We have provided language training to the British Foreign Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) since April 2014. NovaMova was selected by the FCDO due to our range of services, quality assurance, competitive pricing and great customer service.
The Diplomatic Service Russian Language Course was developed to provide diplomats with the key skills, tools and terminology they need and carefully tailored to the topics and skills required by civil servants. Our priority is to equip diplomats with relevant, practical and up-to-date knowledge of the Russian Language and to prepare them for the linguistic challenges they will face in their posts.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is this course for?
This course is designed for:
- Ambassadors, diplomats and other embassy officials;
- Individual civil servants who are not part of a department-wide language programme;
- Government officials or any employee of a government department or agency who has the desire to maintain and develop Russian language skills, for future career progression.
Which Examination Modules does the Course include?
The course includes preparation for all Diplomatic Core Skills Modules:
- Oral Module: Social Introductions, Presentation and Interaction, Liaison Interpreting and Negotiation;
- Listening Comprehension Module: Listening for Gist and Listening In-Depth with Analysis;
- Reading Comprehension Module: Reading for Gist and Reading In-Depth with Analysis.
Fit for purpose:
- Full time, intensive training;
- Flexible, individual courses to fit in with learners’ busy schedules;
- Instructor-led online lessons using virtual classroom technology.
How is it delivered?
Courses are offered entirely online, using Live Online or other platforms, as required. NovaMova has invested in the latest technology to enable students to access materials, take part in individual lessons and undertake online exercises.
Who are our trainers?
All our course trainers are native speakers with at least 10 years’ professional Russian training experience. Our 30+ qualified and highly experienced teachers are familiar with civil servants’ language requirements. In addition to relevant academic and linguistic qualifications and experience, many of our trainers also possess considerable professional expertise and experience, as translators, interpreters or special advisers.
How are the courses designed?
All courses start with a needs analysis, level assessment and the development of a tailored course plan. Selected published materials, as well as online learning resources, are used throughout the course. You will be given recommendations of self-study material, extra reading and listening.
How much time do I need to allocate?
Typically, a course will take up 15 hours a week and there will be around 15 hours of homework every week. However, the course can be adapted to your needs, providing a more or less intensive programme.
What do we do in the lessons?
Lessons are varied, including hosted study activities, learning pathways, assessments and curated resources. These all help our students and teachers to follow a modern approach to learning a language. Our teachers use radio, TV, newspapers and social media to expand students’ knowledge and to help bring the language to life. We teach students to operate in a range of contexts: social chit-chat alongside political discussion, day-to-day practicalities alongside ecology. We know it is important to be able to discuss climate change as effectively as to have the ability to call a taxi. Students take regular tests, assessing their progress.
