Russian Study Group

An area with study groups for various languages. Group members help each other, share resources and experience. Study groups are permanent but the members rotate and change.
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MamaPata
Brown Belt
Posts: 1019
Joined: Tue Jun 21, 2016 9:25 am
Location: London
Languages: English (N), French (C1*), Russian (B1), Spanish (B1).

Long lost: Arabic and Latin.
Language Log: viewtopic.php?f=15&t=3004
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Re: Russian Study Group

Postby MamaPata » Tue Jan 10, 2017 9:56 am

AK47 wrote:Not really actively learning Russian so I'm not sure if I should be in this study group. I'm a Russian who grew up in USA, so I'm fluent in speaking/understanding/reading but since I never went to school in Russia I've never really wrote anything in Russian at all. So you can say I'm "studying" how to write in script.

I've found a great, free resource if anyone is interested : https://ilrussian.files.wordpress.com/2 ... sheets.pdf

Simple enough script practice sheets with some practice sentences as well.

-Artem


We're very glad to have you around! And I'm sure there will be recommendations (music, TV, film, books, whatever) that would be great for us if you feel like sharing!
1 x
Corrections appreciated.

4AM
White Belt
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Joined: Sun Aug 14, 2016 3:27 pm
Location: Belarus
Languages: Dutch (Native), English (advanced), Russian (advanced), German (intermediate), Turkish (beginner)
Wanderlust: Italian, Polish, Arabic/Persian, Frisian, Belarusian
Language Log: viewtopic.php?f=15&t=3418
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Re: Russian Study Group

Postby 4AM » Tue Jan 10, 2017 10:41 am

Signing up!

I started learning Russian in 2003 as an inexperienced learner with bad habits. Needless to say, that it didn’t go to well. My journey has been long and rocky, but in 2010 I finally reached the intermediate plateau. Since then I’ve been working irregularly to iron-out mistakes, that had crept in due to my ineffective studying. During this time I’ve been travelling regularly to Russia (Moscow, Peter and Kazan).

In 2012 I met my future Belarusian wife, and since that time I’ve been regularly and more effectively been studying Russian. I started visiting her home town, which is a little town about 25 km from the Russian border and 100 km from the Ukrainian border, where nobody speaks English (ironically there are Italian speakers and even somebody who used to live in the Netherlands for 7 years). This setting has been a great help for me to finally start speaking more than basic sentences. There is a risk being here, though, as the locals speaks Russian with heavy Belarusian and some Ukrainian influences. Last year I moved here from the Netherlands.

My goal is to continue the road I am on and reach native-like fluency.
6 x

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Ogrim
Brown Belt
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Language Log: https://forum.language-learners.org/viewtopic.php?t=873
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Re: Russian Study Group

Postby Ogrim » Tue Jan 10, 2017 2:28 pm

Count me in as well.

Why on earth did you pick Russian?
I dabbled in Russian many, many years ago, but did not pursue it as I turned my attention to Romance languages instead. That was back in the pre-internet, Cold War era, so resources were few and far between, and it was almost suspicious to learn Russian, unless you worked in the foreign service or military intelligence ;) . Now almost 30 years later I took it up again. I love the language itself, the way it sounds, the puzzle of the grammar, all that I find very attractive. More importantly though is that knowing Russian gives access to a huge culture. I have always enjoyed reading the classics, in particular Dostyevsky, but over the last few years I have also discovered the rich contemporary post-Soviet culture: music, films, literature. A minor consideration is that Russian can also be useful in my job. I have many Russian colleagues and we deal a lot with the country. Finally, given the current geopolitical situation I also enjoy being able to get the "Russian perspective" on world events directly from the sources, not through the translation and interpretation of "Western" media.

How long have you been studying?
I have been studying more or less actively for the last five years. I say more or less, because overall I do not put in that many hours per month. Unfortunately I don't have much free time for languages right now.

What are your goals?
Currently I am at a B2-ish level in reading an listening comprehension, somewhat lower when it comes to speaking and very weak in writing. I aim at a C1 level in all skills, but I have no timeframe for achieving this.

Anything else you feel like sharing
I have stopped using courses, although I do go back and refer to them from time to time if I want to check a specific grammar point or a construction. I read as much as I can, both extensively and intensively, and basically try to learn by doing things I enjoy with the language. I do need to work more on internalising certain grammar points, so I will try to take a more structured approach to it than I have done over the past couple of years.
7 x
Ich grolle nicht

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Systematiker
Blue Belt
Posts: 823
Joined: Tue May 10, 2016 6:09 pm
Languages: ENG (N); DEU (C2+) // SWG (~C1); BAR (~C1); SPA (4/3); FRA (~C1); SCO (~C1); NLD (~B2*); LAT (Latinum Bavaricum); GRC (Graecum Bavaricum); CAT (~B2*); POR (~B2*); SWE (~B2*); HBO (Hebraicum); DAN (~B1*); RUS (~A2); KOR (~A1); FAS (still a raw beginner)
*Averaged for high receptive skill
Language Log: https://forum.language-learners.org/vie ... =15&t=7332
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Re: Russian Study Group

Postby Systematiker » Tue Jan 10, 2017 4:37 pm

MamaPata wrote:
Systematiker wrote:Ok, I'm in.

