Meet Yuliia – An accomplished private English teacher from Ukraine

In this article, we’ve had a chat with Yuliia Sudus, who is an accomplished private English tutor, translator, and author from Ukraine. For more than a decade she’s been tutoring students on a variety of topics ranging from general English to important state exams. She’s shared with us her story of how she ended up in the ESL industry and her best tips on how you too can build a successful career as a private English tutor.

English is a language that has become a crucial tool for communication and success in today’s globalized world. For many people, it’s not just a subject, but an investment in their careers and future.

Finding the right English teacher who has the skill and expertise to guide students on their language-learning journey can be the difference between frustration and fluency. Yuliia Sudus is an accomplished private English teacher from Ukraine who has been working in the ESL industry for over 10 years.

With a wealth of knowledge and a genuine passion for teaching, Yuliia has been helping students of all ages, levels and backgrounds achieve their language goals. Whether it’s exam preparation, work-related, or simply learning for personal growth, Yuliia has been able to build up an extensive repertoire of teaching skills over the years that she now uses to guide her students towards their goals.

In this blog post, Yuliia has shared with us her story of how she first got into teaching, as well as her best tips on how you too can build a long and successful career as a private English tutor.

Let’s hear what she has to say!

Yuliia’s interview:

💬 Hi Yuliia, could you please tell us a little bit about where you are from?

“I am Yuliia Sudus and Ukraine is my motherland. My native town is Lutsk, but I have been residing in Ivano-Frankivsk for a long time. Lutsk is a green European city famous for its bright festivals, national fairs, and medieval tourneys that take place in the Lubart Castle.

Over the past few years, Ivano-Frankivsk has been talked about as one of the most innovative and modern cities in Ukraine, moreover, it is located not far from the breathtaking Carpathian Mountains. Both of them are situated in the west part of the country.“

💬 How long have you been teaching English?

“My teaching experience stretches over more than 10 years. I have been working as a teacher of English in a couple of different institutions, including a private school, as well as private tutoring face-to-face and online.

I am experienced in teaching young learners as well as adults. Overall, I have been working on my own for a long time so far.“

💬 How did you first get started with English teaching?

Teaching demands a lot, so it is never as easy as a pie. One cannot just hang around and automatically become a specialist. Lots of practice is essential.

I began with volunteering as a teacher of English, teaching a group of visually impaired people in my hometown. Then I was tutoring when I was a university student.

My first serious teaching experience was my MA university practice. I taught English at my university. That was a so-called culmination of my Masters degree studies and I was over the moon to be working with small and big groups of real students of the Applied Linguistics department.

I gave lectures a try, too. That sensationally unforgettable time reassured me that I was completely fond of teaching. How delighted was I to find out that I wasn’t mistaken and my passion for English became my beloved job! I believe that I have improved my skills a lot since then.“

💬 What made you decide to pursue an English teaching career?

“I suppose, my reply is as clear as day. English has always been an incredibly important and inalienable constituent of my life since early childhood. My beloved grandfather was a teacher of English and writer, too.

I remember eavesdropping his completely engrossing lessons and then role playing as though I was a teacher at the age of 6. Indeed, he was the first educator of mine due to the fact that he taught me a lot of English words and collocations.

Since that unforgettable time English has truly become my passion.

💬 Where do you currently teach English?

“The cruel war in Ukraine has dramatically changed my usual schedule as well as daily routine. Due to this, I currently teach English online as well as face-to-face individually, and in small groups as a private tutor.

💬 What types of lessons do you provide as a private tutor?

I do not work as a teacher who helps with homework. Rather, I invariably create a unique student-oriented curriculum taking into account every single student level and needs.

I prepare students for state exams like DPA (the State Final Examination) and ZNO (the External Independent Evaluation), UEE (the Unified Entrance Exam), UPEE (the Unified Professional Entrance Examination) as well as for internationally recognised ones like IELTS Academic or General Training, and others.

In addition to private tutoring, I also work on translation projects, making translation an inevitable part of my work.

💬 What made you decide on pursuing private tutoring?

“The initial reason for plunging into working on my own were my intermediate, upper-intermediate and advanced students who were constantly asking about adding more lessons for which I hadn’t had enough time before.

Additionally, the opportunity to choose the textbooks, use my own methods and means of teaching freely, organise sessions that fit my timetable, and being able to cooperate with those who thrive to achieve good results.

With time I firmly decided to carry on. No one knows whether I change my decision or not. However, now I am fully content organising my work like this.“

💬 What types of students do you teach and how do you find them?

“Although most of my students are adults who study at university or work, there are secondary school pupils, too. A lot of my students are abroad, so I often teach online. They proceed advancing in their English with me wherever they are, whether it is Poland, or Slovakia, Turkey or the UK etc. The fact is that most of them have been working for years with me so far.

To tell you the truth, I hardly ever use any kind of advertising for, luckily, I still have a few clients waiting to become my students. These are brilliant students. To my deepest regret, I am not able to work with all of them. I am a happy teacher due to the fact that I feel that my work is valued.”

