Russian Mobile academy
Daily Routine
Online mini-course with an innovative method that will help you to develop Advanced level Russian skills in a Daily Routine topic so you can talk about daily activities the same way Russians do
What you get
12 podcast lessons that teaches you to talk (understand and speak) about typical weekdays in a native-like way. You will learn what Russians do in the mornings and after work, what clothes they wear for the weather in different seasons, and how they commute to work.
The Course Program
1
Morning and Evening Activities
By the end of this lesson you will be able to talk about some of the things you do on a weekday morning:
What's included:
- whether your are you an early bird or a night owl,
- the time you usually wake up on a weekday,
- talk about how easy/ difficult is it to wake up,
- how you feel when you wake up in the morning,
- whether you make up easily or with difficulties,
- morning activities such as taking a shower, making your bed, getting dressed, doing one’s hair/ makeup, shaving, feeding a dog, going for a run.
What's included:
- 4:45 min audio at normal speed & in slow Russian with 50 new words including 5 colloquial words.
- 28- page PDF that includes a full transcript with stress marks, vocabulary breakdown with examples, 19 activities with new vocab & grammar in infographics, listening, speaking and writing exercises
By the end of this lesson you will be able to talk about some of the things you do on a weekday morning:
What's included:
- Eating breakfast: what you usually have for breakfast,
- whether you like to have breakfast alone or you like to have company,
- when you eat breakfast,
- whether you read the news during breakfast or check your social media on your phone
- how you clean the dishes after eating breakfast,
- what appliances you might have in your kitchen (coffee maker, microwave, dishwasher)
- whether you take coffee or lunch with you for work,
- the time that you leave your house,
- the time you need to be at your workplace.
What's included:
- 3:48 min audio at normal speed & in slow Russian with 40 new words including 2 colloquial words.
- 28-page PDF that includes a full transcript with stress marks, vocabulary breakdown with examples, 20 activities with new vocab & grammar in infographics, listening, speaking and writing exercises
By the end of this lesson you will be able to talk about some of the things you do on a weekday evening:
What's included:
- what you usually do in the evenings on weekdays such as the time you usually get off work,
- whether you stop at any stores on your way home,
- the first thing you do at home when you get home from work,
- whether you like to cook and make dinner regularly, talk about setting the table,
- what do you usually talk about during the dinner,
- who cleans up after the dinner, whether you and your spouse / partner share the same tastes when it comes to how you spend your evenings
- what you like to do after work such as going out or spending time at home, getting together with friends / relatives after work, going to the movies, theater, skating rink, going to an amusement park, going for a walk or getting outdoors, watching TV, browsing the Internet, social networks, watching a movie or TV series.
- the time you usually go to bed,
- whether you take a shower or relax in a bath.
What's included:
- 5:22 min audio at normal speed & in slow Russian with 54 new words including 14 colloquial words.
- 27-page PDF that includes a full transcript with stress marks, vocabulary breakdown with examples, 15 activities with new vocab & grammar in infographics, listening, speaking and writing exercises
By the end of this lesson you will be able to talk about house chores:
What's included:
- how Russians divide their household chores and organize their lives,
- how much time per day or week you do your chores,
- whether the household chores are shared equally among all family members or whether you divide household chores into women's and men’s,
- types of appliances that you might have,
- who in your family is in charge of doing the dishes or laundry,
- whether you home is clean and tidy (how often and on what days you usually clean)
- buying groceries,
- taking out the trash,
- vacuuming the carpets,
- cleaning the floors,
- dusting,
- watering the flowers,
- cleaning the bathroom,
- fixing/ repairing your computers, appliances, and other electronics,
- paying the bills and taking care of your finances
What's included:
- 6:32 min audio at normal speed & in slow Russian with 81 new words including 6 colloquial words.
- 30- page PDF that includes a full transcript with stress marks, vocabulary breakdown with examples, 18 activities with new vocab & grammar in infographics, listening, speaking and writing exercises
2
Getting Dressed for the Weather
By the end of this lesson you will be able to talk about winter weather and getting dressed for this weather:
What's included:
- winter weather and the clothes that match the weather
- different climate zones in Russia (temperate, mild, or harsh) and how it varies from region to region
- winter climate in Russia: how cold it is, its duration, the average winter temperatures, the average snowfall, types of showy weather (snowfalls, blizzards, burans, snow drifts) that are specific to Russia
- how the country handles snow removal from the roads, and how the roads are prepared for winter weather, whether they are slippery or they sprinkle them with salt/ sand
- types of clothes that you typically wear in winter.
What's included:
- 7:23 min audio at normal speed & in slow Russian with 80 new words including 1 colloquial words.
- 30-page PDF that includes a full transcript with stress marks, vocabulary breakdown with examples, 15 activities with new vocab & grammar in infographics, listening, speaking and writing exercises
By the end of this lesson you will be able to talk about spring weather and dressing for this weather:
What's included:
- spring weather and dressing for the spring weather.
- when winter usually begins in Russia and how long it lasts.
- the specifics of the spring weather in Russia such as frosts in the morning, melting snow, migrating birds, blooming trees, growing buds on the trees, when the first grass appears, when the flowers start to bloom. Talk about the types of clothes you usually wear in the spring.
