Russian Voice Questions & Answers

Below are answers to commonly asked questions about learning Russian at the Russian Voice. If you can’t find the answers you are looking for, please email your teacher or schedule a free consultation. Let’s talk about your goals and how to achieve them!

 

General Questions

Russian is spoken by over 350 million people, uniting one of the largest nation in the world. It is the fifth most spoken language on the planet, the most geographically widespread language of Eurasia, the largest native language in Europe, one of the six official languages of the United Nations, and the second most used language on the Internet.

Proficiency in Russian opens many doors. Russian speaking professionals are in great demand in marketing, advertising, diplomatic service, aerospace, computer engineering, journalism, tourism, and education. Speaking Russian with confidence will allow you to communicate effectively with your Russian colleagues and business partners.

Russian is the language of great writers, painters, musicians, leaders, and scientists. Russia is ahead in the field of education, especially in the areas of science and research. Studying in Russia will give you an opportunity to get prestigious higher education recognized all over the world. You will make new friends and explore the most fascinating and exotic country in the world.

You can also learn Russian for an unforgettable trip to the largest country in the world! You can visit Moscow and Saint Petersburg, go skiing in the Western Caucasus, and travel along the legendary Trans-Siberian Railway. Enjoy visiting Ukraine, Belarus, Kazakhstan, and other countries of the Post-Soviet world. You will feel comfortable in every place, where people speak and understand Russian.

There is not much difference between online and classroom lessons. Modern technologies such as Skype or Google Hangouts provide live video and audio streaming which allow you to hear and see your teacher as you were in a traditional classroom. In fact, learning online has more advantages compared to learning in a classroom. Firstly, you can study Russian with a highly qualified native Russian teacher, regardless of your geographical location. Secondly, you don’t need to waste your time on travel as you can study from the comfort of your home or an office. Thirdly, you can master your Russian language using the exclusive learning resources and unique methodology created by your Russian teacher. All these things will help you to save your time and money and progress faster.

The most of my classes are private, but I also teach mini-groups up to 3 students. You can study by yourself or in a group with your friends, classmates or coworkers on Skype or Google Hangouts.

Your teacher offers classes for Beginner, Intermediate and Advanced students. All courses at all levels will help you to learn real spoken Russian, vocabulary, grammar, writing, pronunciation. In addition, you will be aware of Russian culture and history, national character and habits, customs and traditions, etiquette, and interpersonal relations.

I offer 60-minute, 80-minute and 45-minute online Russian classes via Skype. Lessons are available from 9.00 a.m. to 20.00 p.m., 5 days a week from Monday to Friday.

Please see the Pricing Page and complete the Trial Request Form. During the Trial Class you will see how we are going to work together and understand if my approach suits you well. After you have a free Trial Class and decide to study Russian via Skype, you will be able to choose the study package, agree dates and time of classes and schedule your first 60-minute or 80-minute lesson. I will send you the payment instruction and study rules. Within 24 hours I will confirm your payment by email, you will get the learning materials, and we will arrange our first meeting via Skype.

Russian Programs & Courses

The Russian Voice has Long-Term and Short-Term Programs. You can take a long-term program if you are serious about learning Russian and need this language for study or business purposes. All courses in the Russian Voice follow CEFR and TORFL standards and have 6 levels: Beginner (A1), Elementary (A2), Pre-Intermediate (B1), Intermediate (B1+), Upper-Intermediate (B2) and Advanced (C1). CEFR and TORFL standards recommend approximately 100-120 classroom hours (1 hour = 45 minutes) to reach one level. This is 60-80 lessons per 60 minutes or 40-60 lessons per 80 minutes. This number of lessons is recommended by academic standards and usually used in universities, colleges and language schools to allow students reaching a necessary level of the Russian language which is needed to pass a TORFL (ТРКИ) exam and/or get a certificate.

A short-term program is perfect if you’re going to learn Russian for travel purposes or concentrate on specific speaking, grammar or business topics. Usually it includes 5 - 30 lessons per 60 minutes or 80 minutes. You can discuss your needs with you trainer and choose the number of lessons to reach your goals. Here in the Russian Voice you can choose as more lessons as you want according to you needs and specific purposes.

