Learning English is accelerated many times over if a person enters a foreign language environment. Of course, if you have the opportunity, it would be useful for the development of language skills to go to or yourself or send children to study there.
Basic knowledge is enough and, voila, after a few months you already understand easily English speech, and after a while you yourself perfectly support the conversation. The "grandfather's method" works even in relation to learning foreign languages: it is not for nothing that they say that in order to teach a child to swim, you need to throw him into the water from a boat and look after him so that he does not drown.
However, today we will talk about cheap way to learn english and travel. Volunteering minimizes the cost of living and eating abroad, and also allows you to get into.
Who are volunteers?
Volunteers are volunteers. They voluntarily participate in various international projects without receiving any material benefit. The host country undertakes to encourage the work of volunteers in the following ways:
- help with obtaining a visa;
- provide food and lodging;
- organize work and leisure.
In return, volunteers work 4-7 hours a day on projects important for culture and society: security environment, restoration of architectural monuments, archeology, animation in parks and even care for the disabled.
The official language of most volunteer camps is English, and native speakers often come. There are a lot of simple, sociable youth among the volunteers, with whom you can easily find a common language. Thanks to this atmosphere and a fairly long immersion in the English-speaking environment (from two weeks to six months), you can learn English inexpensively. The cost of such a trip can be as little as from €200.
How to become a volunteer?
If you are 16-25 years old, then you can easily become a volunteer. If you are 25+, then you will have to look for programs for adults. Most often, there are no requirements for, so do not be shy of yours and cast all doubts aside. In order to become a volunteer, you need to go to the website of a trusted volunteer organization, select interesting offers (almost like a tour operator) and contact them with all questions.
Websites of international volunteer organizations
- http://www.novoe-pokolenie.ru/ - perhaps the cheapest volunteer tours to Germany are offered here. The author of this article traveled to Germany twice through the New Generation. In recent years, the organization has grown and expanded its scope to other countries and added new types of cultural exchange. Recommend!
- http://world4u.ru/ - this site was recommended to me by my friends. In my subjective opinion, the Mir4Yu Russian Volunteer Center offers a wider range of countries, even exotic ones, to choose from.
- http://ayavolunteer.ru/ - a story about this organization was shown on Channel One, where the NGO AYA Volunteer center was recommended, first of all, as a volunteer center for adults.
Use this article as a guide to action. Leave your questions and personal experience of volunteering in the comments.
For a very long time I have been going to write an article about how I practiced and improved my skills in English language volunteering in Ireland. I would not say that this can be called the proud word “work”, but still I did some work and it was perceived by others as work.
Why and why did I get interested in the idea of volunteering? No, not because of bright motives and the desire to show humanism and disinterestedness in a wealthy country. Before the trip, I had one main goal - to learn English as much as possible. But since I attended English courses in “in the city (northern suburb of Dublin - 12 km from the city center) in the morning from 9 to 12, then I, even taking into account the availability homework or the desire to repeat something from the material covered in the lessons, there was still a lot of free time. And everything would be fine if I was a fan of visiting clubs, discos and wasting time at student meetings in a pub with a glass of beer. Yes, sometimes such "outings" could be done, but day after day - it was not for me.
Volunteer work as one of the ways to learn English
And so the idea arose of how to pass the free time for the benefit of the cause - to get a job as a volunteer somewhere in order to get language speaking practice. Looking ahead, I ended up getting 15 hours a week of college, and unlimited hours of English language practice, because I was able to get a free visit as a volunteer at the chain's thrift store.
I’ll make a reservation right away, so as not to sow a seed of hope among others who are looking for opportunities to visit another country for free, and even with the opportunity to practice their English, in exchange for some help in the form of performing volunteer duties, Irish visa legislation does not provide for the issuance of an entry visa on the basis of volunteer work in the country. So the possible maximum here can only be obtaining a short-term tourist visa, followed by attempts to get a job as a volunteer in order to get language practice. But here, too, most people may stumble over a stumbling block in the form of the need for local documents - and this is at least, which is issued only to students in long-term English courses, and, possibly, the need to pass a check in the Irish police called GARDA.
Now closer to the topic of volunteering for students on long-term English language programs in Ireland. I want to immediately draw your attention to the fact that not every offer to help as a volunteer in Ireland should be considered as an opportunity to get language practice. And I'll tell you why.
Carefully choose a place to work as a volunteer
As elsewhere, so in Ireland - no one shuns the idea of taking advantage of someone's work, and even for free. It's just that in Ireland, as in a civilized country from the top ten countries in the world in terms of living standards, this process of exploitation is done in a more civilized manner than in our countries of Eastern Europe or Asia, the Middle East or South America. For example, newspaper or news ads on the Internet are full of headlines with an offer to help this or that, but in general and in fact - you are invited to clean something, sweep, wash, paint, move, and so on. Yes, if you have time, why not help, for example, in a nursing home or in a hospital? But doing it on a regular and free basis, at least in Ireland, does not seem reasonable to me. The country has enough finance to resolve issues with janitors, loaders and laborers. The next point that you should pay attention to is that in such work as a volunteer you will only have the practice of communicating with a broom, a broom, a box or a bag of garbage. I do not think that this will greatly increase your level of spoken English.
