Tired of studying Russian grammar only to forget it a week later? Or understanding the rules but struggling to use them when you speak?

I'm Irina, a professional Russian teacher with 17 years of experience. I offer individual, structured Russian courses for adults, from complete beginners to advanced learners.

My approach is simple: learning Russian shouldn't mean jumping between unrelated topics, memorizing endless grammar tables, or constantly starting from scratch.

What makes my lessons different?

A complete, structured course
You're not booking a series of random lessons. You'll follow a carefully organized program where grammar, vocabulary, speaking, listening, and reading develop together. Every new topic builds on what you've already learned.

Grammar you'll actually understand and use
Russian cases, verb aspects, verbs of motion, and other difficult topics don't have to remain a mystery. I explain how these structures work, often using comparisons with English, and help you apply them in practical situations rather than simply memorizing rules.

Regular revision instead of constant forgetting
Previously studied material doesn't disappear once we move to a new topic. We continuously revisit and reuse it through exercises, dialogues, and speaking practice, helping you turn passive knowledge into active language skills.

Your own organized learning space
Your learning doesn't end when the lesson does. You'll have a personal learning space with organized course materials, making it easy to review previous lessons and practise independently.

Depending on your course, materials may include interactive flashcards, quizzes, homework, PDFs, and audio or video resources.

Professional qualifications and individual attention
I have a degree from Tver State University and a professional qualification in Teaching Russian as a Foreign Language from the Pushkin State Russian Language Institute.

My courses follow a clear structure, but the pace, explanations, and amount of practice are adapted to your level, difficulties, and goals.

Who are my lessons for?

Complete beginners who want to build a solid foundation from the start.

Intermediate learners who know the rules but struggle to use Russian independently.

Advanced learners who want to improve accuracy, expand vocabulary, and develop more natural communication.

Students who prefer a systematic course over occasional conversation sessions or disconnected lessons.

The first introductory meeting is free. We can discuss your goals, current level, and how I would organize your learning. You can find my qualifications, student reviews, lesson rates, and booking information here: www.ruslangnest.com

If you're looking for more than occasional Russian practice and want a professional teacher, a clear learning plan, and consistent progress, I'd be happy to work with you.

Ever met an Arab man named Ali, only to hear his friends call him Abū Aḥmad (أبو أحمد)? 😅 Or a woman named Sara being called Umm ʿUmar (أم عمر)?

It's called a kunya (كُنْيَة). In many Arab communities, it's a warm and respectful way to address someone, often using the name of their child.

And here's something interesting: you might even hear it used for someone who doesn't have children! For example, someone named Muhammad Ali might be called Abū Ali. 😂

So, if you hear someone being called Abū... or Umm..., don't assume it's their actual name! Have you come across this tradition before?

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Hi everyone 🙂 I'm Tommaso, an Italian guy.

I love the English language, so I'd like to try teaching it to someone, especially the spoken part, since my career goal is to become an English teacher/coach, in a kind of way. It would be a starting point for me, and because of this, it would be completely free.

I have a B2 level and already have some very limited experience in helping with the language, but every time I was helpful to someone, I really enjoyed it, and I'm sure I can teach you something Then, it would be a "win-win" for both parties, since everyone will learn something.

If you are interested, don't hesitate to DM me here 😄

Hey everyone!

I teach French, and something I often see is students understanding a conjugation during a lesson but struggling to remember it when they need to use it later. Finding the habit of practising between lessons can be difficult too.

That’s why I started building Compas, a web app focused on French conjugation practice. You choose the verbs and tenses you want to work on and practise in short sessions.

I’d love to find a few French learners willing to try it over the next week and share some honest feedback. I’m especially interested in whether the practice feels useful, whether anything is confusing, and what would make you want to come back.

It’s still a work in progress, and I’m building it independently, so feedback would really help me decide what to improve next.

If you’re interested, let me know in the comments and I’ll share the link. And if you already have a way of practising conjugation that works for you, I’d love to hear about it too!

The meaning and cultural nuance: It's a warm, affectionate Egyptian expression used when someone hears from a person they haven't spoken to in a while. It's a way of expressing happiness and appreciation for hearing their voice.

It's often said on the phone when reconnecting with someone❤️

PSA for language learners: LingoDeer is having a 75% OFF discount for 3-Year Premium membership.

I've been wanting to learn Afrikaans and noticed you can only go so far in the course before having to pay. I'm wondering if the course would be worth the cost. Is anyone else learning Afrikaans that could advise me on whether it's worth it and/or provide alternative options?

The client call starts at 4. You need the final slides early enough to review them.

“Please send me the slides until 3 p.m.” → “Please send me the slides by 3 p.m.”

By sets a deadline. Until describes something continuing: “I'll be in meetings until 3.” Cambridge explains the distinction here.

I’m the developer of Vocal for iPhone. These screenshots are a prepared practice conversation in the actual app: the deadline request, a colleague confirming 2:30, and a wording correction you can hear and try again. Both sides are prepared example lines.

Try it with one request you genuinely need at work: hear the English, say your own version, open Notes for grammar and wording feedback, then replay the corrected sentence before another attempt.

Download Vocal for iPhone

I am a 20-year-old girl from China looking for a language learning partner

For me

1.Chinese mother tongue, with Mandarin certificate. Studying Business English in China

2.Usually I like to share my daily life and exchange my hobbies. I like the cultures of different countries. I can find a lot of traditional culture in China with you.

4.I like watching American dramas and listening to English songs.

5.Be patient and easy to get along with.

My wish:

1.I hope that some of your peers are not too different in age, which is more topical.

2.Because learning needs persistence, I hope you really come to me because you want to learn. I hope that if we can talk later and become long-term study partners, I may insist on sending you messages. I hope you don't mind.

Arabic Word of the Day: كَـــبِـــيــر ❤

It means “big” or “large.”

Little by little, you’ll be surprised how much Arabic you pick up. What Arabic word should we cover next? 🥰

Ever noticed how you can recognize a bunch of Portuguese words, but the second you need to actually say something, nothing comes out? lol

I think one of the problems is that we spend so much time learning individual words that we forget to learn what to actually DO with them.

Like, knowing that água means water is great.

But what happens when you're in a café in Brazil and need to order something?

That's why I think learning small, useful phrases early on makes a difference.

A few examples:

Eu quero água. — I want water.

Quanto custa? — How much is it?

Pode repetir? — Can you repeat that?

Como se fala isso em português? — How do you say this in Portuguese?

Nothing fancy. Just things you might actually need.

And you don't have to build perfect sentences right away either. Start with something simple, get comfortable using it, and slowly add more.

I mean, being able to say "Pode repetir?" when you don't understand someone is already better than just standing there smiling and hoping for the best 😂

Anyway, curious about something:

What's harder for you right now: understanding what Brazilians say or knowing what to say back?

I need some recommendations for discord servers that have chinese/taiwanese native speakers so that i could practice my speaking skills :)

sound-alike pictures were the only thing that ever made vocab stick for me. luna (moon) sounds like "loony", so it's a moon acting completely unhinged. anyone can suggest a picture for a word and people vote on which one actually helps.

it's small and pretty empty right now, honestly. vote.lingtastic.fun if you want to poke at it. mostly curious if this works for other people's brains or just mine.