First of all, set your personal goals. Most of our students are fond of culture, literature, music, and traveling. Some of them have friends or relatives abroad and want to be able to communicate with them. In this case, a group course will suit you if you have enough time and the timetable is convenient for you: 3 hours a week plus around 2 hours for home assignments. For high levels (A1+/B2) speaking clubs are also offered, one hour a week, focus on communication skills and vocabulary. These are great opportunities to learn through having fun and making friends, sharing cultures, and having an unusual hobby.

The private course is designed for those who appreciate the flexibility and is focused on reaching vast results. It is the best option if you have specific goals: preparation for an exam, a conference, need Russian for business or career. If you have unstable working hours or find it hard to join the groups due to the time difference, choose an individual online speaking course to study at your own pace in a comfortable atmosphere. By learning individually with a patient and friendly tutor, you will feel more relaxed meaning that you can concentrate better and will progress much quicker. If you are shy and nervous in a group, then one-to-one tuition is ideal.

Everyone can participate: if you are an absolute beginner, you'll learn to read Russian online very quickly, in just a few lessons you will be able to make yourself understood in certain everyday situations, and go on according to a program moving step by step to the next level - A1 (survival minimum for tourists). If you have an extensive background, we have programs for any level, from preparation to the TORFL exam to a pure conversational practice and discussions on various topics.

All that you need is a device with a camera and microphone, time slot (2-3 lessons a week are recommended but it's totally up to you) and a desire to learn. The course will be adjusted to your goals and needs, you're encouraged to give constant feedback to your teacher and are welcome to express any wishes, ideas and suggestions.

The online learning platforms we use are designed to be as user-friendly as possible: intuitive controls and clear instructions. You just need basic computer skills to access and navigate these programs. These skills include: using a keyboard and a mouse; running computer programs; using the Internet; sending and receiving email; using word processing programs; and using simple mobile apps.

We can study a foreign language for our whole life, at school, University, at the evening classes or with a family member. In most cases, you share a classroom with other students for whom the process can be as challenging as for you, you face with the same difficulties and it's not so scary to show that you don't know or remember something. Starting learning with native speaker can seem frustrating at first, you can feel shy about the mistakes you make, not confident about your pronunciation, and fearing that you won't understand a word of a fluent speech. But please think of all the hundreds of students who made their first step and applied for a free trial lesson, about the experts who have been teaching Russian for foreigners online for many years, to all kinds of people of different nationalities, ages, levels, and cultures. Think about your goal and the efforts you've made so far. Do you want visible significant progress which you can estimate and be proud of, real results and a feeling of confidence when travelling and being able to express yourself as well as to understand fluent native speaker in any situation? Don't be afraid of looking silly, no one expects you to speak perfectly when it's not your native language! Relax, enjoy the process, start with simple achievable goals, make your brain work and watch yourself taking step by step to a conversational level. We'll make sure that you feel comfortable and inspired.

Here are a few tips to follow for smooth and sustained progress:

1. As in any other process, you must be ready for joyful, but still hard work without cheating. Effective learning process is possible only if both parties are actively involved. The motivation and discipline all has to come from you. E-learning requires a high level of personal responsibility and you must be prepared to answer for your actions.
   
   
2. To stay enthusiastic, attend lessons at least two or free times a week making them a part of your daily routine, your constant habit. Stay current with your assignments and coursework. It is easy to fall behind in an online class, especially if you have a tendency to procrastinate.
   
   
3. If you need assistance, do not be afraid to seek answers to your questions by contacting your instructor. Naturally, you'll discuss all your wishes on your first Russian language lessons online, but our broad experience says that before starting the students find it hard to express their main objective, and it can also change in a while. We always welcome feedback, don't be shy and let us know in detail what suggestions you have, what you'd like to improve or focus on more, we're here for you.
   
   
4. Set aside time for your course just as you would for any scheduled offline activities like visiting a gym or jogging. Give yourself ample time to sit down and read through your materials, so you understand everything clearly. Identify the time of day you will devote to studying. Your aim should be to start thinking in a foreign language, and it is a great feeling when you walk down the street and can actually imagine a monologue in your head describing things and people in the language you learn, but this requires consistency in practicing.
   
   
5. Plan your involvement for months: if you'll be too busy at work or leave on a vacation, your tutor will prepare some extra tasks like reading a book on a trip or watching a TV series if you're too exhausted for the meetings, that's how you'll be able to catch up when you have more free time. We're all people, and any instructor understands you have other commitments. If things get on top of you, let us know.
   
   
6. Don't forget to reward yourself every time you achieve a study goal – this will motivate you to keep going and complete your course. It can be as simple as enjoying a piece of cake for getting through the week's readings. It's important to reflect on what you've learned and be proud of yourself.
   
