The Institute of Language is one of the teaching and scientific departments of Kazan Federal University which introduces and puts into practice various multi-level programme in the sphere of higher professional education, certifying the university graduates as specialists, bachelors and masters in the number of related specialities and trends).
It should be also mentioned that the professors and lecturers of the Institute implement different kinds of courses dealing with the post-graduate professional education, training, retraining and/or advancement of the staff qualifications for a particular field of their professional activities as well as all the Institute employees carry out fundamental and/or applied scientific research, participate effectively and efficiently in the Federal Program of Retraining Managers within the framework of the Presidential Program.
Having acquired strong and respectable reputation, the Institute now successfully copes with such sophisticated tasks as training highly-qualified specialists both in science and pedagogy by means of various post-graduate courses, courses for people working for doctor's degree and, of course, for competitors on the KFU basis. The professors and lecturers working at the Institute collaborate very closely with the number of leading European higher educational establishments, take an active part in all current international activities provided by Kazan Federal University.
The Institute of Language was set up in October of the year 1994, having united the Departments of English, German and French and the laboratory of technical means of training. The Institute has more than 100 employees. The number of all those who are currently being taught and trained is about 6160 people.
Since 1990 the Institute of Language has been holding various events, including Language Festivals, language contests and academic competitions, cross-cultural quizes, lectures, and mini-conferences. The students get acquainted with the culture and traditions of the countries under study at practical classes (by means of text material with cross-cultural component introduced by a language tutor); at special target-based classes aimed at familiarizing students with the traditions, customs, national holidays, outstanding people and achievements both of English-speaking and their home countries; at the lectures dedicated to the European culture, as well as while viewing and discussing original tutorial, popular-scientific and feature films in foreign languages.
The English Language Festival is an inter-departmental contest of the best student pop sketches theaters of on a given topic, for example, "Universiade is coming to Kazan", "East or West - home is best", "University is the 8th wonder of the world".
Each mini-performance is a quintessence of humor, songs, dances with the cross-cultural background. The students realize their full creative potential, while writing playscripts, preparing their musical shows, making original and colorful costumes and decorations. The festival unites the students and gives them an excellent opportunity to make acquaintances and friends with the students of other institutes. Many of senior and postgraduate students and even tutors take part in arranging team performances and they say that due to the Festival they actively participate in the University cultural life. For some of them the Festival is a perfect springboard for the future career on the stage.
English Songs Festival is held on the next day after the team performances of all faculties and institutes. Every year more and more spectators come to the festival anticipating new acquaintances, emotions at the professionally made breathtaking performances, and unforgettable impressions. The festival also is a great source of new names (the majority of which can be later seen on famous stages of our city!). It is popular with both audience and performers. You can easily find a lot of students from various Kazan universities, pupils from so-called specialized schools, their teachers and, of course, native speakers.
‘Polyglot’ Contest was organized at Kazan University owing to Ratner F.L., a professor of the German language department. Initially it had only a regional status, but it has become an All-Russian contest so far.“Polyglot” is supported by the Department on Youth policy, social matters and sports promotion.
It is the contest that reveals students’ language skills. In November 2012 more than 170 students who speak two foreign languages, took part in the contest. They arrived from different Russian cities such as Arkhangelsk, Saransk, Moscow and some others.
In other words all the language contests are designed to pursue the following tasks:
-to support and reveal talented and gifted young people;
-to increase general foreign language learning skills;
-to advance the young to learn foreign languages, as well as to make them acquainted with the world culture.
-to form and realize versatile personal interests.