Bridal Shower??? English classes???

[SMR 368]

Do they have a website or something for this? I have a list of things (that keeps getting bigger and bigger) we need to do before, after and when Tanya arrives, and this definitely makes the list. I imagine she should bring her transcripts and diplomas to have this done as well. And of course they charge a fee I imagine.

Depending on the service you want to use, you may need to get an apostille attached to her transcript and diplomas. This is cheaper, faster, and easier for her to do before she comes here. She should talk with the issuing body about getting an apostille attached to her diplomas and transcript.

We used wes.org to make equivalents for Marina's classes, but first you need to translate and get an apostille attached.

Edited December 28, 2010 by SMR

[Brad and Vika 129]

Do they have a website or something for this? I have a list of things (that keeps getting bigger and bigger) we need to do before, after and when Tanya arrives, and this definitely makes the list. I imagine she should bring her transcripts and diplomas to have this done as well. And of course they charge a fee I imagine.

The service was called EPI I think. They do have a web site, and charge a fee. The toughest thing was for Vika to get transcripts with the original seal on them from all institutions. I think her mom had to order one from high school (my memory is murky here, as I wasn't directly involved).

[LvivLovers 39]

That's what we had to do as well. We looked at a few universities and each one had a specific evaluator that you had to use if you wanted to apply there...they were all different. That was another one of the things we did while she was waiting for her visa...she went and got transcripts from her school and got them translated/apostilled. I have no idea if it was difficult or not though. We sent that transcription to the evaluation service and told them which university it was for...they mailed us a copy and mailed the official evaluation directly to the university. She had a lot more credits than we expected...like 60! Because of that, she was categorized as a transfer student and didn't have to take the SAT, ACT, etc. which was a really good thing since she had been out of school for several years and forgot everything.

[Gary and Alla 3,694]

As the topic says... Did any of you do a bridal shower? Tanya knows a lot of my friends and family through email and webcam, and I thought it might be a good way for her to meet them all and to get her feet wet with American traditions. Of course I would rather she not be an American girl, ha ha, but at least I could have something small for her. I'm sure she would love it, but I was curious if any of you did this. Any other ideas, or just get married, as I am sure many of your answers will be.

Also what about English classes? Tanya speaks English very well, but as any person coming to a new country to call home, she is a little apprehensive about her English skills. I told her there are English as a Second Language classes that begin 2 weeks after she arrives here. these classes could really work, so to put her mind at ease a little I am thinking we will attend this class. I know it will not be the real-world experience as living and breathing amongst the people here in Pittsburgh with the crazy dialect, but if it helps to put her mind at ease, I am all for this.

Just wanted to see what you all thought.

No bridal shower here...well, oh NM. Anyway English classes...ESL is OK and FREE usually but they will not be too useful for someone that already speaks English well. No harm in them. Alla teaches ESL as part of her student teaching. The highest level, 5, was too elementary for her when she arrived.

The next step is community college courses that teach English but are not designed primarily for foreign speakers as much as for native speakers with limited skills. These are also usually free or very low cost. Next up the scale is the "Intensive English Program" or "Academic English Program" which are taught by some universities. They are not cheap but prepare a foreign educated student for university level English.

Have her go to an ESL program and they will evaluate her level first and they can recommend where to go from there.

Be prepared that they will NOT know all of our slang and idioms which are far more frequently used than you think. That will take some time and they will not learn most of that in ESL classes.

[Chris M 1]

Depending on the service you want to use, you may need to get an apostille attached to her transcript and diplomas. This is cheaper, faster, and easier for her to do before she comes here. She should talk with the issuing body about getting an apostille attached to her diplomas and transcript.

We used wes.org to make equivalents for Marina's classes, but first you need to translate and get an apostille attached.

So a Apostille is a stamp, or seal, that says her documents and diploma are from Russia? It sounds like it's almost a notary seal or something. I never heard of these things, but looked it up and found an explanation. Looks like one of those gold seals I used to get as a kid when my Publisher's Clearinghouse mailing came. ha ha.

So tanya should contact her academic institution in Russia saying she needs her transcripts and a copy of her diploma with an apostille (or seal of approval so to speak) attached? then get everything translated. This makes sense, I just hope her university understands what she needs.

Essentially though we really only need this if Tanya intends on going back to school for something, right? I think it's still a great idea to have this taken care of when she is still home, but then again these are Russian degrees she already has which may be different than American. Getting a job here she probably would not need. just a thought. either way it would be worth getting the apostille and translated.

[Gary and Alla 3,694]

May I ask...

What is wrong with "American Girls"? Just asking!

Nothing. They are so beautiful and sensual and dress so well. They oput their husband first in their life and like to please him. We are just crazy for marrying FSU chicks. Don't listen to us.

[Gary and Alla 3,694]

So a Apostille is a stamp, or seal, that says her documents and diploma are from Russia? It sounds like it's almost a notary seal or something. I never heard of these things, but looked it up and found an explanation. Looks like one of those gold seals I used to get as a kid when my Publisher's Clearinghouse mailing came. ha ha.