What's included:
- 5:45 min audio at normal speed & in slow Russian with 70 new words including 3 colloquial words.
- 24-page PDF that includes a full transcript with stress marks, vocabulary breakdown with examples, 12 activities with new vocab & grammar in infographics, listening, speaking and writing exercises
By the end of this lesson you will be able to talk about summer weather and dressing for this weather:
What's included:
- summer weather and dressing for the summer weather
- typical weather during the summer in Russia (the duration of summer months, how comfortable the weather is,
- whether summers are dry or humid, average temperatures, hot spells, heat waves, sunstrokes, rain, thunderstorms, fog, types of natural disasters that can happen in the summer)
- the types of clothes you wear in the summer in the city and on the beach.
What's included:
- 7:05 min audio at normal speed & in slow Russian with 77 new words including 1 colloquial words.
- 29-page PDF that includes a full transcript with stress marks, vocabulary breakdown with examples, 16 activities with new vocab & grammar in infographics, listening, speaking and writing exercises
By the end of this lesson you will be able to talk about fall and dressing for the fall weather:
What's included:
- fall weather and dressing for the fall weather
- when fall usually begins in Russia and how many months it lasts
- the fall weather: temperature, humidity, rain, wind, clouds, cold, migrating birds, changing leaves
- clothes that you typically wear in the fall
What's included:
- 5:51 min audio at normal speed & in slow Russian with 25 new words
- 23-page PDF that includes a full transcript with stress marks, vocabulary breakdown with examples, 16 activities with new vocab & grammar in infographics, listening, speaking and writing exercises
3
Commuting to Work
By the end of this lesson you will be able to talk about how Russians commute to work:
What's included:
- having a driver’s license
- getting to work by car and public transportation
- The convenience / problems with public transportation (how fast it is, cost, transfers, stops along the way, traffic jams etc.)
- types of public transportation in Russia
- how much time you usually take to commute to work
- whether you can be late or have to be on time
- directions to get to work from one’s home
- types of neighborhoods in a typical Russian city and suburbs.
What's included:
- 6:21 min audio at normal speed & in slow Russian with 43 new words including 7 colloquial words.
- 24-page PDF that includes a full transcript with stress marks, vocabulary breakdown with examples, 14 activities with new vocab & grammar in infographics, listening, speaking and writing exercises
By the end of this lesson you will be able to talk about how Russians commute to work by bus:
What's included:
- taking a bus to work
- Directions to get to work by bus from the doorstep to one’s workplace such as talking the elevator, navigating the street, crossing the street, finding your bus stop.
- Discussing public transportation such as the time schedules,
- whether buses are on time or late,
- waiting for the bus,
- types of public transportation,
- rush hour traffic,
- behavior on the bus (finding a seat, getting off, how to ask to be let through),
- cost of public transportation,
- buying a travel pass.
What's included:
- 5:03 min audio at normal speed & in slow Russian with 37 new words including 2 colloquial words.
- 33-page PDF that includes a full transcript with stress marks, vocabulary breakdown with examples, 24 activities with new vocab & grammar in infographics, listening, speaking and writing exercises
By the end of this lesson you will be able to talk about how Russians commute to work by metro:
What's included:
- taking the subway / metro to work.
- Talk about the time that you have to be at work,
- whether you can stop for coffee/ breakfast in the city on your commute to work.
- types of roads in a city.
- Taking the subway: discuss whether it’s clean, convenient, safe, how many lines it has,
- paying for the subway (types of travel passes and how to use them),
- cost of a trip
- Talk about going through the turnstiles
- taking the escalators,
- waiting for the train,
- navigating the subway map,
- reading the signs,
- transferring to a different line.
What's included:
- 6:30 min audio at normal speed & in slow Russian with 36 new words including 1 colloquial words.
- 35-page PDF that includes a full transcript with stress marks, vocabulary breakdown with examples, 26 activities with new vocab & grammar in infographics, listening, speaking and writing exercises
By the end of this lesson you will be able to talk about how Russians commute to work by car:
What's included:
- getting to work by car
- describe in detail one of your regular routes by car using specific forms of verbs
- directions to get to your house by car from a place in town.
- give detailed instructions, noting landmarks along the way.
What's included:
- 6:44 min audio at normal speed & in slow Russian with 67 new words including 8 colloquial words.
- 30-page PDF that includes a full transcript with stress marks, vocabulary breakdown with examples, 18 activities with new vocab & grammar in infographics, listening, speaking and writing exercises
What you’ll find in each out of 12 lessons
Audio
Transcript
Teaching points
Exercises +
Practice
Practice
Quizlet
Audio
- A 3-5 min. story
- About one aspect of Russian everyday life the way Russians see it
- In authentic practical Russian
- At a normal and at a slower pace
Most complex words and grammar concepts are explained in s fun to work with and easy to understand visual way:
- In infographics and word clusters with color coding
- In mind maps.
Full transcript of the audio includes
- Accent marks on each word
- Highlights on key vocabulary
- Pictures to illustrate the main concepts
Key vocabulary (40-60 words) is divided into 5 groups to guide you where to use it: topical, general, colloquial, idioms, connectors.
