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Testimonials

Today I am reading, writing and speaking Russian.

I began my Russian language adventure a few years ago as a complete beginner. Irina’s classes are addictive and she has a natural talent for making the impossible possible! Today I am reading, writing and speaking Russian. Irina’s enthusiasm and ongoing support will help me go from strength to strength. Thanks Irina

Elizabeth O’Doherty

14.10.2022

Brian Prunty (Student, Civil Servant, Dublin)

While it is still early days in my Russian language journey, it is such a pleasure to make steady and tangible progress with each class. Irina is a patient and thoughtful teacher and guide, and we have many laughs. Irina manages to achieve a wonderful balance between the serious business of learning and the enjoyable voyage of discovery of a new language and different culture. She teaches far more than the language; she highlights the country, its rich heritage and the people. The school has a very convenient central city location and my hour’s class each week with Irina is the highlight of my week. I am so pleased that I made the decision to learn with Kalinka Language School.

Neil Seery (Student, History Department, Trinity College, Dublin)

Kalinka is a great place to learn Russian. I am taking private lessons with the school and my experience has been brilliant. Emphasis is placed on speaking Russian while simultaneously working to improve your reading, writing and listening abilities, all at a pace that suits you and in a friendly environment. Classes take place at whatever time that suits you, right in the heart of Dublin.

There are many language schools in Dublin that are of high quality, but Kalinka stands above the rest for its recognition of the importance of learning how to speak Russian, rather than simply reading large, seemingly endless bodies of text, while at the same time exposing its students to Russia’s rich history through culture days. This, combined with the warm environment and the social aspect, ensures that as a language school Kalinka is second to none.

Christine Weldon (Student, Ireland)

I started studying Russian in Kalinka Language School in August 2019.
I really look forward to my one and a half hour private lesson with Irina every week. Irina is absolutely professional. She focuses on the spoken word and the ability to communicate. She corrects my appalling
pronunciation with patience, kindness and wit I have improved and gained confidence in the last 6 months. I have learned and absorbed the grammar and have learned to write beautifully in the Russian cursive script!- thanks to Irina’s teaching skills. The class ends far too soon for me.

John Gleave ( Student, Ireland )

I was lucky enough to start learning Russian while still at school and was able to study Russian language and literature at university. While a student I visited Moscow and returned a few years later to Saint Petersburg (then Leningrad) as a tourist. In the many years since, professional and personal pressures pushed me in the direction of other languages and my Russian became rusty to say the least.

When I ceased working full-time I decided to re-kindle my interest in Russian culture and looked around for a suitable part-time language course – not easy to find in South Dublin. Fortunately I discovered Irina’s class in Rathmines and have made excellent progress thanks to the Kalinka Language School. Although much of the coursework seems like revision, Irina has helped me to plug some serious gaps in my knowledge of some of the basics of the language and her insistence on correct pronunciation is really appreciated.

My aim is to be able to read the works of modern Russian writers in the original and to travel to Russia again – may be to visit parts where English-speaking guides are rare!.

Peter D. (Student, Ireland)

It has been a joy learning Russian with Irina. While professional and precise with regard to understanding grammar, Irina’s focus on conversation and practice has resulted in my understandingand proficiency in this beautiful language coming on in leaps and bounds. Thank you Irina.

Tim ( Student, Ireland )

“ I started to learn Russian in 2016 when I noticed evening classes were being run for beginners in a nearby college in Rathmines where Irina taught Russian. I had visited St. Petersburg and had some Russian speaking friends and was very curious about the language and thought it would provide an interesting challenge. It is very rewarding to read and write using cyrillic and to begin to understand Russian pronunciation.

It is grammatically very different to English and I feel that the world is seen differently when presented through Russian. As I started to improve I continued to take classes with Irina at her Kalinka language school. She is very skilled at teaching the language and has an intuitive feel for a students capabilities and how to maintain their progress. ”

Anna ( Student, Poland )

I started learning the Russian language at Kalinka Russian Language School in Dublin because I am interested in Russian culture. In the future I would like to take a trip to Russia and particularly to Moscow and St. Petersburg and then, maybe, take a trip on the Trans – Siberian railway.

I believe that Russian language will also help me to develop my professional career in Ireland and with it I could also take business trips to Russia. I would like to recommend the Kalinka Language School in Dublin with all my heart. There is a nice, friendly atmosphere there. Classes are run in small groups. I see a lot of progress with my learning Russian every week.

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For as long as I can remember, I was fascinated with Russia and its language. I remember hearing a Russian song as a teenager and thought it sounded so cool the lyrics were written in some cool text that I didn’t understand, so I started buying books to learn Russian. However, I wasn’t successful even…

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