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Study Polish, German, Russian or Czech with an experienced PhD
Christina M.

5.0 (190 ratings)

310 hours tutoring

Your first lesson is backed by our Good Fit Guarantee
Hourly Rate: $40
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About Christina

Bio

I have extensive experience teaching foreign languages, writing and history.

My specializations are Eastern European languages and history, and I also work with foreign languages every day as a translator.

The nineteen years I spent living in Poland and Slovakia have allowed me to perfect my Polish and Slovak (both at C2 level). I have taught Polish at the University of Washington and the Polish Cultural Center in Seattle, as well as Polish to English translation at the University of...

I have extensive experience teaching foreign languages, writing and history.

My specializations are Eastern European languages and history, and I also work with foreign languages every day as a translator.

The nineteen years I spent living in Poland and Slovakia have allowed me to perfect my Polish and Slovak (both at C2 level). I have taught Polish at the University of Washington and the Polish Cultural Center in Seattle, as well as Polish to English translation at the University of Warsaw.

I am also able to tutor German and Russian -- I passed the Mittelstufenprüfung (corresponding to C1 in today's CEFL scheme) after study in West Berlin and Austria, and have taught adult and teenager classes at the Tacoma German Language School. I know Russian very well from years of study at the undergraduate and graduate levels. As a long-time resident of the Russian House at the University of Washington, I had the opportunity to mentor and tutor undergraduates in Russian.

As an historian, I have had a great deal of experience teaching students how to research, write and revise essays. I have been engaged in these kinds of activities for almost thirty years, ever since receiving specialized training in the teaching of writing at Brown University.

Although I believe humor and encouragement are key to motivating and putting students at ease, this does not mean my standards are not the highest possible -- as my students' success demonstrates.

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Education

Brown University
History and Russian Studies
University of Washington
Masters
University of Washington
PhD

Policies

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Approved Subjects

Czech

Czech

I studied Czech as a graduate student at the University of Washington in Seattle for three years at the intermediate and advanced level, focusing on translation, for which I received a Foreign Language Area Studies Fellowship (full ride scholarship and stipend for graduate studies). I also lived in Bratislava, Slovakia, for ten years and am fully fluent (at the C2 level) in Slovak, which is linguistically very close to Czech. In addition, as a professional translator, I have translated texts from Czech. I believe the key to guaranteeing a good foundation in foreign languages is to master their sounds first, and that the best way of propelling students forward is to provide them with an endless stream of interesting linguistic sources in the form of lyrics and songs, information about history and culture, and tidbits from current events and the press. I also try as hard as I can to tailor my materials to students' individual interests.
German

German

In 1990, I passed the Mittelstufenprüfung, the equivalent of today's C1 exam, after having completed two courses at Goethe Institute in Berlin. In addition, I also took courses at the University of Washington, in high school, and as a child. Most recently, I taught an adult German class at the Tacoma German Language School, and continue to tutor the language on a weekly basis. I believe the key to guaranteeing a good foundation in foreign languages is to master their sounds first, and then the grammar, and that the best way of propelling students forward is to provide them with an endless stream of interesting linguistic sources in the form of lyrics and songs, information about history and culture, and tidbits from current events and the press. I also try as hard as I can to tailor my materials to students' individual interests. My German students are often particularly appreciative of my ability to explain German's rather difficult grammar in a way that makes it easier to understand and use.
Polish

Polish

My students find that as a non-native Polish teacher, I am better able to explain Polish grammar than many native speakers, who know how to say something, but not why. For almost thirty years, learning Polish, and then translating from Polish and teaching it, has been a main focus of my life. I simply love Polish, and like to share with anyone who is interested the many things I find so interesting about it -- from its cute little "tails", to its grammar, to its many interesting sayings and great slang. For those who might know another Slavic language, I like to compare and contrast with Russian, Czech, Slovak and Slovenian. In 1992, I passed the Polish state exam in the Polish language while studying in Warsaw, Poland, and then took the State Department exam in 1994. I taught Polish to English translation at the University of Warsaw in Poland for 3.5 years, and have also taught Polish at the University of Washington in Seattle. In the autumn of 2023, I was honored to receive the Michael Henry Heim Prize in Collegial Translation. I am currently teaching three adult beginning Polish classes at the Polish Home cultural center in Seattle. During the years 1989-2003, I lived a total of nine years in Poland, during which time I also worked as a freelance translator and interpreter. Among other things, I interpreted during interviews with former Polish president, Solidarity leader and Nobel Prize laureate Lech Wałęsa, and also with General Wojciech Jaruzelski, the head of Poland's communist government during the period of martial law. I believe the key to guaranteeing a good foundation in foreign languages is to master their sounds first, and then the grammar, and that the best way of propelling students forward is to provide them with an endless stream of interesting linguistic sources in the form of lyrics and songs, information about history and culture, and tidbits from current events and the press. I also try as hard as I can to tailor my materials to students' individual interests. My Polish students are ofte
Russian

