From September 2020 our Kalinka Russian Language School has managed to start a new 2020/21 school year online. This is in spite of government restrictions being currently imposed on us because of the Covid-19 Pandemic.

The Kalinka Russian Language School was established in Dublin in 2010 by Irina Lawless. This year Kalinka celebrates its 10th anniversary and continues to operate successfully but now online. This means that for our 2020/21 school year the classes will be held only online because of the Covid restrictions.

Russian classes for adults.

 The online classes for adults are proving very successful. All our students need for success online is a good internet connection. We find that adult students study online with increased pleasure and focus because they don’t have to spend valuable time travelling to and from Dublin centre for their classes.

At  our school we give the opportunity to study the Russian language, starting from the Beginners A1 level and finishing with the higher Proficiency C2 level. 

If any student wishes to prepare at our school for an examination in the Russian language (as a foreign language), this is always possible. 

Kalinka will prepare the students for the examination and the students themselves will apply separately to be examined by the Russian language Department in Trinity College Dublin. Students who are successful in the exam will be conferred with the appropriate Russian language Certificate. 

Russian classes for teenage children.

For children under 14 years of age who are learning Russian as a foreign language, distance classes online are not the best approach. There is no adequate substitute in this case for live classes, face to face with children; at least none has been produced to date successfully dealing with teaching a foreign language to children. Accordingly, for the year 2020/21, unfortunately, Kalinka will not be in a position to offer classes for children under 14 years old age.

However we are teaching teenage students online who are of an age to prepare for the Leaving Cert Exam in Russian. This could be students who are 14 years old, or upwards.

For this school year all Kalinka Russian language classes for adult and teenage students will be held via Skype or Zoom. Be reassured nothing is lost in the online teaching process. Our teachers use not only textbooks but also video and audio resources.

Kalinka Russian Language School currently has two highly qualified and experienced native Russian language teachers. They are both specialists in teaching Russian as a foreign language and preparing students for the Leaving Cert.

Kalinka Russian Language Club

From 2016 our school has organised a very successful Russian Club for students and anybody interested in getting together to celebrate Russian history and culture at a central Dublin venue. Our next Club event was to be scheduled around the theme of Russian painter – iconographer, Andrei Rublev. Unfortunately because of the present Covid -19 restrictions this has had to be postponed for the moment.  

When the restrictions are behind us we will gladly gather and share the work and life of this great Russian artist with all our students and guests.

 Why Learn Russian? 

There are many ways to grow and learn no matter at what age. As well as travel, learning a foreign language is a challenge open to us all and beyond no single person with the will to do so. Between East and West today the Russian language has a part to play in deepening and enriching  our knowledge and understanding of our differences and our similarities. We are up for that challenge in Kalinka here in Dublin, Ireland, in the interest of peace and harmony between people. Let’s celebrate that by learning Russian together.

Irina Lawless

Director / Teacher, Kalinka Russian Language School