Irina H.
Private tutor in Washington, DC
Education
Pyatigorsk State Foreign Languages Pedagogical University - MA, Teaching German and English as a Foreign Language Specialized training course in teaching Russian as a foreign language
Experience
If you need to study German or Russian to help with your career growth, to study/work abroad, for language tests, for upcoming business trips, or just for your personal satisfaction, then it would be my pleasure to embark on that journey with you. For me, each new student’s enthusiasm is a source of inspiration that propels me to new heights. I am a professional teacher of German, having received an M.A . in teaching German as a foreign language one of Russia’s top-notch linguistics universities and research centers in 1993. My specialty is teaching German and English as a second language, and in 1994 I underwent training to teach Russian as a second language. Over my more than 20 years in teaching, I have trained people of all stripes for all kinds of personal goals: to improve their grades at school, to pass university entrance exams, to help American-born kids return to their roots, or just to boost their self-confidence. My teaching approach is comprehensive, and includes all the components of language: phonetics (working on correct pronunciation), grammar, vocabulary, listening comprehension, reading, speaking fluently without a script. Preparing for foreign language tests such as the DaF (for admittance to German universities) or for Russian tests at the Pushkin Language Institute in Moscow involves work that I place in its own category. I am very proud of all my students who successfully passed their entrance examinations. The cornerstone of my impressive success rate lies in the fact that, during this stage, besides working on language training, I pay special attention to both the psychological preparation and the time management skills that are needed to pass. This is based on my own personal experience as someone who has taken a preparatory course on how to pass the DaF examination and passed it. While teaching, I rely on not only my extensive experience, but also try to keep up to date with the latest textbooks, methodologies, multi-media programs, and other tools for teaching foreign languages. In order to do this, I constantly attend seminars, Webinars, and other education-related forums that are devoted to these topics. Besides all this, for 9 years I worked as a translator in Moscow in the office of a major German equipment manufacturer, and have hands-on, “real world” experience participating in the everyday life of a German corporation – along with participating in international conferences in Dusseldorf, Cologne, and Munich. After the first meeting with a student, I put together an individual teaching plan, incorporating fundamental textbooks, with each student that corresponds to the goals that need to be reached. I think that it is crucial to supplement these textbooks with real-world printed, audio, and video materials that show the language in action. These tactics are justified because the ideal textbook which fits absolutely everyone, be it for German or for Russian, simply does not exist. However, regardless of a student’s age, I also make every effort to organize lessons in different formats so that they are not monotonous. I often use specially selected materials like songs, crosswords puzzles, poems, etc. to achieve this. I always keep my eye on two long-term goals, without which there can be no success: - Making sure that there is a smooth connection between new material and what has already been covered - Ensuring continuous improvement in speaking, reading ability, and listening comprehension
Availability
Weekdays at any time, Weekends at any time
Can Meet
5 miles at my regular hourly rate
Hobbies
Languages, music, piano.
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