(no subject)

[rainbowbubble19.livejournal.com]

Ok, I know that Russian language is really really difficult, especially when one picks it up as an adult... But I've been to Russa, for six months, stayed with a host-family, met Russian friends, have wonderful Russian professors in college, try to speak as much as I can with friends... It's just NOT enough, I feel so lame, my brain just can't seem to function when studying Russian language. I don't know why I'm venting here; maybe it's because I have a Russian final tomorrow and it's easier to vent my feelings and frustrations to others who [may] understand, before I start studying again.

Comments

[superslayer18.livejournal.com]

I somewhat understand. I have rekindled my motivation to learn it, but I just can't seem to get the different noun cases. They drive me insane! That and the prepositions. I keep mixing them up!

Ok im ending my vent too.

That was very cathartic lol

[simonff.livejournal.com]

Read. A lot. Learn poems by heart.

[superslayer18.livejournal.com]

the closest thing I have to reading is a ton of conversations in my learn russian books. And the closest things to poems learned by heart would be all the Tatu songs I have stuck in my head that I write everywhere lol.

[rainbowbubble19.livejournal.com]

Oh, if you haven't touched a book on Russian poetry, you have absolutely no idea what you're missing! So beautiful, so haunting... It's actually the main reason why my Russian professor loves me- is my personal devotation to Russian poetry- reading them in both English and Russian.

Of course, I could name most of the famous poets in Russia, but here are my personal favorites:

*Marina Tsvetaeva [Марина Цветаева]
*Anna Akmatova [Анна Акматова]
*Pushkin
*Joseph Brodsky (more fond of his autobiographical prose, especially the collection "Less than One")
*Alexander Blok
*Mayakovskii

Their poems aren't too difficult with vocabulary- of course there's always the metaphorical and linguistic commentary you're missing out on, I've gotten parallineal text (the original Russian text next to translated English). Commentary is helpful too.

Russian poetry is probably the most important reason why I continue studying the language.

[constpd.livejournal.com]

A little correction — Анна Ахматова (Akhmatova)

[rainbowbubble19.livejournal.com]

yeah, if you really want to get on my case about russian spelling, you should really point out that i spelled her cyrillic name wrong- unthinkable since I luff her so much. It should be "Ахматова", which is where the "kh" comes from in Akhmatova. Anyway, it's 3:24am, and like I said, I'm studying for a Russian final and I hate typing in cyrllic anyway.

[superslayer18.livejournal.com]

Any good books that you can recommend to me? Something with easy vocabulary, as well as the translations would be best lol. After all, I'm still pretty much a beginner.

Thank you!

[simonff.livejournal.com]

This obviously should not be your first choice, but if you have a chance, try reading tales for kids about Lenin from the Soviet period (рассказы о Ленине). The vocabulary is very simple, they are hilariously funny when read in our times, and it will give you some ideological background. They are almost parallel to stories about the young Christ, except that the author had more artistic freedom. :)))

[quem98.livejournal.com]

I think the problem is the fact that we all expect to go to Russia, come back speaking flawless, native like Russian. It just isn't possible. I can't tell you how irritated I get when my friends from home ask me. "So you lived in Russia. You fluent yet?" It's as if they put something in the water to magically make us speak perfect Russian.

6 months, even a year is not nearly enough to completely learn a language. My grandmother has been living in the United States for 50 someodd years and her English is still far from stellar. And Russian, just in case you hadn't noticed, is not exactly the easiest of languages for Native English speakers to learn.

Don't sweat it.

I'm sure you speak Russian a lot better than you think you do. Don't panic it if there are times when you feel overwhelmed or never want to hear the Russian language again, or forget to use the genitive case. It happens to all of us (that last one happens to me a lot. I lived in Russia for a year and my Grammar is still abysmal). But from what it sounds like, you're sticking with it and trying to get as much practise as you can. That's really as much as any of us can do, and that is awesome in and of itself.

You go girl.

[darklightluna.livejournal.com]

If it makes you feel any better: I was born in Russia, lived there for six years, still speak the language with my family and some friends and have days when I can't come up with the correct word for chicken.

[quem98.livejournal.com]

I love you icon. Yes I know that has nothing to do with Russian.

[quem98.livejournal.com]

Your icon... I love your icon.

[realplayer.livejournal.com]

I understand you! In my turn I'm so tired learning English, but still don't see any changes. If only we could teach each other...