southeast Europe. Incorporated in 1974 as the American Council of Teachers of Russian (ACTR), American Councils was founded to advance research, training, and materials development in the fields of Russian and English as foreign languages, and to strengthen communication among scholars and educators in language, literature, and area studies of the United States and the former Soviet Union. In 1987, the ACTR Board of Directors created the American Council for Collaboration in Education and Language Study (ACCELS), which quickly became a leader in the design and administration of exchange and training programs funded by the U.S. government. In 1998, ACTR/ACCELS created a new organizational structure with a new name, American Councils for International Education. ACTR and ACCELS are divisions of American Councils. Today American Councils employs more than 300 expatriates and host-country nationals in 34 offices throughout Russia, Eurasia and Southeast Europe. Overseas offices administer educational testing centers, recruit students and scholars for exchange programs to the U.S, and organize educational events to foster the growth of democratic values and civil society.

Year Founded: 1976