Programs with The American Home in Vladimir, Russia

American English Program Teaching Positions

Application Deadline March 1

The American English Program has been helping Vladimir residents to learn English since 1992 and currently has more than 600 students each semester who are taught by a group of American and Russian teachers.

PROGRAM BENEFITS: monthly stipend, room and board, three hours per week of one-to-one Russian lessons with faculty trained to teach Russian as a foreign language, thorough teacher orientation and ongoing teaching support from 2 full-time teacher trainers, textbooks customized specifically for our program, a pleasant and well-equipped teaching environment, full Russian visa application support, complete on-site administrative support from an excellent Russian staff, and much more.

TEACHER OBLIGATIONS: Plan and teach four (possibly 5) 1½ hour classes that meet twice a week, hold office hours, present a brief “Saturday lecture” on an aspect of American culture, airfare to and from Moscow, visa fee, TESOL certification.

Gain an enormous amount of real-world experience that can translate into future opportunities that would otherwise not be available. Some teachers stay for more than one year. For many, the experience is life-changing.

➔ Current American and Russian teachers: Преподаватели 2021 — 2022 учебного года (ah33.ru)

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Intensive Russian Program

Applications Accepted All Year

Approximate program fee: one-to-one instruction group instruction (2-5+ people, 15-35% discount)

  • Four weeks $3,651 $2,994 – 2,254
  • Six weeks $5,009 $4,133 – 3,044
  • Eight weeks $6,367 $5,272 – 3,834

Longer and shorter programs, from one week to a year, are also possible.

The benefits of the American Home’s long-standing Intensive Russian Program – the main program offers one-to-one instruction to each participant – are provided to group participants:

  • experienced faculty specializing in teaching Russian to non-native speakers;
  • program and schedule customized to the needs of each group of students;
  • study from one week to one year;
  • individual home-stay with a Russian family;
  • “Russian friend-conversation partner” program;
  • on-site administrative support;
  • well-equipped classrooms in a comfortable, home-like, atmosphere;
  • excursions in Vladimir and to Suzdal (a UNESCO World Heritage site) and Bogoliubovo;
  • opportunities to meet and socialize with some of the more than 600 Russians participating in the American Home English Program and others;
  • opportunities to participate in a variety of activities—for example, volunteering at an orphanage

Vanderbilt University’s Maymester in Russia

Application Deadline January 31, 2022 (PROGRAM CANCELLED FOR 2022)

The program includes community service, lectures on topics being explored by student-participants (politics, economics, sociology, culture, history, art, etc.), Russian language lessons, interaction with Russian university students, excursions to Moscow, St. Petersburg, and provincial towns, home stays, and opportunities for reflection.

any expectations I could possibly have had were surpassed. …I participated in a culture without being a tourist…and spent [time] outside of my carefully constructed comfort zone. The experience was nothing short of changing my worldview.” (Vanderbilt University student)


Alternative Spring Break Programs

Application Deadline December 1

VLADIMIR (first week in March): Help several community organizations, including the Youth Health and Education Center, Karl Liebnicht Orphanage, Russian Orthodox Church, Handicapped Children’s Association “Light”, Vladimir Regional Veterans’ Home and others, while interacting with Russian university students and experiencing the delight and wonder of provincial Russia.

MUROM (second week in March): Help university students at the Murom Institute (an affiliate of Vladimir State University) to improve their English language skills; prepare audio and video materials for their English language program. During the Soviet period Murom was a closed city. Today it remains isolated from traditional tourist routes. Foreign language faculty and students are eager for contact with native English speakers.

Links to pictures, participant blogs, and television news reports are on the program web page. They may give you a sense of some of the things that students can do, see, and experience while participating in these programs.


✤ Comments about the American Home:

“I am extremely impressed by all that I have learned about the program: the educational opportunities…, the enthusiasm of the participants, the careful planning the American Home staff puts into each participant’s experience. In the post-Soviet period there are many opportunities for Americans in Russia; I find the Serendipity program one of the most exciting” (Dr. Judith E. Kalb, Russian Program, University of South Carolina).

The AH has a superb staff and an excellent reputation in the community” (Momar Ndiaye, Director, Office of International Studies, Illinois State University).

You have a fantastic program here. This is cooperation at its finest, and the skills and respect that you are giving your students is invaluable” (Patrick Buzzard, NASA, US Embassy, Moscow).

“…I was thrilled by the fact that I would not only be teaching English, but that I would be involved in the community of Vladimir. I really have come to enjoy the role of an accessible, friendly AH teacher—more or less “knowledgeable on things American.” Because underneath the interviews and school visits, what the people here really want to know about is your own individual experiences—and that is something that is easily shared” (Meg White, American Home English Program Teacher).

“I am happy to report that the AH’s prominent billing on my resume has opened countless doors for me, both in being admitted to law school, and in getting jobs with international organizations and firms. My thanks to you all for creating and growing this remarkable institution” (Charity Trelease, American Home English Program Teacher).

“I’m a big supporter of the American Home in Vladimir; You have been doing such an amazing job for so many years!” (Professor Maia Solovieva, Faculty-in-Residence, Lecturer in Russian, Oberlin College).

I came to Russia for exactly these sorts of challenges; I wanted not only to meet new people, explore a new culture, and learn a new language, but, most important, I wanted to step outside my comfort zone. Some days I don’t have the energy or ambition to be brave, and my Russian is still progressing slowly. But motivated by my insatiable sweet tooth, I conquered a fear, and it feels wonderful” (Brooke RIcker, American Home English Program Teacher).

“Vladimir offers a real opportunity to immerse yourself in Russian language and culture. Such immersion can be very frightening at first, and that is why…the American Home is such a plus. Here I am given the opportunity to work with Russians in an atmosphere that is very familiar, fostering, and comfortable. I would certainly recommend it to anyone who wants to experience Russia for what it really is…” (Matt Plischke, Miami University (Ohio)).

Vladimir and the American Home are ideally situated. Vladimir is a part of Russia’s famed Golden Ring, and the American Home lies in the heart of downtown Vladimir. Here, you have all the advantages of Russian city life, but with all the charm of the nearby dachas. The American Home really is the meeting and mixing point for two cultures. The longer I stay, the more I discover how much Vladimir has to offer me” (Erika Boeckler, University of Wisconsin at Madison).

“Every night when I come home from work I’m greeted enthusiastically by my 15-year-old host brother, Pasha. After dinner we drink tea, and Pasha usually launches into one of his favorite conversation topics and doesn’t stop for quite some time. Living in Vladimir…has provided a rich assortment of unique experiences that I know I wouldn’t have encountered elsewhere” (Joanna Greenlee, Gordon College, Wenham, MA).

“Thanks to the people who have worked so hard and who remain committed to its success, the reputation that the American Home has earned with the people of Vladimir has to represent one of the most successful relationships any American organization has developed anywhere in Russia” (Karen Hasara, former state legislator and former mayor of Springfield, Illinois).

“The American Home is easily the single most influential American presence in [Russia] outside Moscow and St. Petersburg” (Dr. Nils H. Wessel, Professor of Government, Emeritus, US Coast Guard Academy).