Your teacher has created a wide variety of Russian language courses to satisfy different learning goals and student’s interests. The Russian Voice has many courses including General Russian, Russian for Business & Careers, Russian for Travel, Academic Russian & Test Preparations, Russian Culture Awareness Training, Russian Literature, Practical Russian Grammar & Pronunciation, Interview skills & Build-Your-Own Programs. All courses are designed by native Russian teacher to deliver the maximum learning possible for each hour you invest.

Each course has a studying syllabus. As a rule, the standard syllabus consists of 26-28 modules (speaking topics) which include vocabulary, grammar, skills and culture sections. You can take this course “as is” or ask your teacher to modify it according to your interests. Offered speaking and vocabulary topics can be rearranged, removed or augmented with additional topics to suit your language goals and needs.

Each lesson consists of the following parts: a conversation-based warm up, homework discussion and error correction, lesson objectives discussion and introduction to a new topic, guided practice, independent practice and assessment.

During the warm up we can do some activities which will help you to review the previously learned material or discuss some interesting questions concerning the topic of the current lesson. Then we’re going to discuss your homework and correct mistakes if needed. We can also discuss any questions you may have.

The next step is objectives discussion and introduction to a new topic when I explain a new vocabulary, phrases or grammar. During the guided practice we will learn how to use the learned material in real-life contexts. Usually we do conversation-based activities, grammar and vocabulary exercises. We can also read and discuss interesting stories which includes new words and phrases or listen to short dialogues and podcasts.

Then it’s time for independent practice and assessment when you try to use the new material by yourself. In the end of each lesson I usually give homework. It can be a short reading, watching a video, listening to a podcast (dialogue or story), or doing some short grammar exercises.

All courses in the Russian Voice follow CEFR and TORFL standards and have 6 levels: Beginner (A1), Elementary (A2), Pre-Intermediate (B1), Intermediate (B1+), Upper-Intermediate (B2) and Advanced (C1). CEFR and TORFL standards recommend approximately 100-120 academic (classroom) hours (1 hour = 45 minutes) to complete one level. As a rule, if you take the long-term program, you will need 60-80 lessons to complete one level. The short-term programs usually include 5-30 lessons.

Actually, the number of lessons needed for different learners varies greatly. Some students learn faster, others learn slower. It usually depends on your language goals and needs, age and motivation, background and amount of prior study, opportunity to use the Russian language outside the class, and amount of time spent in individual study. Learners from some countries and cultures may take longer to acquire the Russian language, especially if they have to learn to read and write with a Cyrillic script.

Unfortunately, it’s impossible to learn the foreign language in a short time. However, you can learn some skills which will help you to feel comfortable in Russian-speaking environment. For example, you can learn how to read Russian words and street signs, how to greet Russian people, how to do shopping in a Russian-speaking country, how to order food in restaurants, etc.

Yes, I do! I prepare students for TORFL (ТРКИ) exam & other industry and academic Russian tests upon request.

Russian Business workshops are intensive courses averaging from 5-10 lessons in length. These workshops target the most common and most important language used to function in business, work or academia. Topics include Meetings, Presentations, Interviews, Intercultural Communication, Public Speaking, Telephoning, Politeness, Customer Service & many more! You can also request a special workshop be made for you.

Yes, I can help! You can master Russian speaking, body language, answering common interview questions and understanding Russian culture. I will also evaluate your CV’s language, content and format to help you write powerfully and appropriately to make sure your CV gets seen.

Learning Materials

You will be provided with learning materials in PDF, JPEG and DOC files before each lesson. They include visual vocabulary for beginners and vocabulary lists for advanced students, real-world dialogues and phrase banks, grammar tables and infographics, and a great variety of exercises to practice your Russian speaking and writing skills. Reading activities are based on texts from modern Russian magazines, newspapers, and blogs. In addition, you will get audios (podcasts, recorded dialogues and stories, songs) and videos (movies, shows, cartoons, TV commercials, news clips, etc.) to master your listening skills. All materials are included into your study package.

