Russian Language Courses by Nina Potapova

[aravinda]

Until recently I had never owned any Russian textbook written by Nina Potapova though I had seen her books (online). After joining this Forum my interest in her work was rekindled by reading comments made by forum members here (Arnaud, Elsa Maria, Φιλόσοφος & peterbeischimdt) and at the old site (Shriftom, fanatic, piranha, shmjay, Expugnator, Paco, Juan). And of course, thanks to Speakeasy for an interesting exchange of messages on these courses.
As her books seemed to draw much praise and still used by learners despite their age, I thought of starting this thread on her books, so that other members can contribute by adding more information.

Her books seem to be available in at least several European languages. Considering the fact that during the heyday of the USSR many Russian books were available in a wide range of languages, I would not be surprised if her books had been translated into many other languages. (For example, works of all major Russian and many Soviet writers and a monthly magazine were available in Sinhala at dirt cheap prices!)
I have only included the English versions but others are welcome to add titles in any other language. I don’t have first-hand experience with the titles marked with an asterisk.*

Learning Russian (four volumes)
As I recently bought a used set, I can give you some details. These books are hardback books of 150-200 pages. The first three books contain 50, 50 and 35 lessons respectively while the final volume is actually a reference which includes Grammatical Tables, the Answer Key, Vocabularies & a Grammar Index. A typical lesson is short and has following sections: Grammar, Text (including dialogues), Words, Expressions, Notes, and Exercises. According to the Foreword, “the first two books give about 2200 to 2300 words and grammar needed to speak on everyday subjects and to understand simple texts.” And “[t]he purpose of Book Three is to teach the student to understand easy literary works in the original.”
Another interesting detail from the Foreword is a small Q & A section:
“Could not the Key to the Exercises hinder serious study? — We do not think so. The Key to the Exercises is of use primarily to those studying without a teacher….” A rather enlightened view in those days .
As far as I know, this book never had accompanying audio but I may be (hopefully) wrong. However, the search for audio recordings led me to the records for another Potapova book (see below). Overall, if you are not particularly averse to the so-called grammar-translation method, this course seems to be very good. The major drawback is the lack of audio recordings.

IMG_2767.jpg

IMG_2768.jpg

Russian Elementary Course (two voulmes)*

Russian Grammar Elementary Course (Apparently more than one volume, not sure how many)*
Not sure how this is different from the above.

Fifty Lessons in Russian*
This seems to be still in print.

Russian Language for English Speaking People*
Again, I don’t have a copy of this book or the accompanying audio records. According to a now sold out eBay listing there are four records with an accompanying booklet of 78 pages (74 lessons). The same listing (erroneously?) connects these records to Potapova's Elementary Course under the description despite the Product Title. Perhaps, Speakeasy or some other member would be able to clarify this.
http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/NINA-POTAPOV ... 1438.l2649

s-l500.jpg

The Penguin Russian Course. Compiled by J. L. I. Fennell
Potapova's name does not appear on the cover but according to the compiler's Introduction, this is based on her Elementary Russian Course, revised and rewritten.

Note:
Just to be clear of my intentions, I have no commercial interest in this, and strictly speaking, I am not a collector though I admit to having a considerable collection of language courses (among other books) which regularly draw adverse comments from my family (my parents, siblings and the wife to be precise). However, I do like good language courses, even when they are not useful to me.

Edited for typos.

[ilmari]

'The Penguin Russian Course' had also an audio component.

https://archive.org/stream/ERIC_ED038070/ERIC_ED038070_djvu.txt

14. Penguin Russian Course DEGX
J. L. I. Fennell 1961. Penguin Books Ltd, Harmondsworth, Middlesex.
Tapes by Tutor-Tape Co. Ltd, 258 Wimbledon Park Road, London S.W.19

Traditional course in thirty lessons, which is used in
secondary schools and with adult beginners, and for which
recordings have now been made. The course provides
work in the basic structures of Russian in thirty lessons,
which follow a pattern of: vocabulary list, discussion of
grammar (sometimes lengthy), text and a short series of
exercises including translation. The tapes include some
material which does not appear in the book.

