New Stars of International Friendship

19.12.2023

New Stars of International Friendship

On December 18, an incredibly warm joint event by the Department of Foreign Languages (Institute of Humanities and Social Sciences) and Institute of International Education of Tula State University - "Travel Across Cultures" took place in the student space.

It was conducted with the aim of strengthening Russian students’ English language skills, developing intercultural communication skills among Russian and international students of Tula State University, maintaining a friendly climate in the multinational student community and fostering in students a deep respect for the diversity of cultures of the world.

And here they are, the main participants of the event - Russian students of the professional training program “Translator in the Field of Professional Communication”, undergoing training at the Department of Foreign Languages, and international students of various levels of training. It was the latter who created a real English-speaking environment in the student space, since they were all native English speakers and came to study to Tula State University from Canada, Iraq, Sierra Leone and Tanzania.

The participants "traveled" a lot this winter evening - they visited a traditional Christmas celebration in Sierra Leone, they learned how Christmas and New Year's Day are celebrated in different tribes in Tanzania, they were surprised by the main Christmas dish in the Canadian province of Quebec called “Poutine” (emphasis on the last syllable), and they also doubted the New Year's predictions of the oracles along with the residents of Baghdad.

And most importantly, the participants of the event found a common language and discussed each other’s cultural characteristics with interest and respect - after all, it is sincere interest that makes us talk, ask, clarify, comment, answer questions - do everything that is so necessary when studying any foreign language.

So many questions were asked about the stereotypes formed in the public consciousness regarding different peoples of the world! And, of course, most of them were debunked.

The idea of organizing this event in English “Travel Across Cultures” belongs to senior teachers of the Department of Foreign Languages Polina Vladimirovna Kuzina and Olga Viktorovna Filimonova. The representatives of Institute of International Education and the Department of General Theoretical Disciplines and Russian as a Foreign Language supported them with no doubt.

The event ended with a joint tasting of Christmas gingerbread men, cooked by one of the Russian students. And after the end of this warm meeting, the participants did not leave for a long time, continuing a sincere discussion of this New Year's trip around the world and exchanging contacts.

New stars of international friendship lit up.

Olga Gladkova

Photo presented by the heroes of the material