Online English tutor · GCSE · IELTS
English that works with your brain
I’m Jelena. I’ve lived in England since 2010, graduated from the University of Nottingham and have taught English for 7 years, in British schools and online. Speaking-focused lessons for children, teens and adults, plus GCSE and IELTS preparation.
I moved to England in 2010 and graduated with honours from the University of Nottingham in 2020. In 2021 I gained UK state accreditation as an English teacher. In 7 years of teaching I’ve worked in schools and online, with children, teenagers and adults.
My biggest advantage: I still remember what it’s like to look at a sentence and think «I’ll never be able to say it like that». But I also have years of real experience, from everyday conversation to academic study, and I can pass it on to my students.
People often think they have to choose: a native speaker or a teacher who speaks their language? A «unique method» or a textbook? I think it’s a false choice. I lived, worked and studied in England for more than ten years, so my English is the English people actually speak. And I’ll still understand you if you say something in Russian, and I’m trained to teach.
Flexible topics, support when your attention switches, and a safe space with no judgement. The pace and structure fit the way your brain works. The main rule: it’s better to start and make mistakes than not to start at all. We’ll fix the mistakes over time.
English Language and Literature, the exams taken by native speakers, adapted for Russian speakers. We’ll look at how the exam works and what examiners really want, practise the skills and learn the key topics. You can ask a question in Russian at any time, check a translation, or try a skill on a short Russian text first. I have real experience preparing students for GCSE in a British school.
Individual lessons focus on your own goal, whether that’s passing IELTS or getting ready for a trip or a job interview, and bring in your interests. Groups make lessons more affordable and give you practice talking with different people.
I teach with a focus on speaking. First, because real conversation is exactly what no video course or AI can give you. Second, because it works best. Years ago I was put into an ordinary English state school without speaking the language, and I had to learn it on the go. Now I know how to build a conversation around the exact topic you need, and combine it with grammar and vocabulary.
I build lessons on textbooks written by teams of qualified specialists, then add to them: your interests, and more speaking practice with what we’ve covered. You just answer questions, sometimes everyday ones, sometimes deeper, and as you answer you practise the lesson’s topic while I listen carefully and note any mistakes. We fix them gradually.
Not everything should be planned in advance. Small gaps we fix on the spot; bigger ones go into the plan for the next lesson. If a five-minute review takes longer because a topic has faded, I’ll spend the time on it, with no «but we’ve already done this!» guilt. And if you want to tell a long story about your weekend during the warm-up, I won’t cut you off when the timer runs out. I’ll give you the words and structures you need, so the story becomes part of the lesson.
Besides English, I’m passionate about other languages: Russian, Ukrainian, Latvian and Spanish. Exploring them myself shows me what really helps when you learn a new language.
A word with a history
quarantine
from Venetian Italian quaranta giorni, «forty days»
During plague outbreaks in the 14th and 15th centuries, ships arriving in Venice had to wait forty days before anyone could come ashore. The number has gone from the word, but the waiting stayed.
Choose a free time in my calendar. The lesson goes straight into both our calendars, with a video link and a reminder.