Donation collection
You will also often see just a myriad of offers to earn 50 euros a day and more - helping to collect donations. The essence of this idea is simple and is already widely used in our native countries - you will need to “shake” the box somewhere at the entrance to the shopping center, trying in every possible way to extract at least a couple of cents from the passing ones. Of the total "harvest" for the day - you will be paid (probably) some predetermined percentage. But here, it seems to me, you have to be able to step over yourself in order to do this work, and even in such a colorful team, which for the most part consists of drinkers and people without a fixed place of residence. Yes, and from the English language you will often hear obscene expressions in your address indicating the route of your movement along with your box, than some more or less intelligible English speech.
Volunteer work with teenagers
And, let's put it this way, the third, more approximate version of the topic we are interested in is working with local teenagers. I was lucky to miss the first and second options in my personal experience, but I still managed to get into the third one. Why didn't I like him? Yes, in principle - to everyone: starting from the organization of the process and ending, again, with the lack of language practice. That is, there were a couple of proposals, but this is just zilch against the background of the desired. And so - the essence: you apply with your desire to help teenagers spend their free time in a company that deals with this issue in a serious way, unlike those that offer to “shake” boxes for a percentage of the donation. They are considering your application for some time and may even ask for your personal data (passport data, GNIB Card, etc.) in order to verify your identity with the police, since, of course, they don’t want assistants in their ranks for teenagers turned out to be a pedophile or someone else with mental disabilities.
Volunteering with teenagers is not easy
After your person passes their checks, you will be asked to come to the next evening of meetings. Usually such evenings are held a couple of times a week. How they are organized: You, surrounded by many mothers and their children (on average, 12-17 years old), go into the lobby of a club or a specially designated room for this purpose, where, in principle, children are separated into one group that communicates according to their interests , and the mothers stand separately at the window and again talk on their own topics, understandable and close only to themselves, since most of them are divorced and are raising their children on their own. After spending about an hour in such “fun”, the mothers become a little more active and begin to offer the children to jump into circles and do some other completely uninteresting activity in the form of group, obviously stupid, games. After spending another 30 minutes on this matter, everyone successfully disperses. And I, including, sighing happily at the thought that this was my first and last day as a nanny of poorly educated, lazy and socially inactive teenagers, retire on my own business. As you could understand, there was no smell of language practice here.
Volunteer at St Vincent de Paul Thrift Stores
And only in the fourth of the cases I have considered, I think I was lucky - I got a job as a volunteer in a thrift store of the St Vincent de Paul chain. True, I had to wait for a response from their management about agreeing to accept me as a volunteer in their store for almost 1.5 months, but it was worth it. For example, I want to say that my classmate from Colombia went to work as a volunteer in the same store - so to speak, in my footsteps, but at the same time she received a response to her application within literally one week. What is the reason for such a difference in the timing of consideration of applications for work as a volunteer - I do not know.
Filing and reviewing an application at St Vincent de Paul
The application is submitted in the form of an extensive completed printed questionnaire, which can be taken at any of their stores at the checkout from the cashier. After filling out simple fields about yourself and attaching copies of your documents, which you can do in any nearest bookstore, you need to bring this package, along with the envelope that came with it, back to the store and give it to the cashier, who will hand it over to the main office together with other documents. After some time, which will take to consider your application, you will be called (either from the office of St Vincent de Paul, or the manager himself from the store where you left your wish to volunteer) and set the time for your first visit. Moreover, this time will be agreed with you and it will not look like an indication to come at the precisely appointed and only convenient day and hour. You will be politely asked how and when it would be more convenient for you to visit them, and at the time you specified, the manager of such a store will be waiting for you (they are called supervisors).
After your first visit, during which you will be told your simple responsibilities for receiving goods, sorting them and laying them out on the trading floor, your future schedule for visiting the store will be agreed with you. You can choose from a couple of times a week (Sunday is a day off) to at least a daily visit after college. Everything will depend on your desire, mood and other plans. And remember - this schedule can always be changed depending on your life circumstances.
The essence of volunteering in a thrift store
You will work surrounded by good-natured, not rich Irish people aged 40 and over, who will be happy to chat with you about everything in the world during your easy joint work. And this was exactly the place where I really found the opportunity to communicate unlimitedly in English with the locals without feeling ashamed of my level of conversation, since everyone knew that I was studying in English courses and tried to correct me or suggest the meaning of a word I did not know . Volunteer work also gave me the opportunity to answer various questions that visitors to this thrift store asked while I was able to display goods on the trading floor. Both colleagues and buyers did not pay attention to my accent or my mistakes in English, as they were glad and grateful to me only for the fact that I do this work without receiving payment for my work. And it was there that I was able to really get a lot of live communication in English on a variety of everyday topics with the locals of Ireland.