I swore I wouldn't get (back) into Russian before 2018, but, well, it's happening anyway (ahem, MamaPata, you need say nothing...). Mostly because people were very "helpful" suggesting French courses (Fortheo, this is your fault. I blamed Ani over on my log, but it came from you!),



Mouth zipped! That maniacal cackle you can hear is definitely coming from someone else... Glad to have you on board!

If it's not being terribly nosy, why Ekaterinburg?


Not at all, I'm always open for questions.

Excursus: If I ever appear to be being a jerk, it's probably because I've expressed myself poorly. That happens sometimes. I had a conference buddy who told me "You can come listen to my paper, but don't ask any questions. You only ask asshole questions."

Actual answer: The first time, it was a trip organized through my college. Part of it included some translation students from a (partnering? I'm not sure) uni over there that helped show us around, and I really clicked with a couple of them (I actually bailed on the last couple of organized days of the trip to just hang out with them). The next two trips were because that's where my friends live, haha. I'm actually still in touch with all three of them, more or less, as well as one other that I wasn't super close to. Part of me wants to surprise them, I haven't told any of them that I'm trying again in Russian, and I pretty much haven't spoken to them in anything but English (or French, with one, recently) in a good decade. OK, that's my goal now (can you tell I'm thinking while I write?): In the latter half of this year, have enough Russian to surprise a friend (which means at least speaking better than at the height of my ability over a decade ago).

Dang, y'all aren't good for my resoutions on number of languages or degree of focus at all.
4 x

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IronMike
Black Belt - 2nd Dan
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Languages: Studying: Esperanto
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Tested:
BCS, 1+L/1+R (DLPT5, 2022)
Russian, 3/3 (DLPT5, 2022) 2+ (OPI, 2022)
German, 2L/1+R (DLPT5, 2021)
Italian, 1L/2R (DLPT IV, 2019)
Esperanto, C1 (KER skriba ekzameno, 2017)
Slovene, 2+L/3R (DLPT II in, yes, 1999)
Language Log: viewtopic.php?f=15&t=5189
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Re: Russian Study Group

Postby IronMike » Tue Jan 10, 2017 6:43 pm

Why on earth did you pick Russian?
- I didn't. Russian picked me. It was the Cold War and I was Air Force. ;)
How long have you been studying
- Since 1986. :O
What are your goals?
- C1 speaking
4 x
You're not a C1 (or B1 or whatever) if you haven't tested.
CEFR --> ILR/DLPT equivalencies
My swimming life.
My reading life.

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AK47
White Belt
Posts: 23
Joined: Sun Jan 01, 2017 11:32 pm
Location: NY
Languages: English (N) , Russian (N), Spanish (B2), Italian (Beginner)
Language Log: http://www.forum.language-learners.org/ ... =15&t=5242
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Re: Russian Study Group

Postby AK47 » Wed Jan 11, 2017 2:17 am

MamaPata wrote:
AK47 wrote:Not really actively ....

-Artem


We're very glad to have you around! And I'm sure there will be recommendations (music, TV, film, books, whatever) that would be great for us if you feel like sharing!



Thanks, and of course I have some. Probably not for beginners, but these are some of my personal favorites:

Books:

12 стульев
Золотой теленок
мастер и маргарита ("must-read". It's great even in English ... but if you can read it in Russian you won't be upset you put in the effort, trust me ;) )

Movies/Series:
(These are the links to the corresponding movies/series for these three books). I don't know where to find them but my friend found subtitles for these so they are out there somewhere.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZNZkUt0ePas&t=2223s
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z6viGCs6gKQ&t=3039s
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zU_KmWj ... XnIyMzYsJl

other classic Soviet films I grew up with and love:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JZ-bjMWuBt4&t=4226s
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fNBGnV_IDB4&t=340s
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AO7mnO_HMhE (this one's with subtitles)

There are more...

