A Stanford University graduate with a Bachelor of Arts in English Literature, followed by many years of serious independent study of the whole of American and British Literature, as well as World Literature in translation, my life has been focused on the intricacies, power and beauty of my native tongue. I am a novelist now writing my second novel (it is about Russia). It would be accurate to say that I have a passion for this work. But it is also accurate to say that I have a passion for teaching English. And because most of my many years of experience teaching have been acquired in Russia, allow me to say that I have a passion for teaching English to Russians.
Do you want to study General English? Some want Conversational Courses, and I have a lot of experience with that method of teaching. My personalized General English courses often follow textbook modules, but from that disciplined base my students are given a far deeper understanding of the grammar, vocabulary and usage involved, as I draw upon my imagination, writing skills and knowledge of literature to liven up the lesson, and if I may say so, make it far more interesting, informative and useful.
Are you in search of the perfect Business English course? Again, I have personal experience to draw upon to enhance my Business English courses. I was born and reached maturity in the entrepreneurial environment of Silicon Valley. I have created companies based on my original ideas, one of which became quite successful. Those experiences, plus a decades-long study of the lexicon of business, as well as careful reading of relevant business and economics texts, give me a strong background I frequently draw upon to teach Business English. My clients in Moscow have included investment bankers, real estate developers, greatly successful Russian entrepreneurs and others who need to use English in their careers. My clients have mostly been individuals in search of intermediate and advanced levels of English, but I have also taught for corporate clients, such as Exxon/Mobil, Schlumberger, Marriott Hotels, Severstal, Nycomed, PricewaterhouseCoopers and others.
Finally, as a teenager I had an athletic career which culminated in a world record and two medals in the Olympic Games. This means that I began traveling the world very early in my life. I have lived or enjoyed long-term stays in Tahiti, Mexico, South America, New Zealand, Japan, China, India, Canada, all over the US and all over Europe, especially Paris and Prague. But also relevant for my teaching is another kind of travel - through World Literature. My knowledge of English and ability to teach it are informed by a broad education, discipline, zeal and seriousness; but also remember that I do my best to enhance that intensity with a sense of humor.
