From David Fay to the Russian ELT community

Dear Teachers, Colleagues and Friends,

It is hard for me to digest the fact that I arrived in Russia just shy of three years ago and that I will soon be departing.

My time here has been nothing short of exhilarating. Like many of you, I grew up a child of the cold war. I knew very little about this part of the world and, due to that ignorance, had many false premonitions. As the world changed, as I grew older, and as news stories poured in, I began to learn more but was always skeptical that I was not getting the full story. I traveled in Eastern Europe in the early 90’s, and in Central Asia more recently, and felt the gravitational pull of a deep, rich culture that was only one or two border crossings away. The context of a culture I had known only through some of the greatest literature of the world now seemed within reach; my curiosity was peaked.

My dream to live in Russia came true in 2007, when I was offered the opportunity to work in Moscow as the English Language Officer. Moscow almost immediately overwhelmed me and I spent many a long hour riding in crowded metros, walking on busy streets, avoiding speeding zhigulis, and trying to find quiet corners after a long day of work and city travel. Thankfully, even in the middle of the city, such quiet corners abound – in parks, cafes and by the river. I also made my peace with the city on Sunday mornings by taking advantage of the empty streets and trying to discover new architectural marvels, neighborhoods and museums.

My true peace, however, came with each of my trips outside of Moscow – to Samara, Saratov, and Volgograd; to Elista, Rostov and Novocherkassk; to Krasnodar, Stavropol and Sochi; to Tomsk and Novosibirsk; to St. Pete, Syktyvkar and Kirov; to Kursk and Voronezh; to Ekaterinburg, Chelyabinsk and Khanti-Mansisk; to Abakan and Kyzyl; to Vladivostok, Khabarovsk and Petropavlovsk-Kamchatski; to Ufa and Krasnya Gorka; to Belgorad, Gubkin and Kaliningrad; and to many other beautiful towns and cities in Russia. Each trip I took brought me closer to the rich tapestry of Russian life and values; each trip helped me better understand the city in which I lived; each trip brought me a richer meaning to my own culture and to all that needs to be done to bring our two countries closer together.

However, these places are not what have brought about my deep respect for Russia - it is the people, it is you. My greatest moments here have been through my work with the many associations and the undying dedication of its members, all of whom are involved in professional development on a volunteer basis after a long day of school and in-between busy schedules at home. This thirst to learn more, to better one’s own teaching and the practice of other teachers in the region, and to learn more about the cultures behind the language, are what have inspired me. I have had the great opportunity to see teachers who have hardly used a computer now find lesson content from the Internet. I have seen teachers who have never presented an idea to peers stand up and conduct one-hour workshops. And I have seen teachers who have spent nearly a lifetime lecturing to students introduce interactive activities and authentic material.

Though my time here is coming to a close, our work at the English Language Office will continue. You all know that you have a home in Moscow, at the U.S. Embassy. You all know that my two “sisters”, my two wonderful colleagues, Elena Lubnina and Natalia Fomenko, will continue to support you and all of your hard work. They will continue to look for opportunities to bring U.S. Fellows and Specialists to your cities and to find ways to help you better understand language teaching and U.S. culture, through online courses and visits to the U.S. I know that my successor, Tom Santos, will also take up your cause in late September 2010.

We are living in very fast times. All of the past seems but a moment ago. My consolation is that my chance to see you again, our shared future, will only be a moment from now.

Thank you for your dedication and drive. Thank you for your work on collaborative projects. Thank you for challenging and transforming me.

spacebo. 

Sincerely,

David