Ten Ways To Learn Russian

1. Immerse yourself
Mastery comes when you begin thinking in Russian. You do this by immersing yourself in that language. One way is to travel Russia which allows you to continuously hear the sounds, rhythms, and inflections of the language-spoken on the streets, in buses, on television, etc. Your brain will already start to process and interpret Russian.

Another way is being forced to "operate" in Russian by participating in a volunteer programme, or working in Russia. Best of all is being completely immersed with locals (such as living with a host family) and completely isolated from other native speakers of your language.

Immerse yourself with the Russian locals, their music, culture, media, politics, sports, family, etc. Ingratiate yourself with the community and you're halfway there!

2. Imitation, repetition and expression
Simply imitate and repeat the sounds you hear, without thinking about how well you are doing. Self-consciousness destroys confidence.

It doesn't really matter if your pronunciation is incorrect to begin with. The important thing is to keep moving forward. Don't try to translate everything into your own language, just imitate, repeat and express yourself. You may not understand everything you say, but simply by using sounds, phrases and. words in Russian you will begin to get a feel for it.

3. How do you say that in Russian?
Besides common greetings, the one phrase you should memorize and always have at the ready is the phrase: "How do you say that in Russian?/ What is that called in Russian?"

By being an inquisitive language learner, one who is always asking questions, you will expand your vocabulary. Set a daily goal for yourself of finding the names of X number of items each day-asking about things you're interested in, but don't know the words for..

4. Write it down.
Keep a note book and write down every new word or phrase that you learn. Review them often to keep them fresh in your mind and try to find ways of using them.

Use your Russian/English dictionary. Look up the words; piece the conversation back together in your mind. Then, next time you have a conversation, use what you learned.

5. Learn complete sentences.
A list of words by itself is of little value unless they are incorporated into sentences. So always try to formulate a sentence using any new Russian words you have learned.

6. Concentrate most of your learning on Conversation.
A lot of Grammar can be learned subconsciously while using the language conversationally. Use the 80/20 method. 80% conversation, 20% grammar.

7. Use Media
Watch movies, listen to music, sing songs, and browse newspapers and magazines in Russian. It's fun and helps improve your pronunciation and comprehension.

8. Classes
Group classes with others can greatly aid learning. Having a friendly person to practice with helps you get better, and you can also learn from the different mistakes different people make.

9. Individual Tuition
A good Russian teacher will greatly facilitate your language learning because, while group classes can be highly beneficial, individual tuition will provide you with unsurpassed attention.

10. Practice at every opportunity before and after you travel.

If you feel really "rusty" and lacking confidence in Russian despite having taken classes or used it (or even mastered it) find ways to practice wherever and whenever you can. Languages are alive and require constant exercise, so keep using it!

Tamara Moreton is a Russian Language teacher and Author of the extremely useful workbooks in the Practical Russian Reader series.The first volume in the series is available at the link below. Practical Russian Reader is designed as both a reader and a workbook for Intermediate students of Russian. It contains sixteen short stories chosen for their interest and entertainment value as well as aids to language learning.

http://www.the-tortoise.com/practical-russian-reader-vol-1.html

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