And from inside the book (1978 print):

The Penguin Russian Course has been put on tape by the Tutor-Tape Co. Ltd. The course-lasts three hours on tape and costs £10; it can also be bought in three separate tapes at about £3 each. It is available from Tutor-Tape's Demonstration Centre at 102, Great Russell Street London WC1 or by mail from their offices at 2, Replingham Road, London SW18.

[aravinda]

'The Penguin Russian Course' had also an audio component.

Thank you, ilmari. Actually, I forgot about it. My copy is a reprint from 1984 and it mentions audio tapes from a different source. Sounds like a different set of audio.

IMG_2769.jpg

Now, has anyone got those tapes (two sets!)? Or know where to find them? Well, to be honest, I don't expect to find them. As far as I know, no one has been able to locate tapes for Made Simple series books (except for German) and they were in print until the late 90s if I recall correctly. So very slim chance of ever finding these tapes.

[Pal]

Now, has anyone got those tapes (two sets!)? Or know where to find them? Well, to be honest, I don't expect to find them. As far as I know, no one has been able to locate tapes for Made Simple series books (except for German) and they were in print until the late 90s if I recall correctly. So very slim chance of ever finding these tapes.

This reply is not about Nina Potapova, but about the Made Simple series.

I have always believed that the recordings for the Made Simple books exist, because the Hong Kong Public Library has items of the right titles --- all 4 of them: German, French, Spanish, and Italian. (But without Russian Made Simple recordings.) But I have yet to verify that, because all of them cannot be borrowed but can only be played for you by the staff using machines inside their counter, which means you have to go there personally to use them. You may have a look at their inventory here: https://webcat.hkpl.gov.hk/search/query ... &theme=WEB

[DaveBee]

'The Penguin Russian Course' had also an audio component.

Thank you, ilmari. Actually, I forgot about it. My copy is a reprint from 1984 and it mentions audio tapes from a different source. Sounds like a different set of audio.

IMG_2769.jpg

Now, has anyone got those tapes (two sets!)? Or know where to find them? Well, to be honest, I don't expect to find them. As far as I know, no one has been able to locate tapes for Made Simple series books (except for German) and they were in print until the late 90s if I recall correctly. So very slim chance of ever finding these tapes.

Have you tried contacting Exeter University?

http://humanities.exeter.ac.uk/flc/contact/

[dgc1970]

'The Penguin Russian Course' had also an audio component.

Thank you, ilmari. Actually, I forgot about it. My copy is a reprint from 1984 and it mentions audio tapes from a different source. Sounds like a different set of audio.

IMG_2769.jpg

Now, has anyone got those tapes (two sets!)? Or know where to find them? Well, to be honest, I don't expect to find them. As far as I know, no one has been able to locate tapes for Made Simple series books (except for German) and they were in print until the late 90s if I recall correctly. So very slim chance of ever finding these tapes.

Have you tried contacting Exeter University?

http://humanities.exeter.ac.uk/flc/contact/

I emailed them and the person who would know about this is on holidays until the new year. They have promised to respond when this person returns.

[Speakeasy]

Nina Potapova’s Russian Language Courses
Aravinda, thank you very much for your excellent, informative presentation of Nina Potapova’s Russian language courses. As you know, I have a couple of her textbooks. I envy you your copy of the complete set of her “Learning Russian” series, the images of which have created yet another “must have” for my own modest collection. I have a preference for language materials from this era as they often contain a large amount of information, including excellent explanations of grammar and a lot of exercises, and they are often based on a variant of the structural approach.

Buyer Beware!
Regrettably, I have found that the listings of Nina Potapova’s vintage courses on the large online booksellers websites are not fully reliable. I have ordered several items based on the posted titles, edition numbers, photographs, and ISBN’s only to have received something else. Please, anyone reading this last comment, do not tell me that all I have to do is return the item and claim a refund! My frustrations with the abysmal level of customer service would merit a separate discussion thread.

