Is your child enjoying their English lessons? Here's how to find out...

“When I overheard him making jokes in English with his tutor, I knew this was really working.”?The pride in Olegs Ustinkovs’ voice is unmistakable.

? Novakid Inc ’s HR Director beams as he describes his son Mikhail’s learning experience with us, which began at 7 years old with two lessons a week. Three years later, he’s advanced to three sessions a week, and shows no signs of slowing down.

“It’s like he doesn’t even know he’s learning!” Olegs laughs.

The key, according to Olegs, is the genuine connection that his son and his tutor have developed, and the authentic, immersive style of learning that has proved so successful. “He’s confident, engaged, not afraid of making mistakes — and most importantly, enthusiastic about the process.”

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Olegs is all the more grateful for Mikhail’s positive experience, because he knows all too well what the alternative approach could be. His own English learning process in the former USSR was very different, both at school and with private tutors.

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“Getting to school every day required taking a bus from the outskirts of town to the centre, followed by a long walk! When my tutor was sick, there was no replacement. These days, Mikhail just turns on his tablet and has fun! I’m quite jealous. And when his tutor is unavailable, there is always an alternative.”

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“In my day, the teaching methods were static and lacking context — there was no communicative or collaborative approach,” he recalls. “To be successful despite that system, you had to personally be very interested in the subject.”

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Olegs’ perseverance paid off. After completing his Bachelor’s Degree in Pedagogics and Psychology in Latvia, he pursued even higher education in the United States, securing a Master in Education (EdM) in Organisational Policy & Human Resource Management from the Graduate School of Education at Rutgers University in New Jersey.

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“I’ve always loved working with people,” he says, rather modestly. Since being headhunted by a Latvian bank after finishing his studies in the US, Olegs has held several HR Director positions in large companies, involving extensive travel across Russia and Central Europe.

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And his experience at Novakid, which he joined in 2019? “It’s the perfect work/life balance — with no unnecessary bureaucracy. We trust each other to be professional and get the job done. Plus, there’s unlimited PTO!

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And of course, I really believe in our mission and how we approach it. It’s a totally interactive style of learning, which feels very natural, and helps our students build strong relationships with their tutors. The benefits are clear to see.”

?His son’s experience is testament to that approach, having stayed with one of his tutors for over two years. In an industry more typically associated with short-term assignments for specific study periods such as exam season, this level of rapport is rare to see.

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And what does Olegs see for the future of his son’s education?

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“The education industry in general is going through a very interesting phase. The pandemic obviously accelerated online learning, but really, it’s not that new. I was able to watch lectures online back when I was at university in 1996!

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But back then, that was very much the exception. Today, the difference is that the overall culture and attitude towards online education and remote working has been totally transformed. Kids learning through online-only platforms like Novakid will have a huge advantage as they are already very familiar with this style of learning and collaboration.”

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Still, Olegs believes there will always be room for traditional schooling — but with a more modern approach.

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“Some curriculums haven’t changed with the times at all. Collectively, industry authorities and education ministries should be looking at how to leverage online tools to elevate their education offering. For example, with the right combination of traditional lessons and online platforms, two years of secondary school could be completed in half that time.

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The classical subjects will always be a core part of a child’s education, particularly STEM subjects — which are all the more important in our digital era. The key will be integrating the right technologies to ensure kids are really engaging with these important topics.”

?Even if the authorities are slow to adapt, Olegs is confident that Novakid certainly won’t be.

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“We have a very strong blend of approaches already, and we’re working hard to take these to the next level by building an inclusive, international community of young English learners — including students with special needs.

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Our AR/VR, machine learning and gamification technologies have been a huge hit, and we’re introducing features such as group lessons and multi-user games to make the experience even more interactive and fun. There’s even an ‘online summer camp’ in the works!”

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Olegs smiles as he remembers his own (real-life) camp experience, at Camp Counsellor USA. “The total immersion in that English-speaking environment and all its activities was different than anything I’d practised before — and did wonders for my learning. That’s the kind of natural situation with native speakers we’re aiming to replicate on a 1-1 basis at Novakid.”?

?Where do you think online learning fits into the future of education? Does technology threaten traditional schooling — or does it have the power to change it for the better? Tell us your thoughts!