Have you ever tried to run wearing only one shoe?
What about driving with a flat tire?
If so, you know what it’s like to try to deal with something that’s imbalanced or uneven.
The same thing can happen to …
The famous saying tells us that if there’s “no pain,” there’s “no gain.”
But sometimes it feels like there’s more pain than gain when it comes to learning Russian.
Do you want to learn Russian, but aren’t thrilled with having …
Who doesn’t love a great “buy one, get one free” sale?
The opportunity to acquire two brand-new things while only paying for one will get most of us through the door of a store.
However, we shouldn’t just think of …
Who doesn’t love a cute toddler?
Their chubby cheeks and little toes are simply adorable!
Anyone who has been around one can also attest to the frustration of trying to understand them when they speak.
When “wa-wa” means water and …
Don’t you envy kids?
They get to sleep in the middle of the day, get their meals served to them and get to play all the time.
Who wouldn’t want those luxuries?
Plus, so many things come easily to …
Ever seen a foreign film or show with subtitles that just seemed… off?
Where the dialogue or narrative just didn’t add up?
To the point where even if you didn’t understand the original language at all, you knew someone had …
Still reluctant to start learning to speak Russian?
Even though you really need to?
Maybe you have a trip to Russia or a Russian-speaking country coming up, or a business meeting with a Russian investor.
Or maybe you’re just planning …
They say a picture is worth a thousand words.
However, have the people who say that tried communicating with simple images?
Do you ask for milk in a grocery store by showing the store clerk a picture of a cow?…
When was the last time you learned a new skill?
When we are younger, we perfect new skills all the time.
Walking, riding a bicycle, tying our shoelaces.
The learning process seems endless in our earlier years.
As we get …
Oprah calls it an “Aha!” moment.
When you get a great idea spontaneously, as if it appears out of thin air.
Here is one such idea that occurred to me one morning a few years ago over cereal and Russian …
The greatest thing about having kids is reliving your own childhood.
As an immigrant, I spent my childhood in Russia, but my teenage years and adulthood in the United States.
When I had my own child, I suddenly remembered the …
Remember that high school French class you took?
How much French can you speak now?
Remember how you swore you would become fluent in Italian?
Do you speak Italian now?
Many people living in English-speaking countries don’t get the chance …
“Good morning mother, how might you be this fine morning?”
Isn’t that how all of us greet our parents in the morning?
…No?
If not, surely we speak with our friends by calling them “Mr. Jones” or “Ms. Alexoff,” as …
You only get one chance to make a first impression.
How can you make it great?
Unfortunately, you’re not always going to have a great hair day. And you can’t wear your best suit or dress every time you meet …
Babies don’t need to practice.
I know, I know.
It doesn’t seem fair.
Little baby Russian speakers can learn the language without all the textbooks, vocabulary drills or speaking practice…
Wait—let me stop you there.
They’re actually practicing all the …
Have you ever cracked an egg and found two yolks inside?
Or gotten extra change at Starbucks?
Who doesn’t love to get free bonuses?
With language learning, there are the regular ways to study. Then there are the smarter, more …
I take great pride knowing a language that less than three percent of people in the U.S. speak:
Russian!
I’ve never had a problem talking with my Russian-speaking parents and grandparents, watching Russian TV shows or reading Russian books…
Who doesn’t love crossing a task off a long to-do list?
It’s always important to have goals, as completing them makes us feel accomplished and can even release the feel-good chemical dopamine in our brains!
If you’re an aspiring …
“I go bathroom.”
“Big cookie please.”
“No sleep.”
There are two types of people who can be heard saying these phrases: toddlers—little humans who have learned new words but have not figured out how to group them together yet—and foreigners …
Are you a winner?
No, not a lottery winner or an auction winner.
We are talking about a different kind of winner: a person who makes a goal and accomplishes it.
Becoming a winner takes careful planning, lots of practice …
It’s all downhill after January 2nd.
If you’re like most people, you’ve made plenty of New Year’s Resolutions that fell apart after the glow of the holidays wore off.
In fact, it doesn’t just happen on New Year’s.
Many of …
Have you ever had to walk out of a store because you could not understand the salesperson?
Throughout English-speaking countries, there are many people who have not yet mastered the English language, yet they work in a business setting.
If …
Some experiences are simply life changing!
Have you ever watched an incredible film that left you questioning your worldview?
Or listened to a beautiful song that had you in tears?
How about a video that made you bilingual?
Wait… what?…
There’s more than one way to skin a cat.
And in Russian, there’s more than one way to spell it, too.
You’d think it should be an easy translation.
“Cat” is one of the most basic words in the …
Fluency is in the details.
It is the little things that take you from Russian learner to Russian speaker.
You are probably focused on some of them, like learning Russian slang terms or conversation fillers.
But one that …
Is time travel something you’d be interested in?
I mean, who wouldn’t be interested in that?
Imagine being able to see the clothes, hear the slang and try the trends throughout a country’s history for yourself!
Although we don’t have …
We all have moments where we rethink our entire existence.
For me, that moment came when I realized that I wanted to explore a different career path.
I had always focused on writing, and I did it well.
But now, …
Have you ever watched a film with a dastardly Russian villain in it?
Then you’ve noticed their strong Russian accents.
Sidenote: Why is it that Russians are mostly cast as villains in American movies?
We think it just may be …
In school, you might have been taught that silence is golden.
Students who sit quietly in classrooms are praised and rewarded while those who talk a lot are reprimanded.
I’m here to overturn that belief system and instill in you …
Nobody wants to sound like a dork.
