Russian language by Native Russian Speakers

 

All of the audio content is recorded by native Russian speakers to ensure you develop authentic pronunciation and to train your ear to the language as spoken by real Russian people.

Course objectives


The objective of this website is to introduce beginners to the Russian language and lead them through to conversational Russian. The course begins with the alphabet and phonetics of Russian and leads them through to a core vocabulary, essential words and expressions and on to everyday Russian phrases.  The lessons are intended either as a stand alone course or can be used to compliment other language learning resources.

The course starts at the very beginning and requires no prior knowledge of the Russian Language.  To ensure the course remains interesting and fun the modules are engaging and interactive.  The graphical style interface is used to develop word associations and facilitate the rapid development of the Russian language.  Each base learning module is accompanied by one or more test modules which enable the student to test and measure their progress through out the language course.

It is recommended that students record their scores on each module on a regular basis and their progress and development in Russian can easily be measured. 

Method

 

 The basic learning principles on which this course are founded are;

 a) A gentle introduction to the letters and sounds of the Russian language.  The Russian language has a very different alphabet to the English language and many of the phonetics will be new sounds for native English speakers.  The alphabet module introduces students to the new letter sounds at their own pace and is a resource that can be referred back to at any time.  Each letter example is accompanied by sample words so that the letters can be heard in context.  Many of the example words are close to their English equivalents and will enable the student to quickly feel comfortable with the Russian language.

 b) A foundation in basic Russian vocabulary.  While vocabulary alone does not make a language, it is a cornerstone of the learning process.  The first group of modules are, (will be), basic words, numbers and colours and enable the student to make fast progress into the Russian language, ensure they are familiar with the sounds and phonetics of Russian and set a firm foundation for the later development of Russian expressions and phrases.

 c) Learn useful expressions and phrases.  The modules developing Russian expressions, sentences and grammar take a practical approach and focus on useful, conversational Russian.  Again the modules are interactive and the application of grammar is taught through example rather than through the dry techniques of rote learning of complex grammar rules.  The test modules help build up an association of when different word endings and other Russian grammar rules apply.  Learn grammar through example and practice in a natural and instinctive method.  This is the way we learn our own language as children.

 d) A practical approach rather than academic.  We assume the students of this course want to learn Russian for practical more than academic reasons.  We want students to be able to speak confidently in Russian and enjoy the learning experience.  The course is more about communicating freely rather than knowledge of the history or development of the language.  We are more concerned that you can make yourself understood in Russian and know when to use expressions rather than a detailed knowledge of how and why the grammar is built up.  This is Russian for everyday people.

Technical implementation

 

The technical implementation of these Russian language modules is through Java applets.  Each Java applet has it's own web page and loads the multimedia resources for it's module as soon as it opens.  The loading times for the media will vary depending on connection speeds.  The Java modules cache, (remember), the language media and so should load up faster on subsequent openings.  These Russian language modules require Java Runtime Environment, (JRE), 1.5 or higher.  If the applets fail to initiate then please ensure that Java is enabled in your browser and that you have the most recent version.  Please visit www.Java.com to download the latest version of Java for free.