Michael Tovbin

My name is Michael Tovbin, and I am a linguist by training with a longstanding interest in languages, language structure, and communication. I have had the opportunity to use and study languages in different cultural and linguistic environments having lived in the US, Canada, and Russia.

My academic background is strongly connected to both languages and analytical disciplines. I hold a Master’s degree in English and French and teaching, as well as Bachelor’s degrees in Computer Information Systems and Mathematics. In addition to my academic studies, I have developed extensive practical experience with languages over many years. Russian and American English are my native-level languages, and I am fluent in French and Italian.

As a language instructor, I believe that learning a language should involve more than memorizing vocabulary or repeating isolated phrases. A student needs to understand how the language works: how sounds are represented in writing, how words are formed, how verbs change, how sentences are constructed, and how expressions are actually used. For that reason, I place considerable importance on pronunciation, grammar, vocabulary, and practical communication, while also explaining the underlying patterns whenever they are useful to the learner.

I also believe that different learners need different approaches. Some students need more emphasis on pronunciation, others on grammar, vocabulary, conversation, or reading. My goal is therefore to present language in a clear and structured way, allowing students to build their knowledge step by step while understanding the logic behind what they are learning.

My own experience of living with and working across several languages has reinforced my belief that learning another language is not simply the acquisition of a new set of words. It is an opportunity to understand another way of expressing ideas and interacting with the world.

I teach English and I approach the language with the same basic principle: accuracy matters, but understanding matters just as much.