Hilal from Türkiye: ‘My soul is close to the Russian language’
A second-year student of the Pushkin State Russian Language Institute shares her path in studying Russian.
Hilal Kırca from Türkiye has been studying Russian for three years at the Pushkin State Russian Language Institute in Moscow. First, she graduated from the Foundation (pre-UNI) department and, now, she has been studying at the philological faculty for two years already.
Why Hilal started learning Russian
“When it comes to why I decided to study Russian and how my journey of learning the language started, I would say that for me it was just fate!”
Hilal's native language is Turkish, but she had an interest in foreign languages since childhood. The young lady knew very little about Russian and was not even familiar with the alphabet. “One day, I accidentally heard about free courses organized at some state educational institution in my town [Balıkesir not far from Istanbul],” Hilal recalls.
At the time, she was a 17-year-old girl preparing for her school state exam and, as Hilal admits, feeling a little bored, she wanted to do something other than studying. So, she thought it would be a good idea to attend some Russian language courses and communicate with people there.
"I started studying it, learned some basic words and immediately realized that I wanted to continue studying the language professionally. I think every language has a soul and my soul is close to the Russian language," Hilal says.
The girl enrolled in a philology faculty at a Turkish university, but quickly left her studies, as that educational program was not enough to fulfill her dream.
Hilal qualified for the annual quota the Russian government issues for the education of foreign citizens and was able to get a place at the Pushkin Institute.
"I immediately moved to Russia. And, for three years now, I have been happily studying and living in Moscow!"
What is she learning in Russian right now?
Hilal admits that learning Russian is a great pleasure for her, so she is doing it primarily for herself, enjoying the linguistics practice. Now, she is studying for a Bachelor’s degree, but then, she wants to continue her studies at the Master’s and Doctoral Program levels.
"I know that my journey of learning the language will be long, but I am very excited and ready for all the challenges. After I get my diploma, I want to return to my home country and work there as a university teacher," Hilal says.
Not all of her compatriots have had the opportunity to study in Russia, so she wants to share her knowledge and experience with those who also want to learn Russian.
Communicating with Russians
Hilal communicates a lot with Russian native speakers and tries to spend as much time as possible with them, in order to practice the language more and learn more about Russian culture. Hilal already has many Russian friends and most of them are from the Institute.
"Every time I wanted to get to know someone and communicate with people, not only in our institute, but also on the street, I always got good feedback. When they realize that I am a foreigner, they always try to help. Both in my studies and in life."
What’s the most difficult thing about learning Russian?
According to Hilal, Russian is a complex language in itself and its system of rules is different from Turkish. In addition, there are differences of cultures that are usually lost in translation.
"When we translate a word, we translate a culture. So, if a word doesn't mean anything in my culture, there is a problem. To learn any foreign language, you have to live in a country where that language is spoken. And, since I live in Russia, it's easier for me to understand these nuances."
‘Gateway to Russia’ is grateful to the Pushkin State Russian Language Institute for its help in preparing this interview.
In order to get free education at leading Russian universities, foreigners can submit an application and fill out a questionnaire at education-in-russia.com.
You can study at the Pushkin Institute for free at the Bachelor's, Master's and Doctorate programs. Read more about how to enroll at Pushkin Institute at pushkin.institute.
Moreover, the Pushkin Institute offers additional programs for those who want to learn Russian and for professional development of teachers. In particular, the institute holds an annual Summer School for foreign citizens. Detailed information is available here: clck.ru/3DmTTq.
For questions about candidate selection in your country, please contact Rossotrudnichestvo's representative offices or diplomatic missions of the Russian Federation.
