Teach the alphabet slowly. Russian uses the Cyrillic alphabet and therefore Russian students will be unfamiliar with the Latin alphabet used in English unless they have already studied another European language. Demonstrate the correct shape of the letters, concentrating initially on those that are similar in both alphabets. Encourage the students to practice copying out new letters until they are able to draw them confidently.
Demonstrate the correct pronunciation of the English letters. Some sounds such as "k," "a," and "t" are the same in English and in Russian so students should grasp these quickly. Other sounds are present in Russian but represented by different letters, for example the English sound "oo" corresponds to the Russian letter "y." Take particular care when teaching English sounds that are not present in Russian, such as "th" and "w," as these are the sounds likely to cause the greatest problems for students.
Start by teaching basic English phrases such as "hello," "goodbye," and "thank you." These are not difficult to master and will give the students an early sense of achievement that will encourage them to continue learning. Concentrate on teaching vocabulary that will be useful to students when traveling or looking for work in the English-speaking world. Ensure the vocabulary you teach is modern and appropriate to the age of the students.
Introduce the key concepts in English grammar gradually. Focus initially on those instances where the grammar of English is simpler than that of Russian. Unlike Russian, for example, English has no noun genders or case endings that need to be learned. The biggest problem likely to be faced by Russian students is the English system of tenses, which is very different to what is used in Russian. Explain new grammatical ideas slowly, giving students plenty of opportunities to ask questions about things they do not understand.
Provide opportunities for students to practice the English they have learned. Encourage students to engage in basic conversations with each other in English to reinforce the phrases they have studied. Once the students are at a suitable level, consider showing English-language films or television programs in class to enable the students to practice their listening comprehension skills. This is a fun way to reinforce the difficult grammar and vocabulary that you are teaching.