Experience Summary
I am a native Russian speaker. I have pursued a full time career as a language tutor for over 15 years, teaching students from 3 to 70. I graduated in Moscow as a teacher of chemistry and biology for secondary schools. I worked for a period of two years in a school in Moscow. I re-located to the UK and started working for a Russian oil company in London involved in translations. In addition I worked as required as a Russian translator for the Bank of England. In 1998 I co-wrote a book called “Talk Russian” for the BBC. In 2015 I wrote the second edition of “Talk Russian the ideal course for absolute beginners”, for BBC Active Languages, which was used in support of a Russian language programme that they were presenting. I re-located to San Diego USA in August of 2015.
I commenced working in the education sector in the UK in 1998.I was engaged as a preparatory school teacher in an independent school, where I continued to work until 2004 and was tutoring in my free time.
I became a full time Russian language tutor in August 2004 for students of all ages, children, teens, adults who need extra support and business professionals.
Teaching Style
I tailor each lesson to suit the student’s needs. On the first lesson I identify areas for improvement and prepare an adapted teaching schedule to provide the maximum support for learning. My continuing approach depends on the type and needs of the student that I am tutoring. I have a total open mind, when I first meet them. The method of study will vary considerably .I make sure that the students enjoy the lessons and understand each step before progressing to the next one.
For very young students I use lots of games and activities to engage them and stimulate their mind, praising them with their progress.
I also tutor young people for their English GCSE, A level, IB examinations, and undergraduates. I focus on improving their confidence and question answering technique in addition to providing them with a deeper understanding of conversational skills, grammar and comprehension of each topic. Closer to their exams, I concentrate on improving question techniques and creating links across the curriculum. I can also offer tuition of intensive exam preparation. My objective is to obtain the best results from each student.
For the business professionals, they generally need to improve their conversational skills, which I feature for them, but also include elements of grammar and spelling, to ensure a total understanding. It is important to help them find the way to learn.
I have access to several resources including Skype,Google Hangouts, where I utilise as support “Scribblar” and “Blackboard Collaborate” along with many other white board conference and collaboration tools, and use them accordingly.
I am a patient tutor and try to build trust with my students, which lead to fast progress, this being the top priority. It is a pleasure to pass on my knowledge to all of my students, and for me this is one of the most rewarding experiences ever.
My Hobbies
Reading swimming, tennis.