Russian and Economics double major Julia Isacson will be moving to Russia after graduation to work as an English teacher. Julia will be working at American Home, a school in Vladimir, Russia that isrun by an NGO called The Center for Supplemental Education. The school accepts upwards of 500 students every year, aged elementary school to professional workers, who are interested in learning and improving their English language skills with the hope of studying or working in the United States one day. For many of the students, English lessons are part of their after-school extracurricular program.
As an English language instructor, Julia’s responsibilities will not only include teaching English classes, but also helping to develop teaching materials, conducting entry-qualifying exams, and organizing American cultural activities for the students. These activities include celebrating American holidays, screening American movies, and going on cultural field trips. Many of the English instructors teach anywhere from 5 to 8 classes a week.
Julia says, “I am looking forward the most to meeting and getting to know my students throughout the semester! As an aspiring potential teacher, this will be my first serious teaching opportunity, which will tell me whether I love this field of work. I am excited to share my culture and experiences with the students and staff of the American Home and to learn from their culture as well. I am also looking forward to experiencing Vladimir, which will be a new perspective of Russia, from my experiences studying abroad in Moscow in 2017.”
Julia spent a summer and semester studying abroad in Moscow, Russia on the Dickinson-in-Moscow program.
