Fluent Russian-speaking teacher helping you sound more natural in American English
Do you ever feel like your English is good — but something still gives you away?
If you’re a Russian speaker who’s been learning English for years, you might be fluent, but you’re tired of being asked, “Where are you from?”
I help Russian-speaking professionals fine-tune their pronunciation, intonation, word choice, grammar, and all other aspects of accent so they can sound more confident, clear, and natural in American English.
Why work with me?
I speak Russian fluently and lived in Moscow for six years. I’ve worked closely with dozens of Russian speakers, so I understand exactly where your accent and grammar habits come from — and how to fix them in a way that actually sticks.
When needed, I can explain tricky concepts in Russian, but lessons are fully in English and focused on practical improvement.
Examples of common mistakes I help Russian speakers fix:
Mixing up “W” and “V” Some Russian words like волосы use a softer version of V than is typically used in English--a hybrid of w and v sounds. This leads to Russian speakers saying words like vibe with a w sound and words like web with a v sound. Learning the proper mouth position, engaging in ear training, and extensive practice eliminates this confusion
The “th” sounds Replacing “think” with “sink” or “tink”
Flat or robotic intonation Translating directly from Russian can make you sound stiff or too fast — even if your grammar is perfect
Unnatural grammar Phrases like “I feel myself delighted” or “I very like it” aren’t correct in English, and they can make you sound less fluent than you really are
Vowel and R sound issues Words like “girl,” “bird,” “feel,” and “fill” often cause problems — but they’re easily fixable
Vocal resonance, or placement Russian speakers often have a thin, tight quality to their voice when speaking English due to using the same vocal postures typically required for speaking Russian. In American English, we use a more open and relaxed vocal posture often leading to a deeper, more resonant voice quality.
What my students say
“I'm Ukrainian, and I spent eighteen years living in the USA. I speak English comfortably, but with a heavy accent from Eastern Europe. This website led me to Jesse. After ten lessons or so, my clients began to remark on how well I spoke English. One person even commented on how little of an accent I have. I have already recommended Jesse to my friends from Eastern Europe. Jesse is quite entertaining and is well-aware of the issues with East European accents.”
-Valeria from Ukraine
"It’s actually quite difficult to find a good tutor once you’ve reached a higher level. I was searching for an accent tutor to improve my pronunciation, and it took me 3 different teachers to find Jesse. So far, I’ve had 5 accent reduction classes with him, and results are impressing! P.S. those with Eastern European accents especially—book Jesse and you’re golden."
Alexandra from Russia
You can find more feedback on my student reviews page.
About Lessons
Whether you want to polish your pronunciation, improve your rhythm and intonation, or correct grammar that sounds “off” to native speakers, I offer a structured and personalized training plan tailored to Russian-speaking learners of English.
Accent lessons are designed to help you sound more natural and confident in American English — not just by learning individual sounds, but also by mastering the intonation, rhythm, and flow of how Americans actually speak.
We’ll work with detailed, illustrated guides to break down each part of the American accent. You’ll get targeted help with:
For each new sound or concept, I’ll show you how to position your tongue and shape your mouth — with diagrams, examples, and audio recordings. You’ll develop phonetic awareness so you can hear and fix mistakes on your own.
Lessons are hands-on and practical. You’ll:
Read out loud with live pronunciation coaching
Speak about topics designed to use the sounds or grammar we’re practicing
Receive targeted corrections and tips in real time
Practice with customized texts, tongue twisters, and listening exercises
Get recordings and exercises to review between lessons
If grammar or vocabulary is a weak spot, I also offer discussion-based lessons that help you learn and use correct advanced grammar in real conversation. For Russian speakers, this often means fixing common habits like overly-wordy speech due to using Russian grammar constructions, missing articles or issues conjugating verbs.
Most students take a mix of pronunciation, advanced grammar, and fluency training — depending on their goals. Everything is personalized, and I’ll adjust the lessons based on your accent and speaking habits.
Let’s get started
If you're ready to take your English to the next level — and stop feeling stuck at “almost fluent” — I’d love to help. Reach out for more information at Hello@USAccentwithJesse.com