5 tips to learn Russian • Wanderlix

Did you plan to travel to Russia? Then discover our best tips to learn Russian before leaving!

Russian is one of the most complicated languages to learn in the world. Not only because the alphabet is not the same (cyrillic), but also because its grammatical construction is different.

Nevertheless, even if the Russian can scare at first, some words are similar and you will be delighted to hear sounds that will be familiar to you.

So to train you a little before the big start, here are 5 tips to learn Russian!

1. Taking special courses

What better than learning Russian with a real teacher, who offers you grammar, conjugation or phonetic lessons? Taking special courses is indeed one of the best methods to learn and progress in Russian. You will have a personalized follow-up, in line with your level and goals.

Special courses are quite possible remotely. Tracking them online gives you more flexibility and allows you to change your days more simply. Depending on your ease of learning a language, plan about thirty hours to acquire a first level in Russian. Count about 60€ For an hour of class. You can learn about these different platforms, you will find the one that suits you:

• Lingueo ;
• Superprof ;
• Kelprof ;
• Momji ;
• Apprentus ;

2. Learn Russian about an application

Are your days busy? Your trip to Russia is approaching but your days are laughing with "subway – work – sleep"? Are you afraid to waste time learning Russian before leaving? Download one or more applications, and review throughout the day!

Reduce the time you spend on social networks and convert these precious minutes intelligently! At breakfast, in the subway, at the coffee break, in the evening, take 15 minutes per day to progress! Here are our suggestions for apps to learn Russian:

• Babbel ;
• MosaLingua ;
• Mondly ;
• FluentU ;
• Busuu ;

3. Watch movies and series in Russian

Want to watch a good movie? To start a new series? During a rainy weekend or a cocooning evening, take this opportunity to refine your level in Russian! We warn you, the beginnings will be difficult but don't lower your arms!

At first, this will allow you to accustom your ears to these new sounds that are still unknown. Little by little, you will be more and more proud of yourself when you recognize words, then phrases. With the help of the subtitles, take advantage of it to learn new vocabulary words that you may be able to reuse during your trip to Russia.

Enjoy it also to impregnate the diversity of Russian landscapes!

4. Read books

Read, read, and read again. This is the best way to learn the Cyrillic alphabet (and thus learn Russian) and gain in fluidity. Some letters are “false friends”, so the beginnings will be perilous. But with training, you will quickly get used to these “traps” and the Cyrillic alphabet will no longer have any secret for you.

The advantage of writing, unlike the oral, is that you have the time to return to the words that you have not understood, to look for the definition, to take notes and to increase your vocabulary. Take advantage of it to train you to write, the letters of the Cyrillic alphabet are very pretty when they are well done.

Here are some suggestions for references in terms of Russian writers and literary works:

• Isaac Asimov : Foundation, Empire cycle, Robots cycle ;
• Léon Tolstoï : War and Peace, Anna Karénine ;
• Alexandre Pouchkine : Eugene Onéguine, Boris Godounov ;
• Alexandre Soljenitsyne : L’Archipel du Goulag.

5. Learn Russian with videos

On the same principle as apps to learn Russian, watching videos on YouTube is a way to progress in Russian daily, without too much effort and without having to free themselves a lot of time. Indeed, with videos of about ten minutes, you will easily find small niches in your day.

We offer these chains to you to see the one that suits you best. Don’t hesitate to make the curious and look for others, YouTube is full of tutos to learn Russian.

• Easy Russian ;
• Russian with a Russian ;
• Learn Russian.