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Cultural ExchangeEurope and EurasiaFellowLanguage TeachingRussia

Using music to practice English

In December, English Language Fellow John Kotnarowski took his university students to see the band Reverse Order perform a show.

The third year linguistics students study at the Moscow Research Institute of Steel and Alloys. “The idea was to meet, hang out, and enjoy some good ol’ American rock music together,” Kotnarowski said. He and his students had the chance to meet and take photos with the band members.

After the concert was over, the students and Kotnarowski had tea at a local cafe and discussed teaching English, American pop culture, and the challenges of translation. This outing provided the group of students, all of whom possess a high proficiency level in English, a fun and authentic American cultural experience. “There are not many chances for English language learners to take in live music in English here in Moscow, so when the opportunity presented itself, I jumped at the chance,” Kotnarowski said.

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