Russian language - where to start?

A short guide on how to start learning Russian language

So, where did you start when you decided to study Russian? There are too many answers to that question. It depends on your experience with languages, your native language, your age, your motivation, how you learn, and how much time you have. So we have too many variables to make one solid plan for everyone. However, we must start somewhere. Let's take a look at our options:

The Russian Alphabet

1. The alphabet. Learning the alphabet seems to be the most obvious first step. You can memorize it by heart, listen to one hundred videos on YouTube of someone reading it, check out our cheat-sheet 😉, and finally get the Cyrillic alphabet in your head. Good plan! And moreover, we usually start our lessons with the alphabet. 

But it's only one piece of the puzzle.

2. Common words and phrases. If you google "the 100 most useful Russian words", you will find many pages with various charts of Russian words. Grab one! It probably has transcriptions, so you may not need to worry about the alphabet as much (for now!). It's a good way to begin to feel the language because now you’ll recognize not only the letters of the alphabet but whole words and phrases as well.

3. A textbook. Okay, so you’ve memorized the alphabet somehow, and even learned several words, so what's next? A plan, a structure, and a strategy! You need a textbook. The textbook doesn't need to be perfect. It should make sense to you, and it should provide you with a clear studying path. The Russian language is already too complex and scary to master alone, so having a reliable "crutch" in the form of a textbook will make your journey a bit more comfortable. 

(We will provide a textbook guide in the next post).

Vocabulary applications

4. Vocabulary app. You can start with language learning applications. They are convenient, easy to use, and can provide basic vocabulary to get to know the language better. (Some apps can cover the 1st and 2nd sections in our guide). However, apps rarely give you structure and/or grammar content.  

5. Language instructor. At some point, learning the language alone will lead you to a dead end. You’ll lack motivation, find the grammar frustrating, and you still not be speaking. That’s when you need a little help like a teacher, tutor, or language instructor (however you want to call it). Your teacher's job is to help you navigate the confusing parts of the language, to make it bearable and sometimes even to make it fun. Unfortunately, they cannot study it for you, but the teacher can influence your learning experience.  

Our language instructors can help you with this. Email us to learn more about our teachers and courses or check the tab "for students".

Discount code Guide

That was our short guide to the first steps in learning the Russian language. Feel free to comment or email us with your ideas and add-ons.

Have fun with languages. 

And keep on learning!