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Archive for the 'Tips & Techniques' Category

How to Start Thinking in Russian

Learn 4 tools and techniques to stop translating in your head and start thinking in Russian

Going through Russian lessons is enough to get by and learn the basics of Russian, but to truly become fluent you need to be able to think in Russian. This will allow you to have conversations with ease, read smoothly, and comprehensively understand natives. To do this, you need to go beyond just completing daily or weekly lessons.

We naturally translate in our heads because it’s viewed as the easiest way to learn the definitions needed when learning a language. This way of learning can actually hinder your skills and fluency later on. If your brain has to make neural connections between the word you’re learning, what it means in your native tongue, and the physical object the connection will not be nearly as strong. When you bypass the original translation between Russian and your native language then there is a more basic and strong connection between just the Russian vocabulary word and the tangible object.

start thinking in Russian

In this blog post, you will learn the 4 important techniques to easily and naturally begin to speculate about the daily occurrences in your life. The best part is all of these techniques are supported and can be achieved through RussianPod101.com.

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1. Surround yourself with Russian

Surround Yourself

By surrounding yourself with Russian constantly you will completely immerse yourself in the language. Without realizing it you’ll be learning pronunciation, sentence structures, grammar, and new vocabulary. You can play music in the background while you’re cooking or have a Russian radio station on while you study. Immersion is a key factor with this learning process because it is one of the easiest things to do, but very effective. Even if you are not giving the program your full attention you will be learning.

One great feature of RussianPod101.com is the endless podcasts that are available to you. You can even download and listen to them on the go. These podcasts are interesting and are perfect for the intention of immersion, they are easy to listen to as background noise and are interesting enough to give your full attention. Many of them contain stories that you follow as you go through the lessons which push you to keep going.

2. Learn through observation
learn through observation

Learning through observation is the most natural way to learn. Observation is how we all learned our native languages as infants and it’s a wonder why we stop learning this way. If you have patience and learn through observation then Russian words will have their own meanings rather than meanings in reference to your native language. Ideally, you should skip the bilingual dictionary and just buy a dictionary in Russian.

RussianPod101.com also offers the materials to learn this way. We have numerous video lessons which present situational usage of each word or phrase instead of just a direct translation. This holds true for many of our videos and how we teach Russian.

3. Speak out loud to yourself
talk to yourself

Speaking to yourself in Russian not only gets you in the mindset of Russian, but also makes you listen to how you speak. It forces you to correct any errors with pronunciation and makes it easy to spot grammar mistakes. When you speak out loud talk about what you did that day and what you plan to do the next day. Your goal is to be the most comfortable speaking out loud and to easily create sentences. Once you feel comfortable talking to yourself start consciously thinking in your head about your daily activities and what is going on around you throughout the day.

With RussianPod101.com you start speaking right away, not only this, but they have you repeat words and conversations after a native Russian speaker. This makes your pronunciation very accurate! With this help, you are on the fast path to making clear and complex sentences and then actively thinking about your day.

4. Practice daily

If you don’t practice daily then your progress will be greatly slowed. Many people are tempted to take the 20-30 minutes they should be practicing a day and practice 120 in one day and skip the other days. This isn’t nearly as effective because everyday you practice you are reinforcing the skills and knowledge you have learned. If you practice all in one day you don’t retain the information because the brain can realistically only focus for 30 minutes at most. If you’re studying for 120 minutes on the same subject little of the information will be absorbed. Studying everyday allows you to review material that you went over previous days and absorb a small amount of information at a time.

It’s tough to find motivation to study everyday, but RussianPod101.com can help. It’s easy to stay motivated with RussianPod101.com because we give you a set learning path, with this path we show how much progress you’ve made. This makes you stick to your goals and keep going!

Conclusion

Following the steps and having patience is the hardest part to achieving your goals, it’s not easy learning a new language. You are essentially teaching your brain to categorize the world in a completely new way. Stick with it and you can do it just remember the 4 tools I taught you today! With them, conversations, reading, and understanding will become much easier. The most important thing to remember is to use the tools that RussianPod101.com provides and you will be on your way to being fluent!

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The 5 Review Tactics that Will Sharpen Your Russian

top 5 review tactics to boost your russian

Have you ever returned to RussianPod101 lessons you’ve completed?

Accessing a lesson once is enough to learn more Russian. But to master what you’ve learned, to understand Russian the second you hear it, to read with just a quick glance, and to speak smoothly, without thinking… you need to review.

