EducaCentre

Russian Language School

22 Sinopskaya emb., St.Petersburg, 193167, Russia

Tel.: +7(812)327-0373, Fax: +7(812)327-0373

rus@educacentre.net, http://www.educacentre.net/

Welcome to EducaCentre!

EducaCentre was founded in 1989 and is a private educational institution, located in downtown St. Petersburg. The school occupies a three-storey, beautifully renovated classical-style building. Housing its twenty five modern, fully-equipped classrooms, the administrative and travel services offices, the school overlooks the Neva river embankment.

EducaCentre is one of the most respected and biggest language schools in St. Petersburg, Russia. We have been in the market for more than 10 years and have respected at all times the interests and needs of our students and performed our services professionally. We have participated in international programmes in Singapore, Thailand, the United States and Great Britain.

EducaCentre offers an extensive range of Russian language courses: from Survival to Business and courses for specialists in different fields. Among our clients one can meet a businessman, tourist and a student. So whatever your reason for studying Russian is – career, traveling, culture or pleasure – Educacentre is the right place to go.

We also provide full service for each incoming student, including: visa support, transfer service, accommodation of different types, cultural activities, tours, excursions, theatre and

museum trips and so much more.

EducaCentre is accredited by the Russian Ministry of Education and Science as a center for teaching Russian as a foreign language. We are also officially certified to offer travel services in St. Petersburg and throughout Russia.

On behalf of my teaching and administrative staff I welcome you to Educacentre.

Sincerely yours,

Konstantin Filkov

Director

Why Educacentre…

- High-quality teaching

- Our prices are very reasonable

- Exceptionally wide range of courses: from Survival Russian to Business Russian

- St. Petersburg as one of the most famous cities in the world is an ideal place to study

- Using a wide variety of up-to-date materials

- Guidance on entry to the institutions of higher education and preparatory courses for foreign students enrolling to Russian Universities, Institutes and Colleges

- Wonderful facilities in a superbly equipped school in the city centre

- Free Internet and e-mail access,

- Accommodation from our carefully selected host families to luxurious 5-star hotels

- Our social programme caters for all tastes and interests

- We enjoy what we do

General Information

Visa support

Every foreign student must have visa to enter Russia. According to the law every foreign person has to be registered in the Immigration and Registration office in Russia (OVIR)

upon arrival. We will not be able to register students who made their visas with the help of another company, that is why we strongly recommend to use this service through Educacentre.

If you enroll on a month course or shorter then you will be granted a tourist visa ($40) and in case if your stay in Russia is longer than 1 month you will be granted a student visa ($50).

Transfer Service

We would be happy to meet you at the airport/ bus or railway station and take you to the place of accommodation on a car provided by Educacentre. The Staff member will be waiting for you in Arrival Hall holding a sign with your name. Transfer charge is $35 .

Location

EducaCentre occupies a three-storey, classical style building on The Neva river embankment (22, Sinopskaya emb.) in downtown St.Petersburg, 5 minutes’ walk from the Nevsky Prospect and “Alexander Nevsky” metro station.

Teaching Staff

Every teacher of Russian at Educacentre is a graduate of St. Petersburg State University, qualified to teach Russian as a foreign language and with many years’ experience both in Russia and abroad.

Study material

Textbooks, copies and cassettes are provided at the beginning of the course and included in the course fee. There are tape-recorders, TVs and VCRs available and may be used for studies at Educacentre.

Schedule

Each lesson lasts 45 minutes. There are coffee and lunch breaks. Lessons usually start at 10:00 o’clock every morning from Monday till Friday.

Certificate
At the end of your course you will receive a certificate, which states the course you have attended, the amount of lessons taken and the level attained. This certificate provides proof of your language competence. We will be happy to provide an end of course report if you require it.

Classrooms

There are 30 bright, modern classrooms, fully furnished and equipped for language lessons.

Internet and e-mail

Internet and e-mail access is available at no extra charge.

Cafeteria

Our own cafeteria provides hot and cold drinks, snacks and chocolate bars. There is also a satellite TV in the cafeteria.

