NSLI-Y 2025 Latvia – Week 3
Welcome back, everyone! It is hard to believe we are already halfway through our program here in Latvia. This week, we will be hearing from students Michael and Ella, who have stepped up to offer their perspectives of their time here in Latvia.
Hello and всем привет from Riga! We are Michael and Ella, and we will be sharing our experiences throughout our last week here in Riga.
It’s hard to believe how quickly time is flying by—we’re already deep into our third week here, and each day brings new vocabulary, new experiences, and deeper connections with Latvia and the Russian language.
This week in class, we learned about the prepositional case, vocabulary related to the house and home, hobbies, and even dove into the intricacies of irregular verbs. It has been challenging but so incredibly rewarding to see how much Russian we are starting to understand, and how much better we can communicate with host families, peer partners, and locals we meet in shops, cafes, and markets.
On Tuesday, during our RD meeting, Dr. Dreeze gave a thrilling and captivating lecture on the history of Latvia. His insights about the history of Latvia going back nearly a thousand years deepened our understanding of the country’s past and shed light on the complexities of its present-day language and national identity politics.
By Friday, we put not only our Russian skills, but also our acting skills, to the test. During our peer partner meeting, we created and performed short skits (по-руский, конечно) based on themes from movies, books, and TV shows that we had in common with our peer partners. It was hilarious, chaotic, and a great application of our Russian studies!
On Saturday, we gathered at the Baltic Center office for a dynamic public speaking workshop. Each of us introduced ourselves and gave impromptu speeches both in English and Russian (being interrupted only by the beautiful rolling thunder), and with the help of our incredible instructors, worked on improving our confidence, clarity, and presence when speaking in front of a group. During this workshop, a thunderstorm rolled in, so many of us braved the weather as we went our separate ways after our lively and engaging public speaking workshop.
Beyond the classroom, we’ve embraced every opportunity to immerse ourselves in the Russian language. We have browsed flea markets brimming with Soviet-era antiques, and turned Riga’s cozy cafes into makeshift study spaces. Some of us have attended Russian-language concerts, explored Latvia’s take on Mexican cuisine, while others spent time in the picturesque town of Sigulda with their host families. Whether asking for directions, ordering food, spending time with host families, or chatting with locals, we’re beginning to think—and speak—in Russian more naturally. We are excited to see what the next few weeks have in store for us and are looking forward to continuing in our studies and growing a deeper connection with Latvian culture, our host families, and each other.
SHASHLIK!!!!!!
Dr. Dreeze artfully explains Latvian history in terms that we high schoolers can understand.
Orion gets a fresh Latvian cut in the old town!
Silvano masterfully delivers an impromptu speech during the Oratory workshop.
Amayah, Marc, and Astrid put on a stellar Harry Potter-themed skit (in Russian!) with their language partners
2 Californians, 1 Texan, and a Latvian host sister sample Latvian tacos!
Scenes from the idyllic Старая Рига (Old Riga)
Students standing in front of the signs put in place in Riga’s city center after the Latvian film “Flow” won an Oscar for Best Animated Feature at the 97th Academy Awards. This was the first Oscar win for Latvia.
Students in Irina’s class learn about the verbs used to express location.
Cham, Ella, and Malia under a зонтик on a rainy day.
Ella locks in on her Russian at Caffeine (a popular Latvian coffee chain)