In this blog post, you’ll learn the 5 review tactics and learning tools that will truly sharpen your Russian (all of which I’ve been able to resources for on RussianPod101.com).

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1. Listen to lines over and over again!

One of the best ways to learn Russian (or any language) is to listen to native speakers over and over again until you understand what they are saying. By listening closely and often, you start to pick up the rhythm of a language and pronunciation from a native speaker. It’s not surprising, then, that Innovative Language offers a great line-by-line feature that lets you listen (and read along!) as many times as you’d like. I really recommend taking advantage of this feature— aside from moving to Russia, it is the best way to immerse yourself in the language.

2. Use a voice-recording tool to perfect pronunciation.

No one likes to hear themselves recorded, but it is a great way to perfect your pronunciation! Record yourself and compare against a fluent speaker. If you sound different, repeat after the fluent speaker until your pronunciation matches. Innovative Language has a great voice-recording feature that makes recording super easy. Never hesitate or be shy about your pronunciation again.

review tactics

3. Master recorded conversations.

Another excellent way to review your Russian is to record conversations and go over them again and again until you have the entire conversation mastered and can repeat it line by line. Now, it might be kind of awkward trying to explain to someone why you are recording them speak so it is fortunate that Innovative Language has dialogues available for download right off of their website. I found these also come with transcripts of the entire conversation, which is great if you don’t want to spend tons of time translating the conversation yourself.

4. Use mobile devices to reinforce previously learned conversations.

It might sound redundant at this point, but constant review is the best, and only, way to perfect Russian. In that spirit, I strongly recommend downloading the recorded dialogue to your mobile device and incorporating it into your music playlist. You’ll be amazed how effectively quick reviews throughout a day can reinforce what you’ve learned.

review tactics

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5. Read with line by line notes.

The guaranteed accurate transcript of the recorded dialogues is one of the most useful features Innovative Language offers. You can read along with a fluent speaker to really master pronunciation and natural conversation. You should start slow at first, then slowly increase the speed with each pass through. Every time you read through, your pronunciation will become more intuitive and your ability to understand fluent speakers will greatly increase.

Imagine a child who just learned how to read. At first, they slowly struggle through a sentence, but on the second try, they know what the most of the words sound like and so they read a bit faster and easier and on the third try, they read that sentence at normal, native speed.

review tactics

Improve Now your Reading Skills by Learning More Vocabulary

Using these five simple review techniques the most challenging parts of learning Russian will become your areas of comfort. Conversations will no longer be excruciating and embarrassing, but rather offer a chance to show off your new skills and communicate with someone from a different culture in their natural language. You will be able to casually listen to Russian and understand everything. Reading, too, will become natural and enjoyable.

Learning any language takes time and dedication. With the right focus, however, you can ensure the maximum impact of your efforts. Consistently listening to fluent speakers, recording your own voice and comparing it against fluent speakers, mastering conversations, listening to them on go, and following along with written transcripts will put you on the path to becoming fluent in Russian. Learn from the mistakes that so many have made, myself included, don’t let what you’ve already learned slip away.

Review, review, review!

How to Overcome the Top 4 Russian Learning Fears

Every Russian learner will have these fears“I’m not good enough yet.” “I don’t think I’m making any progress.” “What if I never reach my goals?” Russian learning fears – we all get them from time to time. What are yours? And are they worth being scared of?

how to overcome learning fears

In this blog post, we’re killing the top 4 Russian learning fears – 1) what are the fears learners tend to have the most and 2) how you can overcome them!

Here are the top 4 language learning fears according to our users:

1. “I’m not good enough to start speaking yet.”

Do you feel like you’re not good enough to start speaking yet? It’s a pretty common fear or misconception that most learners have. Here’s how you overcome it:

  • The best way to get good at speaking is to start speaking from day 1.
    So if you’re holding yourself back, because you think you’re not good enough, well, that’s exactly why you’re not good enough. You need to open your mouth and start talking!
  • If you think you’re not good enough, just learn Russian lines you want to say!
    In our lessons, you get the exact phrases and scripts for introducing yourself making small talk, ordering food, expressing opinions, and much more! So if you think you’re not good enough, the lessons will give you the exact lines to say.
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    2. “I’m afraid I’ll never be fluent.”

    Many successful Russian learners worried about that, only as a beginner. They started learning Russian and, it’s funny because the better their Russian got, the less they were worried about that. So, how can you overcome this?

