When you study Russian, your learning doesn’t always progress smoothly.
After the periods when you see obvious progress, there comes a time when you feel that it doesn't matter how much effort you put into your Russian, you're not getting much of a return.
You feel frustrated - like you hit a wall in your Russian
You constantly do something with your Russian - watch YouTube videos and movies, listen to podcasts, study some grammar, ask questions on the forums, search for helpful materials - but still have a hard time talking about even simple casual things.
You feel overwhelmed trying to follow Russians when they talk
You’re still translating their words in your head when they're five sentences ahead of you. When you hear a lot of unfamiliar words, your brain may stop listening and sometimes can perceive Russian speech as white noise – even if you are immersed in it.
You feel embarrassed that you can’t express yourself in Russian
Building almost every Russian sentence sounds like a pain. You don’t have enough vocabulary, don’t understand entirely how the Russian grammar system works and make lots of errors despite your efforts working on them. Your pretty strong accent and not-native intonation makes hard it for Russians to understand you.
It's called the “Intermediate level plateau”. Have you heard about it?
On the one hand, it’s the typical learning curve in language acquisition.
But on the other hand, most Russian learners get stuck there for years and years – and this can be avoided!
There is a big gap in skills between the Intermediate and Advanced levels. An Advanced speaker can talk about daily life pretty close to the way natives do it. But when you're searching for comprehensive study materials for Advanced Russian, you're finding out that there is not much out there. Why?
Not your level
Everything you could find is
Nothing - about everyday life in the way you talk about it in your native language.
If you find materials for your level about daily life, they are haphazard - scattered podcasts and Youtube videos on different topics.
And when you jump through different topics, it entertains you but it doesn't help you to develop confidence with any of them. It keeps you busy, and that’s it. No system = no or slow progress
Most Russian textbooks don't teach you conversational, or colloquial Russian - a style of Russian that people use to talk informally.
It’s hard to find study materials that incorporate enough colloquial Russian so you can learn to understand authentic speech and speak in a native-like way.
There is good news and bad news about this plateau.
The bad news is that the vast majority of Russian learners never make it through this plateau.
The good news is that there are Russian learners who managed to break through to an Advanced level and developed fluency. It didn’t happen overnight but it was pretty fast progress.
What did they do? – They focused their efforts on four areas of Russian studies.
GRAMMAR: Eliminating gaps
SPEAKING: Developing fluency
Top-notch Russian language training
B.A./M.A. in Russian language from the Lomonosov Moscow State University. Ph.D in Russian language from the V.V. Vinogradov Russian Language Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences.
Marina Koker, Ph. D.
Russian language professor, Russian courses and textbooks author
Instructional design
I designed 12 Russian language courses (online and offline) and wrote two textbooks for Advanced/ Superior Russian learners.
Best methods
I've been constantly looking for the most efficient ways of teaching Russian. I’m using task-based and proficiency-based methods, and I've created my own “7-Step Comprehension Boosting Method" that helps develop listening skills quickly and in a stress-free way.
The vast majority of Russian learners who reach higher levels of proficiency are those who used EXPERT HELP.
Introducing the
Conversational Russian METRO Club 2.0
It's “all-in-one” comprehensive program in Advanced Russian with four critical tools that help you to break through the Intermediate level plateau and start fluently talking about everyday life.
YOUR level: The course is focused on helping you to develop all Advanced level skills: listening, speaking, reading and writing.
SYSTEM: 140+ podcast lessons on 12 topics will teach you in a very systematic way to talk about Russian everyday life.
They prepare you to talk about all important parts of Russian daily life and understand how Russians see their own life.
140+ podcast lessons
Each topic is divided into 10-15 podcast lessons. These lessons are built upon each other in a logical way so you spend enough time learning about each topic.Practical Russian
The script for each podcast is crafted in a special way to include all important types of practical words and grammar models - the exact ones Russians use when they talk about this specific topic:
It prepares you to talk about daily life in a native-like way.
You’ll learn about this system and be able to use it after you enrolled in the METRO Club. I recommend using this system when you work with each lesson.
I will answer all your questions about grammar and vocabulary and will help you sound like a native in your writing and speaking
Have your questions answered (for all plans)
- Russian language questions? – Post them in our private FB group, and I will answer them. You can also read our database of questions that other learners have asked and learn from them as well.
- Tech support questions? – Email them to us and my team will help you.
Have your writing corrected (for the Premium plan only)
In a writing practice for each lesson, answer questions about your life and life in your country with vocab and grammar structures from the lesson, and I'll correct and explain your errors. It will help you to express yourself in a native-like Russian way in both your writing and your speaking.Teaching you Advanced speaking & listening skills in a small group (for all plans)
Writing practice (above) prepares you to speak but some speaking skills (pronunciation, intonation, spontaneous speech) can be built only through actual speaking. In our group sessions I'll help you to discuss daily life (speak and listen)
Teaching you Advanced speaking skills in private lessons (optional, not included in any plans)
For most people it’s impossible to develop fluency and native-like pronunciation without interacting one-on-one with a language instructor. To help you with that, I offer private speaking sessions with me at a special “Metro Club member” rate. The number of openings is very limited. If interested, read more here.
FOR WHOM: For METRO Club members who are serious about bringing their speaking skills to the Advanced level.
