Anna Sakhno, course participant
"I really enjoyed everything — the lectures were engaging, especially those by Boris Iomdin and Alexandra Pletneva.
At the next school, I think it would be great to include assignments or projects that students could work on throughout the week, either independently or with mentors, and then present what they have learned and explored at the end of the week.
Thank you so much for this past week — I truly enjoyed it!"
Timofey Neiman, course participant
"I really liked the school from two perspectives at once: as someone who wants to pursue linguistics in the future, and as someone who currently knows relatively little about the field. The lecturers manage to engage listeners with no prior background and introduce them to specific aspects of the discipline. I would especially like to highlight Boris Iomdin — all three of his lectures deeply impressed me and largely aligned with my understanding of what linguistics is about.
The only thing that occasionally felt confusing was that the lecturers seemed not always to be aware of each other’s content, which resulted in the final lecture being quite similar to two earlier ones.
I also have a small personal wish: I would love to see one or two lectures devoted specifically to theoretical linguistics at the next Linguistics School, as this time we mostly focused on practice. Even so, I am very much looking forward to the next school!"
Alexandra Pletneva, school professor, Head of Cross-Cultural Linguistics
"Although the Linguistics School of the Beach University is primarily aimed at those planning to become linguists or those simply interested in the field, it turned out to be an important event for instructors as well. The informal atmosphere and the exceptionally wide range of topics — from everyday linguistic intuition and the history of Russian writing to contemporary sociolinguistic and cultural processes — allowed us, too, to feel like students. This is certainly a compliment to our colleagues.
The ability to give a popular lecture that is equally engaging for university students, school students, and fellow instructors is a special art. For me, my colleagues’ lectures were a lesson in how one can — and should — speak simply about complex things.
What we lacked was a clearer structure and internal logic to the program. Students (many thanks to them for their attention and thoughtful questions) pointed out some repetitions and thematic overlaps in different lectures. Next time, we will aim to design a more coherent program. From participants, we hope for continued engagement and active involvement."
We would also like to remind you that enrollment is open for the FLAS Discovery spring program. It offers a deeper introduction to the Liberal Arts and Sciences educational model, helps develop critical thinking, improves information-handling skills, and strengthens English proficiency — all essential for successful admission to and study at the bachelor’s level.
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