Posts In English

Why have you decided to come to St. Petersburg and learn Russian?
I like the challenge of learning a difficult language as I speak several Romance languages (Spanish, Portuguese and some Italian). One of my hobbies also exposes me to many Russian speaking people.

Will Russian be useful for your job/your career?
I will be useful mostly in social settings.

What was your first contact with Russian?
I opened an office for our Company in 1994 in Moscow and have returned seven times since.

What was your first impression of St. Petersburg?
It is a city that leaves a very strong impression for its beauty (architectural, cultural) and offers many attractions including its churches, museums, cultural events (opera, symphony, ballet, concerts), wonderful and varied experiences and with its Venetian flair, an ever changing perspective of a city rich in history and memories.

What is easy about learning Russian?
Some words are similar to English. Once the alphabet is learned it becomes easier to read (not necessarily understand the meaning of each word) and pronounce words.

What is particularly hard?
So many different words with different meanings. Use of soft and hard signs.

Could you imagine to live and work in Russia in the future?
Yes, I could live here but would want to master Russian before/during stay to take advantage of cultural/social opportunities and to blend in with local population.

Instructors were most patient and encouraging. I only wish I had asked that we create social situations/dialogs for day-to-day situations – commuting, dining. My sense after two weeks is that it is exactly where we were going. I just needed a few extra weeks. This is my fault. The staff at Transportny per. was very accommodating and courteous. It always felt comfortable. My compliments and thanks to Tatyana, Elena, Sasha and Eugenia.

John Gussenhoven is the author of the book Crisscrossing America.

“The next winner to be announced was one of these new categories, LTM Star “Other” Languages, which was introduced specifically for language schools teaching non-mainstream languages. The nominees this year included schools in Russia, Japan, Portugal, China and Egypt, refllecting how diverse our industry is becoming. The winner was Liden & Denz Language Centre in Russia and Walter Denz came up on stage to collect his trophy.”

Language Travel Magazine – Star Awards 2008

“Liden and Denz language school in St Petersburg, Russia, has become the first language school in the country to be accepted to join the European Association for Quality Language Services (Eaquals).”

“The school, which is already a member of the International Association of Language Centres (Ialc), plans to get its Moscow-based school inspected by Eaquals next year. Walter Denz at the school said that international inspection schemes such as Ialc and Eaquals are particularly important for schools in Russia. “In Russia we don’t have a national inspection scheme like, for instance, the British Council for the UK. It adds credibility to our quality claims and we need to convince agents that they can trust us. Any serious inspection has always a consultancy element in it. It is a very good idea that will help us to improve our services further.”

EAQUALS admits first Russian school – Language Travel Magazine