  • You’ve got to set small, specific goals.
    Fluency is a big vague goal. Arguably, we don’t even speak fluent in our native language. There are over a million words and we use about 2,000 words only. So you should focus on smaller goals like being able to introduce yourself or having a 5-minute conversation. Or 10 minutes. Something you can measure so you know you reached it because you can’t really measure fluency. It’s a pretty vague goal! But you can measure small goals like having a 5-minute conversation. And as these small goals add up, you’ll be speaking very comfortably!
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    3. “I’m afraid that I’m not making any progress.”

    In other words, getting stuck. If you’re afraid you’re not making progress, there are two things you can do right now.

  • Use the dashboard to track your progress.
    If you need numbers to believe it, our dashboard tracks all the lessons you’ve completed and shows how much you’ve accomplished.
  • Try a harder lesson on the site.
    It sounds crazy and you might not understand it but you will in minutes. Our lessons come with line-by-line translations and the lesson hosts explain everything. THEN, you’ll be making progress because you now understand something you didn’t minutes ago.
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    From Beginner to Advanced, get the lesson that is perfect for you! Start learning Russian now!

    4. “I’m afraid of not understanding anything I hear”.

    This is very common. You hear advanced grammar and vocabulary and it goes completely over your head. To beat this…

  • If you’re taking an advanced lesson, simply read along.
    Reading along with our line-by-line tool is the best way to instantly understand advanced conversations. The translations and scripts are right in front of you.
  • For real-life situations, learn useful phrases.
    Like “Can you say it more slowly?,” “Can you use simpler words?” or “I don’t understand what that meant.” There’s nothing wrong with saying that you didn’t understand something or with asking for help. And our Survival Phrases lessons cover must-know phrases like this.
  • learn russian

    So, these are the top 4 fears and how to overcome them. And if you want to have the perfect tools to overcome them, don’t forget to create your Free Lifetime Account at RussianPod101.com!

    3 Reasons Why Playing Games Helps You Learn Russian Faster

    Discover 3 ways that Russian learning games and video games can help you learn and master Russian faster, retain more, and enhance your language skills.

    reasons why playing games helps you learn faster

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    Can You Learn Russian Using Games?

    Yes, Russian learning games and even video games can help you learn and master Russian faster and improve overall comprehension. Research studies have concluded that video games enhance traditional learning methods and make mastering a new language like Russian fun and exciting. Without the firm foundation in grammar and vocabulary provided by conventional learning programs, however, you will not be able to learn Russian with games alone. But when you combine the solid educational foundation like you’ll get at RussianPod101 with the benefits of Russian learning games, you learn faster and retain more than with traditional learning alone.

    Let’s now take a look at three of the biggest benefits of using video games to learn Russian:

    Video Games Help Improve Linguistic Skills and Cognitive Development

    When combined with a solid foundation in vocabulary and grammar, video games help students improve reading, comprehension, and even speaking skills. The results are even more pronounced in struggling students. According to a recent national survey, more than 78% of teachers noted that learning games, even video games, were effective in helping struggling students compensate for learning gaps in their traditional studies.

    So how do Russian learning games, or even video games, help students improve their linguistic skills and cognitive development? The key is practice, practice, and more practice!
    Learning games and video games naturally require the integration of several linguistic skills including reading, listening, speaking, and even writing in some games. And by removing the fear of making mistakes so common in students in traditional classroom settings, students are free to practice the language and further develop their linguistic and cognitive abilities in the process.

    Do a compliment in Russian? Break-Up Lines? Our Vocabulary Lists are Made for You!

    Learning Games/Video Games Provide In-Context Learning

    Students naturally learn faster and comprehend more when they are forced to use the information often and in real-world situations, even the fake ones created by Russian learning games and video games. Essentially, this is immersion-based learning or contextual learning very similar to what one experiences when living abroad and being forced to interact with people in another language. So by providing both context and constant feedback, video games allow students to actually use the knowledge they gain in classrooms or conventional study to learn and master Russian or any new language faster.