You will get a class report after each class. Your teacher will take notes of your pronunciation, vocabulary & grammar mistakes in class. After the class, the teacher will spend 10 minutes typing your class report with more corrections, tips and resources for you to learn with.

Teaching Methods

At my lessons I use the communicative approach, which is centered in helping the student to develop all important Russian language skills. Our lessons are interactive and sociable. We learn how to use Russian in real-life situations, watch videos, listen to songs and conversations, read and discuss current news.

Whatever your age, your level or your learning goals, I will find a program tailored to suit your personal needs. You will get the individual attention that will allow you to learn at your own speed. I conduct all lessons in Russian. So you will be immersed in the language right from the start. If you are a beginner, you will be provided with English guidelines and explanations. I will correct your spoken and written errors so that you will become more accurate and progress faster. You will understand Russian slang and learn how to use the most common idioms and everyday phrases correctly. You will learn how to speak Russian that natives use in real conversations.

At our lessons we learn culture tips, traditions and etiquette for different life situations. You will know everything to feel comfortable in a Russian-speaking environment and communicate with natives effectively.

I use various teaching techniques to develop your language skills. I prefer to use the methods that best work for each different student. At our lessons we do communicative activities, role plays, debating, discussing, negotiating and many other real-world tasks.

Teacher & Students

Your teacher holds a Master's Degree in Russian Language & Literature and English Studies, a certificate in Economy and International Marketing, and a TESOL certificate. She studied teaching Russian and English in Russia, Ukraine and the USA. She has over 10 years’ experience in teaching General and Business Russian & English to international students of various levels, ages and backgrounds, including businesspeople and diplomats.

I teach international students of various levels, ages and backgrounds. My students are businesspeople, IT-specialists, scientists, university students, housewives, travelers, etc.

My students come from all over the world: Great Britain, the USA, Germany, Austria, France, Spain, Italy, Finland, Poland, Check Republic, Turkey, Mexico, China, Korea, India, Morocco, and many other countries! In addition, many of my students are professionals and international students living or working in Russia and Ukraine.

Scheduling

Online classes are available from 9.00 a.m. to 21.00 p.m., 5 days a week from Monday to Friday.

You can contact your teacher through the enrollment form and choose the date and time that's best for you. Your trainer will reply to your request within 24 hours to confirm her availability and arrange online meeting.

During the Trial Class you will be able to discuss your purposes for the course and check your technical devices. In addition, we will test your Russian skills to determine your language level and plan your personalized Russian learning schedule, according to your requirements and course goals. You will see how we are going to work together and understand if my approach suits you well. After the Trial class you will be able to schedule your first 60-minute or 80-minute lesson with your teacher, choose the study package and agree dates and time of classes.

You will agree dates and time of classes with your teacher at you Trial class. Before you choose and pay for the lessons package make sure that you can find two or three hours a week for classes and study during the further period of time. You can reserve your classes up to one month in advance or as soon 48 hours in advance.

Yes, you can. Fixed schedule consists of study hours that are the same from week to week. For example, we have Russian classes every Monday and Wednesday at 10.00 AM.

Flexible schedule is ideal for those with a busy lifestyle. At the end of each lesson we can look at my Google calendar and arrange the suitable day and time of our next class. After you decide, I will add the lesson to my schedule. Usually I share this calendar with my students so they can see all their lesson bookings.

You can also schedule your lessons by visiting the schedule page in my website. There you can choose the day and time of your next class and make a booking. You can reserve your classes up to one month in advance or as soon 48 hours in advance.

This depends on your level, study goals and budget. To progress quickly I recommend having a balanced learning program which usually includes 2 or 3 Skype Russian classes per week with a teacher and self-study activities at home. Of course, you can take more classes per week to achieve your goals faster. During the free consultation or Trial Class you will be able to agree a study schedule with your teacher before the course begins.

Lateness & Cancellations

If you are unable to attend the lesson in the pre-agreed time you can cancel or reschedule a booked lesson without any fee up to 24 hours before the lesson. If you cancel less than 24 hours before the lesson, you will be charged for a lesson. Of course, if the lesson did not take place because of technical issues, you will not be charged for it. To cancel or reschedule your lesson, make a Viber call or email me to info@therussianvoice.com and we will arrange another day and time for the next class.

