#01 How To Learn Russian - A mutual guide for the intelligent and determined student.

Have you just joined Golos?
Don't speak Russian?
Decided to learn?
Hard isn't it?
Even Vladimir agrees...

I'm in the same boat. I'm an almost total beginner.
But take heart my friends, because I've been here before.
That is to say I previously taught myself another language, up to the level of professional translator, without any lessons.
I intend to do it again with Russian, and I'm happy to share the experience with any of you who want to join in.

Before I continue I should clarify. I am going to show you practical tips which, if followed, should propel your language learning and keep you psychologically primed. This generally isn't the sort of advice which you're taught in lessons or courses.

Let me offer an example.

Let's take first difficulty for learning Russian as the alphabet.

Until they try to read a foreign script most people have no idea how much work our brains do for us automatically when we read English. This part of our brain is like a smoothly oiled engine, running perfectly without noise or resistance.

In contrast, when a newbie to Russian looks at a Russian word, things in the brain begin to seize up. A new part of the mind, with the efficiency of a granite millstone being dragged through a swamp, is put to use. Very quickly the effort is translated into tension. This leads to fatigue. Things slow down and eventually many people give up.

Courses generally don't focus on this. My advice is a bit different.

To read Russian script comfortably you have to do the hard work of forcing new neural pathways. It will take time.The millstone has to get through the swamp. There is no way around it. To learn Russian you have to spend some time staring at squiggly words whilst nursing a headache. Why do you think Russians smile so infrequently? Because the poor creatures are having to THINK in Russian 24/7!

That last part is not strictly true.
However you do have to drag the millstone back and forth through the swamp.
But there's nothing stopping you from doing a tiny bit each day.
And each day it will become a tiny bit easier.

Here's how I'm approaching it:

Learn the Russian alphabet with the equivalent English sounds.
Here it is:

If you're intelligent you should be able to do it in an evening.
Then, look at the tags in Golos.
Pick 5 and read them phonetically. Do more if you feel like.
The next day try again. Read 10 tags.
If you've forgotten any of the Russian alphabet, learn it again. It'll be easier this time.
The next day read ALL of the tags.
If you've forgotten any of the Russian alphabet, learn it again, but notice that you're forgetting less.

And already you'll have begun to build the foundations for easier recognition of the Russian script. Your brain will slowly prepare itself to do a share of the work for you.

Mastery is simply a question of hours invested.

Next time - The sounds of Russian