Each word includes translation, accent, grammar notes, and model sentences.
Each word includes translation, accent, grammar notes, and model sentences.
Quizlet is an app that uses a spaced repetition system with digital flashcards and interactive games to help you memorize a lot of words while having fun playing with them.
We created our decks of digital flashcards for each METRO Club lessons on Quizlet, and you can access them from your phone or computer.
We created our decks of digital flashcards for each METRO Club lessons on Quizlet, and you can access them from your phone or computer.
Vocab and grammar exercises with keys for your self-check
- LISTENING practice: fill-in-the-blank key vocabulary/grammar
- WRITING/ SPEAKING practice: apply what you learned to your daily life and life in your country
- SPEAKING practice: mimic authentic intonation and pauses
Vocabulary
breakdown
breakdown
This course is the perfect for you if...
- You are currently at Intermediate or Low Intermediate level in Russian and you want to talk (understand and speak) about your Daily Routine the same way Russians do between themselves
- You are open to trying a new method that will boost your listening and speaking skills so you can stop translating every sentence in your head and start talking with a ready to use sentence chunks instead
- You want to have access to an experienced teacher for your questions and to a group of peers for singing Russian songs
- You prefer to mostly self-study at your own pace in small steps and can spend around 30 min. a day (3-4 hours per week) to go through the course
Our system works because it's high-quality materials for Intermediate level learners
University-level courseUnlike a bunch of random podcasts on not related topics that may entertain you but won’t take you anywhere, this is a professionally developed comprehensive course with all 12 lessons being pin-focused on just one topic – Daily Routine.
This topic is broken down into 3 subtopics, and each subtopic is covered in 4 podcasts - with a goal to teach you how to talk about it not just at a basic level but pretty close to the depth you can discuss it in your mother tongue – with confidence and in detail.
My brain-friendly method that prioritizes listeningListening is the hardest skill to learn. You’ll use my proven "7-Step Comprehension Boosting Method" as a road map for each lesson. It trains you to understand fast speech through a sequence of steps that our brain finds logical.
You’ll learn how to understand globally (the gist), break a habit of translating in your head, won’t stop listening when there are many unfamiliar words, and develop coping skills: rely on grammar, vocab and context clues and guess on what you don't understand.
True Intermediate contentThe content is authentic, engaging and challenging. It has the right balance of challenge and support to boost your skills to the Advanced level in talking about the Daily Routine topic.- Authentic practical (and colloquial) RussianYou’ll learn to talk the same way educated Russians do because you'll hear the authentic Russian that was not simplified for the foreigners, with colloquialisms and idioms that natives use in informal talks. It is very practical Russian that is usable anywhere.
Work on all skillsIt’s all-in-one package. All materials work as a cohesive system that develop your skills (listening, speaking, reading and writing) + vocabulary and grammar in certain order.
Skills support each other. When you polish your grammar and grow your vocabulary related to this topic, it helps you to understand it better and talk more confidently about it.- Extensive vocabulary with tools to memorize itYour vocabulary will increase by 660 topical, general and colloquial words. They were carefully selected and incorporated in the stories you’ll hear in the lessons.
Studying is FUN and EASY
Small stepsAll lessons are broken down into bite-size pieces. Small steps encourage you to work regularly while working towards one goal.
Work at your paceYou’ll receive access to all the lessons instantly and can complete them as fast as in one month or take as much time as you want.- Dynamic and engaging designThe lessons are a pleasure to work with, so study with interest, without being bored. The PDFs can be printed out so you can complete exercises with a pencil and a highlighter.
Short audios at normal and slow rate4-7 min. audios in normal and slow tempo are convenient to listen to in a player - on a walk, in the car, in transport, in the fitness center.
A slow part is not deteriorated but sounds natural too.
Memorization toolsWe include tools so you can understand and memorize the words easy: contexts of word usage, synonyms and antonyms, color-coded infographics and clusters of related words, interactive games, digital flashcards, speaking & listening practice, grammar exercises.
It’s all about you (and Russia:)The speaking/ writing questions are interesting to answer and easy to memorize because they are focused on your life experiences.
Everything you learn about Russian daily life applies immediately to your own life and life in your country.
Take a look inside of the lesson
Listen to a sample of the audio and flip through the PDF pages to see if that's the right level for you.
Enroll now
One-time payment. Lifetime access
$119
- Immediate access to 12 lessons (all downloadable)
- 71 min of audio with scripts, 660 new words including 50 colloquial, 341 pages of PDFs with fun activities & infographics
- Brain-friendly "7-Step Comprehension Boosting Method"
Digital vocabulary flashcards and interactive games in Quizlet to memorize vocabulary with spaced repetition
Access to our private Facebook group to ask me any questions and participate in our monthly singing sessions
Email support
7 Day Guarantee
We fully stand behind the quality of our product. But we understand that you want some insurance, so we offer you a 7 day money-back guarantee. If for any reason you don't like the course, then please email us at support@russianmobileacademy.com and we will give you 100% refund and you can even keep the materials.
What will happen after you pay
Open our email
Check your inbox and open our Welcome email
Get access
Get your login to our learning platform to access lessons and join our private Facebook group
Start learning
Access everything immediately and start learning. Join our Facebook group and ask questions
Our members recommend ...
