What my students are saying

I have been an on/off student of Russian whose last Russian experience ended 26 years ago.  Since then I have been, mostly, watching Russian videos with Russian subs. I decided long ago I wanted to do and see some special things in Russia so I needed study. Movies alone would not do.

Then in January 2020, I found a link for Conversational Russian Club "Metro." while looking for a new course with new material, style, or a “new method.” 

I liked the Metro concept compared to quite a few others I have tried. 

• Lessons have no spoken English. 
• The subjects are from everyday life but the foundation is usable anywhere. 
• Use of colloquial expressions is big for me. 
• The lessons are short enough to keep my interest but are indeed full of new material plus some reuse of earlier terms. 
• There are fast and slow-paced central spoken lessons. 
• Written exercises excellently reinforce the spoken central portion. 
• There is a group call every month that is more than just practice as you watch others improve as well. The spoken portion, either speed, is done in a clearly professional tireless easy to listen to voice. 

Two big weaknesses plagued me:

• the inability to comprehend normal Russian pace 
• I translated into English both speaking and listening.  

By August (after 4 months in the club), I noticed both were changing and today have changed completely. 

Russian people who haven’t seen me for a while, ask me what I have been doing to achieve the improvement. I also believe the easing of my prize-winning accent is bonus. 

I find there are changes, in a big way, to my vocabulary, grammar, pronunciation, and thus the ability to communicate in both directions. 

I also can follow at a much faster pace than before. Enough so, one day I heard a lesson in my car and after I heard the slow portion start, I realized I had just listened to the normal portion and understood it. 

I feel anyone who has the basic foundation of grammar will find a surge in vocab and style enough in the first month, to envision what completing the whole “Metro” series will do for them. 

Good day to all! My name is Michael and I have been learning Russian on and off for 7 years. I had previously tried self-study with Rosetta Stone, as well as some textbooks, and while living in Moscow, I had tried various teachers. 

I stumbled upon METRO club before it launched and have participated since Day 1. At the time I felt I was at a high A2, low B1 level and METRO club was exactly what I needed. It required some extra work  on my part to maximize the usefulness of the materials presented but it has been well worth it. I like the multiple tiered approach

– Listening, Speaking, Reading, and Writing. The weekly podcasts provide an insight into not just the language but the culture. As someone that lives and works in Moscow, I’ve noticed myself immediately using a concept I learned from the lessons.

I’ve also been doing private lessons with Marina for over half a year. The private lessons have helped to fill in my knowledge gap about cases, while the podcasts provide a more general knowledge base. I’ve noticed an improvement in my listening and speaking, as well as reading and understanding. The writing is still a work in progress but its also not the focus of this course. 

The program is very unique. All of the materials are created by Marina which means she knows how to teach/explain the materials. She isn’t using someone else’s textbook and just doing boring exercises with you. Most importantly, the podcasts truly train your ear to pick up the language the way natives talk and that is very important. 

Marina also clearly explains how to use the materials. First to listen to the podcasts before even looking at the text, to see how much you can understand. The podcasts are presented at two speeds, one normal and one slower. I listen to the same weekly podcasts daily during breakfast and can understand how my brain is trained by the end of the week. The quick native speech from Monday seems normal speed by Friday and the slower speech from Monday seems like a turtle by the end of the week. But the slower speech is very useful for understanding where the stress is in the word.

Overall, Marina is easily the best teacher I have ever had with Russian. She knows the language inside and out and can answer any questions I have regarding history or context of certain words. She also focuses on the stress in the word, as well as government forms (which words/grammar come after certain verbs) and that is not something most teachers even discuss. She wants you to understand and speak the language as a native from the outset of your studies. 

I would recommend METRO Club to anyone that has a general foundation of vocabulary, a cursory understanding of the grammar, and is ready for the next step. But even if you aren’t ready for the next step, private lessons with Marina will help you up your level quickly to understand the podcasts. 

Marina gives you all the tools to be successful and it is up to you to use them wisely. I could be far more advanced if I would spend more time with the materials than I do, but I am very satisfied with my current progress and would recommend Marina and her METRO club to anyone interested in learning the language. 

I had been studying Russian off and on for about 3 years before joining the Conversational Russian METRO Club.  I had substantial gaps in my knowledge and ongoing trouble engaging in even very simple conversations.  After a few months in the METRO Club, I noticed that I was doing much better at understanding the spoken word and was able to speak more confidently.  The Club’s format of having regular opportunities to practice speaking with other students proved both enjoyable and productive. 

But what makes this program truly unique is Marina’s 7 Step system of learning, which prioritizes listening.  As a visual learner, my comprehension of written text was always much better than my understanding of speech.  However, by forcing myself to listen intently—and only later adding the reading of the words—my ability to identify all of the words in long string of quickly-passing syllables dramatically improved. 

Another characteristic aspect of this program is its incorporation of colloquialisms and emphasis on natural, flowing Russian speech.  Learning how to say things as Russians say them was a critical step for enhancing my ability to follow a conversation, which has decreased my reliance on body language and non-verbal signals. 

Although this program isn’t for beginners, those who have a basic understanding of the Russian language would greatly benefit from the Conversation Russian METRO Club.  I enthusiastically recommend this Club to all who, like myself, had trouble moving beyond the rudiments of Russian but wish to grow in their understanding and appreciation of this rich language.   

I’m very satisfied with the very innovative and original Russian Metro Club. The Russian used in the audios as well as in the written lessons is authentic and engaging. For a B2 learner as myself it’s nice to find challenging content that allows me to expand my knowledge. I like that the podcasts are spoken in both fast and slow Russian, and the PDFs are dynamic and designed in a way that facilitates the learning process. So do the cards in the Quizlet app. I love Russian Metro Club and starkly recommend it to intermediate learners to take their Russian to the next level. 

I decided to join Metro Club after reading Marina’s approach to learning Russian.  I thought that her approach was exactly what I needed. 

The Metro Club program is excellent.  The approach provides a practical approach to learning Russian.  The materials are logically presented and are interesting to work with.  

As for my private lessons with Marina, I can say, without reservation, that Marina is by far the best teacher I have ever had.  Quite obviously, she is extremely knowledgeable regarding the Russian language, but in addition, she knows how to teach the language.  She has quickly determined my level and focused her approach in a way that maximizes my learning.    

Now not only has my comprehension improved, but I feel much more comfortable engaging in conversations.   Russians have noticed because instead of switching to English, conversations now continue in Russian.    Subsequent conversations start and continue in Russian.   

I give Metro Club my highest and unreserved recommendation.    If you want to learn Russian, this is the program for you.  Also, if you can, you should not hesitate to work directly with Marina. You will be glad you did!