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Learning Tips
10 Reasons to Learn Russian
General Advice on How to Learn Russian
How to Enhance your Vocabulary Through Reading
10 Reasons to Learn Russian
- You may need to say as clearly as possible in Russian: "Thank you, but no vodka for me today!"
- You can travel in one-sixth of the Earth's territory a great deal more safely and cheaply than you could without the language.
- You might fall in love and be able to express your feelings.
- With only a few choice phrases you will find any contact with the local people more rewarding.
- If you are able to study more, there are wonderful treasures to be gained in the world of Russian literature and music.
- You can do business or work in Russia for which knowing the language and culture of the country are absolutely essential.
- Russian is the native language of some 150 million citizens of the Russian Federal Republic.
- Despite the rumours the Russian alphabet is not at all difficult to learn. Half of the 33 letters of the Russian alphabet resemble English letters.
General Advice on How to Learn Russian
- It's more difficult to learn Russian ALONE... Attending Russian classes or having one-to-one lessons will help you be more disciplined and organised. However, you must still revise and practise your Russian throughout the day, EVERY day!
- Learning Russian is YOUR responsibility and not the responsibility of your teacher. You must have the initiative in your classes. The teacher cannot learn or study Russian for you.
- Study at least 2 or 3 hours per week.
- Listen to songs in Russian in your car. Sing them again and again until you remember the words.
- Watch DVD's in Russian with English subtitles.
- Be constant. Don't stop for long periods of time like in the summer.
- Be as disciplined and as organised as possible with your classes.
- Do your homework – revise the material you learnt in class several times at home. Make sure you understand everything and if not email the teacher to ask for help.
- Write down all new words on cards. Write Russian word on one side, translation – on the other or keep a vocabulary book. Take it with you everywhere and revise the words regularly.
- Try to practise your spoken Russian at EVERY opportunity – it may be with your Russian-speaking friends, your Russian teachers, or even people you don't know. For example, become a member of the Manchester Russian Language Enthusiasts.
- Remember! You need to build confidence!
- Don't be afraid of newspapers! Start with simple things like weather reports and gossip columns. Consider reading books, newspapers or magazines online. Read more than your teacher told you. Stick to the topics that are of interest to you.
- To train your ears you can watch Russian TV on-line, listen to the Russian Radio, listen to your friends talking. Initially, be prepared to be more of a listener.
- Very often your brain forgets but your hand remembers. Try to write as much as possible. For example, you can write shopping lists, word cards, memos, emails, texts and eventually essays.
- Travel to Russian-speaking countries. For example, Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia. Knowing you're going to travel motivates you a lot because you know you'll need Russian to get by.
- Make Russian your hobby, part of your life. Have fun with it!
How to Enhance your Vocabulary Through Reading
Remember! It’s more difficult to progress in a foreign language if you don’t practice it every day! Studies suggest that ideally you must practice speaking, listening, reading or writing AT LEAST 5 hours a day if you want to feel the real change! It sounds like a lot of work, but it doesn’t have to be. You can listen to Russian songs or audio books in the car (quite pleasant!), read easy-readers at home (choose the right level), chat with native speakers (remember to speak a lot!) or participate in on-line forums (it’s fun). Leave grammar for lessons.
Here are Top Tips on how to enhance vocabulary in Russian through reading:
1. Search for simple classics. They are available at Waterstones, or you can search easy-readers on-line. E.g. https://www.eurobooks.co.uk/languagebooks/series/RUS/m4/c21/6/ERRU
Look for classics that are simple and straightforward and do not contain numerous idiomatic expressions. Find a novel that you have already read in English. www.lib.ru
2. Try to find modern foreign language translations for these books. A novel written in 1935 and translated in 2005 will utilize contemporary grammar, spelling, and idioms.
3. Avoid the temptation to consult the dictionary as you read. Keep a mini-dictionary at hand, but use it only for occasional words that you must comprehend to decipher the meaning of a sentence.
4. Do NOT analyze every single word. You will usually get the gist of a passage even if you only understand 75% of the vocabulary.
5. Stick with the same author and translator where practical. Each person will have a basic vocabulary with favourite words that he or she tends to use. Repetition is the key to learning any foreign language.
6. Try to find books with accompanying audio. Unfortunately, it is not easy to locate a book and audio-CD with exactly the same translation. If you do find one, remember the name of the company for future reference.
7. Keep your book with you wherever you go. You can squeeze in a few minutes of reading at the bus stop, standing in a queue at the bank, waiting for the kettle to boil, etc. Those 5 hours a day will soon add up!
8. Try to Enjoy If you want to learn a language with accurate concepts, you need to enjoy it to the fullest. It will allow you to gain the inner pleasure and understanding of the language in best manners.
If you are interested in any of our services, please contact us either by phone on 07849 145 754 or email for a friendly chat. We will do our best to help.