This Daily Routine topic is one of 12 topics in our Conversational Russian METRO Club course. Please read what our members think about our study materials and method
- 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.Michael Lutz
- 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.Fr. Philaret
- METRO Club is put together in a very user friendly manner. It is sure to hone all your language skills.David Bagdy
- I heartily recommend Conversational Russian Metro Club for all A2 - C learners who prefer independent studyBobby Hayes
- 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.Tony Lyver
- I would recommend METRO Club to anyone who already has a solid foundation in Russian but feels a bit stuck and would like to overcome this by developing their skills with the help of quality teaching materials with good helping tools.Flora Nagy
The lessons 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.
Catherine Gaudiot- I would recommend RMA/METRO Club to anybody who wants to learn Russian in a way that lasts a lifetime!Fr. David
Author
Hi, I'm Marina.
I help Intermediate Russian learners to bypass the pitfalls, overcome difficulties and become fluent and competent speakers of Russian. I'm originally from Russia but now I live in the United States.
30+ years of teaching Russian to adults
Beginning, Intermediate, Advanced, Superior Russian courses at the universities in Russia & in Latvia, in the U.S. at the University of Utah and in U.S. government intensive Russian language programs.
I help Intermediate Russian learners to bypass the pitfalls, overcome difficulties and become fluent and competent speakers of Russian. I'm originally from Russia but now I live in the United States.
30+ years of teaching Russian to adults
Beginning, Intermediate, Advanced, Superior Russian courses at the universities in Russia & in Latvia, in the U.S. at the University of Utah and in U.S. government intensive Russian language programs.
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.
Frequently Asked Questions
- If you’re at B1, it’s a perfect course for your current level.
- If you’re at high A2-low B1, then it will be a little stretchy but still doable. I have several students who started at that level and very quickly started to catch up with the level as they moved through the course.
- If you’re at C1, this course also could be great to learn a more natural, authentic way of talking about daily life.
- If you’re a beginner, then this course is too advanced for you.
- If you are not sure about your level, then I can offer a complimentary 15-min. assessment via Zoom to you. Please send a request to schedule this assessment to support@RussianMobileAcademy.com
It depends upon your current level in Russian. For an A2 learner it will take more time than for a B1 learner. For an average B1 learner it takes around 3 hours to complete one weekly lesson. I recommend doing it by studying 30-40 min a day, M-F. You can break this daily time into 5-15 min. slots if you have a busy schedule because all lessons are divided into small and simple steps.
Not at all! All the lessons (audios + PDFs) are easily accessible from our platform and downloadable.
If you’ll have any problem with access, we’ll help you instantly just email us: support@ RussianMobilecademy.com
If you’ll have any problem with access, we’ll help you instantly just email us: support@ RussianMobilecademy.com
No, you don't. All our lessons are stored on our website, and they are mobile responsive, so they will work well on your smartphone too.
Plus all materials (audios and PDFs) are downloadable as well, so you don’t need to be connected to the internet when you want to use them.
You can study during your commute to work, listen to the audios in a gym, during your evening walk or while having your morning cup of coffee.
Plus all materials (audios and PDFs) are downloadable as well, so you don’t need to be connected to the internet when you want to use them.
You can study during your commute to work, listen to the audios in a gym, during your evening walk or while having your morning cup of coffee.
If you have questions about Daily Routine lessons, please post them in our private FB group, and I’ll answer them within 24 hours.
If you have questions about course access and any other tech questions, please email them to support@RussianMobileAcademy.com, and we will help you with them within 2-3 hours.
If you have questions about course access and any other tech questions, please email them to support@RussianMobileAcademy.com, and we will help you with them within 2-3 hours.
We offer a 7 day money-back guarantee, so if for any reason you're not happy with the product, then please email us at support@RussianMobileAcademy.com, and we will give you 100% refund.
Still have questions?
Please email me at Marina@RussianMobileAcademy.com, and I will reply within one business day
Is keeping up a conversation in Russian still hard for you?
When you study Russian, your learning doesn’t always progress smoothly.
After the periods when you see obvious progress, there come 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 of your effort working on them. Your pretty strong accent and not-native intonation makes hard for Russians to understand you.
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 of your effort working on them. Your pretty strong accent and not-native intonation makes hard for Russians to understand you.
It's not about 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!
Why are you stuck on the Intermediate level plateau?
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
- Either too simple (for beginners)
- Or too advanced (for native speakers)
- Or too formal (politics, news),
Nothing - about everyday life in the way you talk about it in your native language.
No system
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
"Textbook" Russian
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.
“
Once you're above "beginner", two things happen: 1) it's very hard to find learners content. 2) teachers are less responsive because your questions or contribution isn't just a two-second reply. Marina provides INTERMEDIATE content: themed vocabulary and high-frequency grammar structured to propel you forward to a high level.
IF WHAT YOU WERE DOING DIDN'T BRING YOU THE RESULTS YOU NEED,
MAYBE IT'S TIME TO TRY SOMETHING DIFFERENT?
MAYBE IT'S TIME TO TRY SOMETHING DIFFERENT?
