Should I learn Korean or Russian?
I'm embarking on a language journey. I made a disastrous attempt to learn Spanish earlier this year (I could remember the words, I was just very unorganized). I'm very committed, and I'm willing to study 3-4 hours a day if necessary. --- I want to learn Russian because I'm obsessed with the Soviet Union and culture, but I also want to learn Korean because it is written beautifully, and Korea has a large amount of history. I know that they both have different alphabets. I was going to try to learn German, but what's the fun in that? So many people are learning German nowadays, plus, I could easily learn it if I put my mind to it. Don't suggest another language, just give reasoning to why I should learn Russian or Korean, thanks ;-)
I want to learn to speak Russian?
I would suggest multiple paths to learn the quickest. 1. Buy Rosetta or Pimsleur. I tend to lean towards Pimsleur because you can get their "beginning" course for about $20. It is a good introduction to formal Russian, and you can review the lessons as much as necessary. Very useful "beginning" skills. 2. Download a copy of "Before You Know It" (www.byki.com). The flash cards are expecially useful. They have a free version, or you can purchase the more advanced version if you find it useful. 3. Find a local tutor, or one via the internet that works via yahoo messenger. It can be an effective help and add structure to your studies. Search http://www.language-school-teachers.com/ for a local instructor. Email me if you want a recommendation to a very good online instructor who is a native Russian speaker. 4. As you learn, speak to your husband in Russian for practice. Even if he speaks to you in English, use whatever Russian you have learned. Do NOT try to have your husband teach you, however. It is a proven fact that a spouse makes the worst teacher for a variety of reasons. First, spouses tend to wander from "lessons" to "personal life" too quickly, and the lessons will suffer. It is hard for spouses to concentrate on the lessons like a private instructor would. Second, since he understands YOUR English so well, he will likely be more "forgiving" of your "English-isms" in your Russian speech. He will also not notice many of your mistakes, because he is used to your daily "speech idiosyncrasies". An example from the other side of the language pair: to this day my wife pronounces "clothes" as "closes" instead of "close" (she is a native Russian speaker who has 15 years experience as an English professor). Since I am used to this, I never really notice the error. Look at your own husband's speech patterns, and you will likely find some of these same things that you rarely notice if you don't think about it.
How can I learn Russian in 3-4 weeks?
I don’t think you can learn Russian in 3–4 weeks, because Russian, like other Slavic languages has a few grammar cases and uses the cyrillic alphabet. It might be a lot easier for you if your native language shares the similar characteristics with Russian tho. So, it depends. I would reccomend you using the Duolingo app, which i found really useful. I would also like to advise you on watching Russian TV shows, movies and even news. You can learn grammar while using Duolingo and similar apps, and expand/improve your vocabulary by watching something in Russian.I hope this helps. I had Russian for 4 years in middle school btw. And yeah, I’m rooting for you, you can do it!
I've been trying so hard to learn Russian for almost a year but have done nothing. What is the easiest way to learn Russian? What programs should I use?
There are quite a few ways out there to learn Russian.In fact, I think there’s too many.You can have all the best software, best apps, best everything all downloaded.But if your learning mindset isn’t correct and you don’t learn how to create a custom learning process for yourself, then all those apps won’t matter.Truth be told, you can learn it from anywhere.But there are 4 things you must overcome:1. Misdirection: Most learners don’t why they’re learning. Once the the “why” is strong enough, the “how” will come.2. Inconsistency: Even though you’re passionate, you have to have discipline or nothing will get done.3. Lack of Mental Sharpness: You don’t have to be Einstein. However, intellect determines how fast you’ll get it down. (And you need to get A LOT down.)4. Lack of Accountability: Yes, you have to talk to someone to learn a language. A native or language expert both fit the bill.See, language learning is more of a mindset game more than anything.My clients have gotten super results from mastering stuff like this. If you would like additional help on your journey to FINALLY master your target language, book a call on the site in my profile.
How long does it take to learn Russian?
Russian is often one of the harder languages to learn for English speakers as it is in another alphabet- cyrillic. As soon as you master the change of alphabet it becomes like learning other languages. It will require a lot of dedication. There are plent of online resources. The BBC are good for languages. You can even get very good quality apps for your phone in Russian. On YouTube there is also a channel dedicated to people learning Russian. ITunes- you can download free podcasts and learn it by listening to audio. Search around and find a style best suited to your learning. Good luck and have fun- it is always easier to learn a language when you enjoy it. (apologies if my English is bad. I am just learning)