My staff at the thrift store
Our team was quite small and consisted of about ten people who came to the store at different times. It so happened that Christmas 2012 was approaching, which caught me as a volunteer in a thrift store. As it turned out, every year our supervisor invites everyone to a small Chinese restaurant for Christmas. This year was no exception, and I received an invitation too. True, everyone paid for himself - it was not a paid cooperative, but for that I had the opportunity to spend Christmas in the circle of the Irish! And this event left a lot of positive memories for me and gave me the opportunity to gain additional experience in getting to know Irish culture. We had a nice evening in a Chinese restaurant, chatting cheerfully about everything vital over a glass of wine and some beer specially brought from China. This evening I received an invitation from one of our Irish employees to join their family dinner, as he himself was once a migrant to the United States and finds it very boring to celebrate Christmas alone. But I had to refuse, as I already had plans for the Christmas dinner. However, for myself, I noted another plus of the Irish nature - openness and hospitality, which allows them, in principle, to invite an unfamiliar person to their house for Christmas dinner.
Pathway from volunteer to paid position
Time was flying, my English language courses in Ireland at ICE College were coming to an end, and I was already planning my return to my homeland. And then, about a month and a half before my departure, our supervisor makes me an offer to work at the cash desk as a cashier. And what is special, you ask, accustomed to the fact that this position in our country is not some kind of special achievement? And here's the whole feature is that what is generally accepted in our country can be abroad, where you are a guest in a foreign country, showing a sign of great trust in you. You are trusted to work with cash in a country where you came just to study, and even not from an EU country. This fact is at least a sign that you are considered a decent person and the level of trust in you may be even higher than in part of the local population.
">The main goal of the project is to ensure that volunteers do not experience difficulties at events where knowledge of the English language is required.
Project description
As we all know, many events require volunteers. But a bright smile and a great mood are sometimes not enough. Many volunteers who want to get to any grandiose event of an international scale are forced to refuse because of the language barrier. ">
">As we all know, many events require volunteers. But a bright smile and a great mood are sometimes not enough. Many volunteers who want to get to any grandiose event of an international scale are forced to refuse because of the language barrier. English for a Volunteer is a project that will help address this injustice.
On the initial stage the project is planned to be organized on the basis of the volunteer center of the Kuban State Agrarian University.
Kuban State Agrarian University is an international university, thanks to which in the ranks of the volunteer center of the university there is a lot of ruffle with knowledge of the English language. All of them are ready to contribute to the development of volunteering and pass on their knowledge to others. In the implementation of the project, non-standard teaching methods to which we are accustomed will be used. The main difference is that the same volunteers will teach, who understand the volunteer's thinking well, know the frequently used phrases that the volunteer needs. In simple words teach only what is really needed!
For one academic semester, it is planned to achieve knowledge of the English language by the volunteer, which will be enough to realize their potential at events where knowledge of a foreign language is an important selection criterion.
Project results
">The project impresses with its results.
Within one semester, we were able to teach our volunteers a lot without resorting to standard teaching methods. We created new games, situations and even shot videos that helped to take a different look at the English language.
Previously, many children tried to avoid a foreign language, but now they not only attend English classes, but also speak it fluently both in the volunteer center and outside it.
But most importantly, thanks to our foreign language lessons, many volunteers were able to get to international events. They easily passed the interview and performed their functions, and even such difficult ones at first glance, as the resettlement of foreign guests. And what was previously impossible for them is now a favorite thing.
That is why the number of project participants increased from 20 people to 53.
BE READY FOR THE UNIVERSIADE!BE READY FOR THE UNIVERSIADE!
Training manual for volunteers and guides
Belyaeva E.N., Timiryasova L.B.
Kazan is the capital of the 2013 Universiade.
(Kazan – the capital of Universiade 2013) 3
Sights and historical places of Kazan
(Sights and historical places of Kazan) 7
Traditions and cultural life of Tatarstan
(Traditions and cultural life in Tatarstan) 10
Tatar and Russian national cuisine
(Tatar and Russian national cuisine) 12
Souvenirs
(Souvenirs) 13
Phrasebook of the Universiade volunteer
(Phrase-book for the Universiade volunteers) 14
Dialogue Samples
(Sample dialogues) 31
^
KAZAN-THE CAPITAL OF UNIVERSIADE 2013
What is the Universiade?
The Universiade or World Students Games is viewed by many as second only to the Olympics in terms of importance.
What will Universiade 2013 give to Kazan?
It's a great honor for each city to host such a signifcant sport event. Kazan will receive the attention not only of the world sport community, but also media, trade and business, tourism and sport industry.
The Universiade will bring additional investment capital, stimulate city development, and increase job opportunities for the people of Kazan. Kazan is experiencing a construction boom, especially in new sport venues.
During the preparation period Kazan will develop a powerful sport infrastructure; it will make life of youth and students more healthy and vivid.
^
Where will Universiade 2013 be held?
Republic of Tatarstan
Tatarstan is located in the central part of Russia on the junction point of the two largests rivers in Europe – the Volga and the Kama. Territory of Tatarstan is 68,000 sq.km. Kazan is the capital of the Republic of Tatarstan.
Representatives of more than 70 nationalities live in Tatarstan; most numerous are Tatars and Russians. The Republic has two official languages: Tatar and Russian. Approximately 3.8 million people live in Tatarstan.
Tatarstan is one of the most highly developed regions of Russia. It's main industries are: oil and petrochemicals, aircraft building and mechanical engineering, while it's main natural esources are oil, water and land.