How to break through the Intermediate level plateau?
There is good news and bad news about this plateau.
The bad news is that the vast majority of Russian learners never make 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.
»
VOCABULARY: Learning 5000+ practical words
To talk about daily life, Russians use around 8,000 words, including hundreds of colloquial ones. You likely know around 3,000- 4,000 words. That leaves you with 5000+ more words to learn. It's unlikely that you can figure out which words you need to learn and how to use them.
GRAMMAR: Eliminating gaps
Advanced speakers understand how the Russian grammar system works and use it confidently and accurately. "Polishing" your grammar and eliminating its gaps can be either confusing, tiring and boring, or engaging and productive - depends upon the methods used.
LISTENING: Getting out of the “translation trap”
Advanced speakers don't translate every word they hear. Instead, they follow the flow of speech, recognize familiar elements and guess on unfamiliar based upon the context, language rules, and their real life knowledge. You need to learn how to do it too.
SPEAKING: Developing fluency
Advanced speakers don't build sentences from individual words. Instead, they think in Russian and speak with sentence chunks popping up in their heads. They have slight or no accent and use native “fillers” & “connectors” to make their speech cohesive and smooth.
There are no magic pills. But there are effective solutions.
These solutions are not just advice. They are programs that are built around one specific goal.
These solutions are not just advice. They are programs that are built around one specific goal.
Your guide to Advanced Russian
Hi, I'm Marina.
I help Intermediate Russian learners to bypass the pitfalls, overcome difficulties and become fluent and competent speakers of Russian. I'm originally from Russia but now I live in the United States.
30+ years of teaching Russian to adults
Beginning, Intermediate, Advanced, Superior Russian courses at the universities in Russia & in Latvia, in the U.S. at the University of Utah and in U.S. government intensive Russian programs.
I help Intermediate Russian learners to bypass the pitfalls, overcome difficulties and become fluent and competent speakers of Russian. I'm originally from Russia but now I live in the United States.
30+ years of teaching Russian to adults
Beginning, Intermediate, Advanced, Superior Russian courses at the universities in Russia & in Latvia, in the U.S. at the University of Utah and in U.S. government intensive Russian programs.
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.
»
I used my expertise and best methods and tools known to me to create my METRO Club as a program that is laser-focused on one goal - bridging the gap between the Intermediate and Advanced Russian.
- The best part of the program is Marina’s fantastic teaching skills and her passion to help her students learn. 10 out of 10.David Bagdy
- If you are Intermediate to Advanced Marina has a lot to offer and will give you time and attention you can’t find elsewhere.Maria Johnson
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.
1. Online course in Advanced Russian - Daily Routine
YOUR level: The course is focused on helping you to develop all Advanced level skills: listening, speaking, reading and writing in daily routine topics.
SYSTEM: 11 podcast lessons on daily routine topics will teach you in a very systematic way to talk about Russian everyday life.
CONVERSATIONAL Russian: In each podcast, you'll hear the exact language Russians use to speak about it between themselves. The course includes 608+ practical words (including hundreds of colloquialisms) and 167+ commonly used grammar models.
They prepare you to talk about all important parts of Russian daily life and understand how Russians see their own life.
11 podcast lessons
The lessons are built upon each other in a logical way so you spend enough time learning about each topic.This allows you to memorize a large amount of vocabulary from the contexts and prepares you to talk about daily life in detail and in depth.
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:
- Topical vocabulary that is specific for this topic,
- General vocabulary that can be used in several topics,
- Colloquial words that Russians use when they talk informally,
- Connectors that make your speech cohesive and smooth.
It prepares you to talk about daily life in a native-like way.
2.Unique brain-friendly method
My proprietary "7-Step Comprehension Boosting Method" will train you to understand fast spoken Russian through a sequence of steps that our brain finds logical
My proprietary "7-Step Comprehension Boosting Method" will train you to understand fast spoken Russian through a sequence of steps that our brain finds logical
Neuroscience helps us to use our brain's abilities better.
And my proprietary "7-Step Comprehension Boosting Method" is right at the top of things because it prepares you to understand fast native speech about daily life topics using some neuroscience discoveries.
And my proprietary "7-Step Comprehension Boosting Method" is right at the top of things because it prepares you to understand fast native speech about daily life topics using some neuroscience discoveries.
- It trains your listening and reading skills through a sequence of steps that our brain finds logical, i.e. it will make you focus on one skill at a time in a certain order and in a specific way.
- It helps you stop translating each word in your head when you listen and go with the flow of speech and guess missing information from the context instead.
- It helps you memorize lots of words & grammar structures without much effort on your side by recycling them in different ways over and over in each step of the “7-Step System”.
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.
3. Access to the experienced teacher
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
- 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
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
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.
One-on-one lessons with Marina Koker for METRO Club members
FOR WHOM: For METRO Club members who are serious about bringing their speaking skills to the Advanced level.
HOW IT WORKS: During these lessons
- We’ll follow METRO Club lessons you study and work on your fluency, confidence and native-like pronunciation and intonation.
- I’ll provide you with tailored training for your gaps in Russian grammar .
