How to Learn Russian

If you are interested in How to Learn Russian, the best place to begin would be with the Russian or Cyrillic alphabet. If you are planning traveling to the country, this would be an even better idea, as you would be able to read (or decipher at least) the basic things around you such as the signs on the road, menus, and so on – without having to feel depressingly illiterate.

Although the alphabet may appear daunting to the novice, many agree that it is not a difficult script to learn and learning how to speak it can prove to be a greater challenge.

However, despite some of these difficulties – for instance, infamously long words like zhenonenavistniehestvo (meaning misogyny)- or sometimes complicated conjugation, there is an increasing number of students worldwide learning the language and getting through successfully.

As with all languages, choosing the right method of instruction is vital and your success largely depends on the amount of commitment you have to learning the particular language, in terms of time and practice. Some people do well learning in the home environment, through software or tapes perhaps. Others fare better in a classroom atmosphere, where there is personal communication with an instructor and other students. Online options can offer you both, albeit a virtual classroom and conversations with the teacher tend to be in chat rooms or by email.

But the best way by far to learn the Russian language would be to travel to Russia (or another Russian speaking area) and immerse yourself in everything Russian.

For more ideas, have a look at our Where to Learn Russian section.