    Russian Learning Games Make Studying Fun and Alleviate Stress

    Homework, quizzes, tests, and even in-class assignments can cause a great deal of stress and anxiety in students, particularly those who may be struggling to keep up. This stress and anxiety can actually derail a student’s progress and cause them to feel isolated from their more successful peers. But video games and even most learning games are the great equalizer because they help alleviate stress, increase social engagement, and yes, even help students have fun while learning Russian or any new language.
    In fact, research recently published in The Washington Post shows a wide range of health benefits from video games and learning games including the fact that they:

  • Help Reduce or Alleviate Symptoms of Depression
  • Help Reduce or Alleviate Symptoms of Insomnia
  • Help Alleviate Transitory Stress Symptoms
  • Scientists have indeed discovered that not only can you learn Russian or any new language faster thanks to video games, they can also provide a wide range of potential health benefits as well. However, learning languages through video games alone is not really a feasible alternative to progressive, structured learning like you find in classrooms or programs like RussianPod101.

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    The Limitations of Learning Languages Through Video Games

    While great supplemental learning tools, video games and even more formal learning games are simply no substitute for structured learning programs for two reasons:

  • Learning Games Not Designed to Provide a Foundation in Grammar or Vocabulary: Without the foundation provided by structured Russian learning (classroom or online), video games or even language learning games only teach specific phrases and concepts. Now within the context of the video game, these phrases and concepts make sense but most would have little practical value in the real world.
  • Lessons Are Not Structured or Progressive in Nature: Structured learning requires students to be provided with basic building blocks of knowledge (like grammar or vocab lessons) that are then expanded upon in a progressive fashion until mastery. Video games and even many language learning games really only quiz and reinforce what students already know instead of providing structured lessons that can be built upon for future learning.
  • Russian learning games and even video games are great supplemental tools to help students learn and master a language faster. Scientific studies and recent research reveal that video games can help contextualize formal lessons from structured learning, enhance linguistic skills, alleviate stress, and even provide a wide range of potential health benefits. However, learning languages through video games (even learning games) has limitations and is no substitute for structured lessons that provide a firm foundation in vocabulary and grammar.

    RussianPod101 is the world’s most advanced online learning system with more than 2500+ HD video lessons created by real Russian instructors. With more than 500 million lesson downloads and 10,000’s of success stories, RussianPod101 can provide you with a world-class foundation in vocabulary and grammar.

    Combined with Russian learning games, our cutting edge online language system can propel you to mastering the language faster, more easily, and at far less expense than traditional classroom instruction.

    4 Reasons Why Russian Slang Words Will Make You Fluent

    Learn 4 honest reasons you need Russian slang words and why they are so vital to truly learning and mastering the language.

    Teachers may normally cringe at the thought of their students learning Russian slang words. After all, slang words and phrases are typically defined as being grammatically incorrect. So why would your teacher want you to spend time learning the “wrong way” to speak Russian? Here are 4 of the top reasons why you should study slang words and expressions when learning Russian or any new language.

    reasons to learn russian slang words

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    1. Native Speakers Use Slang Expressions in Everyday Conversation

    If you are going to study a foreign language and plan to use it to speak with native speakers, then you have to learn slang words and expressions. Otherwise, just using formal expressions and grammar may alienate you from native speakers and make it more difficult to establish a real connection. So it is best to at least learn some common slang words and expressions if you’re planning to meet or speak socially with someone.

    2. Slang Words Are Used All Throughout Russian Culture

    If you turn on any popular Russian TV show, listen to any song, or watch any movie, you are quickly going to see the value of learning Russian slang phrases. Just like everyday conversations between native speakers, Russian culture is filled with slang phrases and expressions. Without at least some knowledge of the more common slang phrases, popular culture and most conversations will be very confusing and potentially alienating.

    Want to Amaze Native Speaker? Be a Good Lover? Our Vocabulary Lists are Made for You!

    3. Slang Expressions Help You Better Express Your True Thoughts and Feelings

    Only relying on formal grammar and vocabulary is very limiting, especially in social situations. Just like in your native language, using the appropriate Russian slang words can help you express a broader range of emotions, thoughts, and feelings.

    4. Proper Use of Slang Makes You Sound More Natural

    We’ve all met foreigners who technically used formal language perfectly but still sounded odd and well….foreign. But when you use the right slang words and expressions, you will sound more natural and like a true native speaker. If you notice, even most politicians include a sprinkling of slang expressions and words throughout their speeches to help them sound more natural and to better connect with the audience.

    The Dark Side of Slang Expressions

    Learning Russian slang words can indeed help you sound more natural, better understand the people and culture, and make integration much easier. However, there is a dark side: using the wrong slang expressions can also make you look foolish, uneducated, and potentially disrespectful.

    But how do you know which slang words or phrases to use and when?