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
4.Fun club activities
You’ll become a part of a community of motivated Russian learners from all over the world, participate in group speaking sessions and sing together popular Russian songs
You’ll have several options to apply what you just learned and use Russian as the only source in your communication. It is critically important if nobody around you speaks Russian.
Share your life experience in Russian
We all learn much better if what we're learning is related to us. After you self-studied each lesson, in our private Facebook group you'll share how what you just leaned works in your life or in your country, and read about others’ experiences.
Participate at the group speaking sessions
Once a month you can join our 60-min. small group speaking sessions via Zoom.
You’ll practice using what you just learned: speak and listen about daily life.
Sing Russian songs
Share your life experience in Russian
We all learn much better if what we're learning is related to us. After you self-studied each lesson, in our private Facebook group you'll share how what you just leaned works in your life or in your country, and read about others’ experiences.
Participate at the group speaking sessions
Once a month you can join our 60-min. small group speaking sessions via Zoom.
You’ll practice using what you just learned: speak and listen about daily life.
Sing Russian songs
Once a month you can join our 60-min. group singing sessions via Zoom. You’ll learn popular Russian songs, polish your pronunciation, memorize more vocab from contexts, and understand Russian culture and mentality at a deeper level.
Daily Routine topics
78+
minutes of audio
608+
new words, including
66+
colloquial words
167+
grammar/ vocab infographics & exercises
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I can say that this is the best Russian course I have ever taken, even better that the course we took in university.
Your results in the METRO Club
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 Russian SKILLS will transform
- LISTENINGYou'll comfortably keep up with casual conversations at a normal rate, stop translating every word in your head when listening, follow the flow of speech and look for context clues to make sense of what is not familiar to you.
- SPEAKINGYou’ll speak fluently in a native-like way about daily life because you’ll think in Russian with sentence chunks popping up in your head - the same phrases that Russians use, with authentic intonation and pronunciation.
- GRAMMAR + VOCABRussian grammar will make total sense to you. Your vocabulary will be broad enough to talk about daily life - very close to the way you can do it in your mother tongue. You’ll be able to speak informally with common colloquialisms and minimal errors.
This is how your LIFE can change
Travelling to Russia
You’ll be able to experience Russia in a deeper way than ordinary tourists: - visit places outside of typical tourist traps, talk to locals, feel at ease in cafes and restaurants, on trains and in hotels.
Living in Russia
You’ll confidently deal with all daily life situations you encounter: you'll know what to expect and how to behave and talk because you’ll understand how Russians live. Your life in Russia will become more enjoyable and less stressful. And you'll earn the respect of locals because you’ll speak their language fluently.
Using Russian for work or business
You’ll pass a test at the Advanced level and increase your chances of getting a good job at an international company. You’ll attract more Russian-speaking clients and get more business in your country.
Speaking Russian with your spouse, friends, co-workers
You’ll get along with Russian people well and feel comfortable around them because you’ll understand not only what they say, but also what is important to them and why. At Russian dinner parties you'll not only enjoy the food, but also connect with people and sing along with them. You'll instantly become one of their own!
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I find there are changes, in a big way, to my vocabulary, grammar, pronunciation, and thus the ability to communicate in both directions. Russian people who haven’t seen me for a while, ask me what I have been doing to achieve the improvement.
What our members say
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.
Catherine Gaudiot
France
I now feel much more confident and I’m better able to express myself
Michael Lutz
Russia
Marina wants you to understand and speak the language as a native
Fr. Philaret
United States
Learning how to say things as Russians say them was a critical step
Tony Lyver
Canada
I realized I had just listened to the normal pace and understood it
Fr. David
United States
I was able to communicate with hosts and strangers in Russia
Bobby Hayes
United States
Professionally developed learning materials are outstanding
One-time easy payment
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.
$97
- Online course in Advanced Russian - DAILY ROUTINE: 11 lessons
- 7-Step Comprehension Boosting Method
- Teacher's help: ask me any questions in our private Facebook group
- Club activities: one 60-min. speaking session/ month + one 60-min. singing session/ month (in small groups via Zoom)
- Teacher's help: your homework corrected and explained for every lesson
- Email support
- 3 months access to the lessons
DAILY ROUTINE
Once you enroll in any plan, add one-on-one SPEAKING SESSIONS with Marina for fastest results with your speaking skills. Read more
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I look forward to the new lesson every week, like a little boy opening a present!
When you invest in the right resources, you’ll learn much faster.
What will happen after you pay
Open our email
Check your inbox and open our Welcome email
Get access
Get your login to our learning platform to access lessons and join our private Facebook group
Start learning
Access everything immediately and start learning. Join our Facebook group and ask questions
What you’ll find in each lesson
Once a week you'll have a new lesson available for you
- It includes an audio (a podcast episode) + 15-30 page PDF with a transcript, vocabulary breakdown, grammar and vocabulary teaching points in infographics, grammar and vocabulary exercises, and listening, writing and speaking practice.
- You can access it at our private platform, download and self-study from anywhere at your pace in simple steps using our "7-Step Comprehension Boosting System" for best results.
- By the end of the week you'll be able to comfortably talk (understand and speak) about this topic.
