Services

What Service Do I Offer?

Okay, I’ll describe in general what happens during one of my lessons: For many of my clients I use conversation practice as the central part of each lesson. I give help with word choice, then explain or review grammar and pronunciation. With most clients, I review the sounds of the English language in the first lesson, do some practice with the sounds and pronunciation in the next few lessons, and then come back to these details later as needed, along with grammar. Some clients mostly want accent reduction, so then I focus more heavily on details of pronunciation all along. With many clients I do reading practice: letting them read a text out loud, correcting them, and then practicing to work on specific pronunciation issues. Others mostly want help with writing: I can help with grammar, word choice, punctuation, and also how to structure different kinds of writing. I often move back and forth between these different things, as needed. Depending on your needs, I might use books, or special online materials. That’s a basic, general description of what’s in a lesson, but you probably understand now: It all depends on your needs and preferences.

I give all lessons online. I can teach you through several communication platforms. In my order of preference, they are: Google Meet, Microsoft Teams, Facebook Messenger, Discord, Skype, and Zoom. Using one of these, together with other online tools, works quite well.

I can also help you with specific things, like editing an important email that you’re about to send, and explaining my edits. I can also edit a presentation that you’re planning to give. I can then watch you give your presentation and give you feedback and help. And if you’re looking for a job, I can help you put together a good resume and make sure it’s free of errors. I can help write a cover letter and other correspondence, and help you prepare for interviews.

Why Should You Come to Me for Lessons?

• I have experience with learning languages. I’m fluent in Russian and German, and have studied other languages such as Spanish, Malay, and Italian—almost all self-taught. And I am continuing to learn. My personal experience helps me to understand your learning process, and it informs my recommendations to you on how to learn effectively.
• I’m knowledgeable about language and about teaching it. I studied linguistics (along with international relations) at the University of California at Davis, and I’ve read many books and articles on the subject. I’ve taught English at a university. I’ve been tutoring people in English as a foreign language regularly since 2013.
• I’m a native speaker, from California. The United States does not have an official standard dialect. But what people generally regard as standard usage is the way the language is spoken in the western and central parts of the country, including California.
• I love languages. I’ve always been interested in them. Languages are fun! And my other work is translating: I translate business texts from German and Russian into English.
• I help my clients. You can read what my clients have said.

What Will It Cost?

Lessons are US$42 per hour. You’ll pay me at the end of each lesson, or in advance for one or more lessons. Payment can be through Zelle, credit or debit card, PayPal, or Cash App. Some other payment methods are also possible, so if you have a different preference, let me know. If you would like me to do some kind of editing for you outside of the lessons, the same hourly rate will apply.

Cancellation policy: Cancel at least 24 hours in advance to not pay for a lesson.

Can I Really Help You, If You’ve Had Difficulty With Your English?

You want to learn how to communicate in English easily, clearly, and smoothly. Maybe this goal seems out of reach. But keep this in mind: Studying English might seem difficult or frustrating at times, and you might sometimes feel like you just can’t do it. But that’s normal. It’s okay to feel that way sometimes. Your willingness to keep pushing forward, even when it feels difficult, will bring success. The joy of learning a language comes not just from the easy work. It also comes from mastering what was difficult for you before, and then using it in your daily life.

Ultimately, your success at learning will depend on your willingness to work: You should review your notes and study on your own between our lessons. Get plenty of practice speaking, listening, and reading. I can also give homework to do between lessons. And I can recommend good books and online resources for studying on your own, and can use textbooks during lessons too. The more you study and keep working at it, the more you will improve. If you choose to only have lessons with me and not do any study on your own, you will not learn as fast, but you will still benefit.

Let’s talk about how I can help you. Send me a message through the form on my Contact page.

What Options Do You Have for Improving Your English?

This is something I address with many of my clients, depending on their needs: I can recommend ways to practice and study on your own, in addition to our lessons. But if you want to explore alternatives to hiring an English tutor, then here they are:

Getting help from any native speaker: I highly recommend talking with native speakers to practice your English. This will help you a lot, to improve your fluency and your vocabulary. But remember: Although an educated native speaker should speak and write English perfectly, not everyone can explain grammar or pronunciation. Not everyone has experience with learning languages. Not everyone has enough patience or is attentive enough.

