RUSSIAN INTERPRETER GIVES NELL HOLCOMB STUDENTS INSIGHT OF COUNTRY

When Natalia Mamedova visited Nell Holcomb School Wednesday, the children asked her typical fourth-grade questions:

Do children in Russia listen to Michael Jackson's music?

Is there a McDonald's in Russia?

When does the school day end there?

Mamedova, the mother of a fourth-grader herself, answered the questions calmly, explaining that children in Russia love Michael Jackson, there are three McDonald's in Moscow and school lets out at 1:30 p.m. or 6:30 p.m., depending on the shift.

But Mamedova, who teaches English in Tver, Russia, and also works as an interpreter, had much more to share about her native land than its food choices. She talked about Russia's love for music and dance, its children and its challenges.

Mamedova visited Cape Girardeau on the invitation of Dr. John Holcomb and his wife, Judy. The two were in Russia in 1993 with Global Volunteers, an organization designed to help Russia with its new democracy. The Holcombs worked with medical professionals there, while others taught English in high schools.

They met Mamedova and gave the teacher letters from their grandson's class at Nell Holcomb. Students from Mamedova's daughter's class wrote back, and the relationship was born.

Mail service in Russia wasn't very reliable as its government changed, but the classes sent their letters with people traveling from country to country.

"Every time they saw me in their school, the pupils asked, `Where are our friends in America? Why don't they write us letters?'" Mamedova said. "I told them the time would come when they would write letters, and now it has."

She showed the class a videotape of school in Russia, pointing out there aren't many differences between 9-year-olds in Tver and 9-year-olds in Cape Girardeau County.

Kaci Brindell, a fourth-grader at Nell Holcomb, said she enjoyed the presentation.

"I learned a lot about how Russian people live and about their schools," she said. "I'd like to go there sometime and visit."

Joey Weaver, another student, said he enjoyed learning a few words in Russian, including yes, no, thank you and telephone.

"Children learn a foreign language so easily with very little accent," Mamedova said, encouraging the students to learn a second language.

She came for her first visit to the United States in June, visiting people in Ohio, Wisconsin, Michigan, Minnesota, Georgia and Washington, D.C., before coming to Cape Girardeau. Mamedova will return to Russia Saturday.

But before then, she will try to set up an exchange program between Southeast Missouri State University and one of four universities in Tver, 18 miles north of Moscow. With its 500,000 people, Tver is an industrial and educational center, and Mamedova believes an exchange program would benefit students in both countries.

Dr. Dieter Jedan, head of foreign language at Southeast, is looking into the possibility of an exchange.

In addition, Holcomb, Mamedova's host, said he hopes people in the community will donate used textbooks for use in Tver's classrooms. Since its change in government, Russia has discouraged use of old textbooks proclaiming the U.S.S.R. as the best country in the world and other old socialist information.

People interested in donating textbooks may contact Holcomb.