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What is the best way to learn Russian?
7 years agoIs learning Russian the same as learning any other language or is there a best way to learn Russian?
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Comments (4)
Hello!
For you as an English speaker Russian will definitely be more difficult than, say, Spanish or French, because Russian is a language of a different language family than English.
I'd put it this way. If your goal is to reach C2 level, probably it's equally difficult to reach C2 in French and Russian. But if your goal is to reach A1, Russian will be much more difficult.
I've been working as a professional teacher for more than 3 years now and have taught more than 2500 lessons, and I can tell that the majority of self-studying students make a lot of mistakes learning Russian and don't think about methods. It's really sad sometimes to see a person who has been studying Russian for a few years and yet can't speak, or who speaks but makes such simple mistakes. I think learning a foreign language requires questioning methods and their efficiency. So your question is really to the point.
I'd advice
1) To not underestimate Phonetic course in the beginning and to learn the alphabet properly.
2) To use Russian textbooks based on TORFL standards.
3) To not be afraid of reading and input.
4) To be aware that there are 2 approaches for the production skill which are the construction and the assimilation, and to use them both at the proper time.
5) To be aware of the fact that the A1 level is the most difficult in Russian. (Although going through it can be an interesting journey, because you'd learn a lot of new concepts for you. After the A1 level it is easier to study the language.
6) As any language Russian requires time and work. If you want to learn Russian, make sure that you can study at least 20 minutes everyday. If you study 1 hour a week you learn facts about the language, but you will never learn the language and will never start speaking it.
7) To be aware that when you come to a tutor you need to tell him what level you want to reach. Because it will determine methods and approaches. For example, if your goal is just to visit Russia as a tourist, in my opinion there is no sense at all even to try to learn the A1 corpus of grammar. I'd offer a completely different strategy in that case.
That's a brief answer. Unfortunately I guess it's impossible to write down in one short answer the best methods for each grammar or pronunciation or vocabulary aspect of a language. But I hope that my answer will help you.
Yevgheniy
GermanyI have recently started to learn Russian. I have so much of difficulty with the pronunciation and vocabulary. I think making your own flash cards and sticky notes over your rooms could help in my situation.
Let me know what is working for you.
SwitzerlandHi, I think it's the same as other languages.
There is one thing that makes people believe it's very different, the alphabet. But trust me on this. If you get an app like DuoLingo for example, and work with it 5 min a day, in about 7-10 days you'll be all set.
Also, the grammar might seem very difficult (it is definitely not easy), but like any other languages, it's better not to strictly focus on this at the beginning, I think.
Go ahead, you will really enjoy learning it!