So tanya should contact her academic institution in Russia saying she needs her transcripts and a copy of her diploma with an apostille (or seal of approval so to speak) attached? then get everything translated. This makes sense, I just hope her university understands what she needs.

Essentially though we really only need this if Tanya intends on going back to school for something, right? I think it's still a great idea to have this taken care of when she is still home, but then again these are Russian degrees she already has which may be different than American. Getting a job here she probably would not need. just a thought. either way it would be worth getting the apostille and translated.

We used "ECE" Google "ECE" No apostille needed. Just translated transcripts and diplomas.

Yes, she should get copies of ALL important documents before coming here. It will be next to impossible to get them once she leaves. You can have them translated now and get this done, or wait until after she arrives. We did it all while waiting for the NOA2 and Alla started her MA degree program with a 50% private scholarship 5 days after arriving. She should also look into either the GRE or TOEFL exams which evaluate the English level of foreign educated students. If she intends to go to college here she will most likely need this. Different universities have different scores they require. Kind of like an "SAT" for foreign students. Either test is given all over the world and she can take this test in Russia. Alla took the TOEFL in Ukraine and Sergey took the TOEFL and GRE in Russia.

[Brad and Vika 129]

So a Apostille is a stamp, or seal, that says her documents and diploma are from Russia? It sounds like it's almost a notary seal or something. I never heard of these things, but looked it up and found an explanation. Looks like one of those gold seals I used to get as a kid when my Publisher's Clearinghouse mailing came. ha ha.

So tanya should contact her academic institution in Russia saying she needs her transcripts and a copy of her diploma with an apostille (or seal of approval so to speak) attached? then get everything translated. This makes sense, I just hope her university understands what she needs.

Essentially though we really only need this if Tanya intends on going back to school for something, right? I think it's still a great idea to have this taken care of when she is still home, but then again these are Russian degrees she already has which may be different than American. Getting a job here she probably would not need. just a thought. either way it would be worth getting the apostille and translated.

You might need the evaluation for certain jobs too. And yes, an apostile is a stamp, kind of like a notary. Make sure you need it before you pay for it though.

[blahblahbl.. 1]

No bridal shower here, either. My wife finished her schooling but never attended a university in Ukraine. She arrived here fairly fluent in English, although she learned in London, so it wasn't American English. Once here, she took a placement test at the local community college. Not surprisingly, she scored better than many of our native "English" speakers (I guess it's common these days to speak in custom-broken dialect). Her performance on the placement test boosted her confidence. She will be taking general education courses this upcoming Spring, including English. She's still learning all our references, sayings, and idioms; as mentioned above, this is her greatest challenge, but it's fun for the both of us.

[1HappyGuy 45]

No bridal shower for her unless you count the one she took before putting on her dress. As I understand it, bridal showers are generally for first time brides and are given by her friends/family. That may not be something she will feel comfortable with. As for my ever practical wife, she did not even want a reception after the wedding. We went to dinner with another couple after our county court wedding ceremony.

The ESL classes at your local community college are usually a good idea as she will have the chance to interact with others and get a different perspective about American English. Our community college has two basic levels, free and those with charges. As you might understand the charged courses are much tougher but in all likelihood are better. The free courses are a basic, intermediary and one proficient class. As it was explained to me, the free basic class is for those individuals that arrive in America and have never been in a classroom atmosphere.

I would also recommend that you locate some stores that carry Russian/Ukrainian goods. It will make her feel more at home going to one of those, speaking her language and finding products from home.

Nothing. They are so beautiful and sensual and dress so well. They oput their husband first in their life and like to please him. We are just crazy for marrying FSU chicks. Don't listen to us.

I couldn't agree with you more Gary. I am crazy about marrying my FSU lady. It's the kind of insanity more of us American men can live with.

[sea-monkey 13]

Interacting with fellow classmates? Chances are, their English will be worse than hers. Blind leading the blind I'm joking.

I plan on throwing my girl in ESL even though she's fluent with English. But of course she doesn't know the name of everything and the English she speaks regularly in RU is business oriented. I'll see if she would be ok with volunteering her time in addition to ESL when first starting out. The more interaction with native speakers the better. Maybe volunteer with old folks. Get her away from the ebonics.

[visaveteran 1]

May I ask...

What is wrong with "American Girls"? Just asking!

You don't want to ask us that question. Trust me. Pandora's Box.

[slim 1,525]

Nothing. They are so beautiful and sensual and dress so well. They oput their husband first in their life and like to please him. We are just crazy for marrying FSU chicks. Don't listen to us.

The perfect answer here on VJ!

[Gary and Alla 3,694]

The perfect answer here on VJ!

I am sick of being suspended for telling the truth. No MORE! I have learned my lesson.

[Bad_Daddy 2,209]

May I ask...

What is wrong with "American Girls"? Just asking!

Where to start...