RPSS on Campus

I. Maggie Coffey- Advice for First-Year Russian Students

II. Greta Lin Risgin- Interview with Sasha Orlova, Russian International Fellow

Advice for First-Year Russian Students

Maggie Coffey

Learning the Russian language can be an incredibly daunting task. When I began my first Russian class my freshman year at William & Mary, I was very nervous to study such a challenging language with zero prior knowledge. However, I found ways to enhance language learning by incorporating Russian into my daily life outside of the classroom. In addition, the Russian & Post-Soviet Studies (RPSS) department is extraordinarily welcoming to students of all skill levels and frequently hosts events that are helpful in strengthening Russian language skills. Below, I have outlined numerous strategies I have used over the years to develop my Russian language ability as well as opportunities within the RPSS department to become engaged.

1. I have found that a very simple, but effective way to memorize vocabulary words over time is to put up Post-it notes in Russian around my dorm room. This was particularly helpful to me while taking Elementary Russian my freshman year. By placing Post-it notes on common, everyday items and furniture in my dorm room, I was able to passively reinforce vocabulary and spelling for essential daily words, such as “плакат” – poster, “карта” – map, “холодильник” – refrigerator, etc.

2. I almost always walk to my classes with headphones on, so including Russian music in my day-to-day listening is a fun way I continue to improve my comprehension of the language. The more I listened to Russian music, the more confident I felt in my overall understanding of the language, and also appreciated it as an artform. Some of my favorite bands are Кино (Kino), Наутилус Помпилиус (Nautilus Pompilius), Ноль (Nol), and ДДТ (DDT). Listening to Russian music is an easy approach to increase your exposure to the Russian language and arts.

3. Weekly journaling in Russian is a great way to practice writing. I have found that setting a ten-minute timer and writing about my week in Russian is a very manageable activity to schedule in additional Russian language reinforcement beyond the classroom. Making journaling a part of my routine helped me ensure I was practicing commonly used vocabulary and integral grammar structures.

4. I cannot emphasize enough the vast opportunities the RPSS department provides for its students! Over my four years at William & Mary as an RPSS major, I have thoroughly enjoyed participating in department-wide events. I recommend all first-year Russian students take advantage of these great elective course offerings and co-curricular activities.

a. Russian House events are a must-attend! I not only improved my Russian speaking ability during Russian Tea conversation hours, but also learned how to cook traditional Russian dishes and had fun celebrating holidays, including Maslenitsa and Russian New Year’s, throughout my time at William & Mary.

b. Engagement in co-curricular initiatives, including the RPSS Student-Run Film Series and the annual Russian Language Olympics, are fantastic ways to immerse yourself in Eastern European art and culture while improving your language ability. Watching Eastern European films has helped my listening comprehension significantly and participating in the Russian Language Olympics was such an enjoyable experience in showcasing my language skills with my peers to the whole department!

c. I highly recommend enrolling in RPSS elective courses to supplement and expand upon Russian language classes. I have had the opportunity to participate in the Russian Movie Theater Project for three semesters now and have learned so much about the importance of oral history and the cultural impact of the movie-going experience in the Soviet Union by transcribing interviews from Russians. In addition, working on the Gazeta newspaper staff and submitting Russian articles has enabled me to continue my study of Russian after completing the core Russian language classes and become more involved in the RPSS department.

By partaking in some of these activities and strategies, I think you will find that learning Russian becomes a lot less stressful and much more engaging!

Interview with Sasha Orlova, Russian International Fellow

Greta Lin Risgin

The William & Mary Language Houses each have something, or someone, amazing that helps invigorate the livelihood and teaching culture of the houses—the International Fellows. We sat down with the Russian International Fellow—Sasha Orlova—to discuss her life and experiences teaching Russian in our very own Hardy Hall.

Interviewer: Let’s start with some backstory. Where in Russia are you from?

Sasha Orlova: I was born and raised in Moscow, and spent most of my life there. I got my bachelor’s degree there, and then I moved to St. Petersburg and stayed there for three years. I got my master’s degree there, and then I moved here.

Interviewer: What was it like growing up there? Do you ever get homesick?

Sasha Orlova: I have great memories of my childhood; it was pretty fun to grow up there. I would go to the dacha in the summer all the time with my grandparents and spend time with my family during the school year. Most of my memories are connected to the dacha if we are talking about childhood—walking around the forest, collecting mushrooms and berries, and fooling around with my friends. My dacha was not very far from Moscow; the city is called Mozhaysk.