^
Kazan, City of Universiade 2013
Kazan is the capital of the Tatarstan Republic and one of the largest economic, scientific and cultural centers of Russia. The city is situated on the left bank of the Volga River and both banks of the Kazanka River. It occupies the territory of 425.3 square kilometers and has a population of 1.2 million people, represented by more than 100 nationalities. Thirty-five percent of Kazan’s population is younger than 30. Kazan celebrated its millenium on the 30 th of August, 2005.
Today Kazan is a dynamic, rapidly developing industrial, scientific, and trading center. As a city with unique historical monuments, Kazan is listed in the UNESCO of World Heritage list. In 2004 Kazan was acknowledged as the best city of Russia and won the award "Russian National Olympus". Kazan was branded as "Russia's third capital".
Kazan is situated on the north-west of the Republic of Tatarstan in the junction of Volga and Kazanka rivers. It’s 1.2 hour flight from Moscow to Kazan by airplane, 10 hours by train or 5 days by ship.
Kazan, with its marvelous Kremlin, mosques, churches and rich museums, is a unique place of interest, included among the Volga River tourist rout. Kazan is also a city of theaters, museums, music, international festivals, rich libraries, newest technologies, business partnerships and science.
economics
Kazan is an attractive region for foreign investors. Today there are more than one hundred foreign invested enterprises and also 150 representatives of foreign firms. Large international conferences, among them EBRD (European Bank of Reconstruction and Development) and COWHC (Congress of Organizations of World Heritage Cities), were held in Kazan. There are two world-known giants of aircraft industry in the city: the “Kazan Aircraft Production Association” and the “Kazan Helicopter Plant” Joint Stock Company.
Culture
Kazan is one of the most important educational and cultural centers of Russia, including many museums, libraries, concerts halls, theaters, and featuring the “Hermitage-Kazan” center – a branch of the well-known Saint Petersburg museum. There are also numerous cinemas, night clubs, restaurants, pictures galleries, two aqua-parks, the Circus, and the Zoo.
Education
Kazan is one of Russia’s major scientific and educational centers and the second biggest city by the number of students. There are about forty institutions of higher education here; among them, Kazan State University, founded in 1804. One of the most important features of education is the possibility to study in Tatar language.
Universiade Sports
Compulsory sports / Compulsory sports
Artistic gymnastics - rhythmic gymnastics
Basketball - basketball
Diving - jumping into the water
Fencing - fencing
Football - football
Judo - judo
Rhythmic gymnastics - gymnastics
Swimming - swimming
Table tennis - table tennis
tennis
Track and field - athletics
Volleyball - volleyball
Water polo - water polo
Optional sports / Additional sports
Badminton - badminton
Beach volleyball - beach volleyball
Belt wrestling - belt wrestling
Boxing - boxing
Сayak/canoe racing – rowing and canoeing
Chess - chess
Field hockey - field hockey
Rowing racing
Rugby 7 - rugby 7
Sambo - sambo
Synchronized swimming - synchronized swimming
Trap and skeet shooting
Weight lifting - weightlifting
Sports in Kazan
One of the most important trends in the city life is sport development. Hockey club “Ak Bars”, Football club “Rubin”, Basketball club “Unics”, volleyball club “Dinamo TTG” and others represent Kazan in championships of Russia, Europe and world. In recent years, several world class sport facilities have been built, including Basket–hall Arena, Ice Sport Palace “TatNeft Arena”, hippodrome, Grass Hockey stadium and Aquatics Palace. Sport competitions of world level are often held in Kazan. Kazan will be hosting the seventeenth World Student Games in 2013.
The city of Kazan offers its guests a diverse array of entertainment and relaxation options that are available in all the world’s capitals, but in, it offers the unique, cozy, home-like atmosphere that distinguishes Kazan and Tatarstan from all other places on earth.
The opportunities for amateur and professional sports in Kazan are currently increasing by leaps and bounds.
It is no secret that the city and republican officials are themselves passionate fans of Kazan sports teams. It’s hockey team Ak-Bars (three time Russian champions, champions of hockey’s Euroleague), football team Rubin, basketball club UNICS, volleyball team Dynamo-Tattransgaz, and many other teams are well-known across Russia.
Equestrian sports are actively developed in the Republic of Tatarstan, and the International Equestrian Sport Complex is found in Kazan, in the Soviet district (from ul. P.Lumumby to ul.Sakharova, at the location of the old airport). It is the largest such center in Europe and the sole one in Russia of its level. Its competition space includes an enclosed grandstand seating 4,000 and an open grandstand seating 2,000. There is also an equestrian sporting club “Kazan”, not far from the city, and the equestrian sporting club “Confido” in the village Orekhovka in the Zelenodol`sk district. Altogether, those who would like can not only watch horse racing, but also learn to ride.
Rowing sports can be practiced in the very center of the city, on Lake Kaban.
In Kazan a number of good chess schools operate, as well as fencing, billiards, tennis, and many other sports. You can play tennis on the courts of the Shamil` Tapischev School. While the Field Hockey Center (Orenburgskii trakt), is one of the best facilities in Europe. The center will host the European Men's Field Hockey Championships and hosted the qualifying rounds for the 2008 Olympic Games.
