Skype allows USU class to talk to Ukranian students
Eight or nine USU students and their professor gathered around a computer screen in a semi-circle. Vibrant, foreign-sounding music filled the room until the telephone connection was made. Suddenly, a classroom of students filled the screen and through the miracle of technology, students from Logan, Utah, started a face to face conversation, mostly in Russian, with students in Mariupol, Ukraine.
These students are part of the business Russian (RUSS 3510) class, taught by Taira Koybaeva’s, associate department head of the department of languages, philosophy and speech communication. About every other week, the USU students, who have all lived Ukraine or Russia for two years, sign on to Skype to have a teleconference with Ukrainian business and economic students at Priasovski University in Mariupol, Ukraine. Koybaeva, who has lived in the United States since 1992 and has extensive experience with U.S.-Russian relations and business on a national level, said the classroom teleconferences began in January of this year to build better business and educational relationships with Ukraine.
“The major value of these discussions is the fact that they bypass many layers of bureaucracy and allow students to meet face to face and learn directly from each other,” she said. “These exchanges add a lot of value to education at USU due the fact that they give direct international experience and capitalize on significant international capabilities of many USU students who speak Russian and Ukrainian.”
Richard Christensen, junior in political science, said the teleconferences have been an extremely effective way to communicate with the Ukrainian students.
“It’s the easiest and cheapest way to communicate with them directly,” he said. “It’s much easier to see them in their society and university, and on the flip side they get to see ours as well.”
Christopher Hall, business sophomore, said the students start with personal introductions and then delve right into the tough topics like the global economic crisis and differences in government and education. He said they also discuss things like what students do in their free time, university student life and what monuments and memorials are in Mariupol, all while staring at a flat screen transmitting the image and sound thousands and thousands of miles away.
“At first we introduce ourselves, and then it’s our goal to find out more about controversial things, to get straight answers,” Hall said.
Koybaeva said she encourages her students to ask direct questions to better understand and learn from each other.
“If (students) never start asking they won’t learn anything. I saw a lot of misunderstandings (while working in Washington) because (politicians and business professionals) were not asking questions … asking direct questions immediately builds trust.”
Braden Ripple, junior in mathematics, said by participating in the teleconferences he realizes and appreciates the opportunities he has as an American citizen.
“We asked them if they want to open a bank account online how to do that – they can’t,” he said. “Any other online money managment or trading is hands off for most people … it boggles my mind.”
The USU students in the class range from social work to pre-dental to biochemistry, but said they enjoy the opportunity to practice their Russian language skills.
“There is no better substitute than to speak with a native,” Christensen said. “My language has progressed a lot … the camera Q-and-A sessions help us better understand the language.”
Koybaeva said she has been very impressed with her students’ Russian. She said because they have lived in Russia for an extended period of time they speak and understand the language better than almost anyone in America.
“I visited Georgetown, and they don’t have students like this,” she said. “(The USU students) speak exceptionally good Russian. Practically no one in the United States speaks as well as they do. It’s just miraculous that we have this right here in Cache Valley.”
–karlie.brand@aggiemail.usu.edu