Elena McNeilly

Elena McNeilly (BA 1975, MA 1977) is a full-time Teaching Fellow (Russian). She was appointed to this post in 2008 and teaches various Russian language courses to undergraduates at all levels. She also teaches Applied Translation and Semi-specialised Translation as part of the distance learning MA in Translation Programme.

Elena has been a language specialist throughout her career. She was appointed as a university lecturer in Russia soon after graduating and taught at the University of Tomsk for 11 years. She re-located to London to join JP Morgan, a major investment bank where she worked as part of a team of advisers to the governments of Russia and other countries of the former Soviet Union during the 1990s.

In 1999 Elena joined the Diplomatic Service Language Department at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in London. She was responsible for the language and cultural awareness training of all staff posted to the former Soviet Union, specialising in teaching political, economic and legal Russian to diplomats.

Elena’s academic interests include applied linguistics, translation theory and practice and the development of innovative language teaching techniques. Her interactive electronic textbooks Economic Russian and Getting on with Political Russian are widely used by diplomats studying Russian throughout the world. She has also published translations, including the translation of the critically acclaimed film 336 Rivers (1999) written and directed by the international artist Joćo Penalva.

Email: elena.mcneilly@bristol.ac.uk