Additionally, Kazan is vying for the 2014 World Championships.
The Kazan water park LETO STOP (Summer Stop) (located 10 minutes from the city center) and the water park Riviera are superb entertainment for the whole family, where you can spend an entire day enjoying the water park’s attractions and visiting its many cafes.
For those wanting to ice skate, the Ice Sports Palace and Tatneft Arena are open year-round, and in the winter there are many open rinks, where skates can easily be rented.
The ski sport complex Dynamo (Kazan’s Kirovskii district, not far from Lake Lebyazhye), is a favorite place for winter relaxation among Kazan’s residents and guests. Here, everyone can rest in the fresh air and ski a couple or dozens of kilometers on the quality surface. There are also skis available for rent. After skiing, you can snack and drink hot tea in a café.
Alpine Ski Sporting and Recreation Complex “KAZAN”.
Kazan residents` love for winter sports led to the construction of this wonderful Alpine ski complex not far from Kazan. It can be reached by the M-7 highway in the direction of Moscow, crossing the Volga and then following the directional signs. Its slopes are superbly groomed, with a drop between 160 and 190 meters and overall length from 800 to 1,800 meters. Of course, this isn’t the Alps, but it’s the best to be found in central Russia, especially regarding the lifts and the quality of the slopes. The Alpine ski complex isn’t just slopes, but also a well-developed infrastructure: here you’ll find cozy cafes and restaurants, equipment rental and service, ski lodges, and sporting goods stores, and professional instructors on the slopes. What else do you need to complete healthy relaxation on the weekends?
^
SIGHTS AND HISTORICAL PLACES IN KAZAN
The Kazan Kremlin is a unique complex of historical, architectural and archeological monuments. The appearance of the first people on the hill may be traced to the 1st millennium B.C.
The Kazan Kremlin, a magnificent architectural ensemble bearing traces of many centuries of building activity, is enclosed in high, white stonewalls with characteristic loop-holes and thirteen hipped-roofed towers. The most remarkable building of the Kremlin ( Kermen is fortress in Tatar) is the Suyumbika Tower, seven stores and 58 meters high. Its distinctive profile, visible from all sides, is balanced by the contours of the Spassky (Savior) Tower, which stands at the opposite end of the Kremlin.
The key monuments represent an outstanding example of a synthesis of Tatar and Russian influence on architecture, integrating different cultures (Bolgar, Golden Horde, Tatar, Italian, and Russian), as well as showing the impact of Islam and Christianity. Having been built on an ancient site, the Kazan Kremlin originates from the Muslim period of the Kazan Khanate. When it was conquered in 1552, it became the Christian bulwark of the Volga region. The Kazan Kremlin consists of an outstanding group of historic buildings dating from the 16th to the 19th centuries, integrating remains of earlier structures of the 10th to the 16th centuries. The Bolgar fortress was founded here in the 12th century. In medieval time the Kremlin ramparts were constructed of oak beams, while the buildings inside were of both wood and stone.
Towards the middle of the 16th century, about 30,000 people lived within the wall of the citadel, which then had approximately the same boundaries as today. A number of the entrances and trading quarter towers (13) have not survived; the rest were reconstructed when the Kremlin ramparts were rebuilt in stone by order of Ivan the Terrible (1556-58). The Kazan Kremlin was just as impressive in olden times.
Starting in 1556, Russian stonemasons, under the direction of the architects, Ivan Shiriay and Postnik Yakovlev (nicknamed Barma, the architect of St Basil's Cathedral on Red Square in Moscow), rebuilt the Kremlin walls and towers in the Pskov style, adding a few new towers, including the Tainitzkaya and the Spasskaya. Kazan, though a military fortress, gradually turned to a large tradecraft and administration center for the region. They erected the Annunciation Cathedral. In 1708 it became the capital of the enormous Kazan Province, occupying nearly half of the European part of Russia.From 1709 till 1917 many offices of the Kazan Province were located in the Kremlin.Eight Kremlin towers still survive today.
^ Spasskaya Tower– People usually enter the Kremlin though this tower, although it is also possible to enter the fortress through Tainitskaya Tower at the bottom of the hill. This is the oldest tower; along with the round Southeastern and Southwestern towers, it was built in the 1560s. Initially it had two stories, with a T-shaped and later with an elbowed-type passage, thus constructed to ease defense. In 1930, a straight passage was made, but at the same time the adjacent Spasskaya Gate Church was destroyed. In 1963, a sound and light clock was installed on top of the tower.
^ Tainitskaya Tower Gate was also built in the middle of the 16th century, and in the first half of the 18th century one more tier was added to it. According to archeologists, it was built near the Nur-Ali tower destroyed during the siege of Kazan. The tower got its current name (literally, “secret tower”) because according to legend, there used to be an underground passage where the tower now stands, through which the defenders of the fortress reached a spring on the bank of the Kazanka during Ivan the Terrible's siege.