Russian

Language learning should be fun, and my natural curiosity and love of languages help make it that way for students, too. As a non-native speaker of Russian, I am able to explain its rather complex grammar to learners in a way that they often find very effective. I have a degree in Russian Studies from Brown University, where I graduated Phi Beta Kappa and magna cum laude with a 4.0 GPA in Russian (four years of intensive study, plus one year of Russian literature in Russian). As a graduate student at the University of Washington, I also had three and a half years of specialized courses in Russian to English translation. Since 1990, I have tutored Russian privately and as a senior member of the Russian language house at the University of Washington, where I lived for six years. I have taught language and translation classes at universities in Seattle and Warsaw.
Writing

Writing

Having been specially trained in the teaching of writing at Brown University, I have since served as a writing tutor and mentor at Brown University and the University Washington, where much of my job as a teaching assistant in the history department was to coach students with their writing assignments. I have also helped students and colleagues edit their papers and publications, and have also engaged in that kind of work professionally for decades. As a translator and teacher of languages, words and their meanings, and the grammar that holds them all together, are of great interest to me. Often, all it takes is for me to reveal how the student's own language works in order for his or her own writing to improve.
Grammar
Reading
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Ratings and Reviews

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5.0 (190 ratings)
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Reviews

I feel like I can learn Polish now!

This is more of a general review since I have been working with Christina for several weeks. I feel like I have been trying to learn Polish in somewhat of a haphazard way over the past couple of years, and almost was going to quit, but thought I would try one last time. I am glad I did and found Christina to work with! My lessons with Christina have been really helpful. I feel like she is genuinely interested in the language itself, but also in teaching it. She gives you a lot of her time outside of the lessons by grading homework, but also by sending you helpful material to continue learning. I am much more joyful in my approach to learning Polish now and I think it is paying off! Thank you, Pani Krysiu!

Gail, 36 lessons with Christina

Caring and Patient

Pani Krysia is a lovely teacher. Pani Krysia has helped fix many speaking and accent issues and always has homework marked up and ready to discuss. She's very patient answering my many questions and loves to talk about Polish history. The lessons are pleasant and well-diversified: we talk in Polish (or at least I try :P), study exercises in grammar, and look at Polish media (or grocery stores even!). If you're looking for a fun, knowledgeable, and caring tutor, Christina will be a wonderful fit. :)

Michael, 15 lessons with Christina

Patient and Helpful

My first lesson consisted of learning to speak Polish words and getting used to the different sounds. It wasn't overwhelming at all. The recommended homework and reading are already making much more sense - but make sure you spend the time. I even tried a few sentences with my Polish-speaking husband, and he was able to understand me! I'm looking to my next session.

Lesley, 14 lessons with Christina

Very knowledgeable and patient

Christina is teaching me Slovak. We're only one lesson in right now but I'm enjoying it so far. She took the time to learn where I am in terms of my current knowledge of the language and I think it's really going to pay off down the road.

Jeremiah, 9 lessons with Christina

Have to start somewhere on my doubtful quest to learn Polish

This was my first lesson and CHRISTINA provided an interesting and useful introduction to the phonetics of the Polish language. Whether I will ever remember any of this is another matter but that is not Christina's issue.

Martin , 9 lessons with Christina

Polish Lessons

Christina M. is a fantastic tutor! She patiently went over Polish pronunciation with me and made sure I was pronouncing everything in just the right way. She is a real expert and sounds like a native speaker. I can recommend lessons from her!

Noah, 2 lessons with Christina

Ignited my passion for Polish

I am starting with very minimal Polish and Christina was not only very kind and knowledgeable, but was very encouraging and passionate about my own beginning journey. She has sent me several materials to work on for the next lesson, and I've found myself studying harder than before. I am so looking forward to continue working with her!

Haley, 3 lessons with Christina

Patient Instruction

I feel like we are starting to get into a rhythm and I’m really enjoying Pani Christina’s teaching methods!

Adam, 17 lessons with Christina

Christine is very accomplished language tutor. And she is easy to work with.

Christine is very knowledgeable in Polish and other languages as well. She has lived in Eastern Europe, including Poland. Some of her work experiences have matched my interests in Poland. While I am working to learn this language, Christine has been very helpful as I am planning to travel to Poland this summer. She has provided information and Polish words, so I am able to recognize where to catch a train! Christine has been a pleasure to work with. She is encouraging and very patient. Christine only compliments when it is earned. This is a difficult language for me. Homework and listening to recorded conversations really help. I have used the apps that Christine suggested, and they have helped as well. She is the best!

Jeri, 14 lessons with Christina

Fantastic Tutor!

Christina is an exceptional polish teacher! Her knowledge in the subject matter is truly impressive, and her ability to convey complex concepts in a clear and understandable manner is so good. I've only taken two lessons with her but I’ve already greatly benefited from her guidance in sounding out words. She has fantastic lesson plans that have made learning both enjoyable and effective. I highly recommend Christina to anyone looking for a top-notch polish teacher!

Alexa, 12 lessons with Christina
Hourly Rate: $40
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