Reviving the languages of the small indigenous peoples of the North is a challenging endeavour that is far from completion. As per 2014 data, there are 82.5 thousand representatives of small ethnic groups in the Russian Arctic, speaking 25 different languages. It's not uncommon to find situations where the number of native language speakers is significantly less than the indigenous peoples themselves. For example, out of the 1,559 Sami residing in the Russian Federation, merely 300 individuals are proficient in the Sami language and barely a hundred use it
actively in their daily lives. Efforts to preserve the languages of the Arctic's indigenous peoples have been ongoing since the start of the previous century, and there is an unprecedented demand for innovative methods and experiments—the rapid disappearance of the Polar region inhabitants' rich cultural heritage necessitates the use of all available tools and the continuous creation of new ones.

One such experiment was the Master–Apprentice system, which was implemented as part of the Children of the Arctic project in collaboration with the Institute of Linguistics of the Russian Academy of Sciences. This system is founded on a method of knowledge transfer typical of traditional societies. A duo is formed where the language carrier interacts directly with the student during their cohabitation. They engage in activities like chopping wood, gathering berries, preparing meals and addressing other daily matters, communicating solely in the endangered language. This approach simultaneously tackles multiple issues. Firstly, the languages of minor ethnic groups, much like their culture, are inseparably tied to their traditional lifestyle. The student essentially steps into the shoes of a young Veps, Koryak, Itelmen or Eskimo, exploring the world alongside their elder kin. 'This is a spoon, this is a berry, there goes a squirrel'—the languages of tundra or sea hunters originated in an environment vastly different from that of modern Russian, which exists within an industrial secular civilisation. It would likely be impractical to study grammatical cases, the correct Russian spelling rules or discuss the biblical symbolism in Leonid Andreyev's later works in the tundra—similarly, the Evenk language is best remembered during fishing.

Secondly, direct interaction between student and teacher is a common feature of pre-industrial societies. The Master–Apprentice teaching method enables working with the language in its natural semantic environment, essentially using it as it was intended.

This approach proves effective for all age groups, particularly given that a similar 'language immersion' technique is widely employed in traditional educational systems. Students who opt to learn a foreign language through 'exchange' essentially replicate this model on a larger scale.

Thirdly, the master and the apprentice create a vibrant linguistic environment through their lessons, attracting other language speakers. For example, in 2017, linguist Vasily Kharitonov visited the Nanai settlement of Dadu. Initially, he was disheartened by the locals' reluctance to interact and converse with him in their native language. However, with time and persistence, he managed to befriend the locals, establish a language club, initiate a chat group on a messenger app and now conducts individual lessons. Out of 12,000 Nanai people, only 400 speak their native language. Now, Dadu probably has one of the highest chances of hearing live speech in Russia. The successful practices developed by experts over years of fieldwork can now be summarised and implemented on a larger scale.

The propagation of this method primarily relies on promoting the concept of reviving indigenous languages. The guidebook and other resources are freely accessible and are specifically designed for a broad audience. This is yielding results—small enclaves are emerging nationwide, bringing together individuals ready to devote their time and energy to preserving their people's heritage.