💬 Do you have any tips on what other teachers can do to find their own private tutoring students?

“First and foremost, my recipe for success in teaching is to be in your element, constantly developing professionally. Consequently, such a professional will always be in demand.

As for ways of finding students, I suppose, one could start a website or at least a social media profile. In addition, one might also try registering on a couple of teaching platforms.

By the way, welcome to visit my website enlaser.pro, where there are many engaging and useful articles as well as some of my own teaching/learning materials and lessons.

You can also find me on LinkedIn, Instagram as well as Facebook. By and large, one’s qualification, teaching experience and reputation really matter.”

💬 What are some of the best things about working as a private tutor?

“For starters, I consider being a private tutor who works on one’s own a great benefit. I believe that I should start with freedom and flexibility and total control over my job in all senses.

Secondly, a positive work environment as there are neither distractions nor external stress. Therefore, the productivity is at its peak. A student and a teacher stay mutually focused from the beginning till the end of every class. Accordingly, there is one objective for either of us.

In addition, I am tremendously content to be helping my students in foreign language acquisition as they literally explore a new linguistic world with me. It’s a great pleasure to be a guide in such an overwhelmingly fascinating tour. I observe them growing up, overcoming their learning obstacles, and accomplishing their lifelong ambitions. Our mutual work often yields sensational results and that’s the best reward!

Finally, I earn more for my time in comparison to the average salary of a school teacher or a university teacher in Ukraine.”

💬 What are some of the challenges of working as a private tutor?

“Probably the main difficulty is that I am snowed under days and nights. Planning and conducting lessons, working with textbooks and different teaching resources, texting my students all day long, checking piles of their homework in the late evening as well as taking into account the time zone difference when working with those of them who are abroad, is quite challenging.

One more thing is that I use only quality teaching materials and textbooks especially by Cambridge University Press, Oxford University Press, Pearson Education and some others, flashcards and board games etc.. I keep my classroom fully equipped, stay up to date in my speciality, as well I have been in constant professional development since I started teaching English as a foreign language.

Of course, all of the above listed is really costly and I occasionally spend a fortune on all these things.

Lastly, it’s frequently almost impossible to fit relaxation into such a busy schedule. As it may be seen, my work is an inevitable chunk of my life. Beyond the shadow of a doubt, it is my life.“

💬 What types of teaching qualifications do you possess?

“Firstly, I was lucky to study at a specialised school with enhanced coverage of English. Then, I entered university and received my BA in Philology (Specialisation: Translation), later MA in Applied Linguistics (Specialisation: Translation) from Lesia Ukrainka Volyn National University.

I completed my postgraduate course at Vasyl Stefanyk Precarpathian National University in a couple of years, successfully defended my PhD dissertation on Germanic Languages and obtained a PhD (Candidate of Philological Sciences).

In addition to my BA, MA, and PhD, I also possess a couple of TESOL/TEFL certifications, as well as TEYL and TEOL certificates from World TESOL Academy for which I am very grateful.

Other qualifications I have obtained that prove my continuous development as a teacher are certificates and documents that prove the successful completion of the courses for teachers of English by the British Council, as well as the University of California (Irvin) etc.

l also have several certificates of attendance and participation in a range of different online and face-to-face seminars and conferences for teachers of English by Cambridge English and others.”

💬 What’s a good way for teachers to maintain their professional development?

I personally take great advantage of every webinar, conference or course I am engaged in. Furthermore, it is an opportunity to be an integral part of the global teaching community, keep in touch, share experiences, reflections and ideas with one’s colleagues.

Sad to say, the Covid-19 pandemic and war in Ukraine turned not only my life upside down. I really miss those profound live events for teachers I was lucky to take part in. 

A few of the most memorable ones were the Cambridge English Back to School Seminars with an ELT author and an international teacher trainer Herbert Puchta in Lviv or, for instance, seminars with teacher trainer, materials’ designer and author Olha Madylus in Ivano-Frankivsk.

Even so, I do my best to keep up my teaching progress during these tough times. I am totally convinced that every educator should take pains to keep their fingers on the pulse, so I do recommend that they pursue English teaching certifications like TESOL/TEFL, TEYL, TEAL, and TEOL.“

💬 What motivates you as an English teacher?

“As I mentioned before, teaching should be a vocation. I have never taught for money. A teacher has to possess a lifelong love for learning and be constantly developing his or her professional skills. That’s exactly the case for me.

As Benjamin Franklin said, “Tell me and I forget, teach me and I remember, involve me and I learn.” I suppose, this is the essence of education.

My students` hard work, perseverance as well as their attainments often inspire and motivate me most of all. That indicates that I am in the right place at the right time.

💬 Do you have any inspiring stories that have helped you stay motivated as a teacher?

“I have dozens of inspiring stories from my teaching career, but there’s one which stand stands out. It may seem unbelievable, but even when the war in Ukraine broke out on the 24th of February, most of my students continued their studies, even after hearing russian missiles rain down around Ukraine.