No smoking

The school is a non-smoking area, however, there is a smoking place in the staircase.

Insurance cover

Our students are asked to check their personal insurance protection as they are not insured by the school against illness, accident, theft, personal liability, etc.

Cultural and Social Program

With the exception of some events, cultural and social activities offered by the school are not included in the course fee. However we may organize tours, excursions, theatre and museum tickets, adventure trips, nightclub and restaurant offerings and a lot more to

to develop our students' understanding of the country, its history, language and way of life.

The cultural and entertainment side of your stay will be kindly organized by our

travel company "Russian St.Petersburg Tours", web-site: http://www.russian-st-petersburg.com.

Public holidays

The school is closed only on one public holiday - January 1^st. All lessons will be held as scheduled on other public holidays: January 7^th; March 8^th; May 1^st, 9^th; June 12^th;

November 7^th; December 12^th.

Student card

In order to issue a student card which will give our students cheaper access to some museums, we require a passport-sized photograph.

Minimum age

The minimum age of our students should be 15 years.

Courses

Among the courses we offer you will find one which will meet your needs, whether you are a tourist, a specialist in some field or a businessman, or just want to learn a foreign language and be a good asset to an intellectually growing society.

Being university graduates in a wide range of disciplines, our teachers can offer tuition in nearly any subject that might be interesting for our prospective students.

Lessons are given from Monday through Friday (Except “Total immersion at a teacher’s house:” course). Each lesson lasts 45 minutes.

General Russian (20 lessons per week) - Grammar-based lessons combined with extensive practice in speaking, listening, reading and writing ensure that a student will rapidly improve his or her ability to communicate in Russian (available at any level)

Intensive Russian (30 lessons per week) - Two additional lessons per day take you even further. After the lessons you will be able to relax and practise your Russian in a variety of social settings (available at any level)

Survival Russian (20 lessons per week) - This course emphasizes spoken communication skills and the practice of everyday Russian and is available only at absolute beginner and elementary levels (available only at absolute beginner and elementary level)

Russian for Specialists Russian for: Marketing, Banking, Tourism, Overseas Teachers, etc. (20 lessons per week) – was specially designed for people who wish to feel confident using Russian in their jobs. We will ask you to complete our Language Needs Analysis questionnaire before your course so that we can pinpoint the language areas that need attention. Tailor-made courses are also arranged for company groups at our language centre (available from any level)

Total immersion at a teacher's house (40 lessons per 2 weeks) - You live and learn in your own teacher's comfortable home. This gives you a wonderful opportunity to improve your Russian quickly, efficiently and enjoyable. It also guarantees you individual teaching and total immersion in the Russian language. With this course you not only improve your language skills, you also experience authentic Russian life wherever you choose to study (available at any level)

Start dates for study sessions

Groups

- Students at all levels can start on any Monday;

- Closed groups of 3 students or more can start any time.

Individual tuition

- 1-to-1 and 1-to-2 tuition courses can start any time.

Course fees

(all prices are listed in US dollars)

Enrolment fee for all courses: $50 (non-returnable, non-deductable)

Groups

(fees per person)

Courses	1 week	2 weeks	Each extra week	Price includes
General Russian	$120	$240	+$110	-20 lessons p/wk, -Placement test, -Loan of books, -Progress tests, -Certificate
Intensive Russian	$160	$320	+$150	-30 lessons p/wk, -Placement test, -Loan of books, -Progress tests, -Certificate
Survival Russian	$140	$280	+$130	Same as General
Russian for Specialists	$190	$380	+$170	-20 lessons p/wk, -Placement test, -Loan of books, -Field trip, -Progress tests, -Certificate

Individual tuition

(fees per person per lesson)

Course	1-to-1	1-to-2
General Russian	$12	$9
Intensive Russian	$12	$9
Survival Russian	$12	$9
Russian for Specialists	$15	$13
Total immersion at a teacher’s house course*	$1365/$1090	-

* Fees for the special course “Total immersion at a teacher’s house” depend on the location of accommodation (in the historical part of the city or in other districts). Fees for this specific course include enrolment fee, visa support, return transfer, 2 weeks of tuition (40 lessons total), 2 weeks of accommodation, weekly excursion. Although you can enroll for more than 2 weeks, and the number of lessons can also be changed at your demand.

