The Center for Russian and East European Studies and the Department of Slavic Languages and Literatures at the University of Pittsburgh will offer a Russian Heritage Speakers' Course in Pitt's 2007 Summer Language Institute through a grant from the US Department of Education's Fulbright-Hays Group Projects Abroad Program  The course will provide advanced intensive instruction for five weeks in Pittsburgh, followed by five weeks in Moscow, to graduate and upper-level undergraduate students who grew up in the US in an informal Russian-language environment (usually, a Russian-speaking home), but have not achieved full Russian linguistic and cultural proficiency.

Current or prospective middle or high school Russian language teachers – who need not be heritage speakers themselves – also are eligible for the course. Teachers taking part in the program will sharpen their own Russian language skills and cultural knowledge while also learning strategies for teaching heritage speakers, who now make up an increasing portion of the students enrolled in Russian language classes across the nation. The course will use individualized tutoring and mentoring to address the specific needs of heritage speakers, such as improving their Russian reading and writing skills and their ability to communicate in formal and professional situations. Individualized cultural excursions and research projects conducted in Moscow will further assist students and teachers in developing higher-level proficiency in their specific areas of interest.

All course participants (both students and teachers) must be US citizens or permanent residents. Airfare and living expenses in Moscow will be fully covered by the Fulbright-Hays grant. Participants may also receive full or partial tuition scholarships for the 10 University of Pittsburgh credits to be awarded for successful completion of the course.

The 2007 program takes place at the University of Pittsburgh from June 4 to July 6, and then at Moscow State University from July 7 to August 10. The application deadline is March 22, 2007 . To obtain additional information and an application form, please visit the website of the Summer Language Institute (http://slavic.sli.pitt.edu), or contact Christine Metil at the Department of Slavic Languages and Literatures (412-624-5906 or slavic@pitt.edu).