When Leads Are Not Students

Many language learners believe that translating in their mind is a necessary step in learning a new language. When they hear a sentence, they translate it into their native language.When they want to speak, they first form the sentence in their native language and only then try to convert it into the foreign one. At […]

And Why a Tutor Must Explain Things Differently Learning a language in school and learning it as a foreign language are not the same process. Yet in many educational discussions, these two completely different realities are often treated as if they were identical. A common piece of advice given to parents is simple: “Just use […]

Author’s Video-Blog Article by Tymur Levitin Levitin Language School | Start Language School by Tymur Levitin — Global Learning. Personal Approach. Watch the podcast (all language versions) Englishhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TUwCZqOWTgc&list=PLunccfqAabpLicidrGuQHtg_f14_FgX9c Deutschhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_hQgb2uXh2s&list=PLunccfqAabpKEcmjR4UtXg597EKycZFgi Русскийhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mzKk6Ti_7wk&list=PLunccfqAabpKjCxZ_Wn7dHrcFnKcZmMMi Українськаhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tBlAmdyYsmA&list=PLz06ZxEi5yTS-vrWho_xchFDbqrRymkPN The most common mistake in language learning For more than two decades of teaching students from different countries and linguistic backgrounds, I have observed […]

Author’s Column by Tymur Levitin Language. Identity. Choice. Meaning. One of the most persistent myths in language learning is the idea that speed equals proficiency.Students often say: “I need to speak faster”, “Native speakers speak so quickly”, “If I pause, it means my level is low.” This belief is not only incorrect — it is […]

Author’s Column by Tymur LevitinLanguage. Identity. Choice. Meaning. There is a modern belief that fluency is everything. Speak fast.Speak freely.Don’t stop.Don’t think. And above all — don’t worry about accuracy. This idea sounds liberating.In reality, it is one of the most damaging myths in modern language learning. Because fluency without accuracy is not freedom.It is […]

Author’s Column by Tymur Levitin – Levitin Language School / Start Language School by Tymur LevitinLanguage. Identity. Choice. Meaning. We all know the feeling.A decision appears before it’s reasoned.A direction feels right before it’s proven.A phrase flows before you even think. What is that? Some call it intuition.Others call it a gut feeling.In Slavic cultures, […]

Author: Tymur LevitinFounder, Director, Senior TeacherLevitin Language School / Start Language School by Tymur Levitin© Tymur Levitin, 2025 Introduction: Fluency Is a Result, Not a Starting Point In modern language education, fluency has become an obsession.Students want to speak fast. Courses promise quick results. Teachers are encouraged to “get learners talking” as early as possible. […]

🔗 Choose your language: https://levitintymur.com/#languages It’s Not About Language. It’s About Understanding. To an outsider, it might look like we’re just chatting. Not a lesson. Not grammar. Not vocabulary. Just some open-ended talk. But the truth is: this is the lesson. Because real teaching doesn’t start with content. It starts with connection. It starts with […]

The Language I Live — Author’s Column by Tymur LevitinLanguage. Meaning. Thinking. For more than twenty years, I have been teaching languages to people of different ages, cultures, professions, and life situations.And during all these years, one idea keeps returning — sometimes quietly, sometimes painfully clearly: Language learning is not really about language. It is […]