At ICLS, our students inspire us every day. They come from diverse backgrounds, professions, and cultures – but they all share a passion for language and connection.
Meet Elias Kassaritis. Raised bilingual in English and Greek, he later added German, French and Italian to his repertoire. By the time he moved to Washington, D.C., Elias was already a polyglot – but he had never studied a Slavic language. Curious to step outside the familiar, he chose Russian: a new alphabet, complex grammar, and a culture that challenged and inspired him.
His latest adventure? Mastering Russian with ICLS.
For Elias, every new language is a new lens on the world. German gave him access to philosophy and literature, French opened the doors to art and cinema, Italian connected him with history and travel. But when he looked back, he realized all of these languages had the same Latin or Germanic roots. What he hadn’t touched yet was the Slavic branch.
“I don’t know any Slavic languages. So like, you know, completely different language family, different cultures.”
That curiosity led him to Russian.
“Maybe people don’t agree, but I thought Russian is the most spoken and the most lingua franca… If you’re going to learn a Slavic language, I figured I’d want to learn Russian.”
*Elias chatting with Katya, ICLS Marketing Manager and Russian native, about his experience
Once Elias moved to Washington, D.C. for his job in 2024 and settled a little, he wanted something more serious than self-study. He had tried books before, but realized they couldn’t replace real interaction with a teacher.
“I got this book in Germany – but it wasn’t the same as listening, talking, learning from a teacher,” he said.
So he went online, searched for online Russian classes, and found ICLS. The format immediately worked for him:
ICLS wasn’t just another class for Elias – it was the structure and challenge he had been looking for.
Russian is famously difficult, even for experienced language learners. For Elias, switching from Latin-based languages to Cyrillic – especially Russian cursive – was a shock: “When I learn other languages it’s easy, because it’s the same alphabet. But for Russian I had to put in a lot of effort. I went on YouTube to learn all the connections.”
The grammar, too, is daunting – cases, consonant clusters, unfamiliar sounds. Yet Elias embraces the difficulty: “It’s hard, but I really like it. I want to be able to read, write, speak, and listen – all four skills.”
For him, the challenge is the reward.
Over six consecutive terms, Elias has moved from beginner to upper intermediate Russian. The ICLS curriculum – three Beginner and three Intermediate levels before Advanced conversational level – gave him a steady path forward: “The curriculum builds really smoothly. Homework is balanced, the teachers are excellent, and with only 2-3 students in a class, you get real attention.”
Whether you’re adding your sixth language like Elias, or starting your very first, ICLS Online Group Classes give you the structure, accountability, and immersion you need to succeed. Our 10-week online courses run in Arabic, Chinese, French, German, Portuguese, Russian, and Spanish. With small groups, expert instructors, and authentic materials, you’ll make real progress – and enjoy the process.