English 
Russian Over the years, my colleagues and I have taught hundreds of pupils – English for work, English for life, for fun, citizenship exams, business visa exams, driving theory test, fiancée visa exams. You name it, we have taught it: Grammar, phonetics, professional vocabulary, everything you need to speak English!
We used to work only in London, meeting our students in person. But Covid completely changed our work. Now most of our lessons are online (it’s more convenient and cheaper for everyone), and our students are located all over the world – even Australia, and, of course, places like Turkey and Dubai. That said, we’re still happy to come to teach you in person, albeit within London and some parts of Surrey.
When I moved to London in 1999, I was an English lecturer from Moscow State University, a textbook author, and a student (and teacher!) of Anglo-American culture. All these years, I have happily lived immersed in British culture, and at this point I am as British as I am Russian. In everyday life, I speak only English. But when I first came here, English from a Russian teacher was not something that was in great demand, and I began to teach Russian. At first it was difficult, but I am a linguist, and it is my mother tongue, so I figured it out. Cases, conjugations, verbs of motion with prefixes – everything became familiar and logical and lined up into a clear system. This is how Just Russian appeared, and it is still working today.
As time went by, more people from Russian speaking countries started to arrive. And one day I was asked to teach English to a successful Russian businessman living here. At first, I did not want to, but finding some old texts and exercises in the depths of my flat in Moscow, I remembered how much easier it is to teach English, compared to Russian. Especially when you live in it, and it has become your language. The rest is history, as they say.
Who are my students? All sorts. Anyone who wishes to learn English. Young and old; linguistically minded graduates who easily understand the intricacies of grammar, but also more technically minded folks who have to work harder to figure out the difference between the Present Perfect and Past Simple; hard-working language enthusiasts who do all their homework to perfection and ask all the right questions, and busy, distracted people who have other priorities and have never done a home-task in their lives. And, of course, the great majority who fall somewhere in the middle. But they all make progress. I can’t make everyone I teach totally fluent, but I can push everyone up a notch or three, giving them a better understanding of the language and its culture. With some students, I catch the same vibe, and we become friends. I hope that happens with us!
I always feel protective about my students and wish them luck. I appreciate the fact that in the huge open sea of teachers online, they chose me and my team. I always remember the dates and times of their exams and visualize them answering or writing something there. I regret that I can’t be there to prompt and reassure them. And I am super happy when they get good grades and pass an important test – another step to success in their lives. It’s also wonderful to introduce another person to the huge cultural riches of the worldwide Anglophone community, perhaps the biggest and best club in the world that has no membership fee.
I happily work with everyone who enters the realm of the English language with an open mind, with curiosity and respect for the English-speaking world, no matter from what level and at what pace they move.
English for Russian Speakers is not only me. It is also my wonderful colleagues, whom I have found (or they have found me) over the years and whom I fully trust to do a good job. They have different methods and approaches, but they are all experts.
What shall I write about here, in this blog? I hope my students will tell me that. And you, my readers, are also welcome to write to me and suggest a topic for a blog. Just drop me a line. The address is in the contacts. If I like the idea, I will definitely write about it.
In the meantime, I look forward to seeing you in our English lessons!
Sincerely yours,
Vlada
