Randi Anderson Last updated: Live and Breathe Russian? Check Out These 3 Radio Stations for Language Learning
In Russian, when you’re broadcasting live, you’re в эфире, which literally means “in the air.”
And thanks to the internet, that air is accessible anywhere you have a connection. We’re talking about portable immersion.
It’s time you harnessed the power of radio to immerse yourself in an authentic Russian learning experience.
Contents
- Why Listen to Russian Radio?
- How to Get the Most Out of Learning by Radio
- The Top 3 Radio Stations for Learning Russian
- And One More Thing...
Download: This blog post is available as a convenient and portable PDF that you can take anywhere. Click here to get a copy. (Download)
Why Listen to Russian Radio?
Listening to Russian radio will help improve your understanding of not only the language, but also Russian-speaking culture. Here are some of the different benefits Russian radio has to offer language learners:
- You’ll get immersed in authentic Russian. This is the best reason to listen to the radio in Russian. You’ll hear native Russian accents and get more accustomed to the rhythms and patterns of the language. There’s a kind of thrill in surrounding yourself with authentic language—it’s real and it’s alive. Listening to the radio is like swimming in a river of Russian.
- No visuals and no rewind means you’ll fine-tune your ear. Without pictures, gestures, facial expressions or other non-verbal cues, you’re left with only your own two ears to help you understand. All of this is a great workout for your active listening skills.
Plus, with live radio, you can’t rewind to listen to tricky sections again. The speed forces you to let go of things you don’t understand and quickly piece together the things you do in context, which provides essential practice for real-world conversations with native Russian speakers.
But remember, there’s no test and no pressure, so you can relax and start over if you miss something. The radio will always keep going.
- If you love music, it’s a great way to discover new favorites. Once you’ve learned a few Russian songs and become familiar with famous Russian musicians, listening to the radio will help you expand your knowledge of contemporary Russian music.
When you hear a song you like, see if you can catch a line or two from the chorus, then Google it. (This is how I discovered Alla Pugacheva’s “Песенка про меня.”)
- You can hear the Russian side of the story. One of the many advantages of knowing a second language is that it opens a whole new perspective on the world. Instead of depending on English-language media for all your news, you can triangulate with information from foreign-language sources. (This may be something you’re already doing in print, if you’re reading Russian news sites.)
If you’re passionate about current events in the world, listening to Russian radio (especially talk radio) is a great way to get the Russian side of news stories, at least as it’s publicly presented.
- You’ll get a peek into everyday Russian life. Commercials, weather reports and other “small stuff” can teach you a lot about a culture. It’s like walking the streets of a Russian city, reading billboards, studying ads and taking in the trappings of daily life.
How to Get the Most Out of Learning by Radio
So we’ve established that the radio is a pretty awesome tool for learning Russian. But what’s the best way to go about doing it?
- Know your goals and listen with purpose. If you can define why you’re listening to radio in the first place, that’ll help you choose the best station for you—and it’ll also make it easier to develop a routine.
Do you want to soak it up while it’s playing in the background or do you want to listen intently? Are you scoping out new Russian music or do you crave information? If it’s focused listening practice you want, do you need practice with understanding the big picture or picking up on details?
Decide what you want out of your radio experience and choose your station accordingly.
- Focus on what interests you—but now and then, try something new! As you’re getting used to Russian radio, stick to what you know you like, whether it’s a particular news program or a genre of music. That way, you’re more likely to enjoy yourself and form a habit.
Every now and then, though, do a little experimenting. Try a new station, an unfamiliar genre, an opposing perspective—or maybe just a broadcast from a city outside Moscow. Branching out will help you expand your view of Russian culture and discover things you didn’t even know you’d like.
- Don’t worry about understanding every single word. Radio runs pretty fast—and as I’ve already mentioned, there’s no rewind button. So as you’re listening, pick up what you can and don’t stress out if you miss the rest.
Of course, if you notice a certain unfamiliar word or phrase, by all means take down notes and run for the dictionary after the program finishes.