    The truth is that you can’t learn the most modern and appropriate slang words in textbooks or formal classroom settings. By the time the information gets incorporated into a formal curriculum, it’s already outdated and no longer in use by actual Russian people. And while you can learn current slang expressions from Russian TV shows, movies, songs, and games, you may not understand the context. If that happens, you may use the right Russian slang words but in the wrong situation and still look like a fool or possibly even offend someone.

    Step out from the darkness and Get Your FREE PDF eBook to Start Learning Russian!

    So where can you learn current slang expressions and the right context in which to use them?

    At RussianPod101, native speaking instructors create audio and video lessons that can include slang expressions and words. Our instructors provide context and examples for all the Russian slang words used in any lesson to make sure students understand the right time and place to use them.

    Russian slang words and expressions may be grammatically incorrect but they are vital to truly understanding and immersing yourself in the culture. In fact, it will be very difficult to fully understand any movie, TV show, song, game, or even 1-on-1 conversation without knowing a few of the more common slang expressions.

    However, it is important to learn the proper context and use of even popular slang expressions or you may come across as confusing, disrespectful, or uneducated.
    At RussianPod101, you’ll learn how to use slang phrases and words to draw the right attention and avoid these problems.

    Don’t forget to sign up for a Free Lifetime Account on RussianPod101.com to access tons of FREE lessons and features to become fluent in Russian!

    RussianPod101 Free Lifetime Account: Is it really free?

    You want to learn Russian but you don’t want to spend a cent. You don’t want to lose time creating an account if they ask you for your credit card just after. For you Russian learner, we tell you how you will access great resources for free for life and without card or having to pay. This is your unique path to fluency for free.

    free lifetime account russianpod101 benefit

    RussianPod101 is not really free, is it?
    Although there are paid plans, yes, it is FREE. Every single lesson that we have ever created has been free for a certain period of time. And every new audio and video lesson (we publish 3-5 lessons a week) is completely free to access for 3 weeks before going into our lesson library.

    What’s a Free Lifetime Account?
    A Free Lifetime Account is – simply put – a free membership at RussianPod101.

    What do I get with this Free Account? How can I learn for free for life?
    Here’s how you learn every day without paying a cent at RussianPod101. You have access to all of these features for life:

  • New audio and video lessons every week – 3-5 new, free lessons a week
  • The first 3 lessons of every single series – 100+ lessons in total
  • New Daily Dose of Russian lessons – a new free lesson every day
  • Russian Word of the Day lessons – a new free lesson every day
  • Throwback Thursday lessons – a free random lesson every Thursday
  • The Innovative Language 101 App for the Android, iPhone and iPad
  • The 100 Most Common Words List to get a head-start on learning vocabulary
  • Vocabulary and phrase lists for topics, themes and holidays
  • Bonus resources and mobile apps in the Russian resources section

    Start speaking Russian now!

    Do I need a credit card to sign up?
    No. All you need is a valid email address to join. The only times you’d require a credit card (or another payment method such as PayPal) is if you want to upgrade to a Basic, Premium or Premium PLUS subscription.

    To sum-up, you create a free account only with your email address, you’ll get a 7-day trial to experience Premium access to RussianPod101, and after this period you will stay on as a “Free” member accessing all our tool and resources mentioned before. So what are you waiting for?

    It will take you only 30 seconds and a valid email, no credit card, no money asked, to create your free lifetime account and get on the way to reach Russian fluency!

  • How to Learn Russian in Your Car?

    How to Learn Russian in Your Car? Learn language in car

    Stuck in traffic? Losing time in your car? Have you ever felt that in all this wasted time, you could have watched the 750 episodes of One Piece, finished the last Super Mario ten times, or even better…you could have learned Russian? Between family, friends and work, in addition to this time-consuming commute, it can become difficult to find time to properly learn Russian.

    Fortunately, every problem has a solution, and what could be a better solution than turning that commute time into learning time? Stop passing the time mindlessly listening to the radio and try some of our best tips for mastering Russian in your car!

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    Click Here To Start Learning Russian Right Now!

    You can learn Russian in your car, hands free
    While driving, it’s important that you keep your focus on the road, so this is why our top tips won’t require you to use your hands!

    Listening to Russian audio content in the car is a good way to learn
    This is because it is a fun and efficient way to learn. With RussianPod101.com podcasts, you will be able to discover Russian culture through topics about everyday life. Instead of the radio, listen to a Russian podcast adapted to your level, from Absolute Beginner to Advanced, and you will make progress sooner that you would expect!