No matter what language they’re speaking.
The good news for Russian learners? You’re upping your cool factor just by studying the language.
Think about it.
Just turn on any movie that portrays Russians …
What’s full of wisdom, fun and always accessible at the touch of a button?
Hint: It’s not your mother (although she always has great advice).
Nope—it’s an old-fashioned book with a new look—a Kindle e-book!
E-books are quickly becoming a …
It’s time to prepare.
If you truly want to learn Russian in a fun way, you’ll need certain supplies.
You’re probably thinking notebooks, pencils and a dictionary, aren’t you?
Would you be surprised if we recommended something a tad bit …
They say that home is where the heart is.
Home is also where your computer, coffee and snacks are.
And it’s where you feel the most comfortable.
Knowing all this, there’s no better place to continue your language studies. We’re …
Exercise is good for everyone.
But you can put your Fitbit and sneakers away for now.
We want to help you learn Russian vocabulary with exercises, but not that kind.
These exercises are for the mind instead of the body.…
Oh no, not again!
You told yourself this morning that you’d get up and be productive.
I’ll make some coffee, get dressed and start hitting that to-do list…
Suddenly the day’s over and you realize you spent most of it …
Tolstoy. Dostoyevsky. Chekhov. Pushkin.
If these names don’t mean anything to you, trust us when we tell you that they mean a lot to the entire Russian population.
These are famous Russian authors and poets that have been studied in …
Ah, Skype.
You use it to talk to loved ones across the country.
You use it to connect with friends traveling the world.
Have you ever thought about using it to learn a different language?
Although it may not be …
You’ve probably danced along with one, laughed along with one and even cooked along with one.
Now, you can learn a new language with one, too.
What is this miraculous invention, you may ask?
The good old online video.…
Want to learn Russian while immersing yourself in the Christmas spirit?
Here is your first lesson—Christmas tree in Russian is новогодняя ёлка (New Year’s tree).
A New Year’s tree you ask? Who puts up a tree for New Year’s?…
If your mission is to learn Russian, your first stop should be St. Petersburg.
Did you know St. Petersburg is considered Russia’s cultural capital?
The city was once home to Russian royalty, and many buildings can attest to this.
Voted …
The wisdom of Dr. Seuss never gets old.
“The more you read, the more things you know.”
“The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go.”
Surely, he was referring to learning to read in Russian when he wrote …
Dumplings. Beef stroganoff. Blini.
What do all of these typical Russian foods have in common with learning Russian?
They all require you to put in the right ingredients and the right amount of time.
But what are the ingredients …
When was the last time you built a shelf without instructions?
Or cooked a delicious dinner without glancing at a recipe?
To get something done right, it’s always helpful to have a plan.
So why would you try to improvise …
Learning Russian surrounded by English is doable, but difficult.
Just like only eating celery at an ice cream party.
There’s too much temptation, and the environment doesn’t foster success.
Why not take your learning a step further by surrounding yourself …
Forbidden fruit is the sweetest.
The best offense is a good defense.
We can all benefit from sage advice to lead a better life.
Some of us read self-help books and take courses, while others listen to stories from their …
The famous saying tells us that if there’s “no pain,” there’s “no gain.”
But sometimes it feels like there’s more pain than gain when it comes to learning Russian.
Do you want to learn Russian, but aren’t thrilled with having …
We all love YouTube.
We’ve all spent hours entertaining ourselves there.
Watching hilarious videos of animals doing tricks.
Watching adorable videos of babies.
While we may be used to turning off YouTube in order to get some work done, …
A skill you learned in kindergarten can help you get fluent in Russian.
You used it when you let your little sister play with your toys.
Or when you handed your favorite pencils over to your best friend.
That’s right,…
Do you hear that?
Listen closely.
It’s the motherland calling.
Calling all Russian learners to visit Russia!
Perhaps you’re just starting out on your Russian learning adventure. Or maybe you can already pass as a Russian-speaking toddler, but want …
Do you dream of walking into a Russian restaurant to order herring and pickled cabbage like a true native?
Or a big plate of Селёдка под шубой (Herring under a fur coat)?
No?
Okay, so maybe that’s not the reason …
Have you set out to learn the Russian language? Then you have come to the right place! Read on to…
We Interrupt Your Regularly Scheduled Programming to Bring You This Very Important Public Service Announcement.
Russian is not an easy …
I’ll probably never forget “The Alphabet Song” for as long as I live.
Or “Ten Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed,” or “The Hokey Pokey.”
You too, right?
Or if you didn’t grow up with those same songs, there were …
You looking, are to improve your Russian skills grammar?
Don’t be confused if you opened this article with the hopes of finding tips on improving your Russian grammar, but are now thinking that the writer doesn’t know basic English.…
A picture is worth a thousand words.
The person who coined that phrase clearly never attempted to learn Russian.
Russian is infamous for its difficult pronunciations, dense groupings of consonants and impossibly long words.
You can, of course, learn a …
Хотите улучшить свой русский язык? Вы пришли в нужное место!
Don’t understand a word of what was written above? Then, young grasshopper, you aren’t quite yet ready for the wisdom this article has to impart.
For those who didn’t catch …
Eager to get a healthy Russian language learning routine going?
Well, you know what they say.
A book a day keeps the doctor away.
Wait…that’s not how it goes, is it?
Regardless of what the popular saying actually states, no …
Want to learn Russian without leaving home, or even getting out of bed?
Now you can.
Don’t want to make the commitment of paying for Russian online courses or purchasing Russian textbooks?
No problem!
Netflix may not seem like …
