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“Я не понимаю!” [I do not understand!] has become my catchphrase during my time at Middlebury College’s Russian Language School. Along with two other Connecticut College students, Gray Ruffer ‘26 and Maggie Linehan ‘24, I signed a pledge this summer to speak only in Russian for eight weeks.
Middlebury’s language schools are renowned for their innovative approach to immersive learning. The College offers programs in 13 different languages, each of which require students to commit to complete integration. Beyond the four hours students spend in class each day and the mountains of homework they tackle in the afternoons, students attend yoga and cooking classes as well as craft sessions in their target languages. During meal times, students sit with peers and professors studying the same language, and all parties and social events are in-language.
As a student in the first level Russian course, the gaps in my conversational knowledge were huge. Until I learned the verb “to go” during my third week of classes, I would say “do-do-do-do-do” alongside a series of hand gestures to articulate that I needed to go somewhere. On multiple occasions, professors and upper level students began talking to me with words I had never heard. Initially, I was embarrassed to share that I didn’t understand them, but I quickly realized that leaning into challenging conversations was the best way to learn. By my fourth week of classes, people were surprised when I told them I was in the first level course because of how much I talked.
“In Level Three there is little to no English,” said Ruffer. “There’s a lot of nuance in every language, and to not be able to use that language because you don’t know that nuance is really difficult.” Initially, this complexity poses a challenge for students coming into Middlebury’s language program. We are unable to articulate our feelings or desires, which can lead to high levels of stress and frustration within the program.
The professors are very aware of this challenge and make concerted efforts to allow students to take a step back from the intensity of the classroom through clubs and casual social functions. “Tennis is the club I’ve really dived into,” said Linehan, a student in the fourth level course. “It’s something that I know I’m good at. It’s fun to be there speaking Russian, but in a space where I am comfortable.”
Both Ruffer and Linehan noted the value of language courses that utilize cultural activities and education alongside the traditional classroom setting. “There are some things in Russian that can’t be translated,” Linehan said. “There are different parts of the culture that you can only learn about through the language, and that’s what makes it worth learning.”