HOW IT WORKS: During these lessons
COST: Regular hourly rate for my private lessons is $100/ per 60-min. But as a METRO Club member you can get them at a 50% discount: $50/per 60 min. with 1-2 lessons per week.
WHERE: via Zoom
I can say that this is the best Russian course I have ever taken, even better that the course we took in university.
Your listening and speaking skills will start improving from the first month in this program.
You'll start getting compliments on your Russian in just 3-4 months.
Your ability to talk in Russian will completely transform at your half-way point through the program.
This is how your LIFE can change
METRO Club brings together Russian learners from all over the world: foreign language teachers and engineers, Russian Orthodox monks and priests, lawyers, government contractors and business owners from Russia and France, Canada and Spain, the U.S. and the United Kingdom.
Choose the amount of support you need from the Russian language expert.
Pay once a month with PayPal or any major credit card. You can stop or change your membership any time.
Once you enroll in any plan, add one-on-one SPEAKING SESSIONS with Marina for fastest results with your speaking skills. Read more
Mini-course “Russian VOM Foundation”
I look forward to the new lesson every week, like a little boy opening a present!
Check your inbox and open our Welcome email
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Get your login to our learning platform to access lessons and join our private Facebook group
Start learning
Access Lesson 1 immediately and start learning. Join our Facebook group and ask questions
Everything is online so no matter where you live, you can participate in everything.
Written exercises excellently reinforce the main podcast episode. The lessons are short enough to keep my interest but are indeed full of new material plus some reuse of earlier terms.
The podcasts truly train your ear to pick up the language the way natives talk. 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 on Monday seems to be normal speed by Friday.
METRO Club is the perfect program for you if...
…and you want to use Russian in a variety of daily life situations because you...
Our members recommend ...
Frequently Asked Questions
Not sure if your level in Russian is right for this program?
Contact me and briefly explain your situation. If you're qualified, I will invite you for a complimentary 15-min. assessment of your current level in Russian via Zoom or Skype.
Email me at Marina@RussianMobileAcademy.com
Call / message me on Whatsapp +1-801-824-5760.
Message me on Facebook, Instagram or LinkedIn.
I started studying Russian four years ago, but I worked alone off and on.
Self-study isn’t stimulating and I didn’t make much progress.
I joined the Metro Club 9 months ago. I appreciate receiving podcasts and reading material every week. It encourages me to work regularly. The club offers a wide range of topics and several lessons on a specific topic. It helps me to learn more about Russian culture and way of life.
The courses are tailored to constantly reinforce what we have just learned.
Listening to the podcasts greatly helped me to develop my listening comprehension.
It’s very rewarding to see that you understand better and better every week.
The reading material with grammar notes, word clusters and infographics offers a strong basis for developing your understanding and speaking skills.
I now feel much more confident and I’m better able to express myself.
What I particularly appreciate is Marina’ dedication and cheerful benevolence, her attention and reactivity. She is accessible to her students, who may refer to her when they have doubts. Whenever I asked her a question, I got a quick, accurate and helpful answer.
That is invaluable.
I would recommend the program to motivated, intermediate students, who are ready to work regularly, at least four or five hours a week, in order to reach an advanced level.
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 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.
Two big weaknesses plagued me:
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.
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 took one semester of Russian in college. The rest of my study time has been with the Russian Mobile Academy – about 30 hours in 2018-2019 and then in the METRO Club since April 2020.
I really value how the METRO Club is an all-in-one package. First, I get to hear spoken Russian podcasts about topics that arise in everyday speech. I can refer to them again and again because these are the topics that I want to talk about with Russian speakers. An accompanying written lesson breaks down each podcast into bite-sized pieces, and the Seven Step Method is the road map! I follow the steps at my own pace, all the while building both my Russian speaking and reading abilities, and my self-confidence. A special bonus to the METRO Club is that there is an option to have Zoom lessons online with its founder, Dr. Marina Koker.
Since beginning my studies at the RMA, I have made two multi-week trips to Russia to visit religious and cultural sites. I was able to communicate with hosts and strangers while there because of everything I learned at the RMA. Additionally, I can now listen to and read Russian language content online in a way that I could not before.
Learning Russian is a marathon, not a sprint. With the RMA/METRO Club I go at my own pace, adapting my studies to the busy circumstances of daily life without feeling like I am failing or falling behind.
I would recommend RMA/METRO Club to anybody who wants to learn Russian in a way that lasts a lifetime!
When I moved to a mountain from a large city, I searched for an effective way to continue my Russian study. My Internet is very poor so Skype was out of the question. Even my telephone doesn't work at times. Luckily, I found Conversational Russian Metro Club. It allows me to advance my language skills at my convenience without a dependence upon fast Internet. Conversational Russian Metro Club is reasonably priced and its professionally developed learning materials are outstanding. In short, they focus on all facets of life in Russia, family, school, work, daily routine, home, leisure tie, etc. Conversational Russian Metro Club's Marina Koker, PhD, includes readings in both regular and slow speeds, key vocabulary definitions and model sentences, idioms, grammar and other learning aids. She even harnessed the interactive learning power of Quizlet to allow members to reinforce vocabulary used in the weekly lessons. I heartily recommend Conversational Russian Metro Club for all A2 - C learners who prefer independent study.