Before choosing any language path, explore all available options here: https://levitintymur.com/#languages
When people prepare for studies abroad, they usually think about the obvious things first.
They think about university entrance, visas, accommodation, tuition fees, travel, and language certificates.
But very often, another problem appears later.
A student enters a multilingual environment and suddenly realises that official language and real-life language are not always the same thing.
The university may use German or English.
The city may use several languages at once.
Classmates, relatives, dormitory neighbours, archived documents, informal chats, screenshots, and family conversations may use completely different forms of communication.
For students from Switzerland, Germany, and Austria, this situation is more common than many people expect.
They do not necessarily need another full language course.
They need orientation.
The difference between studying a language and surviving a multilingual environment
Many schools still imagine that every student needs the same thing:
- a textbook;
- grammar exercises;
- vocabulary lists;
- levels;
- certificates.
Sometimes that is useful.
But students preparing for real life often need something else.
They need to know:
- how to understand a short message from a classmate;
- how to read an old document;
- how to recognise whether a phrase is formal or informal;
- how to avoid misunderstanding people from another linguistic background;
- how to feel less isolated in a mixed-language environment.
A person can have an excellent level of German or English and still feel completely lost in everyday communication.
The problem is not intelligence.
The problem is that real multilingual environments do not work like textbooks.
Why this often happens to students from Switzerland
Students from Switzerland are often especially well prepared academically.
They may already speak German, French, English, or even Italian.
Because of that, many people assume they will never have communication problems.
But reality is more complicated.
When students move, study abroad, or enter international communities, they often discover that many people around them come from different parts of Eastern Europe.
The official language may still be German or English.
Yet real communication may include:
- screenshots;
- family messages;
- older documents;
- informal explanations;
- apartment discussions;
- social media comments;
- messages between friends;
- voice notes;
- multilingual group chats.
Very often, these things include Russian-speaking communication even when nobody planned it.
This does not mean the student wants to “study Russian” as a separate subject.
It means they want to understand the environment around them and not depend entirely on guesswork or automatic translation.
Why translation apps are not enough
The first reaction is usually simple:
“I will just use a translation app.”
Sometimes that works.
Very often it does not.
Translation apps may understand words, but they regularly fail with:
- emotional tone;
- hidden meaning;
- bureaucracy;
- informal speech;
- older phrases;
- family communication;
- cultural expectations;
- passive-aggressive wording;
- messages written in a hurry.
A student may think they understood everything and still completely misunderstand the situation.
That is often more dangerous than not understanding anything at all.
Readers interested in stronger German-language communication can also explore our German page here: https://levitintymur.com/languages/learning-german/
For readers in North America, additional German-language resources are available here: https://languagelearnings.com/german/
Why explanation through German is often the safest route
For students from Switzerland, Germany, and Austria, the most effective support often comes through German.
Not because German is “better.”
But because it is the language in which the student already thinks, compares, and analyses.
A German-based explanation makes it easier to understand:
- what a message really means;
- what emotional tone stands behind it;
- which phrases are safe and which are risky;
- what should and should not be said in return;
- how people from different linguistic backgrounds communicate.
This is especially important because many students do not need a complete new language.
They need clarity.
They need to understand the specific situations that affect studies, family life, housing, friendships, and everyday communication.
What kind of support actually helps
At Levitin Language School, we do not believe that every student needs another traditional course.
Some students need something more practical and more honest.
They need:
- explanation of confusing messages;
- help with documents and forms;
- understanding of family or social communication;
- orientation inside a multilingual environment;
- answers through German;
- support connected to real life rather than theory.
You can read more about our practical approach here: https://levitintymur.com/online-language-learning/
This is where Aleksandr Levitskii’s experience becomes especially valuable.
He works with German-speaking adults and students who need to understand multilingual situations connected with Eastern Europe.
He is not presented as a traditional “Russian teacher.”
Instead, he helps German-speaking people understand communication, documents, and everyday situations that are difficult to navigate alone.
You can learn more about Aleksandr Levitskii and his teaching approach here: https://levitintymur.com/teachers/aleksandr-levitskii/
For some students, this practical communication support later becomes a deeper interest in understanding the language itself and the environment around them.
Who this approach is especially useful for
This support is often helpful for:
- students from Switzerland, Germany, and Austria;
- people preparing for university or relocation;
- adults living in multilingual families;
- students dealing with documents, forms, and archived papers;
- people who receive messages they do not fully understand;
- adults who want confidence rather than a traditional language course.
No student should feel excluded because other people around them switch to a language they do not understand.
Sometimes the smartest solution is not to learn everything.
Sometimes the smartest solution is to understand the important things clearly, calmly, and through the language you already know best.
For additional language resources and international support, visit: https://languagelearnings.com/
Related Articles
• Why German Speakers Sometimes Need Help Understanding Russian Without Wanting to “Study Russian”
https://levitintymur.com/interesting-information/why-german-speakers-sometimes-need-help-understanding-russian-without-wanting-to-study-russian/
• Why Old Documents and Family Archives Are So Difficult for German Speakers to Understand
https://levitintymur.com/interesting-information/why-old-documents-and-family-archives-are-so-difficult-for-german-speakers-to-understand/
Author: Tymur Levitin — Founder & Director, Levitin Language School
Global Learning. Personal Approach.
© Tymur Levitin