- Don’t skip over commercials—or the weather! Between programs, if you hear the word реклама (advertisement), don’t tune it out! This stuff may be boring in your native language, but when you’re learning a new language and culture, it’s gold.
This is where you get a taste of ordinary life: a glimpse of what people are buying, what they’re worried about, what piques their interest. Even the weather forecast can be helpful in a similar way. There’s a strange feeling of closeness you get when you know how the weather is right now in a city halfway across the world.
- Download radio station apps and listen on the go. Because most major radio stations broadcast online, it’s easy to download an app to your mobile device and take it with you on the road. Often, there’ll be an app store link on the station’s website, but you may also download a centralized app to get access to multiple stations in one place.
- Explore the station’s website for news, podcasts and archived programs. Another plus for modern technology! Not only can you stream a прямой эфир (live broadcast) online, you can also search through the station’s archives and find interviews and shows that interest you on demand.
Not all stations have this feature to the same extent, but Радио России and other major stations have extensive archives organized by topic. This is a serious treasure trove of audio resources—don’t miss it!
- Make sure that in addition to radio, you get some visual learning. Watching Russian videos is a great way to boost your listening skills while also getting all those visual cues that are so important for communication. If you’re looking for a structured way to do this, FluentU is one option to consider.
The Top 3 Radio Stations for Learning Russian
Юмор FM
All you need to know about Юмор FM is summed up in their slogan: “самое веселое радио” (roughly, “the most fun radio”).
This is a station for the lighthearted. That means you’ll find plenty of cheerful pop music to keep you in a good mood—but that’s not all. The true highlight of Юмор FM is their focus on шутки и анекдоты (jokes and funny stories) collected from the internet and television programs.
Their website also features funny memes in Russian—making this the perfect opportunity to work on your Russian humor!
Старое Радио
When you feel like time traveling, Старое Радио offers a range of vintage radio options, including Старое радио (old radio), Музыка (music) and Детское радио (children’s radio). Old radio and children’s radio include radio plays that are excellent resources for listening practice because they are spoken at a leisurely pace, with clear pronunciation and emotional expression.
If you want to listen on the go, there’s even a мобильная версия (mobile version) available, complete with a cool vintage radio layout.
101.ru
This website isn’t so much a station as an index of stations—making it an awesome resource for discovering new music, Russian or otherwise. Browse online radio by genre, theme (for example, “holidays”) or decade, or choose a station devoted entirely to a single artist or group.
You can choose from Профессиональное (professional) or Персональное (personal) radio collections, and in either case you can use a search bar in the header to find the artist or genre you want.
Whatever you’re looking for, there’s an online radio station out there for you. Don’t get overwhelmed by the choices! Just start somewhere—and make it a daily habit to listen, whether actively or while you’re driving or cooking.
Here’s to a little Russian air in your daily life!
Download: This blog post is available as a convenient and portable PDF that you can take anywhere. Click here to get a copy. (Download)
And One More Thing...
If you love learning Russian and want to immerse yourself with authentic materials from Russia, then I should also tell you more about FluentU.
FluentU naturally and gradually eases you into learning the Russian language and culture. You'll learn real Russian as it's spoken by real Russian people!
FluentU has a very broad range of contemporary videos. Just a quick look will give you an idea of the variety of Russian-language content available on FluentU:
FluentU makes these native Russian videos approachable through interactive transcripts. Tap on any word to look it up instantly.
Access a complete interactive transcript of every video under the Dialogue tab. Easily review words and phrases with audio under Vocab.
All definitions have multiple examples, and they're written for Russian learners like you. Tap to add words you'd like to review to a vocab list.
And FluentU has a learn mode which turns every video into a language learning lesson. You can always swipe left or right to see more examples.
The best part? FluentU keeps track of your vocabulary, and gives you extra practice with difficult words. It'll even remind you when it’s time to review what you’ve learned. You'll have a 100% personalized experience.
Start using the FluentU website on your computer or tablet or, better yet, download the FluentU app from the iTunes or Google Play store. Click here to take advantage of our current sale! (Expires at the end of this month.)
