EIGHT students from Stourport High School have just returned from a Russian language and culture immersion course in Samara, 600 miles southeast of Moscow.

This unique opportunity was organised through the British Council and enabled Stour-port's students to work with people of the same age at the Russian school.

The course lasted two weeks and involved learning 30 hours of Russian, performing in plays, concerts and traditional folk dance.

Student Amy Lloyd, who has applied to Oxford University, said: "This was an opportunity of a lifetime and I feel much more confident now.

"Living among ordinary Russians gave me the opportunity to see what it is really like to share their lives and it made me realise how different we are on the surface but how similar we are once you get to know people and speak a little of their language."

Language College director, Tony Beck, said he was delighted with the conduct and behaviour of the party and was very impressed by the way that they responded to the difficult challenges set them.

He said: "Hopefully, this will be the first of many exchange visits with Samara and adds to the growing number of opportunities that we now have, including exchanges and visits to China and Japan, as well as to European countries."