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    You can listen to Russian music in the car
    Did you know that you can learn Russian by singing while driving? Listen to songs from cartoon or drama and try to identify some words you learned.

    Challenge yourself! Use the Russian you’ve studied up to this point and see how much you understand! Making the jump to real-life Russian is a scary one, but friendly children’s songs are a great place to start!

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    Click Here To Sign Up For A FREE Lifetime Account!

    You can learn alone in your car
    When you’re driving alone, you can be as loud as you want – there is nothing better for remembering your Russian lessons than repeating loudly, again and again. Next time you see a driver who seems to be talking alone, you will know he or she is just learning Russian!

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    You can learn through repetition with your passengers
    If there are passengers in the car, it can be more stimulating to learn together. You can set a role play with Russian dialogues. With RussianPod101.com, you can download all the lessons transcript including the dialogues, as a PDF. Print it out and have some fun speaking in Russian!

    One of the passengers can answer the quiz available on each of our lessons, while another can correct that person. Listening to someone at a more advanced level of Russian or a better accent is positive and helps you improve.

    You can learn Russian offline
    Do you have a poor connection or are unable to use the Internet? It’s not a problem for learning Russian! Before you start your commute, use our App to download the lessons you want to study and the podcast you want to listen to in your car, and you will be able to enjoy your lessons offline. Entering a tunnel won’t be a problem anymore. What a pleasure to listen to audio content without having the host freezing every 5 seconds!

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    Click here to download the App and learn offline!

    You can learn every day at your own pace
    One of the best approaches for learning a language is little by little and often. It’s not efficient to take in a huge amount of information at one time. What you need is to study on a regular basis – a little bit of Russian every day. You commute several days a week, and that is all time you can take advantage of!

    You have the freedom to choose the lessons and podcasts you want to focus on, at your own rhythm. You may want to do a little revision or discover how to talk about a new topic. And if you’re wondering what to learn next, you can use the new Learning Paths, which is our customized pathway feature that gives you a step-by-step way to learn Russian without getting lost!

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    Click here to access Learning Paths at RussianPod101!

    If you don’t have a car and commute by another method, these tips are still valid! Learning Russian is no longer limited to the classroom or your house; there are so many benefits to learning in your car or elsewhere. Reaching a conversational level will take you less time than you could ever have imagined! Don’t forget to sign up for your Free Lifetime Account and enjoy our content!

    6 Reasons to Learn a Language Before You Travel!

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    There are plenty of destinations where you can get by with English, but sometimes you want to do better than just ‘get by’. Here are 6 reasons you should learn the basics of the language of your next trip destination.

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    1. You will be able to discover your destination better than other tourists.

    Getting by is one thing, but actually experiencing a trip abroad is quite another. No amount of guidebooks and online research can compensate for a basic lack of language ability. Speaking the language of your destination permits you to explore that destination beyond the regular tourist traps. Your language skills will not only allow you to dig into all the hidden gems of your destination, but they will also allow you to mingle with the locals to get a true experience on your holiday. Think of it this way: you’re not restricted to talking to the people at the tourist desk anymore.

    2. Knowing how to communicate with local police or medical personnel can be life-saving.

    Before you leave for your destination, make sure you learn how to ask for help in that destination’s local tongue. Do you know how to ask the waiter if this dish has peanuts in it? Or tell your host family that you’re allergic to fish? Can you tell the local doctor where it hurts? Moreover, an awareness of an environment improves your chance of remaining safe inside it. For example, walking around a busy marketplace, dazzled by an unfamiliar language, signs and accents will instantly render any tourist a more attractive mark for pickpockets. Communicating with other people, asking questions and looking confident will make you look like a semi-local yourself, and will ward off potential thieves.

    Click here for Russian Phrases and words that will help you in almost every situation!

    3. It helps you relax.

    Traveling is much less stressful when you understand what that announcement at the airport was saying, or if this bus line reaches your hotel. These things stress you out when traveling and they disappear when you understand the language. This allows you to focus on planning your trip in a better, easier way.

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    4. Speaking the language can provide you with a way to get to know people you’d never otherwise have the opportunity to speak with.

