Intellect First Academy — established in Kostanay
Learn.
Think.
Lead.
Elevating minds. Creating leaders.
Intellect First is an English language academy built around one idea: language fluency is a form of leadership. Our classrooms are small, our instruction is personal, and our standards are set against international benchmarks.
General English · Premium English · IELTS · Corporate · Individual · Business English
01 — Teachers
The people behind the standard
A small, qualified team — native-speaking and local instructors, each specialised by age group and level.
Abdoulie Manneh
Teaches IELTS, General English, Business English and Speaking Clubs from IF Business Lab.
Aitach Nabiyeva
Teaches kids, teens and adults, from beginner up to B1, plus individual lessons.
Alina Afanasyeva
Teaches kids, teens and adults, from beginner up to B1.
Olga Harutyunyan
Teaches kids, teens and adults, from beginner up to B1.
Joseph Cjay
Native-speaking substitute teacher; Young learners — Movers, Cambridge YLE preparation.
Anelya Amanova
Runs the academy day-to-day: enrolment, scheduling and parent communication.
02 — Courses & Programs
What we teach
Full pricing for every course is on the Pricing page below.
General English
Beginner (A1) through Upper-Intermediate (C1), mini-group or individual, local or native instruction.
IELTS Preparation
Full four-skill preparation with exam strategy, mock tests and individual feedback.
Individual Lessons
One-to-one instruction with a local or native-speaking teacher, online or offline.
Business & Corporate
Workplace communication, meetings, presentations and custom corporate training.
Young Learners
Starters, Movers and Flyers, with Cambridge YLE and PET/KET exam preparation.
Weekend & Intensive
The Weekend Speaking Intensive and Summer Fast-Track programmes for rapid progress.
How our teacher pathway works
Students at A2 level and below (teens and adults) first study with our local, Russian-speaking teachers for about 3–4 months. They explain grammar clearly in your own language and build a solid base. After that, students move on to lessons with a native speaker.
Young learners follow the same logic: Starters and Movers are taught by local teachers only. Flyers, KET and PET can be taught by local teachers or by native speakers.
Getting started
How to join, in four steps
From first visit to first lesson, everything happens in one place.
- 1
Create a profile
- 2
Take the placement test
- 3
Choose teacher and group
- 4
Confirm and start
Levels
What each level means
Our levels follow the CEFR scale used by Cambridge and IELTS.
| Level | You can… | Cambridge | Teacher |
|---|---|---|---|
| A1 | — | Local teacher | |
| A2 | — | ||
| B1 | — | Local or native | |
| B2 | — | Local or native | |
| C1 | — | Local or native | |
| Exam | Flyers · KET · PET | Local or native |
Course finder
Not sure where to start?
Answer three quick questions and we will suggest a course.
03 — Pricing
A course of study for every ambition
General English — Beginner (A1) through Upper-Intermediate (C1)
IELTS Preparation — Reading, Listening, Writing, Speaking, strategy & mock tests
Individual Lessons — personalised around goals and schedule
Flexible Lesson Packages, Local Teacher — pay-as-you-go, no monthly commitment
Intensives & corporate
Venue & space rental — IF Business Lab & Event Space
Pricing per the Programs & Pricing brochure dated August 8, 2026. All programs begin with a free placement test.
Browse the full class catalog — see exact days and times for every group class currently running.
04 — Apps
Everything in one place
Placement tests, vocabulary arenas, games, the IF Hub and our teacher tools — pick a level, open an app, start practising.
05 — Ecosystem
Three spaces, one standard
Beyond the classroom, Intellect First runs a small ecosystem of spaces built for practice, immersion and production.
IF Hub
Speaking clubs, debates, public speaking practice and current-affairs discussion — where fluency meets confidence.
IF Lab
Intensive small-group work, IELTS-focused sessions and workshops for professional development.
IF Studio
Individual and online lessons, video production and podcasts — content that extends learning beyond the room.
06 — Gallery
Life at the academy
Real moments from our classes and events — students, teachers and the IF community.
Awards day
Cyber café weekend
More on Instagram
07 — FAQs
Questions, answered
How do I get started?
Book a free placement test through Telegram or email — we'll assess your level and recommend the right class.
What levels do you teach?
Beginner (A1) through Upper-Intermediate (C1) for General English, plus Cambridge exam tracks (Starters, Movers, Flyers, KET, PET) for young learners.
Are classes online or in person?
Both — General English for the Russian market runs online; classes in Kazakhstan run in person across our three spaces (IF Business Lab, IF Hub, IF Studio).
Do you offer corporate or group training?
Yes — Corporate Training is quote-based and customised to your organisation, available online and offline.
Need to change a class time or teacher?
Contact the academy directly and we'll arrange it.
08 — About
Built on one conviction
Intellect First was founded on the conviction that language instruction should be judged the way any serious education is judged — by rigour, by outcomes, and by the calibre of the people delivering it.
Every class is led by qualified instructors, held to international standards, and built around small groups so that no student goes unheard. The result is an academy that operates less like a language centre and more like a proper school of thought.