Writing a short article for an international school magazine
• Explain the task and organise Ss into groups. Go
through the questions and elicit answers from
Ss around the class.
• Allow Ss time to write their articles. Ss may
need access to the Internet/library.
• Select some groups to present their work to the class.
Suggested Answer Key
Russia is a diverse multicultural society. More
then 120 ethnic groups, many with their own
national territories make up the population of
Russia. Post-soviet Russia has evolved with three
distinct minority ethnic groups in the country.
Germans are the largest of these minority
groups with a population of one million.
Germans first came to Russia in 1682 and settled
along the Volga River. The Germans came to
Russia to provide essential skills as craftsmen
and as traders. They became an autonomous
republic that was dissolved in World War II.
The North Koreans are a recently new minority
group to Russia. In 1992 North Korea allowed
many Koreans to migrate to Russia due to poor
economic conditions in their own country. They
immigrated to Russia and concentrated
working in commercial activities. There is a
history of racism suffered by the North Koreans
due mainly to their threat to local merchants.
The Roma people are a very detached minority
group in Russia whose origins date back to the
1800s when they migrated into Russia from
Europe. They live in small separate communities
and tend to sell items in street markets. They
have yet to integrate into Russian society and
are often discriminated against.
Russia struggles with racial discrimination due
to its vast ethnic diversity. However, this
diversity helps create a culturally rich society
with much to offer for everyone.