Accomodation

EdicaCentre offers accommodation in:

- Host family,

- Hotel,

- Hostel,

- Apartment

Host family accommodation Most students start their course by taking host family accommodation, and we strongly recommend this option. All EducaCentre host families:
- live in quality and clean accommodation,
- are highly educated people,

- speak one or two foreign languages,
- are genuinely interested in helping students to develop fluency in Russian,
- are keen to make new friends and learn about the life and culture of foreign students.

Each family provides bed and breakfast and an evening meal. Should you prefer B&B or no meals please let us know. Bed linen is provided by the host family and changed weekly. A daily bath or shower is available and homes are well-heated. Items of laundry may be washed by the family on request, for a small charge. Heavy items and dry cleaning should be taken to an outside laundry. The telephone may only be used with the permission of the host family. Calls should be paid for immediately.

Hostel accomodation There are only a few double rooms and dormitories in the hostel. In any way they should be reserved well in advance. Unfortunately there are no single rooms and if you want to put up in a single room and you are coming alone then you are to pay for two people and you will be accommodated in a double room alone.

International Youth Hostel is located in 15 min. walk from Educacentre.

Hotel accommodation We recommend that requests for hotel accommodation be submitted well in advance. All hotel accommodation is subject to availability and is not guaranteed until confirmed by EducaCentre.
Over the years EducaCentre has built up a good relationship with a range of hotels of various categories and can make reservations on the students' behalf. We usually recommend the three-star Hotel “Moscow”, which is within walking distance of EducaCentre. The hotel includes 500 business-class rooms, fitness centre, sauna-lux, restaurant and a bar. The hotel prices vary according to the season and are available on request.

Apartments When you are thinking about a long-term stay in St. Petersburg, for instance, from a couple of months to half a year, it would be a nice idea to rent an apartment.
EducaCentre can organize it for you. Please contact us with your requirements in advance and we will provide you with the options of apartment accommodation. There is no pre-defined price for renting an apartment in St. Petersburg, so just contact us with your requirements and we will provide you with further information.

Accommodation fees

Host family

(Charges per person per night)

Accommodation type	Cost (half board)	Cost (with breakfast only)
Historical part of the city	$30	$27
Other districts	$20	$17

Double rooms are available upon request.

_________________________________________________________________________

Hotel and Hostel Accommodation is subject to availability. The price may vary according to the class of the rooms and the time of booking.

Hostel (International Hostel)

(Charges per person per night)

Room type	March 1- October 31	November 1 – February 28
Dormitory (3-5 people)	$ 21*	$ 15*
Double	$ 26*	$ 21*

*Price includes breakfast

Other Hostels are available upon request

Hotel “Moscow”

(Charges per person per night)

Room type	Oct. 1 – March 31	April 1 – 30, Aug. 1 – Sep. 30	May 1 – June 30	July 1 - 31
Single	$93	$106	$120	$116
Double	$112	$124	$156	$150
Suite	$181	$206	$220	$216

* Price includes breakfast

Other Hotels are available upon request

Additional fees

- Visa support $40-50,

- Transfer Service $35.

Terms and conditions

How to enroll on a course

1. Select your course.

2. Complete the Educacentre enrolment form and send it to us.

3. Receive from Educacentre: Confirmation of enrolment and Invoice.

4. You write to us if you agree with the obligation to pay the indicated fees and we send you the invitation for visa (if required).

5. You notify us as soon as you get your visa. We will return to you with the accommodation details.

6. If you have requested a transfer service, please send your flight details to us.

7. The balance of your course fees can be paid either by credit card or in cash (unfortunately we do not accept checks) upon arrival.

