Best Russian language resources

[Larry]

Larry, thanks for the links!

You're welcome.  Good luck with learning that diabolically difficult language.

And welcome to RUA.

[mendeleyev]

I just got Thomas Beyer's Learning Russian the Easy and Fast Way" without the audio. So far, so good. I am almost halfway through it. Has anyone used this book yet? Did you like it?

Excellent. It is on the RUA recommended list on page 1 here.

It is basic and designed mainly for the traveler, but better than others in the basic category. The book is really a nicely packaged oversized paperback/workbook with Cd's. The audio portions are good and the steps are very logical from chapter to chapter. It is not the best were your goal to study on a college level but most guys don't have those aspirations. This is certainly a great resource and you could have done much worse. I like the fact that it quickly takes you from alphabet to nouns to hotels to restaurants to modes of transport, to numbers and telling time, etc.

Very nice choice.

[el_guero]

[cross post, somehow, the computer moved this question into a totally unrelated thread.]

[lordtiberius]

I found some good links on youtube for learning Rusky.  Hope you enjoy:

http://www.youtube.com/user/russianpod101?feature=watch

[Larry]

Nice videos.  They seem to be produced by the Dallas School System.  That's pretty impressive for a school district.  I wanted to learn Russian in high school but my school didn't offer Russian classes (few did I imagine).  I got a university Russian textbook and workbook, but couldn't manage to learn much without a teacher. 

I wonder if this thread should be moved to the Russian language room so that all resources for learning Russian are in one place?  Perhaps Mendy can make the call since he is the mod for that room. 

[mendeleyev]

Lord, thanks for those. Additionally, I think you'd benefit from discovering the resources on page one of this thread: http://ruadventures.com/forum/index.php?topic=4177.msg52213#msg52213

[mendeleyev]

From RUA member and Russian speaker Nicknick, here is a very handy link on Russian grammar which we've also added to the resource list: http://www.gramota.ru/spravka/rules/?rub=zap

[Slumba]

So right now, until the 11th of January, LiveMocha has a $9.95 for 1 year membership of their language site.  I just signed up ( I am a Russian language newbie) and will see what happens with it.

Let this thread serve as a place for people to discuss using LiveMocha to learn Russian...

[mhr7]

Just signed up for it as well.

[Vika]

I just got Thomas Beyer's Learning Russian the Easy and Fast Way" without the audio. So far, so good. I am almost halfway through it. Has anyone used this book yet? Did you like it?

This is actually one of my favorite self-study books. I think it's a great start, but of course, there are many more other textbooks you can use to supplement your studies.

[Hughtheo]

I am thinking of taking 4 weeks off and signing up at a Russian Language school this summer.

Has anyone ever done anything like that and can recommend a good school in Russia or Ukraine?

Hugh

[Muzh_1]

I am thinking of taking 4 weeks off and signing up at a Russian Language school this summer.

Has anyone ever done anything like that and can recommend a good school in Russia or Ukraine?

Hugh

Go to Kharkov. Lots of universities with lots of foreigners.

[Larry]

I am thinking of taking 4 weeks off and signing up at a Russian Language school this summer.

Has anyone ever done anything like that and can recommend a good school in Russia or Ukraine?

Hugh

Go to Kharkov. Lots of universities with lots of foreigners.

And more than a few very attractive UW I've heard

A friend told me that a university in Mogilev, Belarus has a really good deal on a Russian-language program and can see that you get a visa that is longer than the country's 30 day tourist visa.  If you're interested, PM me and I'll get the details from him.  Mogilev is a decent-sized city (I'm thinking around 300,000) and I think few WM go there.

[Hughtheo]

I am thinking of taking 4 weeks off and signing up at a Russian Language school this summer.

Has anyone ever done anything like that and can recommend a good school in Russia or Ukraine?

Hugh

Go to Kharkov. Lots of universities with lots of foreigners.

Muzh, I appreciate the advice but foreigners I would like to avoid or I'll be speaking English again.

[Muzh_1]

I am thinking of taking 4 weeks off and signing up at a Russian Language school this summer.

Has anyone ever done anything like that and can recommend a good school in Russia or Ukraine?

Hugh

Go to Kharkov. Lots of universities with lots of foreigners.

Muzh, I appreciate the advice but foreigners I would like to avoid or I'll be speaking English again.

The point was that the universities do this on a regular basis so they can help you get the right visa.

[Hughtheo]

The point was that the universities do this on a regular basis so they can help you get the right visa.

Muzh, correct me if I'm wrong but I thought that there are no visa restrictions for EU citizens visiting Ukraine.

[RichyRich]

Muzh, correct me if I'm wrong but I thought that there are no visa restrictions for EU citizens visiting Ukraine.

You are correct, you get 90 days visa free travel as an EU citizen.

[Muzh_1]

The point was that the universities do this on a regular basis so they can help you get the right visa.

Muzh, correct me if I'm wrong but I thought that there are no visa restrictions for EU citizens visiting Ukraine.

Well, it all depends if you are planning to stay for a full semester. Then you would need a visa.

