I wanted to deepen my ability with Portuguese and my friend recommended her multilingual teacher of Spanish: Seva. I had about one month and some exposure to Portuguese already and some knowledge of Spanish. Seva suggested we create conversational lessons only in Portuguese. He encouraged me to make mistakes — in other words, just express myself in Portuguese no matter what. That was the best training I’ve had and by the end of three weeks I was able to have conversations and my trip to Brazil was a success. — Izumi Fairbanks
I have taken several of Seva’s classes over the years and thoroughly enjoyed each of them! He emphasizes getting students to interact with authentic language as quickly as possible. His classes are fun and interesting, with a variety of activities. Seva is a master at language learning, and his students benefit from his considerable expertise. — Laura Jensen
Like all terrific teachers, Seva is more guide than authority figure for the student wanting to develop competency in a foreign language. Having been in several of Seva’s Italian classes over the past year, I appreciate his ability to cultivate the engaging, relaxed atmosphere that is crucial to developing language skills. I don’t worry about making mistakes or saying something that doesn’t make sense—it’s so clear that our class time is a sort of language laboratory where we can practice and enjoy the lessons we learn from our less-than-perfect phrases. Most importantly, the variety of activities and the sense of fun in Seva’s classes make our time interesting and enjoyable. – Carolyn Higgins
Seva utilized a variety of methods in our class, from videos to music to assigning role-plays and presentations. He found the methods that worked best for each student. He got me started on Skype language exchange, which has been invaluable for advancing my Russian conversation. Seva’s teaching prepared me well for more advanced Russian classes at the University of Washington.— Robert Tanner
I was about to go to Sicily last year and needed some help learning the language. Having studied Spanish, I could see the similarities but knew I needed some guidance. I saw Seva’s site on YouTube and was impressed with his method of teaching so I tracked him down to ask for a few private lessons. He not only helped me but, but did it without charging me. He’s a great teacher who is encouraging and has the ability to help you work with the skills you already have to understand and become fluent. — Tony Saladino
Seva is awesome! He is extremely smart and conveys his knowledge of language and history very well. He’s always very enthusiastic and makes class fun. I look forward to class with him and hope to continue on with Seva. — Spanish 101 Student
Excellent interactive learning process. Clear explanations. Draws the class into comfortable, willing participation, makes learning fun. Best language class I have had. — Spanish 101 Student
I love Seva’s humor, he really knows how to make learning a foreign language fun! Seva is the best! Seriously. I am very glad I ended up in the class because I was really nervous about taking a foreign language. Every aspect of Seva’s teaching style kept me from feeling too overwhelmed but always learning. — Spanish 101 Student
Seva was extremely good at motivating his students to learn by using various techniques: 1) giving clear instructions as to course content at the beginning and throughout the term; 2) Using humor and art to lighten things ups; 3) Gaging each student’s ability; 4) providing student’s progress and what to work on throughout the term. — Spanish 101 Student
Seva is awesome, he makes the classroom environment fun and exciting. — Spanish 101 Student
This class was amazing. Easily the best class I have ever had. Seva incorporated humor, visual illustrations and personal touches to his class, which allowed me to learn Spanish on a whole new level. I cannot tell you how nervous I was to take Spanish, as it was the only class I have ever failed in high school. Spanish is now my favorite class. — Spanish 101 Student
Learning a new language can be incredibly difficult. At times almost overwhelming. Seva Rzhondkovsky has gone through this process and has developed an amazing method of relating the information to the students in a very relevant way. — Spanish 101 Student
Rzhondkovsky is one of my favorite teachers I’ve ever had. He is creative and clearly has excitement for the subject which makes learning exciting. . . .He listens to input and is mindful of taking the class at a pace we are comfortable with, while at the same time pushing us to excel to our highest potential. — Spanish 101 Student
Seva was the first, and unquestionably the best, language instructor I had in pursuit of my PhD in Russian Language and Literature. For this reason, I recommend him as a tutor for my own students. He has a rare combination of being a thorough and challenging instructor but also creating a space of ease and joy; one where you feel comfortable and willing to make mistakes. Pragmatically, he has a varied set of approaches and is quick to shift methods based on your learning style and needs. Seva possesses the ideal combination of being a native Russian speaker and a thoughtful, invested student of languages himself, thus, he uniquely excels at understanding the difficulties of language acquisition and how to advance student performance. — Jennie Wojtusik
Profesor Seva: Gracias por enseñarme español. He aprendido mucho de usted. You are such an excellent teacher. I remember how afraid I was of Spanish that first class. I came in having failed once. You truly increased my confidence and taught me to love this language. All the best to you, and many blessings to you and yours.
¡Hola! I went ahead and submitted my rating for Rate My Professor with an outstanding rating and honest feedback on the good kind of challenge you provide for your students. They just need to approve it :). I’d like to thank you again for the class; it was certainly memorable and looking forward to continuing my journey into the Spanish language. You are a gem!
Thank you so much! I hope you have a great winter quarter! I really enjoyed your class; definitely my favorite Spanish class I have ever taken.
Hola Seva! Yeah! Final done! I think I did ok… I studied really hard. I already know I left one stupid blank! Argh! Anyway, THANKS for the fantastic quarter!
