In global business, people often confuse sounding smart with being understood. Long words, layered clauses, and over-engineered sentences may look impressive on paper, but in real communication they usually do one thing: they slow everything down. Professional English is not about showing off vocabulary.It is about transmitting meaning without friction. And that is a much […]

Language doesn’t get louder when it’s strong.It gets still. There is a moment in every real conversation when language stops trying to impress. Not because it fails —but because it no longer needs to prove itself. What replaces volume is something far more dangerous and far more powerful: presence. Not charisma.Not confidence.Not fluency. Presence. And […]

Author’s Column by Tymur LevitinLevitin Language School · Start Language School by Tymur Levitin At some point, emotion stops leading your speech.Not because you feel less —but because form takes over.Language matures when reaction gives way to structure. This idea sounds simple.In reality, it explains why some people sound convincing, calm, and precise — and […]

The Sie → du Rule That Protects Your Reputation In international business, most mistakes are forgiven.Social mistakes are not. If you speak excellent German but choose the wrong form of address, people do not hear your grammar — they hear your positioning. In German-speaking cultures, Sie vs du is not a grammar choice. It is […]

When Silence Is the Strongest Choice Author’s Column by Tymur LevitinFounder, Director & Senior TeacherLevitin Language School / Start Language School by Tymur LevitinLanguage. Identity. Choice. Meaning. Watch the podcast — all language versions English Deutsch Русский Українська Read this article in other languages The moment no one talks about Most people believe that language […]

The One Rule That Protects You in Every Professional Situation By Tymur Levitin — Founder & Senior Teacher, Levitin Language School / Start Language School by Tymur Levitin There is one mistake I see again and again in Business English. People don’t make it because their grammar is wrong.They make it because their tone 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 […]

“When the map doesn’t match the terrain — trust the terrain.”— Tymur Levitin Many students come with expectations. And many teachers come with plans.The problem begins when the plan becomes more important than the person. I’ve seen it in schools.In universities.In private institutions and glossy online platforms.One program fits all. One script. One promise.Follow the […]

People often say that Slavic languages are “difficult because of cases.” This is misleading. Slavic languages are not difficult because they have cases.They are difficult because learners are rarely taught how cases actually work. In reality, Slavic case systems are among the most logically transparent in the world. Cases Are Not Forms. They Are Questions. […]

Author: Tymur Levitin — Founder & Director, Levitin Language School / Start Language School by Tymur Levitin In international business, words do not simply transfer information.They build trust, trigger risk, signal power, and define hierarchy. Every day, professionals lose deals, damage relationships, or weaken their position not because their English is “bad” — but because […]