^ Suyumbike Tower is rightly considered the architectural symbol of Kazan. It is a seven-storied tower, 58 meters high, and made of red brick. In the tsarist period, the tower was crowned with a gilded spire and a two-headed eagle – the symbol of the Empire – sitting on a ball inside of which, according to the beliefs of Kazan Tatars, some important documents concerning the history of Tatars and the Khanate were hidden. During the repairs in the late nineteenth century, the spire was taken off and the ball was hit by lightning several times, and it turned out to be empty. In 1999, the tower was crowned with the Muslim crescent moon to commemorate the spiritual rebirth of Kazan. It is said that the graves of the first Kazan khans used to be alongside the tower. Annually on October 15, people gather at this place to pay homage to the defenders of Kazan who perished in 1552. Suyumbike Tower is a leaning tower, deviating from the vertical by 1.8 meters at its tip. Supposedly, it was constructed in the late seventeenth or early eighteenth century as a watchtower. Its name is tied to the legend of the Kazan tsarina Suyumbike.
"Pearl in the necklace of Kazan Kremlin" - Kul-Sharif Mosque
The main mosque of medieval Kazan was the Kul Sharif, a huge, white stone edifice with eight minarets reminiscent of the eight provinces of the Bolgar State. The mosque was decorated with Bolgar stone carvings. The mosque "s eight domes represented the authority of the Seid while the crescents recognized the absolute power of Allah. Containing a magnificent and rich library, it was the center of religious education and the north outpost of Islam in that period. The mosque is named in honor of its last Imam Seid Kul Sharif, a respected religious figure, a poet and a diplomat. In 1552 during the conquest of Kazan Seid Kul Sharif was one of the defense leaders. He and all his principals were killed. After the siege of the city Kul Sharif Mosque was completely destroyed.
It belongs to the type of the central dome mosque with many minarets. The basis of its arrangements is laid on the combinatory symbol of the Moslem Community "Bismilla" in the shape of 2 squares displaced at an angle of 45 degrees and laid one on the other. According to this project, the high central dome with broken facets of the curved upper part was erected. It is surmounted by the dome on the muezzin platform and accentuated with 8 vertical lines (4 tall minarets and 4 pinnacles). The hall is lit by high Gothic and tulip-shaped windows. The motifs and elements of Tatar decorative art were widely used in the Mosque's styling.
Phrasebook of the UNIVERSIADE VOLUNTEER
Greetings / Greetings
Asking the time
Consent / Expression of consent
Refusal / Expression of disagreement
Farewell / Farewell
Starting forms of conversation / How to start a conversation?
| Excuse me... | Sorry... |
| Do you speak English? | Do you speak English? |
| A little. | A little. |
| Sorry for interrupting you... | Sorry for interfering... |
| I would like to speak to you. | I would like to talk to you. |
| Are you very busy at the moment? | Are you very busy right now? |
| Could you spare me a moment? | Can you give me a minute? |
| Can I have a word with you? | May I say one word to you? |
| I'll just like to tell you that... | I just wanted to tell you that... |
| May I ask you a question? | May I ask you? |
Greetings / Greetings
| good morning! | Good morning! (before lunch) |
| Good afternoon! | Good afternoon! (after lunch) |
| good evening! | Good evening! |
| How do you do? | Hello! |
| Hello! | Hey! |
| Hallo! | Hey! |
| Hi! | Hey! |
| (I'm) glad to see you! | (I'm happy to see you! |
| I haven't seen you for weeks. | I haven't seen you for several weeks. |
| How are you? | How are you? |
| How are you doing? | How are you? |
| Thank you very well. | Thanks, very good. |
| Thank you, not so bad. | Thank not bad. |
| Thank you, so-so | Thank you so so |
| (I'm) Fine, thank you | Thank you, OK |
| How are you feeling? | How are you feeling? |
| I hope you are feeling well | Hope you feel good |
| so-so | So-so |
| I'm all right. | Everything is good. |
| Not too bad | Not bad |
| How's your family? | How is the family? |
Dialogue1
Dialogue2
Dialogue3
Dialogue4
Asking the way / How to find the way?
