The Faculty of Foreign Languages

As you have already understand, I’m studying at the Faculty of Foreign Languages of the Tomsk State University. And today I want to tell you about it.

The first person, who decided that there should be some classes of foreign languages in TSU was professor A.K.Geyle. After he told his idea to the academic council, the new foreign language teachers started to appear in the university. Some of them came to Siberia because of the Revolution and Civil War. But there was no faculty or department of foreign languages. Only three languages were taught: English, German and French.

Here she is, our Svetlana Constantinovna

The Department of Foreign Languages was opened in 1931. It stayed so for more than 50 years. Even in 1980s nobody in Tomsk State University could imagine that this department can become a faculty one day. The person, who changed that, was Svetlana Konstantinovna Gural. She was persistent enough to prove the academic council, that there should be the Faculty of Foreign Languages having different departments on its own (for example, of Germanic and Roman Languages, of the English and the Chinese Languages). So, in 1995, our department finally became a faculty. Since that time there is also a traditional international conference “Language and Culture”, which is annually conducted by our faculty.

Nowadays we have 5 departments: of English, German, and Chinese, of Roman Languages and of the English Language of Non-Linguistic Faculties. There are two specializations: “Linguistics” and “Translation”. Also here you can study up to three languages. You can choose from this list of languages: English, German, French, Spanish, Portuguese, and Chinese. I study English, German, and Portuguese, and I would be glad to talk or write to the native speakers of these languages.

Good bye! Auf Wiedersehen! Tchau! See you soon once again!