Maxim Achkasov OCELT, ACE TESOL, TESL Diploma, CertIBET, B.A., M.A.
Personally, I enjoy spending time with the family (Tatyana, Nikita and Maxim Jr), coding, doing some random voice-over, playing the guitar, and exploring cults and religions (e.g., Soviet Pentecostals). Besides that, I am keen on thought-provoking cinema, fine art, realistic (non-photoshopped) photography, heart-warming music, and, most importantly, words... original and life-reflecting thoughts.
Professional Summary
As a foreign language educator, I have been fortunate to have personally worked with students from 40 countries:
Afghanistan 🇦🇫 Armenia 🇦🇲 Austria 🇦🇹 Brazil 🇧🇷 Cameroon 🇨🇲 Canada 🇨🇦 China 🇨🇳 Colombia 🇨🇴 Congo 🇨🇬 Croatia 🇭🇷 England 🇬🇧 Ethiopia 🇪🇹 Germany 🇩🇪 Hungary 🇭🇺 India 🇮🇳 Iraq 🇮🇶 Ireland 🇮🇪 Israel 🇮🇱 Japan 🇯🇵 Jordan 🇯🇴 Kazakhstan 🇰🇿 Libya 🇱🇾 Moldova 🇲🇩 Myanmar 🇲🇲 Pakistan 🇵🇰 Palestine 🇵🇸 Poland 🇵🇱 Russia 🇷🇺 Somalia 🇸🇴 South Korea 🇰🇷 Sudan 🇸🇩 Switzerland 🇨🇭 Syria 🇸🇾 Turkey 🇹🇷 UAE 🇦🇪 USA 🇺🇸 Ukraine 🇺🇦 Vietnam 🇻🇳 Yemen 🇾🇪
Goals
As a teacher of adult ESL learners my goals are to provide students with a safe and engaging learning environment, to equip them with real-world language skills (i.e. reading, writing, listening and speaking), and to help them achieve both academic and professional excellence and intercultural competence to their highest potential.
Vision
To be a resourceful and professional ESL teacher who is able to effectively prepare learners for work or study.
Success
A not-intensive but disciplined, relaxed and yet thoughtful study, led through an engaged dialogue with thoughtful and regular feedback is a sure way to significant and solid progress in learning a foreign language.
PowerPoint Presentations
Learning English with Songs
Students' Works
Work Experience
Language Skills (LINC) Instructor - YMCA of Southwestern Ontario
Business English Teacher - Language School English4real
Business English Teacher - Nikitova LLC
Educational Research Analyst - Euro-Asian Accrediting Association (EAAA)
Theology Teacher - Ukrainian Evangelical Theological Seminary (UETS)
English Second Language Teacher (internship) - Regents English Language Centre
University Degrees
Bachelor's and Master's Degrees Approval
Master of Arts (M.A.) - The University of Manchester
Bachelor of Arts (B.A. with honors) - The University of Manchester
Certificates & Diplomas
Diploma, Teaching English as a Second or Foreign Language/ESL Language Instructor
LearnIT2teach Certificates - Stages PS2, 1, 2, 3
- Stage 1 Introduction - 2.5-hour professional development workshop introducing computer-assisted language learning and blended learning (September 2023, Trainer: Jen Artan, LearnIT2teach, New Language Solutions);
- Stage 2 - 15-hour professional training prepares settlement language instructors working in a blended learning or fully online context to provide a range of online learning opportunities using LINC courseware (October 2023, Trainer: Jen Artan, LearnIT2teach, New Language Solutions);
- Stage 3 - 30-hour professional training facilitate the LINC courseware while developing more insight into online/blended learning, best practices in settlement language training and Moodle course editing and course management (January 2024, Trainer: Jen Artan, LearnIT2teach, New Language Solutions);
ACE TESOL Certificate Program
Accessing the Business Job Market
Portfolio-based language assessment (PBLA) Certificate
Canadian Language Benchmarks (CLB) Certificate
Responsive Web Design
Becoming a Confident Trainer (ConfTrnr)
Early Childhood Education (EChldEdu)
Grammar for Teachers: Language Awareness
Education in a Changing World
Teaching Adult Learners
Postgraduate Diploma in Psychological Counseling
Primary English Teacher Training Online (Primary ETTO)
International Business English Training (Cert IBET)
Diploma in Teaching Russian as a Foreign Language (TRFL)
INTESOL Certificate
Tests & Examinations
CELPIP test - 10
ILSAT test - 94
CILISAT test - 91.6 / 93.5
CLBPT Assessment - CLB8
EnglishScore - CEFR C1 599/600
Duolingo English Test - CEFR C1 140/160
EF SET - 82/100 C2 Proficient
IELTS - 7.5
BEC Higher - C1
TKT - Modules 1, 2, 3
Module 1 - Language and background to language learning and teaching (Band 4);
Module 2 - Lesson planning and use of resources for language teaching (Band 3);
Module 3 - Managing the teaching and learning process (Band 3).
Volunteer Experience
Teaching English for the workplace
Online English Grammar Course Teacher - www.english4real.com - Kyiv, Ukraine
BESIG coordinator at IATEFL Ukraine
Accomplishments
Throughout my teaching career, I have achieved the following milestones:
- Delivered over 14,500 hours of one-to-one and group classes;- Recorded more than 280 video lessons on YouTube;
- Created over 1,200 original vocabulary tests for A2-C1 levels;
- Received more than 100 positive reviews from students;
- Grew a Facebook community to over 10,000 followers and a YouTube channel to over 8,000 subscribers;
- Developed an educational website with study materials used by an average of over 4,000 people daily for free;
- Set up and effectively maintained the Learning Management System (LMS) for the language school’s academic purposes;
- Developed an efficient attendance-and-payment reporting system in Excel for the language school’s managerial purposes.
Skills & Qualities
In terms of ESL teacher skills, Maxim Achkasov, has:
- strong personal and interpersonal skills;
- excellent listening and speaking skills;
- good writing skills;
- good time-management and organizational/record-keeping skills;
- knowledge of various teaching techniques and methodologies;
- good problem-solving skills;
- a wide range of experiences in the field of English as a Second Language.
He is also:
- highly motivated and reliable, patient and open-minded;- good at establishing rapport, building and maintaining constructive relationship with students;
- able to facilitate interesting and engaging group discussions;
- able to make learners feel comfortable and focused in the classroom;
- able to determine effective ways to teach students with different learning styles and needs;
- good at public speaking;
- disciplined and works well in a collaborative environment with other teachers and administration;
- computer literate with some IT knowledge and experience (i.e. html, css, js); therefore, able to incorporate new educational technological solutions into the classroom environment;
- culturally sensitive;
- strategic thinker committed to progress of ESL learners;
- comfortable with electronic communication and social media;
- adaptable and able to comply with institutional policies and procedures.
Membership
Testimonials
"Trust me it is a pleasure to work with Maxim! In my experience of learning the language I have met many teachers, including the native one. Though the most effective approach turned out to be that of Maxim – the approach to his students, the study materials and diversity. Attention to details, needs of the learners, preparation and delivering the classes in a friendly atmosphere are a hallmark of Maxim.
Maxim helped me in my preparation to enter the master’s degree. Maxim ’s knowledge and experience of taking international language exams and interviews was a big advantage for in the preparation process. Different variations of questions and answers, appropriate and timely points, details, strategies, tests and a thorough analysis of the results became the key to my successful admission. In this there is a significant contribution from Maxim ; that is what I am grateful to him for.
I am sure that Maxim’s business will thrive and there will be more and more students!"
- Duman A. (Lawyer)