| Excuse me, could you tell me how to get to ...? | Excuse me, can you tell me how to get to...? |
| Am I right for...? | Am I going towards...? |
| Which way is it to ...? | How to get to the...? |
| I've lost my way. | I'm lost. |
| You're going in the wrong direction. | You are going wrong. |
| I'm afraid, I've no idea. | I'm afraid I don't know. |
| Which is the shortest way? | How to get the shortest way? |
| How far do you think it is? | How far is it in your opinion? |
| It's a very long way from here. | It's very far from here. |
| It's over two kilometers, I think. | I believe it is at least two kilometers. |
| Which is the best way to get there? | What is the best way to get there? |
| What bus must I take? | Which bus should I take? |
| Let me show you the way to the bus stop. | Let me walk you to the bus stop. |
| What's the name of this street? | What is the name of this street? |
| Where's the bus stop, please? | Can you please tell me where the bus stop is? |
| Does number 10 stop here? | Does the tenth bus stop here? |
| Which bus must I take to ...? | What bus can I take to...? |
| How often do buses run from here? | How often do buses run here? |
Dialogue1
Dialogue2
Dialogue3
Asking the time
| What's the time, please? | Could you tell me what time it is, please. |
| It's five o'clock. | Five hours. |
| It's exactly six. | Roughly six o'clock. |
| It's half past three. | Half past three. |
| It's a quarter past two. | Fifteen minutes past two. |
| It's five to seven. | Five minutes to seven. |
| It's five past seven. | Five minutes past eight. |
| Could you tell me the right time, please? | Can you tell me the exact time? |
| What time is it? | What time is it? |
| It's twelve noon (midnight). | Twelve o'clock in the afternoon (night). |
| Oh, is it as late as that? | Oh, it's already so late! |
| Is it nine already? | Is it already nine o'clock? |
| My watch is ten minutes slow (fast). | My watch is ten minutes slow (fast). |
| My watch has stopped. | My clock stopped. |
| We have plenty of time. | We have a lot of time. |
| He's late today. | Today he is late. |
| Am I too early? | Am I too early? |
| You're late. | You late. |
| Hurry up! | Hurry up! |
| Be quick! | Faster! |
| What's the date today? | What is today's date? |
| What was the date yesterday? | What was the date yesterday? |
| Today is the third of May. | Today is the third of May. |
| What's today? | What day of the week is today? |
| Today is Monday. | Today is monday |
Dialogue1
Dialogue2
Gratitude. Possible answers / Thanks. Possible answers
| thank you. / Thanks. | Thank you. |
| Thank you very much. /Many thanks. | Thanks a lot. |
| Thank you for... | Thank you for... |
| Thank you for your help. | Thanks for the help. |
| I'm very much obliged to you. | I'm very much obliged to you. |
| I'm very thankful to you. | I am very grateful to you. |
| Thanks for the invitation. | Thanks for the invitation. |
| Thanks for the present. | Thanks for the gift. |
| You are welcome. | You are welcome. / It's my pleasure. |
| It was pleasure. | You are welcome. / It's my pleasure. |
| The pleasure is mine | You are welcome. / It's my pleasure. |
| Don't mention it. | Do not mention it. |
| Thank you for coming. | Thank you for coming |
| You have been most helpful. | You helped me a lot. |
| Please thank your sister for me. | Please thank your sister for me. |
Dialogue1
Dialogue2
| A: Thank you ever so much. B: Don't mention it. | A: Thank you for everything. V: Not at all. |
Acquaintance. Introducing people. possible answers /
Acquaintance. Representation of people. Possible answers
| Welcome! | Welcome! |
| What is your name? | What is your name? |
| My name is... | My name is... |
| What is his name? | What's his name? |
| His name is .... . | His name is.... . |
| What is her name? | What is her name? |
| Her name is .... . | Her name is.... . |
| I would like you to meet my husband | Allow me to introduce you to my husband |
| I would like you to meet my wife | Allow me to introduce you to my wife |
| Allow me to introduce Mr. T. to you. | Allow me to introduce Mr T. |
| Let me introduce you to him. | Let me introduce you to him. |
| May I introduce myself. | Let me introduce myself. |
| We"ve met before. | We've met before. |
| I know you. | I know you. |
| I want you to meet Mrs. A. | I would like to introduce you to Mrs. |
| Have you meet Mrs. R.? | Do you already know Mrs. R.? |
| Pleased to meet you. | Nice to meet you. |
| Glad to meet you. | Very nice. |
| Mister Brown | Are you Mr Brown? |
| I don't think we have met before. | I don't think we've met before |
Dialogue1
Dialogue2
Questions about origin, nationality, language / Questions about origin, nationality, language
| What country do you come from? | What country did you come from? |
| I come from the U.S.A. | I came from USA. |
| Canada. | Canada. |
| England. | England. |
| Spain. | Spain. |
| South Africa. | South Africa. |
| Russia. | Russia. |
| I'm from Italy. | I am from Italy. |
| Japan. | Japan. |
| China. | China. |
| I live in Germany. | I live in Germany. |
| This is my first visit to Russia. | This is my first trip to Russia. |
| I've never visited other countries. | I have never been abroad. |
| How long are you going to stay in Russia? | How long are you going to be in Russia? |
| I hope to stay here for a few weeks. | I hope to stay here for a few weeks. |
| What nationality are you? | What is your nationality? |
| Are you Russian or Ukrainian? | Are you Russian or Ukrainian? |
| I'm Russian. | I am Russian. |
| My mother is German by nationality. | My mother is German by nationality. |
| He is an American subject. | He is a US citizen |
| Do you speak English? | Do you speak English? |
| German? | in German? |
| French? | in French? |
| Spanish? | in spanish? |
| Russian? | in Russian? |
| Can you speak Japanese? | Can you speak Japanese? |
| Chinese? | in Chinese? |
| Hindi? | in hindi? |
| Just a little. | A little. |
| A little. | A little. |
| I only know few words. | I only know a few words. |
| I don't speak English. | I don't speak English. |
| My English is very poor. | My English is very bad. |
| I speak English badly. | My English is poor. |
| You speak good English. | You speak English well. |
| You speak English with a slight (strong) Russian accent. | You speak English with a slight (strong) Russian accent. |
| You pronunciacion of English is practically faultless. | Your English pronunciation is almost error-free. |
| What languages can you speak? | What languages do you speak? |
| Where did you learn English? | Where did you study English? |
| How long have you been learning English? | How long have you studied English? |
| I've been learning it for almost three years. | I studied it for almost three years. |
| Let's talk Russian. | Let's talk in Russian. |
| What's that called in Russian? | What is it called in Russian? |
| What's the Russian word for 'hot'? | What does 'hot' mean in Russian? |
| I can't remember the Russian word for "stadium". | I can't remember the Russian word for "stadium". |
| Let's look up this word in my dictionary. | Let's look up this word in my dictionary. |
| How do you spell it? | How is it spelled? |
| Would you speak a little slower? | Speak a little slower. |
| What does this word mean? | What does this word mean? |
| How do you pronounce it? | How do you pronounce it? |
| This is a slang word. | This is a slang word. |
Dialogue1
Invitations. Making arrangements / Invitation. Meeting appointment.
