The Story

1 January 2020

 

Happy New Year!

 

A few days ago, I left my corporate job in the City behind to make my passion my new job. After spending years as a brand manager in the consumer goods industry, I learnt a lot about building and growing brands in Russia and the UK. I’d like to apply these skills to help people grow as professionals and individuals.   

 

Russian is my mother tongue. I’m very lucky to be able to read Leo Tolstoy in the original, even if his War and Peace may require weeks of commitment. One language was never enough for me, though. My parents saw my early attempts at learning the English letters from the moment I could read my first words in Russian. I’m so grateful they always encouraged my learning of English throughout my school and uni years. I had some amazing teachers and tutors whose support and wisdom helped me graduate from Moscow State Linguistic University with a teaching degree. It’s the oldest university specialising in linguistics and foreign languages in Russia. 200 years ago Ivan Goncharov, a famous Russian novelist, studied there. Have you read his novel Oblomov? In my opinion, you just need this one book instead of all those zillions modern ones written about self-development.

 

It’s not just the English language that I learnt there. Lingua facit pacem says the old motto of my uni, which from Latin translates as Language creates the world. Being able to speak a foreign language can open up a whole new world for you. For me, English has changed everything. It opened doors to a new culture, a new home and a new me, here in the UK. I've taught other people to speak English or Russian helping them achieve their dreams, however big or small, and it's always been a more rewarding experience compared to my day-to-day jobs. ​    

 

It's this possibility to make a real imprint on something bigger than me that drives me. Now is the time to make teaching more than just a side project.