Cover Letter Dear Hiring Manager, I am writing to express my interest in the position of Russian language teacher in your school. As a native speaker of Russian with a PhD in philosophy, specializing in Russian language and literature, I have over 10 years of experience teaching Russian as a foreign language and Russian Literature to students from various countries, including Georgia, China, and the United States. I am half Slavic by origin (I have Russian, Ukrainian, hence my surname, and Polish blood) and half Georgian. I was born and raised in Russia, in Moscow, where I studied at the A.M. Gorky Literary Institute, and then moved to live in Georgia and continued my education at the Tbilisi State University named after Iv. Javakhishvili at the Department of Russian Studies, where I taught a course on "History of Russian Literature of the 19th Century", a course on "Polish Literature" and a course on "Literature of the Russian Emigration" to Georgian students. In 2020 I defended my dissertation on "The Concept "Death" in the Poetics of Russian and Polish Symbolists (Diachronic Analysis)", this work is interdisciplinary and contains linguistic, cultural and literary aspects. I would also like to mention that I have a Master's degree in Translation Studies and Translation Practice, as after moving to Georgia I became seriously interested in translating Georgian authors into Russian and have national awards for my translations (Otar Chkheidze Award for Best Artistic Translation 2013), in particular, for translating Vazha-Pshavel's short stories into Russian. I am also a poet-essayist, winner of numerous poetry contests and festivals in various categories. My love for literature and language and my broad interest in all their manifestations make me well-versed in Russian culture, as well as in its relations with related or neighboring cultures, such as Polish or Georgian. In addition to my previous experience, I have also taught Russian language and Literature to Chinese students at Moscow State University named after M.V. Lomonosov, where I upgraded my qualifications and received a diploma in “Methodology of teaching Russian as a foreign language”. I have also worked as a Russian language instructor at Yale University's summer school. This experience became very important for me, because before I had no experience of teaching American students, and this, as I already know, has its own peculiarities, because of the difference in mentality (for example, punctuality of American students, their responsibility and accuracy in the fulfillment of tasks) is strikingly different from the nature of the learning process, for example, Georgian students. I also have a great experience in organizing both the educational process and the cultural component of a potentially interesting for American students (organization of excursions, selection of materials, Russian films, music, and interest clubs) as a coordinator of Yale University in Georgia 2023. Thanks to all this I have gained valuable experience in adapting my teaching methods to meet the needs of students from different cultural backgrounds. I believe that my experience teaching Russian language and Literature to USA, Georgian and Chinese students, combined with my passion for teaching and my creative approach, make me a strong candidate for the position of Russian language teacher at your school. Thank you for considering my application. Sincerely, Anna Kondratenko Education Iv. Javavkhishvili TSU, Candidate of Sciences (Ph.D in Russian Studies) 2020, M.V. Lomonosov MSU, Institute of the Russian Language and Culture (Moscow), Methods of teaching Russian as a foreign language 2023 Experience / Qualifications I have over 10 years of experience teaching Russian language and literature to foreign students from various countries, including Georgia, China, and the United States. Additionally, I have worked as a Russian language instructor at Yale University's summer school. I have also taught Russian language and literature to Chinese students at Moscow State University named after M.V. Lomonosov and to Georgian students at Tbilisi State University. I also have successful experience in online teaching of Russian as a foreign language using a virtual whiteboard and webcam.