Do Russians Speak English

Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences People from different countries inevitably face problems when they are trying to learn English. Russia is no exception. Let’s have a quick look at some typical problems that my fellow countrymen face. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Sergei S. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. As you may know, Russian is written using the Cyrillic alphabet, and some may think that it can cause problems. In reality, the Russians are fine with understanding the Latin alphabet and can easily pronounce each letter. However, the Devil is in the details. When it comes to speaking it becomes problematic to pronounce [θ] and [ð] sounds properly....  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Valeriia S. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. I would like to discuss a problem for learners of the English language in a country I came from, which is Russia. As for me, I studied in a private English school, so the English language was never a difficulty for me, however, if we consider the overall Russian community, we can clearly see that most of them can barely produce a sentence in the English language. So, first of all, why is it important for Russians to speak English? The answer is simple: depending on their needs, whether it is traveling or employment, it is just a vital necessity in...  [Read more]

Linda Dunsmore Budget and Salary Destinations The following guide will help you answer the question: How much can I earn (and save) while teaching English in Russia? You will also find information on the local cost of living in order to figure out how much to budget for when moving to Russia. Russia is an emerging star on the EFL market today. Teaching English in Russia can, therefore, be both a challenging yet rewarding undertaking. Unlike some other TEFL destinations, teachers in Russia don’t have much choice in terms of what type of school they work for. Public schools don’t hire foreign teachers, which makes private language institutes the most common workplace for TEFL qualified teachers in Russia. Depending on your...  [Read more]

Jon ITTT Alumni Experiences It is not a secret for anyone that native speakers of any language always easily identify “non-native” when they hear at least a few words spoken by them. Often native speakers are able to fairly accurately determine the country from which the person came, based on his pronunciation. This happens due to the fact that it is common for all of us to use the sounds of our native language in the pronunciation of words of a foreign language, as well as to use articulation models we know from childhood the position of the organs of speech (lips, tongue, etc.). This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Mariia L. We pronounce words with stress characteristic of the native language and speak with intonations...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences Nowadays, many people in Kyrgyzstan want to learn English. To enter university or find a better job. However, the learners here face some difficulties in learning. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate KWONG C. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. English is the third language here, the secondary language is Russian. So the hours available for teaching English is not much in local schools generally. For example, some schools may just provide one hour of English lessons per week. Parents think that the learning hours provided by the school is not enough, as a result, they send their children to a private language center, to have an...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences Teaching certificates open a lot of opportunities to find a good job throughout the world to native speakers of English language either for those who are fluent in it but doesn't have a special degree in pedagogic studies. One just needs to take a CELTA, DELTA, TESOL or TEFL course that is usually about one month long and depending on time and financial solvency can be taken online or offline. These courses have similar approaches to teaching techniques and methods, they are well structured and provide much useful information on teaching resources, teaching theories as well as practical tasks. But there are some issues one can meet in EFL teaching job searching. This post was written by our TEFL certification...  [Read more]

Sabrina Segal Alumni Experiences Language skills begin in the womb when a fetus's hearing first develops, they begin to listen to the language of their mother. Once the baby is born they recognize their mother tongue. Though, a baby is born with the ability to learn any language and multiple languages. When babies hear a word repeatedly their brain forms neural connections, which is a step towards their speech. The brain of a child is like a sponge. It retains so much information that by the time a child reaches 3 years of age, their brain has formed double the amount of connections that adults have. Young children learn language through simple exposure. It is possible to learn a language later on in life but the process is slower and more...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas The purpose of my essay is to outline some of the most frequently occurred pronunciation mistakes made by Russian learners and share some of the teaching ideas based on a few sources and my own experience of teaching and learning English as a foreign and second language. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Olga R. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. Teaching English phonology and pronunciation for Russian learners is always challenging as there are a great number of differences rather than similarities in the pronunciation norms in the English and the Russian language systems. That is why Russian learners experience difficulties...  [Read more]

Mark Crocker Destinations Known throughout the world for its literary giants, such as Tolstoy, Dostoevsky, and Chekhov, and its musical geniuses that include Tchaikovsky, Stravinsky, and Shostakovich, Russia’s unrivaled history of the arts is just one reason why it is increasingly popular with visitors from all over the globe. From the vast and rugged beauty of its eastern regions to the bustling cosmopolitan cities in the west, the Russian Federation offers a seemingly endless array of unique attractions to explore. Russia’s emergence as a major tourist destination is mirrored by its growing attraction among TEFL qualified teachers who are looking to experience a country that is steeped in history and culture but is still a little off the...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas In this topic, I will be talking about my own “Personal Teaching Experience” in two Asian countries that I’ve had the privilege to work in and teach such as, China and Russia. So you might want to ask yourselves, What’s the difference between teaching Chinese and Russian students? Well honestly there is a huge difference so let’s get started. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Jhonatan J. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. First of all, let’s start with the cultural differences in the classrooms between Chinese and Russian students. Let me mentioned to you that in both countries I’ve had jobs mostly in private...  [Read more]