Enrolment

To enroll for a course please use the form at www.educacentre.net or the one included into the package. You can enroll by telephone/fax +7(812) 327-03-73

Please bear in mind that the invoice will always include the enrollment fee of $50

Cancellation before arrival

If you wish to cancel your enrolment, please advise Educacentre or our authorised agent in writing. Non-commencement of the course without notice is not equivalent to cancellation. In the event of cancellation, you will be required to pay the administrative costs.

Cancellation after arrival

Fees cannot be refunded for a course which has already started or if students are absent or leave before the end of a course. In the case of genuine personal emergency, fees may be refunded at the discretion of the principal.

Very important!

1. If you want us to help you select a course please provide the following information:

your present level of Russian and your learning requirements.

2. It takes at least a week to obtain an invitation. Generally speaking, the earlier you book, the better and safer it is.

3. In the high season try to contact us at least a month before you come so that we have time to make arrangements for you and can make sure the dates you want are available.

4. Please remember that in case of cancellation you will have to pay the administrative costs.

Our students say:

“EducaCentre is located in a very good place and the people working there are excellent. Everything is perfect, I am very much satisfied and want to come back.” Fusun Mutlu, 59 y.o., Turkey
e-mail : fusunmutlu@superonline.com

“I got recommendation for Educacentre from my friends in St. Petersburg.  My teacher, Tanja, choosed just these learning materials and topics, which I needed. As for school facilities, it was helpful to have the possibility to use the Internet access.” Joachim Mueller, 28 y.o., Germany
e-mail : tm.jm@gmx.de

“I really enjoyed the time I spent here, this is a good place to have "international friends" ! If you don't speak any Russian, that's no problem, you'll learn. I learnt fast, the teacher was perfect for it, very patient and helpful to teach me how to prononce and write. Educacentre's staff is all very friendly people, who all speak English, which is very useful.” Charpin Pascal, 18 y.o., France
e-mail : squalyto30@aol.com

“An efficient, well organized place - things actually work ! And a nice atmosphere.”
Lars Korslund Christensen, 30 y.o., Denmark
e-mail : larskorslund@hotmail.com

“The classes were great because they were small and tailored to the individual”
Brian Lucena, 26 y.o., USA
e-mail : brian_lucena@yahoo.com

“The first day I arrived in Peter, I was completely shocked by everything - wow ! I have to leave, I'm very sad because of the very good time I had here ! But I don't recommend you Educacentre if you don't like to have fun and if you don't wanna meet very nice people ! I wanna come back and I will do that!”
Francesco Leonardi, 22 y.o., Switzerland
e-mail : bodo_8@yahoo.com

“Love you guys, Irina (A), Slava (A), Anastasia (A) !”
Aaron Becke, 35 y.o., USA
e-mail : middeast@hotmail.com

“EducaCentre's staff are very keen to make sure you feel 'at home' and to meet your needs for accommodation, transport and studies. It is a good way to visit the city.” Garry Turkie, 45 y.o., UK
e-mail : garturk@garturk.com

Enrolment form

(please send it by e-mail to rus@educacentre.net or fax it to +7(812)327-03-73

Personal data
Last name:_____________________________
First name (s):_____________________________
Sex: ____________________________________
Date of birth:_____________________________
Passport number and expiry date:______________
Occupation: _______________________________

Telephone/fax/e-mail:________________________

Course selection

Your level of Russian:________________________
Course and type of tuition selected: _____________

Date the Course starts:_______________________
Date the Course ends: ________________________
Mother tongue: _____________________________
Other languages spoken: ______________________

Visa related information
In which city are you going to apply for your visa? _____________
Home address:___________________________________________
Work address: ___________________________________________
Please fax a copy of your passport to +7-812-327-0373.

Accommodation details

Accommodation type___________________________

Single or Double_______________________________

Historical Centre or Other districts (if homestay chosen)

To help us choose the right family, please answer the questions below

Do you smoke?______________________
Do you have any health problems? ______

Do you follow a special diet? ___________
Do you like young children? ____________

Transfer

Do you require our transfer service?______

I learned about Educacentre: ____________
Other: ______________________________