Interviewer: What were you doing before becoming the William & Mary International Fellow?

Sasha Orlova: I was actually teaching at a university in St. Petersburg. It was my dream, actually, to live there. My friends told me it was pretty strange to move from Moscow to St. Petersburg—usually, people don’t do that—but it was my dream to see how it is to live there. I was teaching Russian to foreigners for about three years, and then I came here.

Interviewer: When and how did you first come to William & Mary?

Sasha Orlova: Before the pandemic, my university—Herzen State Pedagogical University—had a special program with the College of William & Mary. They invited students from William & Mary for their summer courses, and at the same time, William & Mary invited some teachers to stay here and be an International Fellow. I learned about this program and I decided to apply! I got here for the first time in 2019.

Interviewer: How did COVID-19 pandemic affect you, and what did you do during the interim?

Sasha Orlova: Unfortunately, during the school year I could not get a full experience. In 2020 I was here alone on campus—still working online with the students, of course. It was just me and the German International Fellow basically for about two or three months. Then I had to go back to Russia, and I was looking for another job. I got back to the university where I used to work, and while I was working there I found a job in Singapore. So I was waiting for my visa for Singapore, and it took me a while to get there because of the pandemic. It was pretty hard to get there—about five months just to get my visa and permission to cross the border. I taught Russian there at a Russian language center for about a year and a half.

Interviewer: So we’ve stated that you are the Russian International Fellow—what exactly does that mean?

Sasha Orlova: It’s a fun job, I have to say. I am something in between faculty and student; I get all the benefits of being a professor and a student at the same time. I think that’s pretty cool. I can have fun with my students, and I can still sometimes behave like a student, and do some silly things. I love spending time with my students, like we cook sometimes... Just the other day we were preparing a bulletin board. Hopefully, my students can knock on my door whenever they want—my door is always open for them. I love sharing my culture with them; I love telling them funny words and expressions in Russian that they can use. It’s amazing to notice their interest in the culture as well.

Interviewer: What has been your favorite memory as the International Fellow?

Sasha Orlova: As for now I would say it’s my birthday of course! Last Friday we were celebrating. It was amazing that my students remembered that it was my birthday on that day, prepared a surprise right before that, and remembered it through winter break. I think my students can really see what I’ve been doing here.

Interviewer: What has been the most difficult thing as the International Fellow?

Sasha Orlova: I guess the pandemic situation. That was pretty hard. For example, it was hard to adjust to the situation and not see the students all the time. To keep trying to share the culture, but through the apps—that was pretty hard. I was pretty lucky because I was great friends with the German Fellow, so I wasn’t lonely. At the same time, it was not easy, I guess, for everyone. We were learning how to use zoom and all these video calls. I was trying to call my family and my friends almost every day, and that really helped to get through it. We also had zoom calls with the students almost every day; we were really trying to get together. We tried having the same activities—having conversation hours and watching cartoons.

Interviewer: Do you have any favorite Russian foods or traditions?

Sasha Orlova: I like everything my grandma makes. I just like homemade food, really. It could be anything. I love my babushka’s pierogi; they’re amazing. On my birthday we have a tradition, even though I’ve been abroad for four years, we get together for every birthday and holiday. We do a video call, and everyone who lives in Moscow gets together at my grandma’s place, and my grandma cooks a lot of different dishes and has this festive table. I’m jealous because I cannot eat it. They were all together for my birthday and they were showing all the food. It’s a nice tradition.

Interviewer: What is something you like to do with your residents?

Sasha Orlova: Just spending time in general I would say. I like cooking with them. Sometimes we just gather accidentally in the living room and talk about some silly stuff or gossip.

Interviewer: What is something you like to do around Williamsburg?

Sasha Orlova: I love running around Williamsburg—running through Colonial Williamsburg, for example. I usually run in the early morning or late evening when people cannot see me. I like walking near Matoaka Lake, as well. I like spending time at Aromas—listening to music and working. I like going to Mellow Mushroom or Precarious; I love their pizza!

Interviewer: Do you have any closing thoughts or remarks you would like to say to any Gazeta readers?

Sasha Orlova: Come to our events! Learn something about the culture or the cuisine. I think it’s great when you have this opportunity to expand your boundaries. We have seven languages here; you have this great opportunity to learn something from these people from all over the world with their different experiences and different worldviews. That’s pretty amazing. So, don’t only go to our events, but go to all events. I love to do it once in a while and learn something for myself.