Living abroad has required us to re-evaluate how we can effectively teach our children the Russian language, and maintain and grow those skills over time in a non-immersive environment. Having observed our surroundings, we realized that many other families have found themselves in a similar predicament. Children in Russian-speaking or bilingual families living abroad often speak very little in their parents’ native language. As they grow up and spend more time with their peers, they communicate more and more in other languages, use Russian less and quickly forget it.
Many parents would like their children to be as proficient in Russian as they are in the language of the country they live in, and, in time, start looking for resources to support their children’s Russian-speaking skills.
Frequently, local Russian language schools – typically taught on weekends — approach the teaching process very formally, using standard “Russian as a second language” programs. Kids tend to get overwhelmed with the formal approach and get bored quickly. As a result, the learning process isn’t as effective — as kids become reluctant to go to school on weekends, and the parents find it emotionally draining to force the issue. Additionally, time spent with “pick ups and drop offs” can become overwhelming and limit other activities on the weekends.
Informal communication in the Russian-speaking community is often more effective, but there can also be pitfalls. Kids model their speech after adults, and adults often switch to another language that’s more comfortable for others, such as the child or the second parent. They may also insert words in another language into Russian speech, which may cause the child to perceive the language incorrectly. As children get older and continue to communicate with others in the local language, they tend to view their need to speak Russian as diminished.
The idea of creating an innovative online school for bilingual kids immediately appealed to us, with the promise of fulfilling our dream of raising children fluent in several languages.
After having observed how our children behaved in formal Russian-language classrooms, and how they interact with their peers (local and Russian-speaking), we developed our own approach to teaching bilingual children:
Native-speaking Russian teachers must teach our kids.
We found professionals who have extensive experience in teaching bilingual children, and also speak Russian cleanly and correctly.
Group activities will help your children communicate not only with the teacher but also with other students from around the world.
This approach encourages them to actively use their Russian-language skills as they are creating new friendships with other Russian-speaking kids.
We believe that teaching should be exciting, fun, and evoke positive emotions.
Our mission is to create an environment for your child to want to learn on their own.
Possibility to choose a lesson from different categories of activities that will suit any child's interest.
Kids will do what they like, while gaining new skills and simultaneously improving their Russian language.
Online classroom format is appealing to kids and saves time for the parents.
Without having to carve out time in your already-packed schedule to drive your child to classes, all you’ll need is a computer or a tablet and access to the Internet.
Our lessons last 60 minutes instead of the usual 45.
Practice shows that an hour is the most optimal amount of time for a child in this age group to warm up, get engaged and participate, and for the parents have extra time to dedicate to themselves.
Teaching our kids using the principles mentioned above has led to RuKidsClub having students from all over the world who WANT to communicate in Russian. And their DESIRE develops into the ABILITY to speak correctly and beautifully!