Please contact Matt Sundakov, MelbourneAustralia (GMT+10)
ProZcom profile: http://www.proz.com/profile/21120

Emails: matt.sundakov@gmail.com  and  matt@bookwebtranslation.com
Skype: matt.sundakov        Mobile: (+61) 408 124 498


 

English consulting for Russian speakers and Russian consulting for English speakers on Skype

 

In addition to English>Russian and Russian>English translations, I provide English consulting for Russian speakers and Russian consulting for English speakers.  This service is associated with various aspects of life:  language, history, culture, travel, business, etc.  You ask your question through Skype by typing it or by means of a Skype telephone call – and I will do my best to provide the answer as soon as I can (wherever possible - in real time).  In addition, I can help you with writing a letter, resume, a short story or even a poem.  And, it goes without saying, you are welcome not only to ask some specific questions but also enjoy my Russian lessons (please read below my approach to language teaching)

 

 

 

MY APPROACH TO LANGUAGE TEACHING

 

The lessons I offer are not conventional lessons of the Russian language. And not only because they will be conducted in cyberspace instead of a traditional classroom, with a teacher and a student separated, perhaps, by many hundreds of kilometers. These lessons are not only about language, they are about many other things.

My lessons are for anyone who is interested in the Russian language and life. First and foremost, the lessons are aimed at people who are going to Russia (either for business or pleasure). Then there could be a significant category of those “teach-yourself” people who do not have immediate travel plans, but nonetheless are curious about Russia, its culture and history. And even college and university teachers of Russian with their rigorous approach to language study may still recommend my lessons to their students as a very helpful (and at the same time absorbing) supplement. 

Most people, I presume, begin to study a foreign language not only because, for one reason or another, they want to be able to read, write, speak and understand this language. They are also interested in the culture, traditions, customs and habits of the people speaking the language. My lessons will try to satisfy such curious people, by selecting and reading together various Russian texts, that are informative, educational and, at the same time, sufficiently entertaining.

 

These texts will introduce you to various sides of life in Russia. You will also learn how Russian people think and express their thoughts. Piece by piece, sentence by sentence, you will read these texts to me, and I will correct your pronunciation. I will also explain to you the meaning of every word unfamiliar to you, its origin, how it can be used in other contexts, and how its spelling is changed depending on Gender, Grammar Case, and/or Number (Singular or Plural). I will also ask you questions related to any particular text, and you will try to answer in Russian.

I anticipate your questions: "How about the grammar? Will we study Russian Grammar rules? And if not, is it possible to learn a foreign language without knowing grammar?"

May be it is indeed possible to avoid learning grammar. When you speak or write your own language, you don't think about the grammar. You may not know that English verbs have 26 tenses and perhaps will be very surprised when you hear about this for the first time in your life. And how are all these tenses formed? I doubt that you have ever even thought about it. For you it is just natural: English language was with you from your birth. You just know how to speak. And to speak correctly, you do not need to know the structure and rules of your language.

However, for a foreign student (unless he/she is a little child), the process of learning is far from automatic and natural. You may learn by heart many words and some phrases of another language. But to use this language more or less properly, you need to know some grammar in order to build sentences which can be understood and appreciated by a native speaker.

The grammar is certainly important. But one should not overestimate it. The best way of studying a foreign language is to make the emphasis on practical use of this language, while Grammar should be used only for supporting purposes. Studying Grammar just for the sake of the Grammar is a boring, tiresome, extremely time consuming, and ineffective procedure.

 

Therefore, while talking in Russian or reading Russian texts, we will turn to the Russian Grammar for help when we feel that we need it to explain the origin of a word, its spelling or the sentence structure - in general terms, wherever it can assist us in our study. This approach is not only practical, but it will also save us a lot of time for much more exciting, colorful and useful discussions. And it goes without saying, that you can interrupt me at any point whatsoever and ask any questions you may wish to ask.

 

Your progress in learning the Russian language will depend on 2 major factors:

  1. Your natural abilities;
  2. The amount of time you are ready to devote to your study (both with a tutor and by yourself: of course, the more the better)

 

I don’t promise you any magic, but during our lessons I will be doing my absolute best trying to share with you my knowledge, experience, and skills in the most  effective and efficient way possible.

 

 

 

I charge $0.50 for every minute of my time, for example:
• You had one hour lesson – your fee: $30.00;
• You had 1 hour 20 minutes lesson – your fee: $40.00;

• You had an hour and a half lesson – your fee: $45.00;
etc.

To develop the mutual trust, you are expected immediately after completion of each communication session, without any reminder on my part, to calculate the amount to be paid ($0.5 x total number of minutes spent on the lesson) and transfer that amount via PayPal or MoneyBookers to matt.sundakov@gmail.com.  (Australian residents can simply transfer the payment to my Australian bank with no transaction fee for any of 2 parties)

 

 

 

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Last updated:  14 April 2012