TRADUX Foreign Language Academy

I knocked on their door one day, as I was passing by. The owners, Lydia and Eric, welcomed me very politely and told me they do provide translation services. I needed a translation of some of my foreign bank account statements, so I asked them to let me review the translation once they complete it. They reluctantly agreed to that (that was a red flag, right there!), telling me I should not distrust them. But they finally agreed. Hoping they could see it fair to let the customer judge their work, I explained to them I must review the transation because it is part of my IRS file. They told me they would give me an estimate within the next day or two. Four days later, they send me an estimate (a suspiciously high quote!) based on an ambiguous word count and an ambiguous rate ranging from 15 to 18 cents per word (higher than the average professional translation rate in the Bay Area), so I ask them to show me the word count whenever possible or whenever the translation is finished, to which they totally agreed. But a day later, they send me an email stating that they don’t want to do the translation after all because I put too many conditions and I don’t trust them, and because the job would require a lot of document format! I replied to them, asking them why it matters to them whether I trust them or not (if they know they do a good job, what’s there for them to fear, right?) and why they consider it unreasonable to give me an accurate word count of the document (as if the word count is supposed to be undisclosed to the customer), but they never replied.
Hey, they might be this marvelous Russian language lab, but they’re definitely not straightforward people to do business with in the field of translation: as soon as they realize one is perfectly capable of proofreading or judging their work, they just freak out.
So I moved on and by providence found an up-​to-​date professional team of translators a couple of blocks farther north, still in the Financial District, who got back to me promptly without hesitating to let me see their word count and proofread their work.

For anyone planning to travel to Russia, or learning Russian for personal and/​or professional reasons, Lidia is an excellent guide for teaching the intricacies of both the language and the culture. Lidia’s colleagues at Tradux offer the same kind of learning for Spanish, French and Italian. Lidia’s passion and love for the culture and language is infectious; you will enjoy learning the pronunciation, grammar and so much more that she has to offer. Reasonable rates for semiprivate (one other student) or private lessons, afternoon/​evening hours and a convenient downtown location near BART make this a can’t miss opportunity.

Most will agree that the best way to learn a language is to live in a country and immerse yourself in the language and culture. The next best thing is to have Lidia as your teacher! Lidia is the owner of TRADUX Foreign Language Academy and has been teaching Russian for over 25 years. She is so passionate about teaching that it is impossible not to get caught up in the language and culture of Russia. As with learning any language, Lidia will teach you pronunciation and grammar. But what really sets her apart is her passion and enthusiasm about immersing you in the Russian culture. You will learn Russian through a variety of means: reading poetry, fairy tales and news articles, listening to music, discussing art, customs and idioms, practicing conversational dialogs, as well as studying text books. By combining all these materials, you will not only learn to read, write and speak Russian, but you will come to love and appreciate the culture. You will enjoy Lidia and her style of teaching. She is an excellent teacher and a joy to know!