| Come over and visit us. | Come to us. |
| Come to see us tonight. | Come visit us tonight. |
| Come and see me on Sunday. | Come see me on Sunday. |
| Come to my birthday party. | Come see me for my birthday. |
| Come to dinner. | Come to dinner. |
| Drop in. | Come in. |
| I want to invite you to lunch. | I want to invite you to dinner. |
| Call any day you like. | Call anytime. |
| How about coming with us to the club? | Let's go to the club with us, shall we? |
| Would you like to have some coffee? | Would you like to drink coffee? |
| Would you like to come for a walk? | Would you like to take a walk? |
| Would you care to come to my place and have a drink? | Would you like to come over and have a drink? |
| How about going for a cup of coffee? | How about a cup of coffee? |
Dialogue1
Consent / Expression of consent
| Yes. | Yes. |
| Yes, indeed. | Yes indeed. |
| Yes, that's true. | Yes, that's right. |
| That's right. | Right. |
| That's right. | Everything is good. |
| I'm sure of that. | I am sure about that. |
| I'm absolutely certain of that. | I am absolutely sure of it. |
| I see. | Clear. |
| O.K. | Good. |
| good. | Okay, okay. |
| Very well. | Very well. |
| That's a good idea. | This is a good idea. |
| I quite agree with you. | I completely agree with you. |
| With pleasure. | With pleasure. |
| There's something in that. | There is something in this. |
| I don't mind. | I don't mind. |
| I agree with you. | I agree with you. |
| That's do nicely. | This will do just fine. |
| By all means | Of course. |
| Of course. | Certainly. |
Refusal / Expression of disagreement
| no. | No. |
| Certainly not. | Of course not. |
| Not a bit. | Not at all. |
| Not at all. | Not at all. |
| Not for the world. | Never. |
| I'm not sure of that. | I'm not sure. |
| Why on earth? | Why's that? |
| I don't quite agree with you. | I don't quite agree with you. |
| That's hardly do. | It's unlikely to fit. |
| Under no circumstance. | Under no circumstances. |
| I can't agree with you. | I cannot agree with you. |
| By no means. | Of course not. |
| Of course. | Certainly. |
Dialogue1
| A: May I? B: By all means./Certainly not. | A: May I? B: Of course. / Of course not. |
Dialogue2
Congratulations. Good wishes / Congratulations. Good wishes.
| Have a good time! | Happily! |
| good luck! | Good luck! |
| All the best! | All the best! |
| Happy birthday to you! | Happy birthday! |
| Merry Christmas! | Merry Christmas! |
| Happy New Year! | Happy New Year! |
| I wish you happines! | Wish you happiness! |
| I wish you luck! | Wish you luck! |
| I wish you health! | Stay healthy! |
| My best wishes! | My best wishes! |
| Here's to you! | To your health! (toast) |
| My congratulations to you! | Congratulations! |
| My best wishes to you! | My best wishes! |
| May all your dreams come true! | I wish all your dreams come true! |
| I hope you have a good rest! | I wish you a good rest! |
| I hope you have a good time! | I wish you have a good time! |
| Have a good journey! | Have a good trip! |
| To friendship! | For friendship! |
| To cooperate! | For cooperation! |
| Happy landing! | Happy landing! |
| Thank you for your congratulations! | Thank you for your congratulations! |
Dialogue1
Dialogue2
Farewell / Farewell
| good bye! | Goodbye! |
| so long! | Till! |
| Bye-bye! | Till! |
| Cheerio! | Till! |
| good night! | Goodnight! |
| See you soon! | See you soon! |
| See you tomorrow! | Till tomorrow! |
| see you later! | See you! |
| See you again! | See you soon! |
| All the best! | All the best! |
| good luck! | Good luck! |
| I hope to see you soon. | I hope we will meet soon. |
| I hope we'll meet again. | I hope we'll meet again. |
| Till we meet again! | See you soon! |
| Write to us. | Write to us. |
| Here's my address. | Here is my adress. |
| I must go now. | I have to go. |
| I must be going. | I have to go. |
| I'm sorry to see you go. | It's a pity you're leaving. |
| You're not in a hurry, are you? | You're not in a hurry, are you? |
| I've enjoyed seeing you | It was a pleasure to see you. |
| Come back soon. | Come back soon. |
| Remember me to your wife. | Say hello to your wife. |
| Give my regards to your sister. | Say hello to your sister. |