Author’s Column by Tymur Levitin • Levitin Language School 🔗 Choose your language🔗 Meet the Author “Not everything that touches the soul fits into grammar.And not everything worth saying can be translated.”— Tymur Levitin “Pomolimsya za roditeley” — Let us pray for our parents — is a Russian song that speaks, not to the ear, […]

Read this article in other languages: «Здесь лапы у елей дрожат на весу…»“Here the fir branches tremble, hanging in the air…” The words remain the same. But listen closely — and it is already a different song.Because it is not the words that sing. It is the voice. Introduction Vladimir Vysotsky never “performed” songs. He […]

Many learners believe grammar is the enemy of fluency. “If I focus on grammar, I won’t speak freely.” But this is a myth. Grammar doesn’t kill fluency — it creates it. Why the Myth Exists For years, language schools and courses have sold the idea that grammar and communication are opposites. “Forget grammar, just talk.” […]

Many students believe fluency comes from memorizing vocabulary lists. “If I know 3000 words, I’ll be fluent.” But that’s a myth. Language doesn’t work like Lego blocks you stack together. It’s not the number of pieces — it’s how you connect them. Why the Myth Exists Publishers and teachers love numbers: 300 words for survival, […]

📍 Why “Practice Makes Perfect” Can Be Misleading in Language Learning “Just Speak” Sounds Right — But Often Goes Wrong You’ve probably heard this advice: “Just speak — don’t overthink it.”“Speak as much as you can — you’ll learn on the go.”“Mistakes don’t matter — the main thing is to speak!” But let’s pause for […]

Most students believe they fail listening because they “don’t know enough words.” But the truth is different. The real challenge is not vocabulary — it’s rhythm, reduction, stress, and what your brain expects to hear. 🎬 Watch or read in your language — see the short video explanation below: 🏳️‍🌈 Choose your version: Each short […]

When we talk about German grammar, most learners immediately think of rules: verb in the second position, subject–verb agreement, cases. But there’s something far more human, far more alive hidden in the structure of German: emphasis. And this is where grammar becomes psychology, and word order becomes emotion. Why Emphasis Is More Than Grammar German is […]

Author’s Column | Tymur Levitin on Language, Meaning and Respect © Tymur Levitin — Founder, Director and Lead Educator of Levitin Language School & Start Language School by Tymur Levitin “A word is not the thing. And that’s where all the trouble starts.” What Are False Friends? In translation, not every word that looks familiar is your […]

🤔 Do You Really Need a Native Speaker? One of the most persistent myths in language learning is this:“Only a native speaker can teach you properly.”It sounds logical. After all, who could know a language better than someone who grew up with it? But here’s the truth:Speaking a language ≠ Teaching a language.And being a native […]

🧠💬 The Assumption We All Grew Up With From childhood, we’ve been told: “Start young — children are language sponges!”Teachers, textbooks, and even scientists have repeated it for decades. But is it true? At Levitin Language School, we don’t follow myths. We follow results.And results show: adults can learn languages just as effectively — and in some […]