[JL]

I was considering buying some of the Pimsleur audio lessons to learn Russian and have read quite a few reviews by linguists. I was looking on Amazon and happened across this review by a layman and wondered if he knows what he is talking about saying Pimsleur is riddled with incorrect grammar? I know it is criticized for not teaching very much grammar and you need to supplement the audio with other material but has anyone who speaks educated correct Russian ever listened to any of the Pimsleur stuff and agree with this guys comments below that the grammar is not correct???
Quote:
 "No one in these reviews has touched on the questionable grammar introduced in these tapes... Perhaps these people have not gone on or tried to put their Russian into practice (indeed it is unlikely that someone they don't know will try to correct them on a trip), but I have continually had to 'relearn' certain mistakes in these tapes which were riddled throughout the series. This ranges from things which I have been told are 'unnatural' in conversation to downright ungrammatical. However either should be considered unacceptable, as in an AUDIO course with emphasis on speaking, I would expect emphasis to be on natural, conversational Russian.

Also, many subjects of grammar are 'danced over', and never fully explained grammatically...I realize length of time prohibits this, but I as someone interested in grammar, I would have found it easier for a quick explanation, such as a word is in 'accusitive' form, rather than have them make up some 'layman's' explanation that I have to try to interpret, only to find out ultimately the concept was quite simple.

All in all, this series is a WONDERFUL way to learn language...my attention was always kept and after completing just halfway through the second series, I already feel that I can convey some very simple things with my Russian...

...the only problem is that it's not entirely CORRECT Russian... "

[dwfunk]

...the only problem is that it's not entirely CORRECT Russian... "

Then don't buy it.

The Pimsleur method is designed to quickly build a core vocabulary and is strictly auditory.  Emphasis is on 'quickly'

Smaller vocabularies aren't perfect, but get you into conversation.  Perfection takes years of study and practice.

As children, we learned and relearned our language.  It's part of the learning process.  Same for anyone learning a new language.  A perfectly structured language course doesn't make one conversant right away.

None of my native Russian speaking friends complain about what I've learned via Pimsleur. The only ones that pick on my grammar are the ones that I've a closer relationship with and understand that I'm asking for that feedback and neither of us are offended by any corrections.  The rest know and understand I'm learning and express amazement and appreciation for the learning effort.

OBTW, the Pimsleur method creates more accurate accents on what you do learn.  Some of the native speakers I've met initially didn't believe that I was not a native speaker and am still very much learning.

Every language leaning program and/or methodology was developed for a specific purpose and they all have their pluses as well as short comings. 


-david

[JL]

thanks for the reply David,.......sounds like you had a good experience with it.
 I am familiar with various auditory learning methods and had heard the usual criticisms of Pimsleur ....but not that one I posted from Amazon. I question whether the guy knows what he is talking about. It was just a comment from a buyer on amazon.  )  and thousands have used Pimsleur.
Did you learn using only Pimsleur?

In 40 years of watching my mothers language students we have only seen a couple of people who could learn only with an auditory method. My father was one and one other guy we knew......they just learned by osmosis.
  Most of us have to hit it with a multi attack approach. Learn sentence structure.....learn verb conjugations, use flash cards, and if you are changing alphabets you have to learn that and the sounds of the letters of course. It seems as adults we could learn a language faster than a child because we can use so many other tools that they cannot ..........but we also supposedly have different brains and access information differently and we complain if it takes 2-4 years to learn a language.....not fluently but trying to be proficient enough to converse, read, listen to TV and movies and understand. Children are in no hurry and it just comes.....but when you really think about it, it takes them years and just slowly builds.

I think the language 101.com is a bit better than Pimsleur.....it was modeled after it but improved. I played with the trial all weekend and found I can't learn at all that using auditory only. I got nowhere. I could see whole phrases in my mind but not knowing the alphabet I could never remember the pronunciation or the sound of the first letter even.   It was fun but I was hoping it would actually be a faster way to at least learn the most used phrases.....which is what I plan on doing first. I went ahead and ordered some other supplementary material last night......dictionary, text that explains sentence structure and and grammar, and also comes with some auditory tapes. I have always learned very visually. The auditory component is really great for learning pronunciation. I have always been good at that and am a good mimic but simply can't remember phrases well that way quickly......it would take me a long time and a lot more repetition.

The ballpark rule of thumb for becoming proficient in a romance language for us american English speakers is around 400 hrs. Not fluent but fairly proficient if you work hard. For Russian and other languages that time period is said to double or even triple with a different alphabet unless you happen to be gifted. So it kinda sucks.
  I plan on learning the most used phrases first, and how to read things, and then start learning the language structure and all the other stuff. I may use Pimsleur since you can get it for free at the Library and record MP3's.....or I may cough up $500 for the language 101.com stuff. I'm not sure yet.

[Manny]

I learned basic Russian with a CD called Linkword. Later my wife told me several words that were not quite right. But, I am understood.

[JL]

always amazes me how easily some people pick it up and others have to study sentence structure and read textbooks, use audio, and experiment with various tools.

[AvHdB]

always amazes me how easily some people pick it up and others have to study sentence structure and read textbooks, use audio, and experiment with various tools.

My father spoke 5 languages in two different groups, for him it was easy. For me two languages fluently are a struggle, just ask Andrew

[JL]

My father was the same....he seemed to learn by osmosis. He wasn't highly educated and my mother is. She is also a language teacher at the University and was always amazed my father would pick up languages if he was just around them for a while.