I want to learn Russian

‘I want to learn Russian’. Is that about you? To learn Russian online with a native-speaking tutor is suitable for everyone. So, learn more about the most efficient and cost-effective way to study the Russian language.

Learning Russian Alphabet

Wondering what to start with? Obviously, the first thing is to learn the Russian alphabet. The Russian people use Cyrillic which differs much from Latin. Wondering how many letters in the Russian alphabet? There are 33 of them, quite a lot! You’ll have to learn how to write letters and type Cyrillic. So, learning Russian seems to be challenging for English speakers at a first glance. But it’s not so hard with a professional native-speaking teacher!
The best way to learn Cyrillic alphabet by yourself is to watch cartoons for Russian toddlers. Just search for ‘звуки русского алфавита’ on YouTube and watch the short videos 3-5 times a day. Believe me, that is really the fastest way to learn Cyrillic.

How to learn Russian grammar

Actually, the best way to learn Russian grammar is to practice it with a native speakers who are using Russian on a day-to-day basis. So, you definitely need a private tutor who will introduce grammar rules in a learner-friendly way and will help to use them in speech both oral and written.

In fact, the Russian grammar system has not much in common with the English one. There are 3 noun genders, 6 noun cases, and a complicated verbal system along with numerous exceptions. Thus, Russian grammar remains ‘terra incognita’ for the majority of Russian learners. But not for our students! First of all, your teacher will develop a personalised Russian course based on your needs and goals. It means that every lesson will be tailor-made to your learning style and interests. She will provide online tutoring to help you overcome all the difficulties. We do our best to make your learning effective and enjoyable!

Russian pronunciation

There are 3 main difficulties about Russian sounds for an English-speaker.
They are Russian letter ‘r’, palatalized consonant sounds and sibilants which do not exist in English.

So, the first step is to learn to trill in order to pronounce the Russian sound ‘p’ which slightly resembles to the English ‘r’. At first Russian learners can’t trill and only hear sounds like ‘s’ leaking out from the tip of the tongue.

I would recommend training Russian ‘р’ in such sound junctures as ‘др’ and ‘тр’. The thing is when you pronouns Russian T or Д, your tongue tip is placed on the right place in your month, and you need to make it vibrate. So, try practicing such words as ТРАКТОР, ТРАВА, ДРОВА. Listen to their pronunciation on Google Translate, for example, and try to imitate. 

As for the sibilants, the English always wonder why we need so many of them! The sibilant group, from the Latin for ‘hissing’, are worth learning together as they form a separate group.

The most helpful thing for differentiating and memorising them is to listen to similar sounds which can occur in everyday life. You’ll need to find short and funny videos for Russian toddlers – just search for ‘звуки русского алфавита’ on Youtube. While watching such cartoons you will also be able to listen to the Russian words starting with the 4 fricatives – C/s/, Ц/sj/, Ш/ʂ/, and Щ/ʃj/ as well as an affricate Ц /ts/ and other sibilants – З /z/, Ж /ʒ/ , Ч /tʃ/. Try to imitate!

Russian also distinguishes hard consonants from soft (palatalized) consonants. Moreover, the usage of a hard or a soft sound can change the meaning of the word! For example, ‘брат’ stands for ‘brother’, however ‘брать’ means ‘to take’. Your task is to learn to differentiate them.

If this doesn’t help, Native Russian tutor is definitely needed to solve the issues with Russian pronunciation. That’s all because you can learn to speak a language correctly only from a native speaker.

How to learn Russian language easily

Our online Russian language school offers an easy solution! We have taught Russian for beginners as well as helped intermediate and advanced level students to master Russian since 2014. With our online tutor you will study the language in an easy and learner-friendly way. You’ll not only learn how to write in Russian but will also be able to read a Russian text and type letters very soon.

Normally complete beginners can use simple Russian phrases and hold a conversation on everyday topics after 15-20 hours of study. However, your progress depends much on your age and motivation. Besides, the frequency of online lessons and the quality of your homework contribute greatly to your success. Wondering how long it will take you to learn Russian? Take a short test.

To sum it up, taking regular Russian classes online will step by step bring you to a desired level. Not sure how online lessons work? Learn more here. Also, find 12 useful tips on how to study Russian easily. Finally, you will be proud to say ‘I speak Russian’ in Russian.

If you are still in doubt if online tutoring is an efficient way to learn Russian, just consider what our students say about their lessons.

So, learn Russian by Skype with a fully-qualified native teacher! Book a free trial lesson today!