Testimonials
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Millie went from struggling with speaking to starting her year abroad with confidence
Millie C., Russian and French Studies Student
"Working with Matt really helped me to improve the parts of my Russian where I felt less confident...
Matt is a patient and understanding teacher and I’ve never felt scared to try and fail and make mistakes in front of him. The structure of Matt’s lessons really helped me to work on my speaking (something I used to previously struggle with) in a comfortable environment alongside learning new vocabulary and grammatical structures.
The structure of the course was very dynamic and easy to fit into my schedule. The videos were not only really helpful from a language point of view but very practical as well. Having a live session with Matt at the end of the week not only allowed me to clear up any questions that I had about the week's work, but also helped to cement my knowledge of what I had been working on.
The course made me feel a lot more comfortable in my use of everyday Russian in everyday situations that you will encounter in Central Asia. It was a fantastic opportunity to go beyond the university curriculum and develop a more practical command of the Russian language."
Emily went abroad not only feeling prepared, but knowing how to stay safe
Emily L.W., Russian Studies Student
“Steppe with Confidence gave me the know-how to tackle practical situations in Russian as a student on their year abroad in Central Asia.
The course focuses on teaching students the necessary information to get through day-to-day life in Russian and equips students with the ability and confidence to become embedded in Central Asian life. This is not something that universities offer up-coming year abroad students and yet has proved vital to me for a safe and fruitful year in Kyrgyzstan. I feel now that I have the confidence to put myself in an array of social situations and have come out of it with my Russian greatly improved and a strong respect and understanding for the culture and people.
Matt’s meticulous research and experience in Central Asia forms the basis of each lesson. Each week has its own theme with a video outlining a practical experience, delving into cultural differences, social norms and even laws, and introduces specific vocabulary and skills to apply in the future. Weekly homework reinforces the skills and vocabulary from the video. Finally, weekly online lessons are designed to combine all the knowledge and skills in the video and the homework and offers efficient and useful speaking practice and most importantly time to discuss concerns and queries.
All in all, Matt’s enthusiasm and rigorous teaching style helped me avoid many an awkward situation and navigate the interactions of daily life in Central Asia with confidence.”
Li went to Kyrgyzstan knowing what to expect
Li T., Russian & Scandinavian Studies Student
"Steppe with Confidence has significantly increased my confidence to go on my semester abroad in Kyrgyzstan.
Right from the start, the topics follow real life situations like border control and getting a SIM card, so that you’re not left wondering what to do in a situation which ordinary language classes don’t prepare you for! I found the homework particularly useful as it helps you practice for these scenarios until you feel prepared.
The videos and lessons are very informative and not only prepare you linguistically, but also you for the cultural side too! Having access to these videos whenever is also really beneficial, just in case I might have missed something the first time!
Matt is a very patient, friendly and supportive tutor and his sessions are always engaging and relevant!"
Hannah went to Estonia feeling prepared, instead of anxious:
“Taking Russian lessons with Matt before my year abroad has made a huge difference to my experience living abroad….
His focus on real life situations and role plays for things like cafés and airport security left me feeling much less anxious about using Russian. It was inspiring to learn from someone who had been through the same journey, and I always felt supported and encouraged in my own.”
Hannah D., Russian Studies and Social Policy Student
For Aimie, Steppe with Confidence gave her what she lacked in the University curriculum
“Matt tailored the course to relevant situations that were practical to real life which made studying more enjoyable than at university.
I really appreciated how Matt uses his linguistic expertise to break down complicated grammar and vocabulary, making everything much easier to understand. His personality makes the lessons fun, engaging and interactive and I truly can’t recommend him more <3”
Aimie C., Russian Studies and History
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