Audio
Transcript
Teaching points
Exercises +
Practice
Practice
Quizlet
Audio
- A 3-5 min. story
- About one aspect of Russian everyday life the way Russians see it
- In authentic practical Russian
- At a normal and at a slower pace
Most complex words and grammar concepts are explained in s fun to work with and easy to understand visual way:
- In infographics and word clusters with color coding
- In mind maps.
Full transcript of the audio includes
- Accent marks on each word
- Highlights on key vocabulary
- Pictures to illustrate the main concepts
Key vocabulary (40-60 words) is divided into 5 groups to guide you where to use it: topical, general, colloquial, idioms, connectors.
Each word includes translation, accent, grammar notes, and model sentences.
Each word includes translation, accent, grammar notes, and model sentences.
Quizlet is an app that uses a spaced repetition system with digital flashcards and interactive games to help you memorize a lot of words while having fun playing with them.
We created our decks of digital flashcards for each METRO Club lessons on Quizlet, and you can access them from your phone or computer.
We created our decks of digital flashcards for each METRO Club lessons on Quizlet, and you can access them from your phone or computer.
Vocab and grammar exercises with keys for your self-check
- LISTENING practice: fill-in-the-blank key vocabulary/grammar
- WRITING/ SPEAKING practice: apply what you learned to your daily life and life in your country
- SPEAKING practice: mimic authentic intonation and pauses
Vocabulary
breakdown
breakdown
5-9
minutes of audio
56
new words, including
7
colloquial words
12
grammar/vocab infographics + exercises
Everything is online so no matter where you live, you can participate in everything.
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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.
Take a look inside of the lesson
Listen to a sample of the audio and flip through the PDF pages to see if that's the right level for you.
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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.
DAILY ROUTINE METRO Club is the perfect program for you if...
- You are currently at Intermediate or low Intermediate level
- You prefer to mostly self-study at your own pace and have access to an experienced teacher for questions, guidance, error corrections and working on speaking skills
- You are open to trying a new method
- You can spend around 30 min. a day/3 hours per week to go through the program in small steps
…and you want to use Russian in a variety of daily life situations because you...
- Currently live in Russia and need to confidently navigate through local life and succeed in your plans
- Want to confidently travel around Russia outside of typical tourist traps, know what to expect there and enjoy the trip
- Want to build deeper relationships with your Russian family members, friends, partners, or customers
- Want to better understand Russian life, traditions, mentality and spirituality
- I appreciate receiving podcast and reading material every week. It encourages me to work regularly.Catherine Gaudiot
- With the 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.Fr. David
Our members recommend ...
- 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.Michael Lutz
- 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.Fr. Philaret
- I love Russian Metro Club and starkly recommend it to Intermediate learners to take their Russian to the next level.Yossi Barzilai
- I heartily recommend Conversational Russian Metro Club for all A2 - C learners who prefer independent studyBobby Hayes
- 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.Tony Lyver
- I would recommend RMA/METRO Club to anybody who wants to learn Russian in a way that lasts a lifetime!Fr. David
Frequently Asked Questions
- If you’re at B1, it’s a perfect course for your current level.
- If you’re at high A2-low B1, then it will be a little stretchy but still doable. I have several students who started at that level and very quickly started to catch up with the level as they moved through the course.
- If you’re at C1, this course also could be great to learn a more natural, authentic way of talking about daily life.
- If you’re a beginner, then this course is too advanced for you.
- If you are not sure about your level, then I can offer a complimentary 15-min. assessment via Zoom to you. Please send a request to schedule this assessment to support@RussianMobileAcademy.com
Yes, you can. The online course is fully downloadable so you can download all the lessons to your computer and start studying them whenever you’re ready. The club activities and me answering your questions and correcting your homework in our closed Facebook group are available for you as long as you keep paying for your membership.
It depends upon your current level in Russian. For an A2 learner it will take more time than for a B1 learner. For an average B1 learner it takes around 3 hours to complete one weekly lesson. I recommend doing it by studying 30-40 min a day, M-F. You can break this daily time into 5-15 min. slots if you have a busy schedule because all lessons are divided into small and simple steps.
Most exercises and activities in each lesson include keys so you can self-check them.
The only practice that requires correction is a writing activity at the end of each lesson. In this activity you’ll need
If you’ll enroll in a Standard plan, you’re more than welcome to post your answers to the questions in our Facebook group, and I will comment on them – but only as a reader. I won’t correct them as an instructor.
The bottom line is if you want me to correct and explain all your errors, please enroll in the Premium plan.
The only practice that requires correction is a writing activity at the end of each lesson. In this activity you’ll need
- to answer questions about your own life experience by using vocabulary and grammar from the lesson,
- to post your answers to our closed Facebook group.
If you’ll enroll in a Standard plan, you’re more than welcome to post your answers to the questions in our Facebook group, and I will comment on them – but only as a reader. I won’t correct them as an instructor.
The bottom line is if you want me to correct and explain all your errors, please enroll in the Premium plan.
We offer you to try our program without paying for it with our free trial.
When you sign up for a free trial, you need to enter your payment information (PayPal or any major credit cards). Both methods are secure, and we don’t store your financial information.
