Richland College continued its commitment to building sustainable local and world community by offering professional development classes this week to five English teachers from Saratov, Russia.

Educators from Saratov attended a series of workshops and seminars on contemporary methods of teaching English as a foreign language and participated in round table discussions with Richland faculty members about American and Russian educational systems.

The delegation met with instructors at Richland and in the Dallas Independent School District to learn and exchange the experience of teaching English language. The visit also included a visit to the LeCroy Center for Telecommunications and the Distance Education department at Richland to learn about online English courses, methodology and technology used.

The Russian instructors work with students ranging in age from first grade through high school. One of the participants, Svetlana Ivanovna Chernova, said she was looking forward to learning more about student-teacher-parent relations and distance learning.

“I am also interested in learning more about American culture and traditions,” said Ms. Chernova, who teaches at Lyceum No. 2 in Saratov. “I would like to meet with American teachers to exchange opinions and discuss school problems.”

The delegation also visited some of Dallas’ cultural and historical landmarks such as the Nasher Sculpture Center and the Sixth Floor Museum.

Richland has had an on-going relationship with Russia since 2005 – especially with Saratov, Dallas’ sister-city. In partnership with Saratov State University, Richland launched online courses last year in which students from Richland, Russia and Estonia participated. Richland also welcomed a Fulbright scholar visiting from Russia on campus last year.

To learn more about Richland’s partnerships with Russia, contact Olga Ivanova-Nuss at 972-761-6873.