Mark Crocker Alumni Experiences English language learners at high school and college levels in Mongolia face a variety of structural and cultural difficulties that often prevent them from moving beyond an intermediate or even-low level in spoken and written English. This post will look at a few of the core issues and examine some of the ways to help improve the type of instruction provided in Mongolia that could prove beneficial for future language students. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Ariel W. First and foremost, teacher training in areas like lesson-planning, teacher/student talk time, impromptu speaking and writing activities, and classroom management needs to be improved. This problem stems directly from the...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas Pronunciation is an essential part of the English language. Clear and cohesive speech can create meaningful conversations, meanwhile incorrect pronunciation can lead to misunderstandings. Every, non-native English-speaking country has pronunciation problems. One of the countries which come across with pronunciation errors is my homeland Azerbaijan. It is a lovely country, with nice traditions and people. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Narmina M. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. There are many different nationalities that live in my country. People speak various languages. Our official language is Azerbaijani; however, the...  [Read more]

Linda Dunsmore Alumni Experiences I remember taking Russian classes at a local language institute. My motivation initially was my love for Russian culture and a desire to move there. However, actually having the discipline to study the language proved to be a different reality. So with motivation in the classroom, I know from personal experience what can and cannot work - generally speaking. There are three key themes outlined here that address not only providing motivation to the students but also the students having their own motivation. These three themes are teachers motivation, students motivation, and classroom motivation. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Andrew M. The teacher's motivation needs to be something...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas I think vocabulary is something that should be taught at the very beginning of the course. When you're starting with a brand new language, the hardest part of learning a foreign language from scratch is vocabulary building. This is because when one starts a new language, they typically don't know where to start. For example, should they learn how to say "Hi, how are you?" first, or should they learn some of the more substantial, yet basic vocabulary terms, such as "I give" "I eat" etc? At what point should you introduce grammar? This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Brandon S. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. I have studied 3...  [Read more]

Mark Crocker Alumni Experiences In April 2018 I quit my job and began traveling around the world. Since then, I have taught myself Russian and improved my teaching skills by helping others with languages I am familiar with. The more places I visited on my journey, the more I became interested in foreign languages. I had the chance to teach people German and English, while also learning other languages and alphabets from them. I realized that while helping others, I developed a passion for teaching. I then decided to travel to Southeast Asia and acquire a TEFL certificate, which will enable me to teach English and live in a foreign country. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Michael G. My first learning experiences on my...  [Read more]

Linda Dunsmore Alumni Experiences In April 2018, I quit my job and began traveling around the world. Since then, I taught myself Russian and improved my teaching skills by helping others with languages I am familiar with. The more places I visited on my journey, the more I became interested in foreign languages. I had the chance to teach people German and English, while also learning other languages and alphabets from them. I realized that while helping others, I developed a passion for teaching. I decided to travel to Southeast Asia and acquire a TEFL certificate, which enables me to teach English and live in a foreign country. This decision should benefit and influence my life and personal development. This post was written by our TEFL...  [Read more]

Linda Dunsmore Alumni Experiences I’ve taken four years of college Russian. Throughout my time at my university, I learned a few things about both learning and teaching a language that have helped me become a better ESL teacher. This post was written by our ITTT graduate Leif O. One crucial aspect of learning a language is making sure that everyone in the class is comfortable. While this is true with young learners, this is especially true for adults. Adults don’t want to make mistakes. Business professionals have devoted their lives to one of the hardest areas in which one can make money, and if they are doing it as a career, they are most likely succeeding at it. This means that the business professionals may very well be unaccustomed to...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences For me specifically, finishing a TEFL course will give me the opportunity to travel and experience various cultures while likewise supporting myself abroad. I've always had a desire to speak unknown languages and visit various nations. Maybe this is because of the way that I was raised bilingual. Growing up with a few languages, including Hebrew and Korean, I built up an affection for unknown languages and traveling. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Emiliya A. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. Today I can say that I have been lucky to have used my language abilities (English, Russian, Hebrew, Korean, Turkish) in the...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas The native language -or L1-, is the language a person has been exposed to from birth. It can also be called the first language and it is usually referred to as the language one learned as a child. It is part of the cultural identity of a person. The second language -or L2-, is the language that is not the native language and it is learned later, usually as a foreign language. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Natália S. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. According to English at Ethnologue (22nd ed., 2019), English is the most widely spoken language in the world with a total of 1.132 Billion speakers. It is the first most spoken...  [Read more]