    Sometimes those relationships turn into friendships, and other times they’re nothing more than a lively conversation. Either way, as Nelson Mandela said: “If you talk to a man in a language he understands, that goes to his head. If you talk to him in his language, that goes to his heart.” When you approach someone – even staff at a store or restaurant – with English, rather than their own language, an invisible divide has already been erected. Making even a small effort to communicate in the language of the place you’re visiting can go a long way and you’ll find many more doors open up to you as a result.

    Click here for the Top words you need to know to start a conversation with anyone

    5. You’ll be a better ambassador for your country.

    If we’re honest with ourselves, we know very little about other countries and cultures, especially the local politics. And what we do know is often filtered to us by the media, which tends to represent only certain interests. When you can speak the local language, you’re able to answer questions that curious locals have about your country and culture. Are you frustrated with how your country is presented in global news? Are you embarrassed by your country’s leaders and want to make it clear that not everyone is like that where you’re from? This is a very good opportunity to share your story with people who have no one else to ask. We all have a responsibility to be representatives of the place we come from.

    6. Learning another language can fend off Alzheimer’s, keep your brain healthy and generally make you smarter.

    And remember, if you’re really interested in getting on the fast-track to fluency, sign up for a FREE lifetime account at RussianPod101.com!

    Top 15 tips to remember words when learning Russian

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    Hey Russian learner!

    We recently gave you some shortcuts to learn Russian.
    In your journey to become fluent and conversational in less time that is needed to say “Gotta catch ’em all”, we will this time give you the Top 15 tips to remember words!

    1. Use repetition: reading, writing and speaking words over and over again.

    2. Associate words with drawings, pictures and funny scenes.

    3. Try to use the language routinely in the context of daily life.

    4. Reading as much as possible, especially the newspaper, helps you to remember words.

    Click Here To Start Learning Russian Right Now!

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    5. Learn about the roots of words and how different words are related to each other.

    6. Speak as often as possible with native speakers.

    7. Categorize new words with other related words that you already know.

    8. Be persistent in practicing everyday by talking to your family or your dog, even though they don’t understand you.

    Click Here To Sign Up For A FREE Lifetime Account!

    9. Say words out loud so that you can actually hear them.

    10. Associate new words with words that sound similar in your native language.

    11. Listen to songs and memorize the lyrics.

    12. Often watch TV or YouTube videos that are designed for young children.

    Access tons of Audio and Video lessons for Free!

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    13. Associate new words with stories, games or movies.

    14. Try to use the new word in a simple sentence so you learn whole phrases, not just individual words.

    15. Try to think in Russian, so it becomes natural to your thought process.

    No money, no credit card required, just you and the ton of lessons!

    If you follow all those tips, you will be a step closer to reach your goal. And remember, if you’re really interested in getting on the fast-track to fluency, sign up for a FREE lifetime account at RussianPod101.com!

    Five Tips To Avoid Common Mistakes

    The Focus of This Lesson is Tips to Help Russian Students Overcome Common Errors

    Tip 1: Learn Your Cases

      • There are no cases in English. That means that nouns and adjectives always stay the same no matter what their function and position in the sentence is. It’s different in Russian. The endings of nouns and adjectives change depending on their function.
        • Of course, it’s possible for a native speaker to understand someone who speaks like this but…
          • It can be irritating because you are slaughtering their language
          • It can be totally confusing!

            Tip 2: Watch Your Word Stress!

              • Like in English, word stress is extremely important. In Russian, you don’t say all the syllables of the word with the same strength, but accentuate one syllable.
                • If you don’t stress the right syllable, it can lead to confusion, and native speakers will have difficulty understanding you.
                  • Unfortunately, unlike in Italian or French, there are no rules to help you stress a word correctly. It’s just something you have to learn for each word.

                    Tip 3: Don’t Repeat the Verb in the Question

                      • In Russian, you use a different verb ending for “I” and “you” in the present. It is very common for English speakers to forget about it, as in English the verb doesn’t change. Also, they hear the ending -ешь in the question and tend to reply using ешь.

                        Tip 4: Watch Your Gender

                          • In Russian, the ending of the verb in the past tense changes depending on the gender and the plurality.
                          • If the subject is я or ты, use the ending -л if the pronoun refers to a man, and -ла if it refers to a woman.

                            Tip 5: Don’t Try to Translate “It”

                              • In Russian, the pronoun “it” doesn’t exist. We replace “it” with “he” or “she,” depending on their gender. That means, for example, that when you speak, you have to remember that книга (“a book”) is feminine, and that you should refer to it as она (“she”).