If you’d like to cancel before the end of the free trial, please email us at support@RussianMobileAcdemy.com, and we will do it for you. You card won’t get any charges.
If you’d like to stay with us, then after the end of your trial period, your card will be charged once a month for $39.99 or $99.99 depends upon the plan you chosen. You can stop or change your membership any time.
When you sign up for a free trial, you need to enter your payment information (PayPal or any major credit cards). Both methods are secure, and we don’t store your financial information.
If you’d like to cancel before the end of the free trial, please email us at support@RussianMobileAcdemy.com, and we will do it for you. You card won’t get any charges.
If you’d like to stay with us, then after the end of your trial period, your card will be charged once a month for $39.99 or $99.99 depends upon the plan you chosen. You can stop or change your membership any time.
Yes, you can, and it’s very easy. Please email us at support@RussianMobileAcademy.com, and we’ll help you to do it.
Bringing you from Intermediate to Advanced level takes time because there is no magic buttons and you need to learn around 5000 words, start confidently using most Russian grammar models, train your ears to understand fast speech and develop your fluency in speaking. All of that required for you stop translating from English into Russian and back and start thinking in Russian.
In most Russian language programs, bringing students from B1 to B2 takes around 800 study hours.
In intensive programs you can cover that amount of study time in 5 months but it requires full-time studying: 40 weekly hours of studying, i.e. 20-25 classroom hours + 20-15 hours of homework. Obviously, not many Russian learners can afford those types of programs.
And when you study less hours each week, it obviously takes longer.
Russian METRO Club is designed for those Russian learners who have busy schedule and can spend only around 30-40 min a day on studying Russian. That is around 3 hours per week which brings the total amount of study time to 140 weeks. It’s total of 420 self-studying hours.
If you add private lessons 1-2 hours per week + group sessions twice a month, it is about the right amount that will bring you to the Advanced level in Russian in reasonable amount of time and without breaking your bank or interfering with your daily schedule.
In most Russian language programs, bringing students from B1 to B2 takes around 800 study hours.
In intensive programs you can cover that amount of study time in 5 months but it requires full-time studying: 40 weekly hours of studying, i.e. 20-25 classroom hours + 20-15 hours of homework. Obviously, not many Russian learners can afford those types of programs.
And when you study less hours each week, it obviously takes longer.
Russian METRO Club is designed for those Russian learners who have busy schedule and can spend only around 30-40 min a day on studying Russian. That is around 3 hours per week which brings the total amount of study time to 140 weeks. It’s total of 420 self-studying hours.
If you add private lessons 1-2 hours per week + group sessions twice a month, it is about the right amount that will bring you to the Advanced level in Russian in reasonable amount of time and without breaking your bank or interfering with your daily schedule.
Not at all! All the lessons (audios + PDFs) are easily accessible from our platform and downloadable.
If you’ll have any problem with access, we’ll help you instantly just email us: support@ RussianMobilecademy.com
If you’ll have any problem with access, we’ll help you instantly just email us: support@ RussianMobilecademy.com
No, you don't. All our lessons are stored on our website, and they are mobile responsive, so they will work well on your smartphone too.
Plus all materials (audios and PDFs) are downloadable as well, so don’t need to be connected to the internet when you want to use them.
You can study during your commute to work, listen to the audios in a gym, during your evening walk or while having your morning cup of coffee.
Plus all materials (audios and PDFs) are downloadable as well, so don’t need to be connected to the internet when you want to use them.
You can study during your commute to work, listen to the audios in a gym, during your evening walk or while having your morning cup of coffee.
If you have questions about METRO Club lessons, please post them in our private FB group, and I’ll answer them within 24 hours.
If you have questions about course access and any other tech questions, please email them to support@RussianMobileAcademy.com, and we will help you with them within 2-3 hours.
If you have questions about course access and any other tech questions, please email them to support@RussianMobileAcademy.com, and we will help you with them within 2-3 hours.
We offer you to try our program without paying for it with our free trial.
After your free trial ends, your card will be charged once a month for $39.99 or $99.99 depending upon the plan you chosen.
We have a “cancel any time but no refund” cancellation policy.
That means that
After your free trial ends, your card will be charged once a month for $39.99 or $99.99 depending upon the plan you chosen.
We have a “cancel any time but no refund” cancellation policy.
That means that
- You can cancel any time by emailing us at support@RussianMobileAcademy.com, and we will cancel your membership for you.
- You won’t get any refund for the month you already paid.
- Your membership (access to the course) will continue until the end of the 30-day period from the date you last paid.
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 have been in your shoes...
... with my own learning English and immigrating to the U.S., so I totally understand the challenges you face with learning Russian.
That’s why in my METRO Cub I am here for you - not only to train your Russian skills, but also to support and encourage you when your life is getting on the way of your learning.
Learning a language is not a sprint but a marathon, and having a coach behind your back helps you keep moving.
Would you like us to work together as a team to bring your Russian to fluency?
That’s why in my METRO Cub I am here for you - not only to train your Russian skills, but also to support and encourage you when your life is getting on the way of your learning.
Learning a language is not a sprint but a marathon, and having a coach behind your back helps you keep moving.
Would you like us to work together as a team to bring your Russian to fluency?
“
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 the 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.