Group courses for non-beginners
registration for April 2024 term still open
Our spring term started on 15th April 2024 and registration is still open – we have a few spaces remaining
If you know any Russian at all, then you are a ‘non-beginner’. We run between 60 and 70 groups for non-beginners each week.
To ensure we place new students at the right level, we invite all new non-beginners for a free assessment before joining one of our group courses. In order to register for a course, please follow the online assessment link below and select a slot from the calendar.
If you prefer to arrange an in-person assessment at Pushkin House, please click here to complete the booking form. We will then contact you to agree a time for your assessment.
Assessments involve a short, informal session with one of our teachers. Afterwards you will be advised on which is the most appropriate group for you.
We divide our groups for non-beginners into six levels: False Beginner, Elementary, Pre-intermediate, Intermediate, Upper Intermediate and Advanced. The timetable below lists in-person and online groups available at each level, with the expected number of terms spent at each: for example, we expect a group to spend three terms at Elementary Level.
For more detailed information about RLC levels, click here.
register and book your online assessment
Spring term
RLC Term 2
Total hours studied by the end of this level: +/- 50
RLC Terms 3–5
Total hours studied by the end of this level: +/- 125
CEFR equivalent: A1
RLC Terms 6–9
Total hours studied by the end of this level: +/- 225
CEFR equivalent:Â A2
RLC Terms 10–16
Total hours studied by the end of this level: +/- 350
CEFR equivalent: A2/B1
RLC Terms 16 - onwards
Total hours studied by the end of this level: +/- 600
CEFR equivalent:Â B1
Total hours studied: 700+
CEFR equivalent:Â B2/C1
* Course fees include VAT for privately-funded students; if your course is funded by your employers, they will need to add VAT to the above rates.
‡ All times are UK time.
beginners
special courses
individual tuition
More about courses for non-beginners
enrolment
We have 4 group terms throughout the year, each lasting 10 weeks, starting in January, April, July and October. Students enrol for one term at a time, and new students can join at the beginning of any term.
Although we encourage all students to sign up at the beginning of a term, we are sometimes able to accommodate non-beginners after term has started if there is room available in a group at a suitable level.
online groups
The Covid pandemic forced us to become experts in online group tuition: in January 2020 all our groups were in person, and when our Spring 2020 term began, we had 57 online groups. Although online lessons aren’t for everybody, our experience over the last few years has convinced us that it is possible to make just as much progress online as it is in person.
We have only two ‘rules’ for online groups: we do not allow lessons to be recorded, and we expect all students, other than in exceptional circumstances and by prior agreement, to have their cameras switched on.
class size
Our online groups have a maximum of seven students, and our in-person groups have a maximum of twelve students. Small class sizes ensure that each student has the opportunity to contribute fully, and the teacher is able to give their attention to all members of the group.
teaching materials
All groups up to Intermediate level use RLC’s own textbooks. These have been developed by us specifically for the needs of adults learning Russian. They are the single most important way we ensure that all our students get the same high-quality service.
When you join a course you’ll also get access to a huge range of additional online materials, including audio, video and interactive online exercises, and our podcast.
At more advanced levels we make use of authentic materials and an extensive library of textbooks, many of them available only in Russia, which we have built up over many years.
homework
We try to be realistic about the amount of homework we set; at the same time, your teacher will expect you to complete the homework you have been given! As a rough guide, you can expect to be given about two hours of homework a week.Â
lesson content
We realise that class time may be your only or main opportunity to speak Russian. Our approach, therefore, is broadly ‘communicative’: we concentrate on the spoken language, and we practise the language in class through conversation and oral drilling.
Lessons typically involve the following elements: free conversation introduction; homework review; targeted oral drills; listening and video practice; reading and discussion of texts; oral role-play exercises; oral translation into Russian.
missed lessons
Regular attendance is vital for your own progress and for the success of the group. If you do have to miss a class, you will automatically be provided with details of what you have missed and any homework set.
Some students like to arrange an individual catch-up lesson. This can normally be organised with your regular teacher, and is charged separately at a special discounted rate.
Students in in-person groups who know in advance that they will not be able to attend a lesson are encouraged to let us know: depending on the size and level of the group, we may be able to set up a hybrid classroom to allow remote attendance.
levels
Groups are available at all levels from complete beginner to advanced. For more information on the levels system used at RLC, please visit the levels page.
exams and certificates
Certificates of attendance stating the level of the group you have completed are available on request at the end of any term.
RLC holds the official Russian TRKI exams (Test of Russian as a Foreign Language) twice a year, run in conjunction with St Petersburg University.
We are not a registered Edexcel testing centre for GCSE or A level. However, we do have teachers who are experienced in preparing students for GCSE, A Level and University Entrance exams.