06.09.2023
For the entire 2022/2023 academic year, I studied at the Mongolian State University on the program for foreign students in the Mongolian language. The most important thing is that this internship gave me was interaction with a living, real language, the opportunity to communicate with the Mongols at home and the need to overcome the linguistic barrier (in the end, quite successfully!). The teachers at MonSU are involved and open, it was pleasant and easy to communicate with them both in the classroom and at extracurricular activities (some of the teachers really touched my soul, and now I miss the lessons with them).
Extracurricular activities deserve special attention. In my opinion, everything was well-organized, the university administration supported the initiatives of teachers and students in every possible way, the Student Council even independently organized some events for us, for example, watching a movie in Mongolian or National Cuisine Day in honor of the birthday of Genghis Khan, Pride Day in the country. Once in a semester, we had trips out of town: in the fall we went to the Turtle Rock, where we climbed the monastery with an incredible view (we walked 3 km there!), And in the spring to the Omnogovi aimag, where we saw the Gobi desert and the unique rare monastery of the red caps Khamryn hiid. We even got caught in a sandstorm that day! I also remember when we, together with Mongolian students, went out of town to celebrate the Day of the Mongolian Language and Culture (we became very close then, because we had a lot of games and all the participants prepared performances) and the Festival of Cultures, just like in our university, where I and other students from Russia had a chance to represent our country.
Since I studied in a group with other foreign students who, like me, only learned Mongolian, and I wanted more language practice, I enrolled in a calligraphy circle for the old written Mongolian language. Mongolian students received me well and helped me, and at the end of the semester they presented me with a diploma and said warm words.
I advise students who are going on an internship, regardless of the country, to also leave their comfort zone and learn the culture and language on their own, get to know the people who live there, because this experience is not just priceless, because you see their life not on the pages textbook, but live, but it is absolutely unique, because it is only yours, no one's stories will fill those impressions and will not form that knowledge in you. Don't build your opinion on the experience of others, experience it yourself.
And I would like to give tips to students who are going specifically to Mongolia: travel around the country, not necessarily with teachers, because the nature of Mongolia is simply mesmerizing; be sure to go to a hudon and go to a yurt with some family (don't forget to take a gift with you and remember how to behave in a yurt); try koumiss and aaruul (it’s better to take it in the market, it’s tastier there); remember that the Mongols are sometimes late and forget their promises, and don't be angry about it, they are very friendly; when communicating with Mongolians, pay attention to pronunciation, including intonation, this is the key to a good impression and compliments about your Mongolian.
I hope my review will be useful to someone, and I will definitely return to the country of the Blue Sky. Amjilt!
MSLU
