Renata Ilitsky Last updated: 6 of the Best Tools for Advanced Online Russian Lessons
There are many reasons you might have for studying Russian.
No matter why you want to fine-tune your knowledge of the Russian language, you’ll want to find a goal that will get you through all the challenges of advanced Russian learning.
Once you’ve figured out what you want to achieve, then you can figure out your specific path to advance your Russian.
Then, the trick is just finding the right Russian learning tools to have at your disposal during this learning process.
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The Best Advanced Online Russian Lessons
Rus4Me
This website is a great resource for advanced Russian learning, and it’s valuable for both teachers and students. The creators focus on teaching modern colloquial speech as it’s heard on the streets of Russia today.
The content features Russian phrases, idioms and cultural tips to help you learn what being Russian is really all about, rather than just learning the little details of the language.
Lessons include pronunciation guides, listening tips and videos with scripts that include accent marks. Don’t forget to read the Russian blog, which features text in both English and Russian for quick, side-by-side references.
FluentU
FluentU teaches Russian through short video clips from authentic media, such as Russian movie trailers, music videos, news segments and more. You’ll learn the language as it’s actually used by native speakers, with plenty of slang and complex sentence structures.
You’ll find over 100 advanced Russian videos with new content always being added to the library. The videos are organized by topic and format so you can easily find something to watch that aligns with your interests.
Every video comes with a downloadable transcript and interactive subtitles so you can easily learn new words, phrases and expressions while you watch. Flashcards, personalized vocabulary quizzes and practice exercises will help you review and memorize this vocabulary so you can use it in your Russian conversations.
Everyday Russian
This archive is for advanced Russian learners to be used as a supplement for courses or textbooks, or as a primary resource for individual learners. Access over 400 lessons and audio recordings that feature Russian grammar, vocabulary and reading and listening skills at no charge.
Check out posts that include Russian words of the week and phrases of the week to get the meaning, synonyms and etymology of common Russian terms. Access free tests to verify your knowledge after completing the lessons.
Read interesting Russian stories to get to know Russian traditions, locations and stories. Follow the site on social media to keep up with the latest material and posts.
Luch Sveta
This advanced online source, which means Ray of Light in Russian, is a great way for you to learn authentic Russian.
It provides clips of real Russian news footage with English translation. Not only is it helpful to listen to the language and read it, but it also gives learners a chance to find out about Russian current events, hot topics and opinions.
The creator handpicks clips that have intelligible speech and content that showcases cultural issues and/or social interests as it pertains to Russian citizens.
Access a helpful blog, videos, dictionary and links to other Russian learning sources.
Ochen Po Russki
This website addresses the common problem that many Russian students face—learning the language for years, but still not being able to understand Russian speakers.
To address this concern, Ochen Po Russki (Very Russian) concentrated on helping learners hear the language being spoken through Russian podcasts geared toward upper-intermediate and advanced students.
The site owner, a native of St. Petersburg, Russia, offers her audience the chance to hear Russian as she hears it in her daily life—speech full of slang, idioms and common expressions.
Although she advises against repeating it, she even includes common swear words, as they’re part of the Russian language (sometimes a major part).
National Capital Language Resource Center (NCLRC)
This site takes it back, way back, to the Soviet times of the 1980s, when they claim the news was dictated slower and was more authentic.
You don’t have to bust out your fanny pack or grow a male ponytail to enjoy these news webcasts to help you learn Russian.
The site provides two updates per month of Russian news for that time period, along with full transcripts that feature vocabulary help and pre-listening advice.
Test your Russian knowledge by completing multiple-choice and fill-in-the-blank exercises after watching the footage. The correct answers for each question are available with the click of a mouse.
The Top Tips to Supplement Your Advanced Russian Lessons
The online Russian sources we’ve listed for you below are super helpful for learning advanced Russian, but you won’t always want to be in hardcore study mode. The more casual Russian you can integrate into your daily life, the better.
Whether you’re online or offline, here’s how to keep the Russian ball rolling all the time:
- Pretend that you only speak Russian for three hours per week. Yep, we’re not joking. If you’re serious about advancing your Russian knowledge, you need to be able to hold an entire conversation in Russian. Study throughout the week by listening to Russian news, watching Russian Netflix movies and practicing with Russian flashcard apps, and then go out in the world and pretend to only speak Russian. You may need to find a Russian store, restaurant or a Russian-speaking friend for this endeavor.
- Practice sounds that are most difficult, such as rolling R’s. While you’re talking to yourself or singing in the shower (come on, we all do it!) practice your Russian sounds. Try rolling your R’s by pronouncing words such as pыба (fish), pамка (frame) or река (river). Practicing words that exemplify common Russian pronunciations will help you excel in learning Russian.
- Find a Russian pen pal. Although it’d be exciting to open your mailbox and receive a letter from Russia, you can utilize other, easier ways of communication, such as social media. Whatever your choice of correspondence, communicating with a Russian person will force you to learn to read and write in Russian.
- Go authentic whenever possible. Watch Russian TV, read books and listen to Russian music to listen to native speakers. Books and courses can help you learn the gist and rules of the Russian language, but you’ll only become advanced if you watch, listen and read Russian as it’s used in real life.
- Travel to a Russian-speaking country. It’s the only way to truly immerse yourself in the Russian language and culture. That way, you can practice your Russian for much more than three hours a day! Check out Moscow if you’re interested in Russian politics and visit historic Red Square. Stop by St. Petersburg if you’re an art fan to visit the world-famous Hermitage Museum, or relax on the Black Sea, a popular beach destination for many Russians.
Becoming advanced in a foreign language is not easy, especially if that language is Russian. However, by utilizing the online resources in this article, you can become proficient in no time!
Download: This blog post is available as a convenient and portable PDF that you can take anywhere. Click here to get a copy. (Download)