Please, try to be on time for your online lessons. If you start a class late, the study session will finish at the scheduled time. Your teacher will wait a maximum of 10-15 minutes for you to come to your class. If you have not arrived in 10-15 minutes, she will stop waiting and go offline on Skype. As a result, you will lose this lesson from your package. If you have a technical problem with your connection or your computer, you can email me or make a Viber call, and we will reschedule the lesson. Therefore, it is strongly advised that you check that your hardware and Internet connection are fit for online learning.

If you cannot attend your current course due to personal reasons (vacation, business trip, sick leave, etc.), you must submit a request to info@therussianvoice.com or notify me at the end of the lesson. We will transfer the balance of your course (i.e. the remaining lessons) to another agreed, later date and you will not lose your lessons.

Sometimes your teacher needs to cancel the lesson or several lessons due to her personal circumstances (vacation, business trip, sick leave, etc.). In this case, she will notify you by email or at the lesson. The balance of your course (i.e. the remaining lessons) will be transferred to another agreed, later date and you will not lose your lessons.

Payments / Fees

I offer 15-minute free consultation where you can meet your teacher, discuss your goals and needs, choose your Russian language program & course, and schedule classes with your teacher. If you want to see how we are going to work together, you can book my 60-minute Russian coaching session for a discounted $ 21. At the meeting you will be able to discuss your goals & needs, choose your program & course, ask questions and get answers on prices, materials & schedule, begin short class on your chosen topic, test you Russian skills, get error corrections & tips, and discuss any additional needs or plans.

Unfortunately, there is no option to pay before or after each lesson. When you enroll your Russian course I reserve the time for your classes in my calendar at least one month ahead. It means that every week I spend a certain amount of time on preparing learning materials, checking your homework and sending emails to answer your questions if needed. Therefore, payment is in advance for a block of 5, 10 and 15 lessons. This will allow me to plan your study course well and care about your progress and help you to stay on track.

I offer 5, 10 and 15 lesson packages.

Yes, I do. I offer a discount if you buy more than 5 lessons in advance. For example, if you buy 10 lessons, you will get 10% discount. If you buy 15 lessons, you will get 15% discount. If you study with me more than 4 months, you will get 20% discount.

The payments are accepted with Visa, Mastercard, Skrill, Payoneer, Payza, Paysera or MoneyGram. Prices are in US Dollars and Euros.

Tuition covers not only the actual lesson time spent with the student, but time preparing for each student as well. The listed prices include:

1) 60-minute, 80-minute or 45-minute classes;

2) Russian cultural training program;

2) an individualized plan for each student's course of study;

3) detailed needs assessment;

4) written class and progress reports;

5) online learning materials (worksheets, E-books, audio and video) developed specifically for you;

6) access to my Russian language & literature online library;

7) scheduling, maintenance, and technology;

8) time spent on Email and Phone calls.

Before you choose and pay for the lessons package make sure that you can find two or three hours a week for classes and study during the further period of time. I do not give refund if you accidently decide to stop learning in the middle of period. If you cannot attend your current course due to personal reasons (vacation, business trip, sick leave, etc.), you may transfer the balance of the course (i.e. the remaining lessons) to another agreed, later date. I give full refund only if I cannot continue working with a student due to my personal circumstances.

Technical Questions

To make your study convenient and effective I recommend using the following technologies:

1) A laptop or PC with a good Internet connection.

2) Skype, a free application that lets you have video chats over the internet for free. If you don’t like Skype, we can use Google Hangouts.

3) A headset with a microphone and a webcam. Even if your computer has an internal microphone and a built-in webcam, I recommend you to use a headset to avoid extra noises and make the sound better.

4) Adobe Reader or another program to open PDF files. For your convenience you can open online worksheets and E-Books on your tablet. If you have a printer you can print them out to master your handwriting skills.

5) A Russian Cyrillic keyboard or Russian Cyrillic keyboard stickers to type in Russian on your computer. Click here to learn how to russify your computer.

6) Two thick notebooks to write down a new vocabulary and grammar.

7) Your smartphone to download and listen to audio files outside the class.