Using a tutoring company: There are a lot of websites out there for finding tutors, but unfortunately these companies generally take a very large share of the fee that you pay. The tutors end up with very little pay, in many cases not even enough to cover their living expenses. Most of them become dissatisfied after a while and look for other kinds of work, so there is very high turnover in the industry.

Using an AI tutor: This is very new, and I don’t know how well it works. Since it’s a robot, I imagine it would be like talking with someone less intelligent than your cat or dog, but that perhaps can explain grammar or follow an automated curriculum. If you’ve ever tried this, let me know!

Finding an ESL-certified tutor: ESL certification shows that a person has completed a program for teaching English in a classroom. That shows that the person knows something about the structure of the English language and how it can be presented to a non-native speaker. But classroom teaching is very different from tutoring: The techniques for keeping a class engaged and all learning together are not relevant to one-on-one tutoring. I don’t usually follow a book or a curriculum, but instead offer a variety of techniques and exercises that I can use to address your own individual needs. During a tutoring appointment with you, I’m listening carefully to constantly determine your exact needs, and I’m working to provide that help to you in the most effective way. It’s completely individualized to your needs.

Studying on your own: This is how I usually learn languages. For me, classes usually go too fast or too slow, and I feel like they waste my time. So I use books and recordings, and find various resources online. Then I study when I have time. But meeting with a real, live, human expert can be very helpful.

Taking a class at a community college: In most places, these ESL classes are free. So they can be worthwhile to try, when the quality of instruction is good. But you’ll still need to learn more beyond these first language classes.

It’s your choice. You can learn on your own, in a classroom, with a tutor, or you can use some combination of these options. You can try what you think will work best for you. But here are the advantages of learning one-on-one from a tutor:

• You have the full attention of the person who is teaching you, who can focus completely on helping just you.
• You will get plenty of feedback and help with pronunciation, much more than you will get in a classroom. And it’s hard to get this while studying on your own.
• You don’t have to get bored in a classroom where the lessons are going too slowly for you.
• You don’t have to struggle to keep up with a class that’s going too fast for you.
• The lessons are not part of a fixed curriculum, but will flexibly fit your own needs exactly.
• You don’t have to take a placement test, because I know what you need just from working with you.
• Your lessons can fit your own schedule.

How Long Will it Take?

Sometimes people ask me how many months it will take for them to reach a certain level of ability in English from my lessons. That seems like a reasonable thing to ask, when you’re thinking about committing your time and money to anything. But actually, this question is nearly impossible to answer. In my experience, it depends very much on how much time and effort my clients put into learning. And that’s not something I can predict. But when a client has two or three lessons with me per week, and studies regularly at home, and practices, I have seen significant improvement within a few months, and they have told me that people have commented on their improvement in English.

How Do We Get Started?

1. You tell me what times of the day and days of the week work best for you. You can suggest specific times, or I will. You can also ask me any questions you might have about the lessons.
2. We meet online (see the list of meeting platforms above). At our first meeting you can tell me what you want most to learn (conversation, reading, writing, etc.). I will ask you a few questions, and will see your ability levels and will determine the best way to help you. And we can start from there, in your first lesson.
3. We agree on when to meet each week, and put the lessons on our calendars. We wish each other a nice day, and leave the meeting. You pay for the lesson. (If you’d like, you can also pay for several lessons in advance. Some of my clients prefer to do it this way.)
4. We keep meeting regularly for lessons, and I help you improve your English.

Would I Teach Your Friend Who Doesn’t Know Any English Yet?

I have taught some clients who didn’t know any English yet: This is what I call teaching people “from scratch.” I only do this if we already have a language in common: I’m fluent in Russian [Я могу проводить уроки для вас и на русском языке], and in German [Auf Deutsch geht’s auch, aber noch kein Klient hat danach gefragt]. I have also given lessons in Italian [Potremmo fare lezioni anche in italiano], and in Spanish [Sí, en español también]. Just be aware that in Spanish and Italian I’m not fluent, so I don’t express myself easily and smoothly.

Most of my clients are at an intermediate or advanced level, and I speak to them at least 99% in English.