Jon ITTT Destinations As a TEFL teacher it is important to make sure you have a good understanding of the language point you are teaching. It is equally important to have a good understanding of the country and culture you intend to teach in. While many aspects of behavior and etiquette may seem quite similar, each country has its own particular quirks that should be understood by a TEFL teacher. In this post I look at some important aspects of etiquette in different countries in Europe that any TEFL certification graduate should keep in mind. Each country has different attitudes which govern what is rude and what is not. Good posture is important in Switzerland so you should avoid slouching. Habits such as chewing gum and cleaning fingernails...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas It is a very well known fact that English is a very melodic language, it sounds very soft and children love singing in English. When you keep a certain rhythm, rhyme, and pace, it is very likely to learn faster and better almost any topic. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Valeria T. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. For a group of very young learners, it is quite a must to use songs, to put the students move and have some action in the classroom as their attention span is quite short and they need entertainment, fun, and playtime. I will take as an example of body parts. If I were to teach the body parts, I would choose the...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas During my lifetime the world has achieved a level of globalization that, fifty years ago, would have been hard to believe. The part that the English language has played in the development of globalization is pivotal. As an international airline employee who has conducted business throughout the world, I can personally attest to its current importance. English is the de facto language of many international corporations, industries, international non-governmental organizations, and scientific institutions. The English language was not always destined to play such a pivotal role in world affairs. Throughout history, other languages such as Latin, Chinese (Mandarin/Cantonese), Spanish, French German and Russian (to...  [Read more]

Jon ITTT Alumni Experiences For the native English speaker, English is easy. It is only when learning another language do L1 English speakers begin to see peculiarities in their own language. It is then compounded when beginning to teach English as a foreign language. Although the English language has commonalities with other languages, especially since English is derived from other languages, there are plenty of unusual aspects of English that can cause difficulties when learning and teaching the language. For example, English spelling, grammar, and pronunciation all contain such peculiarities. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Tanya L. Learning to read and write English is no easy task since English is one of the least...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas Children learn fast, that is a fact. Learning a language is their natural skill, which they are born with. We all have gone through that process. There is no teacher needed to teach a kid how to speak, there is no teacher needed to teach a kid how to pronounce e.t.c. Mothers and fathers are not teachers, but they teach their kids how to speak, or maybe kids learn by themselves? In my opinion, communication is one of the very basic needs, which comes naturally. Children need to talk to their mothers, fathers and other people who are around them. Speaking is a result of listening and observing – in this case, family members. Kids learn from people in their environment, that is why it becomes so popular to hire a...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences We live in the age of technical progress and globalization. Both these trends require people to get together, unite, share ideas to come up with new inventions, discover other cultures. This is why thousands of people all over the world take up studying English every day. They turn to language schools, private teachers, speaking clubs or any other resources they can find, excited to start and be able to speak fluently in a year or so. However, reality shows that only half of those students get the result they wanted. So, possible obstacles and complications which face Ukrainian adult students while learning English will be discussed in this essay, possible solutions will be suggested. This post was written by...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences Parents play a major role in the education of their children. This is because children tend to listen to the instruction of their parents and are usually motivated by what they see their parents doing. In most countries where education is not free, the parents play the role of sponsor as they pay their children’s tuition fees. This is a major role because if not for that, the students are unable to attend classes and usually stay at home. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Melisa P. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. In some households where one of the parents is a stay-at-home parent, that parent may play the role of...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences Over a hundred years ago, in the late 19th century, a Polish-Jewish eye doctor named Dr. Ludwig Lazarus Zamenhof wanted to bridge the gaps and misunderstandings between different ethnic groups that he grew up around. Being from a Polish city that, at the time, was a polyglot, multi-ethnic mixture of Poles, Russians, Jews, Lithuanians, and Germans, he saw there was a great deal of distrust between each group, and he believed it was due to the language barriers that each imposed. To create a common ground between every group, he created an international, universal language called Esperanto (Yaffe, 2017). While it was a great idea to create a language that did not belong to any ethnic group and could be used...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas To begin with, I have been teaching English for more than 30 years. I teach groups of students and individuals of different ages and abilities. That is why I have always had a problem how to raise my students’ motivation, how to make my lessons interesting and exciting so that the bell at the end of the class would be for me, not for my students. I have always wanted them to be upset that the lesson is over. As a result of this research, I concluded that along with having different games, quizzes, puzzles, crosswords and project works, learning and singing songs is as challenging and helpful as doing grammar exercises. The results of learning English songs by heart is stunning. Do not think that I do this...  [Read more]

Jon ITTT Alumni Experiences My teaching experience started back in 1988 where I was working for a company called Bryco Windows. They are a UPVC window and door manufacturer where my position was Sales Trainer. My job was to teach new staff and train them to understand the sales process and how to close the sale. This was a hard job to do as a salesman as the sales people got a lot of knock backs (no sale). Part of my job as sales trainer was to keep them motivated. Sometimes this got very hard with some sales people and many people left. The employee turnover was very high as not many people actually could master it. I worked there for four years in this position and met some really good people who did very well. This post was written by our TEFL...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences Although many ESL teachers do have foreign language experience, many are not aware of how much this experience benefits them. Sure, if they are teaching English in Japan, having Japanese language experience is helpful for daily life situations, but how could it bleed into the classroom as well? And the language experience doesn’t necessarily have to involve the first language of the students, either. Having foreign language experiences allows the teacher to understand just how hard learning a language is, can understand where certain errors may come from, see English from a different perspective, and gives them a stronger grasp on English grammar. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate...  [Read more]