Notwithstanding the fact that they were confronting unusual challenges, experiencing severe stress and dreadful fear, some of them even dared to go abroad in order to successfully sit their exams we had been preparing for, because all authorised Cambridge English exam centres in Ukraine were closed. And they all succeeded, so where there’s a will, there’s a way.

Sincerely, I am on cloud nine to be teaching such diligent, talented and outstanding students.“

💬 What traits and skills do you think aspiring English teachers should aim to develop?

“I reckon some core qualities of a good teacher should aim to develop include excellent skills in communication, listening, collaboration, adaptability, empathy and patience.

If you are interested in online tutoring, then computer literacy is one of the top skills needed to become an online teacher, too.

Other usefull skills that aspiring English teachers should focus on are being flexible, excellent at multitasking, good at planning, problem solving and have exceptional organisational skills.

In a nutshell, if one has a desire to become a successful tutor, he or she has to possess a strong personality, be a charismatic professional who is constantly working and developing, as well as always ready to tackle a variety of challenges. No pain, no gain.

My goodness, have just read what I wrote and realised that it may sound too scary to freshly-baked teachers. Just calm down, admire your job and keep improving.“

💬 What’s an important trait or skill that many teachers often underestimate?

“I would say creative thinking. This is my cup of tea for I am an author who has already published 3 books, two of which include my own poetry in English. The first,«Halfway to the Sun», was published in Ukraine by Discursus in 2020. The second, «In Search of Blue», was published in Malaysia by Nusa Centre in 2022.

I wholeheartedly believe that creativity is of paramount importance nowadays. However, it is only the tip of the iceberg, I guess. The list of compulsory teaching skills is very extensive in reality.“

💬 Could you give us a glimpse of what a typical week would look like for you?

“A typical week for me is work around the clock as teaching takes most of my time. I usually combine my tutoring responsibilities with translation projects as well as occasionally writing poetry or short prose. However, my daily routine has changed since the war in my country broke out.”

💬 How has the war affected your life as a teacher in Ukraine?

I would never have thought that I would be witnessing such a genocide of the Ukrainian people by a neighbouring country in the 21st century. It is not only mentally tough, but also physically challenging to go on working at my usual pace during this war.

It has tremendously affected my teaching career and career prospects. It altered the lives of all Ukrainians. We have got power cuts every day and we frequently hear loud and frightening air-raid alarms. I heard bombing myself, although I live in the west of Ukraine. I wouldn’t write what they often end with as the information about destroyed Ukrainian cities and the horrific consequences of the ongoing russian invasion is widely available on the Internet and mass media.

There’s a loud siren outside while I am writing these lines and lights are very often off in my house. Today we had only 5 hours of power. It’s chilly as it is winter here. Luckily, the temperature outside has been mostly above zero this month and I became accustomed to conducting lessons with alternative equipment, namely power banks and USB lamps.

Yet, it’s an absolutely terrible reality we are forced to live, work and fight in. It is truly terrible. At times I feel entirely worn out, but when it comes to teaching, I regain enthusiasm, for I am convinced that I am on duty and perform a salient mission. So, Ukrainians have learned to plan. They keep surviving inspite of these dire circumstances.

All Ukrainian teachers are heroes. Despite the war, they are continuing their classes under threats, air raids, and in bomb shelters.“

💬 What’s next in store for you?

“The war ruined a lot of plans and career prospects. I would love to have many new and precise goals as I consider myself to be an ambitious and a rather determined person. Woefully, it seems almost unfeasible to plan and set some personal and professional long-term objectives.

So, I decided to do what I am to do every day until I am able to come back to a peaceful life in a peaceful country and dream big. Meanwhile, I do have some short-term ones, and taking a TEAL course by World TESOL Academy is going to become the one to start off. As far as I am concerned, it is the only course I haven’t done yet. Obviously, I`ll have a try.“

💬 Are there any ways people can help support local educators and the people of Ukraine?

“The world has been supporting Ukraine immensely and the Ukrainian people appreciate this very much. I am sure one could easily find many official organisations online to donate money, goods or suggest any other kinds of help for Ukrainians. This war is hell on earth where the light has to win. Do not stand aside, please. Be the light, too.“

Conclusion

Working as a private English tutor can be a very rewarding experience that offers the opportunity to work one-on-one with their students, tailoring their teaching style to meet the individual needs of each learner, and make a real difference in a student’s life.

To achieve this, private tutors need to constantly adapt their teaching strategies to meet the evolving needs of their students, and be willing to put in extra effort to ensure their success. This means staying up-to-date with the latest teaching methods and technologies, and seeking out professional development opportunities whenever possible.

Despite the challenges of living in a country affected by war, Yuliia remains motivated and committed to helping her students improve their English language skills and reach their goals.

By constantly striving to improve her teaching skills through professional development, she has been able to build a thriving teaching career as a private English tutor. With determination and the right training, you too can become a successful private English tutor, just like Yuliia.

If you are interested in pursuing a career as a professional private English tutor, our accredited teacher training courses will help you develop the essential skills needed to succeed.

You can find more information about our dual-accredited teacher training courses here: https://www.worldtesolacademy.com/courses/