-Artem
8 x
SC: ES : 48 / 100 Books SC: IT : 7 / 100 Books
SC: ES : 38 / 100 Films SC: IT : 16 / 100 Films

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Expugnator
Black Belt - 1st Dan
Posts: 1728
Joined: Sat Jul 18, 2015 9:45 pm
Location: Belo Horizonte
Languages: Native Brazilian Portuguese#advanced fluency English, French, Papiamento#basic fluency Italian, Norwegian#intermediate Spanish, German, Georgian and Chinese (Mandarin)#basic Russian, Estonian, Greek (Modern)#just started Indonesian, Hebrew (Modern), Guarani
Language Log: https://forum.language-learners.org/vie ... =15&t=9931
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Re: Russian Study Group

Postby Expugnator » Fri Jan 13, 2017 7:39 pm

So here I am!


Why on earth did you pick Russian?
Long-term goal: read the classics
Middle-term, brand new goal: reach a solid B1 active/B2 passive so I can work as a tourist for the next World Cup
Initial goal (achieved): to be able to use the many resources published for minor languages in the Russian Federation, especially the Finno-Ugric and Caucasian ones

how long have you been studying
I'm probably the slowest Russian learner even counting the HTLAL-era, as I started in November 2012 after a false start back in 2003 which didn't bring me even to A1; ever since, from November 2012, I've been continuously stuyding the language for at least 20 minutes a day, every workday. I've often written in my log how I don't enjoy the language as much as I love the culture and the people, and that there are other Slavic languages I like better, but it was Russian I needed (see goals) and so I kept going and now I'm finally starting to understand the language at a B2ish level, which will give me the motivation to activate it at a worthy level.

anything else you feel like sharing!
2016 was the year I took the pressure from absolutely having to make significant progress in Russian from my shoulders. It was either progressing or quitting. I lost a good couple of years on doing extensive activities only, and this at a lower level, which as a result added almost nothing to my passive skills, and I'm happy I was patient enough to go back to the basics when necessary and to add in intensive tasks.

Looking forward to sharing learning experiences and resources with you guys!
11 x
Corrections welcome for any language.

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Fortheo
Green Belt
Posts: 387
Joined: Sun Aug 23, 2015 12:03 pm
Languages: English (N), French (?) Russian (beginner)
x 911

Re: Russian Study Group

Postby Fortheo » Sat Jan 14, 2017 1:57 am

Do any of you know a decent vocab deck in Anki or Memrise (with audio) for beginners? I'm trying to find an easy way to pick up some extra vocabulary while I work through Michel Thomas. Thanks everyone!
1 x

User avatar
MamaPata
Brown Belt
Posts: 1019
Joined: Tue Jun 21, 2016 9:25 am
Location: London
Languages: English (N), French (C1*), Russian (B1), Spanish (B1).

Long lost: Arabic and Latin.
Language Log: viewtopic.php?f=15&t=3004
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Re: Russian Study Group

Postby MamaPata » Sat Jan 14, 2017 12:53 pm

Fortheo wrote:Do any of you know a decent vocab deck in Anki or Memrise (with audio) for beginners? I'm trying to find an easy way to pick up some extra vocabulary while I work through Michel Thomas. Thanks everyone!


I don't use Anki so I can't help you there. Memrise Russian courses often don't have audio, but the course for the Penguin textbook mostly does. It's here. I think RadioClare is also adding audio to a course? Less useful for beginners but I created a course with the vocab from Colloquial Russian 2 and I'm adding the audio to it. If anyone else wants to help with that, please let me know!! :lol:
4 x
Corrections appreciated.

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Radioclare
Black Belt - 2nd Dan
Posts: 2250
Joined: Sat Jul 18, 2015 12:59 pm
Location: England
Languages: Speaks: English (N), Esperanto, German, Croatian
Learns: Russian
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Re: Russian Study Group

Postby Radioclare » Sat Jan 14, 2017 1:17 pm

MamaPata wrote:
Fortheo wrote:Do any of you know a decent vocab deck in Anki or Memrise (with audio) for beginners? I'm trying to find an easy way to pick up some extra vocabulary while I work through Michel Thomas. Thanks everyone!


I don't use Anki so I can't help you there. Memrise Russian courses often don't have audio, but the course for the Penguin textbook mostly does. It's here. I think RadioClare is also adding audio to a course? Less useful for beginners but I created a course with the vocab from Colloquial Russian 2 and I'm adding the audio to it. If anyone else wants to help with that, please let me know!! :lol:


I'm studying a Memrise course of the Duolingo Russian vocabulary at the moment. It does have audio for all the words, but I guess it's more useful if you're using the Duolingo course too as it more or less introduces the same vocabulary in the same order.

I'm trying to create courses with audio for the vocab in TY Russian and TY Russian Grammar, but both are very much a work-in-progress right now :lol:

I did notice that a series of official-looking Memrise courses have appeared for Russians (see here) but I haven't tried them yet so not sure whether they have audio throughout.
1 x


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