In these sessions, we will:

• Share new words and expressions that we learn from articles;
• Formulate questions on topics from articles to provoke engaging discussions;  
• Discuss main themes from articles with a group;
• Write small assignments with your take on the issues covered 

Open to: Adults with intermediate to advanced English language skills.

Perfect for: Readers who want to stay in tune with the latest developments in diverse spheres of life covered in major magazines, strengthen their discussion & writing skills, and learn how to organize an interesting discourse in a group setting. 

Led by: Denis Aksenov, long-running host of reading and discussion workshops at the American Center in Moscow, including Dramedy and Short Story clubs; founder of Funky Chekhov’s Society that aims to promote learning and opinion exchange; current student at the University of Massachusetts in the History department.

The list of articles is provided below. You can borrow a digital issue of the magazine with the selected short story free from AMC’s eBook Library after creating a free library account on this page. Your task is to read the article before the meeting and write down new words and expressions (maximum 10) to be ready to share with a group. We will discuss articles together and share our opinions on exciting topics!  

Articles to read before the meeting:

June 20, 2024:  "Underwater Wonders" by Sy Montgomery and "Waves of Change," a conversation with marine biologist Alex Schnell (in the "Secrets of Octopus" section) from the May 01, 2024 issue. Magazines — National Geographic Magazine — US Embassy- Moscow American Center — OverDrive

June 27, 2024: "Earth Quest" by Yudhijit Bhattacharjee from the Smithsonian Magazine’s June 01, 2024 issue. Magazines — Smithsonian Magazine — US Embassy- Moscow American Center — OverDrive

We will not meet on July 4, 2024, in observance of the American holiday.

July 11, 2024: "Defenders of the Reef" by Gleb Raygorodetsky, National Geographic, July 01, 2024 Magazines — National Geographic Magazine — US Embassy- Moscow American Center — OverDrive

July 18, 2024: "The Next Big Wave" by Xander Peters from Smithsonian Magazine July/August 2024 issue. Magazines — Smithsonian Magazine — US Embassy- Moscow American Center — OverDrive

July 25, 2024:  "The Big Brain Teaser" by Colin Barras, New Scientist, July 13-19, 2024. Magazines — New Scientist — US Embassy- Moscow American Center — OverDrive

August 1, 2024: "Becoming the Buddha. The Path to Enlightenment" by Aleix Ruiz Falquez from National Geographic History May/June 2024 issue. Magazines — National Geographic History — US Embassy- Moscow American Center — OverDrive

August 8, 2024: "Personal History: Playing The Numbers. My Mother, The Gambler" by Victor Lodato from The New Yorker issue Aug 05, 2024. Magazines — The New Yorker — US Embassy- Moscow American Center — OverDrive

August 15, 2024: “Marcus Aurelius: Philosophy of an Emperor” by Juan Pablo Sanchez from National Geographic History issue November/December, 2023. Magazines — National Geographic History — US Embassy- Moscow American Center — OverDrive

August 22, 2024: “The State of the Art” by Elaine Sciolino, The Smithsonian Magazine, December 01, 2023 issue. Magazines — Smithsonian Magazine — US Embassy- Moscow American Center — OverDrive

August 29, 2024: “The Making of a President” by Jonathan Darman, The Saturday Evening Post, March/April 2024 issue. Magazines — The Saturday Evening Post — US Embassy- Moscow American Center — OverDrive

September 5, 2024: “Kaho” by Haruku Murakami, The New Yorker, July 8-15 2024 issue. Magazines — The New Yorker — US Embassy- Moscow American Center — OverDrive

September 12, 2024: “Trailing the Ghosts of The Long March” by Paul Salopek, National Geographic Magazine, Sep 01/2024 issue. Magazines — National Geographic Magazine — US Embassy- Moscow American Center — OverDrive

September 19, 2024: “Toward a More Fantastic Plastic” by Clive Thompson from Wired, September/October 2024 issue. Magazines — WIRED — US Embassy- Moscow American Center — OverDrive

September 26, 2024: "Dragons: Monster of The Middle Ages" by Marianna Consiglieri from National Geographic History issue September/October 2024. Magazines — National Geographic History — US Embassy- Moscow American Center — OverDrive

October 3, 2024: “The First Photobomber” by Jacopo Della Quercia from Reader’s Digest, Oct 1 2024 issue. Magazines — Reader’s Digest — US Embassy- Moscow American Center — OverDrive