Can anyone give me advice about learning Russian?

GuitarGuy996 · Post by **GuitarGuy996** » March 16th, 2012, 4:51 pm

Hi all. I'm going to be spending a few months in Ukraine/Russia beginning the middle of May.

I started learning Russian via audio cd's, learning cyrillic, talking to Russian women on Skype, and watching Russian movies. I'm really starting to enjoy the sound of the spoken language.

Has any non-native Russian speaker here been able to learn and master Russian? I know just BEING there allows for rapid language absorption via interaction with native speakers and general immersion.

Can anyone give me some advice to facilitate/speed up my learning process?

Thanks in advance!

GuitarGuy996 · Post by **GuitarGuy996** » March 16th, 2012, 4:52 pm

Заранее спасибо!

OTB · Post by **OTB** » March 16th, 2012, 6:19 pm

GuitarGuy from my own language learning experience of being a student of Spanish for over 10 years my advice would be to build your vocabulary. You're going to need a LOT of words. Keep a journal of all the words you're learning. Now, what words should you learn? Words that you'll need in real life situations. Learn words for the airport, emergencies, restaurants, vocabulary associated with money, and greetings. Also verbs, pronouns, nouns, numbers and adjectives. Now, I like grammar. So I like to dive into the grammar while learning words. In my opinion, it helps me retain the words I'm learning because then I can start constructing sentences with those words. Lastly, talk to yourself. YES! TALK TO YOURSELF. Verbalizing words is the key to retention. Continue to listen as often as possible so your ears can get accustomed to the sound system. You picked a good language to learn.

Good luck buddy,
OTB

Fenix · Post by **Fenix** » March 16th, 2012, 9:19 pm

Take a Russian/English dictionary with you. In addition, buy a Russian phrase book. You can get them both from any bookstore.

skateboardstephen · Post by **skateboardstephen** » March 16th, 2012, 10:48 pm

You are going to have to learn grammar.I think tying to remember a list of vocab and phases is not going to do anything but make you mad because you wont remember them. This is how i go about language learning(i speak three of them fluently).

learn you're verbs and the conjugations of them but learn the important ones first like to be,to talk,to go,to like,to see,to know,to have to want just a few examples of verbs that are common in every language learn how to conjugate them in different tenses of time.like the verb have for example.. i will have,i had,i have.

learn personal pronouns like he ,she,them you'all.then learn conjunctions these link sentences together like before,after,and,but,when,if,never,maybe. And adverbs help also like close,far,soon late,early,over there ,here ,next to,under just to name a few.learn adjectives like bad,good,nice,tall,short,smart,dumb.And augmentations like huge,tinny.And some nouns but don't focus to much on them you will get them overtime like girl,car,knife.

If you learn the words in these groups you will be forming sentences in a week i bet you,as a matter of fact i bet you can take the words i just told you a make a complete sentence in English. The idea is to learn the words you need to form complete sentences first and you're vocab will grow by itself over time by listing listing listing listing.to music ,news and movies

It is also a lot more easy to learn a new language when you don't have the old one around. Change you're face book to the language you want to learn.Change the language on the tv, video games ,cell phones stuff that you use all the time.

lastly but this is when you have gotten advanced learn slang an informal language.The language i like the most is Portuguese i know the language well enough to even tell where someone is from in Brasil as soon as they open they're mouth because i know slang and informal ways of speaking.This will for sure impress the women of you're target language especially if it is a hard language. It is all ways a great ice breaker and a excuse to talk to foreign women.

I also learn these languages with out any formal classes it took me a year to be fluent in Spanish and about six months to learn Portuguese and after about a year of speaking it i'm fluent in that language also.

gsjackson · Post by **gsjackson** » March 16th, 2012, 10:53 pm

I believe Think Different has. You might PM him.

uzoezie22 · Post by **uzoezie22** » March 17th, 2012, 9:36 am

Keep learning through these mediums you are learning and when you are going there, take them with you. It will sure facilitate your learning curve.
Thanks

GuitarGuy996 · Post by **GuitarGuy996** » March 19th, 2012, 4:44 pm

PhxSosa, OTB, gsjackson, uzoezie2, skateboardstephen:

Thanks for the great advice! I hope/wish I can meet you guys in person one day. Maybe abroad, who knows!

Taco · Post by **Taco** » March 19th, 2012, 5:57 pm

Russian is really difficult because each verb has 6 variations. If you use the wrong variation of the verb they'll still understand you but it will sound weird to them. I thought these videos were good.

Survival Russian
http://www.seemile.com/renewal/package_ ... pkg_no=141

eurobrat · Post by **eurobrat** » March 19th, 2012, 6:06 pm

tom · Post by **tom** » March 23rd, 2012, 9:50 am

Really you can get by with with basic phrases, I did.
To get really good it will take several years of a concentrated effort. I had a friend, a Mormon missionary who when to Russia. The first two years all he did a went to the Mormon school to learn Russian - 5 hours a day 6 days a week plus homework. He got tired of the Mormons and went on his own. He still continued working on learning. He said the verb conjugations are particularly difficult. He had been living there for five years when I was staying with him, The locals could not tell he was an American, A slight Russian accent, we were in Ukraine, he spoke perfect Russian. For work he could get a job as a guide and translator as he spoke perfect Russian and English, very rare and in demand.

trotsak · Post by **trotsak** » July 13th, 2012, 1:16 am

http://goo.gl/PhQA9 - here is friendly native speakers with skype for practice Russian, where you can practice your Russian

Renata · Post by **Renata** » July 13th, 2012, 3:34 am

eurobrat wrote:
PhxSosa wrote:Take a Russian/English dictionary with you. In addition, buy a Russian phrase book. You can get them both from any bookstore.
Your living in the past phoenix. Google translate on a smartphone works damn well. Better than flipping through pages.

good idea guys, I've done the same in the past ... I would get my dictionary out & try to form sentences. I'm sure I sounded like a cave-woman but I did get my message across lol

I teach English & what I do with my most difficult students who have trouble grasping the language is; use flash cards, pictures with words & phrases, it helps them remember the word & sentences, lots of role-play & games galore. If you can find interactive Russian lessons online with games that would help & as well search online for basic Russian Lesson videos/tutorials. The chatting you do with the Russians on skype is also very good. Here's a good site as well, some on here exchange language skills http://www.verbalplanet.com/learn-russian.asp

This site can connect you with Russian in your country http://hangingwithlocals.com/
Basically u get paid to hang out with tourists & be their guide. In your case u could just do it for the language exchange & real Russian conversation

Contrarian Expatriate · July 13th, 2012, 6:58 am

skateboardstephen wrote:You are going to have to learn grammar.I think tying to remember a list of vocab and phases is not going to do anything but make you mad because you wont remember them. This is how i go about language learning(i speak three of them fluently).

I have to disagree on this.

Unless you have 8 months of full time classroom work to dedicate to Russian, you should first learn the alphabet, then memorize the 100 vocabulary words that you use most in English.

Grammer is not something you need to focus on so much. Just focus on how to order food, drink, speak about yourself, and ask for help. This will go far in being able to function in a Russian speaking society.

Can anyone give me advice about learning Russian?

Can anyone give me advice about learning Russian?

russian language partner