   

The simple answer is of course "as much as possible!". And while that's a bit of an easy way out in terms of an answer, a good way to look at it may be...how much do you value learning a new language? It takes 100-120 hours to reach the next level (from A0 to B1), for higher levels it's much longer. So the more lessons you have a week, the sooner you'll reach the next step, the closer you'll be to the fluency. Learning a foreign language has been scientifically shown to provide cognitive benefits, can greatly enhance job prospects, salaries, and just makes travel more enjoyable! Some of our participants study on a daily basis and show great results. It goes without saying that most of us have lots of commitments in our lives besides a favourite hobby. Just like in traditional classes, the workload varies. Most of our online learners spend 3 to 5 hours a week on coursework. A lighter course load likely means less study. If you have a busy schedule, even one lesson a week will work to have practice and not forget all you've studied. If you're expecting to see the results in a short-term perspective, budget and time allowing, 5 Russian language classes online per week is a good goal. It is possible to have two lessons at a time to study 1,5 hours. Clearly, 90-minute long meetings will move you along much quicker.

Don't forget about your home assignments: the teacher will give you as much as you're ready for. It's more beneficial to memorize new words and phrases using mobile apps at home, to have more speaking practice and new material during the online meeting. The same appeals to watching videos or reading articles - prepare at home, speak at the lesson.

Our teachers speak English, Finnish, German and French, and at beginner levels they will help you to understand when you need to, but mostly regarding organizational questions, such as technical issues, settings at your PC or home tasks. At elementary and advanced Russian lessons online you will never hear a word in English, you will already be able to find another explanation or the teacher will use simpler phrases if you're confused. In general, our teachers do their best to maximise your exposure to the target language during your lessons. They will predominantly use the target language and encourage you to do so. As intimidating as it sounds, conducting a foreign language class entirely in that language is actually one of the best ways to rapidly advance in that language. The teacher will clarify meaning through teaching aids like pictures and mime. If you still have trouble understanding something then your teacher will help however they can.

When you choose to learn Russian language online, imagine a kid starting to speak. When children learn to speak their mother tongue, they're actually undergoing the ultimate immersion experience. They observe their parents speaking in a natural way, and gradually become more skilled at communication. Our aim is to help you to be actually able to think in another language, instead of just translating from English.We speak to the students in Russian from the very first lesson, repeating sentences in an easier way when they're confused and using body language to enhance comprehension. In real life communication, it's really important to be able to use your body language, find alternative words and forge ahead, even if you don't know the correct verb tense. After all, we make mistakes in our native language, but that doesn't stop us from speaking.

The answer is No. Although we always encourage our students who arrive in Petrozavodsk to our programs of full immersion to practice tandem learning with local students, it's not efficient enough to be just a native speaker to become a good teacher. If you have a friend, it's just a great opportunity for you to learn a conversational language, use this possibility as much as you can to reach great results. But any person who's ever learned any foreign language will understand that such aspects as pronouns, cases, verbs of motion can't be just explained by intuition, and incompetent complicated explanation will only make you more confused and distract your motivation.

Learning with native speakers, you'll most probably break the language barrier and become confident in speaking with locals by traveling, as you'll get used to the fluent speech. Practicing with a native speaker exposes you to idioms, dialects, and slang. But to move towards the next level, to improve in all aspects, including grammar, reading, and speaking on various topics should be trusted to a real expert. A combination of certified classes and informal speaking with a friend is a brilliant option.

Our teacher Sofia says: of course, traveling to a country where the language is spoken remains to be the most effective way to learn a language. Yet very few of us can just pack a suitcase and travel to Russia for a couple of years.As a teacher, I see that nowadays one of the most convenient and productive ways of learning are online classes. What are the advantages of this studying format?⠀

✅COMFORT is essential for the successful acquisition of material and language practice. You'll get it because you'll have your online Russian classes right from your place! Also, you can choose any school and any teacher from around the world and find the best tutor for you, isn't it great?⠀

✅It is not a secret that so much of modern communication and learning around the world is happening on the Internet. And, of course, it's very important to be able to navigate websites and social networks in the target language. While studying online at our school, you will watch and record vlogs, read popular bloggers, chat, listen to Russian music, and discuss the latest news - all in Russian! Of course, we dive into practicing the language by gradually improving the level of difficulty depending on the level of language proficiency.⠀

✅You'll no longer lose your notebooks and forget them at home! All the materials are always at hand! You can open any file at any moment and revise what you need. It's unnecessary to carry your textbooks with you or write down your tasks or new words - you can open them on your device from anywhere, any time: having a cup of coffee in a cafe, waiting for a bus, etc.

Nowadays you can find lots of Youtube channels, mobile apps, podcasts as well as groups in socials offering free lessons for self-studying. If you're self-motivated enough and have much free time, it is possible (why not?) to memorize new words and phrases, practice with some exercises, and probably even puzzle out difficult grammar rules. If you have a friend, or maybe find a pen pal to speak with, you may improve your conversational skills. If you have time and don't have specific goals and timeframes - sure, give it a try.

According to our experience, many people come to our courses after months and years of trying to achieve some results by learning through apps and free videos. It might be a good addition to professional courses, extra homework, or a hobby, but it's very unlikely you'll reach fast results in all language aspects: grammar, reading, writing, speaking, listening, vocabulary. In most cases, people just lose motivation, start skipping training and just reduce all the efforts and time to nothing, as the Russian language can be forgotten very soon without practicing. Everyone has his/her own preferred way of studying, and we encourage you to use all possible and affordable ways to study, as the more you practice- the more you achieve, but we just advise you to click the button below and try a short 20-minute lesson with an adept teacher to feel the difference and see how it works for you. If you really want to learn online course with Enjoy Russian language school is what you're looking for. Join us!