"A native speaker of Russian with a lifelong passion for languages, I hold dual Bachelor's degrees: one in Russian and Literature from Stavropol State Pedagogical University (1989), and another in English from Pyatigorsk State Linguistic University (1996). My career began in Russia, where I taught Middle and High school students before moving to the United States to continue both my education and teaching journey.

In 2007, I earned my Master's degree in Second Language Acquisition from the University of Maryland, where I also taught courses in Basic Russian and Advanced Language Composition. I later taught at St. Mary's College of Maryland, and now work with adult learners at a private language school.

With many years of teaching experience, I focus on developing all four skills - Reading, Listening, Speaking, and Writing - while also guiding students through Russian Grammar and specialized courses. As an ACTFL-certified OPI tester, I prepare learners for Oral Proficiency Interviews as well as standardized exams in Reading and Listening. I also tutor school students for the NEAL Exam (AP Russian), helping them achieve strong results in finals and placement tests.

Motivated and deeply interested in my students' success, I take pride in seeing their steady progress and confidence in mastering the Russian language." less...