Advanced English studies in Moscow during the 1970s and 80s (161)

Vadim was at school in Moscow during the 1970s and 80s. He attended an Advanced English Studies School where all subjects were taught, however the focus was on English. He provides us with insights into the setup of Soviet education as well as the school life, teaching methods and pop culture. We hear how the British newspaper “Morning Star” was a key teaching aid for Soviet English students. Now I know some of you skip this bit, but if you want to continue hearing these Cold War stories I’m asking listeners to pledge a monthly donation of at least $4, £3 or €3 per month to help keep the podcast on the air, although larger amounts are welcome too.  If you donate monthly via Patreon you will get the sought after CWC and bask in the warm glow of knowing you are helping to preserve Cold War history. Just go to https://coldwarconversations.com/donate/ If a financial contribution is not your cup of tea, then you can still help us by leaving written reviews wherever you listen to us as well as sharing us on social media. It really helps us get new guests on the show. Peter Ryan conducts the interview for us and I am delighted to welcome Vadim to our Cold War conversation… There’s further information on this episode in our show notes, which can also be found as a link in your podcast app here. https://coldwarconversations.com/episode161/ If you can’t wait for next week’s episode do visit our Facebook discussion group where guests and listeners continue the Cold War Conversation. Just search Cold War Conversations in Facebook. Thank you very much for listening. It is really appreciated – goodbye. Support the project! https://coldwarconversations.com/donate/ Follow us on Twitter https://twitter.com/ColdWarPod Facebook https://www.facebook.com/groups/coldwarpod/ Instagram https://www.instagram.com/coldwarconversations/ Youtube https://youtube.com/@ColdWarConversations 0:00 Introduction and Vadim's education in the Soviet Union 2:08 Interview with Vadim begins 7:26 The impact of usage on language proficiency and importance of language education in the Soviet Union 10:19 Influence and censorship of Western music and pop culture in the Soviet Union 18:21 Exposure to Western broadcasts: BBC, Radio Free Europe, and Voice of America 20:48 Access to English language literature in the Soviet Union 30:10 Censorship and perception of English-language movies 32:10 Interactions with native English speakers and international visitors at school 43:15 Communist ideology in Soviet Education 47:20 Shift in English education after Glasnost and Perestroika 49:02 Special thanks to Patreons 49:51 How to support Cold War Conversations podcast Chapters powered by PodcastAI✨ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices