Translation. Region: Russian Federal
Source: Peoples'Friendship University of Russia –
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RUDN University student Marina Sobolevskaya is spending this summer surrounded by boys and girls in a kindergarten in the Serbian city of Subotica. She teaches the children Russian, tells them about Russian traditions and culture, and plays "The sea is worried once" and "Ring-ring, come out onto the porch."
"Last year, I visited the Serbian Embassy with a delegation of students and teachers from our Department of Theory and History of International Relations, where we were very warmly received. Ambassador Momčilo Babić met with us personally and told us many interesting things about his country and its capital, Belgrade. After talking with the ambassador, I wanted to expand my knowledge of Serbia and go there to form my own opinion about this country. That is why this year I decided to participate in the Global Volunteer program of the international organization AIESEC," Marina Sobolevskaya, Bachelor of Arts and Social Sciences at RUDN (International Relations major, 3rd year).
A little bit about Subotica
The girl applied to AIESEC, successfully passed the interviews and since July 15 has been working 4 hours a day in one of the kindergartens in Subotica. This is the northernmost city in Serbia, which is located almost on the border with Hungary and was once part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Trade routes used to pass through here, and a market opened every Saturday. This market was called Subotica in honor of the day of the week when trade took place. Marina notes that although the city is small, there are many historical places here, as well as incredibly delicious cuisine.
"Before the internship, I worked with children, but not in such quantities. For example, at school I held events for junior and middle grades. In my volunteer program, it is important for me to teach Russian as a foreign language, and the target audience only created additional interest: children have a completely different worldview, understanding and perception than adults, and communication with them is useful for me too," Marina Sobolevskaya.
According to the student, during her first lessons with the children, she showed them Russia on a map, photographs of major cities and Lake Baikal, and told them about the flag of our country.
"The children were impressed by the size of Russia, and also by the Moscow metro with its almost 300 stations. They were generally delighted by the trains that transport people underground, because their city doesn't have anything like that, and it's hard for them to even imagine it," Marina Sobolevskaya.
Is Matryoshka a grandmother?
As the student shared, she teaches Russian to children using posters and cards with the names of domestic animals, products and other simple words. The children especially like words that sound very similar in both Russian and Serbian. For example, “ovtsa” is pronounced here as “ovtse”, and in the word “koza” the stress is on the first syllable – the differences are minimal.
“In turn, the children teach me Serbian. For example, when I showed them a photo of a matryoshka doll, it turned out that they knew this Russian toy. When I asked them, “What is this?”, they shouted, “Babushka!” At first, I was surprised, why grandma? But in Serbia, that’s what they call a matryoshka doll. I also learned the word “bubamara” from the children, which means ladybug in Russian. In general, the languages are very similar, many of the same roots, often only the stress and suffixes differ. Outside of work, I speak more English, but in cafes and shops I try to use the phrases I’ve learned. I already have about 30 words in my arsenal. This is my mini-goal — to learn Serbian, because I think it’s important, you need to respect the language of the country you’re in,” Marina Sobolevskaya.
In the kindergarten, the girl helps her colleagues with organizing various events, including off-site ones.
"During the first week of the internship, my students and I attended a meeting with children with disabilities, where the kids could play and chat together. It was interesting to watch how the teacher had explained to the group what would happen shortly before: how tactfully and at the same time clearly she conveyed the meaning even to the little ones," Marina Sobolevskaya.
The RUDN student also enjoys playing games with her students that are familiar to us all from childhood.
"For example, in "Ring-ring, go out on the porch" or "The sea is worried once." The older girls especially liked this game, they learned the words by heart and diligently repeated them. And I want to think that they will remember these moments, these games, tell their friends about them, and then their children, and thus pass on a piece of Russian culture through generations," Marina Sobolevskaya.
Serbian hospitality
In her free time from the internship, Marina goes on short trips. And not only in Serbia: she also managed to visit the cities of Kotor, Budva and Herceg Novi in Montenegro. According to the RUDN student, each country and city has its own atmosphere, and she is glad that she has the opportunity to enjoy it and gain new impressions and experience.
"I have a nice story about Serbian hospitality. Near Novi Sad, there is a national park called Fruska Gora, where I wanted to take a walk. But when I got there by bus, I realized that I would be able to see very few places on foot in three hours. The park is more designed for car travelers. But on my way, I met a local resident, Frederik, who was working in his shed, and I started a conversation with him. I wanted to ask him which paths I should take in the park to see something interesting. And he was interested in me, in the fact that I was a student from Russia and here on an internship. We spoke English, since he knows this language, he went to study in London, so there was no language barrier. So, in the end, I was invited to his place for breakfast, where we continued our lively conversation, and then Frederik showed me the sights of the park by car," Marina Sobolevskaya.
Future project
After completing her internship, the RUDN student plans to implement a project related to intercultural communication, adaptation and socialization of foreigners in Russia. It will be an online platform where you can learn Russian, learn about the traditions and culture of our country using various formats, including interactive ones.
"Of course, there are now many courses and tutors who professionally teach the language, but even having learned the basics, foreigners often do not understand how and where to apply their knowledge, how to use slang, dialectisms and other unusual vocabulary, what proverbs, sayings and phraseological units are, why you can't greet someone through the threshold and much, much more. I would like this huge layer of Russian culture, unconsciously passed down from generation to generation by native speakers, to become available to guests of our country, to help them better understand it and feel at home," Marina Sobolevskaya.
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