(no subject)

[singindiva721.livejournal.com]

Hello everyone!

I'm not sure if this is the right community to do so, but it's worth a shot.

Can anyone reccommend a good book, program or whatever to re-familiarize oneself with Russian?

I studied for a semester in Russia and learned a lot of the language, but just when I was really getting a good grip on the language, I had to go back to the states. Unfortunately, I was unable to really keep up with learning the language once I got back....graduating and finding a job pretty much had to be my top priorities.

However, I'm considering going back sometime in the near future and I would really like to brush up on my skills again. I still know the alphabet very well and I can still remember some basic phrases and words. I just really want to expand on that.

Any suggestions?

Thanks in advance for your help! :-)

Comments

[piglet-the-4th.livejournal.com]

"The Brothers Karamazov".

[oryx_and_crake]

Take a book for children and try to read it. (Not Dostoevsky though! :-)) It will brush off your grammar and you will be able to expand your vocabulary a little bit. Then you may move on to some more complicated stuff.

You may find some nice books here:

http://www.lib.ru/TALES/

(The bottom list contains foreign tales translated into Russian - you may take one of those, that you have read in another language, and try and make some sense of Russian text; this is a very good way of learning.)

[belacane.livejournal.com]

As someone who learned russian from scratch... I'd actually go against that, although it wouldn't hurt, you may find yourself more frustrated than well... hmm.

Childrens books tend to have more colloquialisms, and while they use simpler sentence structure, are can be pretty tough on the vocab.

The question is, how much russian did you really learn during that semester?
In the grand scheme of things, a semester of russian, even immersed in the language, really isn't a solid enough base. Or did you study before you spent time in russia?

I'd recommend getting a tutor and/or taking a class if possible.
Once you get a little farther along, then you can really self teach through the media (books, magazines, music, tv, videos).

Not that you shouldn't use media now (I HIGHLY recommend it in fact), but I wouldn't rely on it as the sole means of really picking up good solid russian again.

[standigio.livejournal.com]

You could always use a standard russian textbook. I recommend голоса.

[chivorotkiv.livejournal.com]

If you studied in Russia, you have russian friends.
You can chat by ICQ, LJ or e-mail. It is good metod for study language. :)

[singindiva721.livejournal.com]

I believe that was the textbook my university had for their Russian classes. I've since graduated but I could see if I could order it from them!

Thanks!

P.S. I was also looking for some listening CD since I know I learn very well by listening. Do you know if any come along with those textbooks?

[singindiva721.livejournal.com]

Unfortunately, I seemed to have lost contact with them over the years. They either stopped checking their email or got another address. :-( I have one friend here (whom I went to HS with) and she may be able to set me up with some people or possibly herself.

[singindiva721.livejournal.com]

I learned A LOT of vocabulary. I really did know enough to get around and go shopping and stuff. I didn't get into a lot of grammar though. I've heard Russian grammar is pretty difficult though. I did learn the alphabet before I went over though. However, I didn't know much more than that.

I'd take a class, although I'm not sure where since I am in the process of moving. I'd actually rather have something like a book/CD combination since I work very well on my own at my own pace.

Thanks though! :-)

[belacane.livejournal.com]

Then a grammar class is a must for you. Good grammar is essential to learning a language.... the end.

And don't let what people say about russian grammar being difficult daunt you. The only thing that seems vastly different is the fact that russian does not have a cotified word order and instead relies on declinations of nouns and adjectives in order to convey a meaning. It also has gender, which is the source of a lot of oral mistakes for many, but is not all that complicated in the end.

What really got me ahead was getting away from any notes I had and memorizing the noun and adjective endings immediately, as well as verb conjugations... and everything else.

I think another thing that people might say is difficult is the fact that a lot of english doesn't translate directly into russian, but at the level you're at, if you take a class with a good instructor, they won't overload you with stuff like that in the beginning. That way you can get a solid basic grammar knowledge and work with colloquialisms and non direct translations later on.

Good luck!!

[chivorotkiv.livejournal.com]

I have the same problem. I've lost contact with english-speaking mail-friends. I trained my english by ICQ with them. I can adwise you in russian by Internet. I am quite literate, and some of my friends are filologists. It was wondering if you can agree to it. :)
And I want english conversation in exchange only. ;)

[singindiva721.livejournal.com]

Grammar is something that always confuses me. I've taken 2 other languages (French and German) and had trouble with the grammar (and French grammar is considered easy...haha). Heck, English grammar still confuses me!

Thanks for all your help! :-)

[singindiva721.livejournal.com]

Well, your english is quite good. I wouldn't have even known you were Russian!

I don't have ICQ but I have email and AIM.

However, if you wrote me in Russian, I'm not sure how I'd understand you. But I do have a dictionary...if I can find it in my mess!!!

[standigio.livejournal.com]

They definitely came with it when I bought it last year.
To order, you could also try golosa.com.
I believe that's the website.