Nina Potapova’s “Russian Course” for English Speaking People on 4 Records
A couple of months ago, you kindly drew my attention to the offer on eBay for the above record set, which I immediately purchased. As you correctly noted, the package contains four 10-inch x 33-1/3 LP vinyl records, for a total duration of approximately 2-1/2 hours, and a 78-page booklet measuring 5-1/4 inches x 8 inches. Anticipating that the records had been prepared to accompany a course of a similar title, I placed an order for the corresponding textbook (then another, then another, and yet another) only to discover the link between the recordings and the textbooks to be somewhat tenuous. The Introduction to the booklet accompanying the record set provides a fairly accurate description, as follows:

“The aim of these records is to help you to get the correct pronunciation of Russian. They are compiled from the text book “Russian” by Nina Potapova, with the participation of the author. The first eleven lessons provide a fairly complete course in Russian phonetics. These are followed by texts selected from the text book and numbered as the lessons in the book. The texts are preceded by examples of pronunciation, showing you what to pay attention to listening to the records (the pronunciation of the endings, interrogatory sentences, etc.). From the very beginning, try to memorise the stress in Russian words. Pay attention to the correct intonation. Most of the texts given towards the end of the course, are taken from fiction.”

Although the match is not perfect, I am left with the impression that the records and accompanying booklet follow most closely Nina Potapova’s “Russian Elementary Course”, Volumes I and II, published in 1959.

Bearing in mind that Nina Potapova’s courses had been designed for presentation in a classroom setting by a qualified customer, the record set would have represented a valuable supplement for students. However, as a stand-alone home-study course in Russian, while the textbooks were truly excellent, the record set did not provide sufficient audio support. At the time these LPs were published, the Russian courses containing a large volume of recorded materials were pretty much limited to the offerings from Assimil, Cortina, and Linguaphone, any of which could have been used for additional practice.

German Made Simple
I have an MP3 version of the German Made Simple audio recordings, which seem match the first few editions of the book wherein the story takes place in London. The recordings could still be used with the later editions, placing the action in New York, as long as one makes allowance for the minor changes to the texts.

EDITED:
Tinkering.

IMAGE:
Booklet accompanying the LP record set: “Russian Course” for English Speaking People on 4 Records

[aravinda]

Thank you for the detailed review, Speakeasy.
I was a bit disheartened by the fact that recordings do not exactly match any of the four books you purchased. Knowing you have recordings, I was planning to buy the book but now I am hesitant. It may be possible, the recordings were made for an earlier edition of a book just named Russian which was subsequently expanded into two volumes of Russian Elementary Course. Do any of your books look like this?

31PIEdGy8eL.jpg

Do they include answer keys?

[Speakeasy]

Thank you for the detailed review, Speakeasy...

Hello, Aravinda. You are far too kind, you did all the work and you thank me for responding to a question? As evidenced by your numerous posts covering vintage language courses, you have been of enormous assistance to forum members who appreciate materials that were published during what-many-view-as the "golden age" of language learning. I thoroughly enjoying reading your posts, their only drawback is their persuasive influence which inspires me to purchase of "just one more" set of courses for my collection.

I was a bit disheartened by the fact that recordings do not exactly match any of the four books you purchased.

The recordings and the accompanying booklet seem to have been more "inspired by" than "replicated from" the "Russian Elementary Course, I and II" textbooks. Although the match between the two is not perfect, a resourceful person could use them as a supplement to the textbooks. Nevertheless, as the author described in the introduction to the booklet, the recordings are a set of pronunciation exercises and not a course of instruction.

Knowing you have recordings, I was planning to buy the book but now I am hesitant. It may be possible, the recordings were made for an earlier edition of a book just named Russian which was subsequently expanded into two volumes of Russian Elementary Course. Do any of your books look like this?

I have a copy of the textbook "Russian" per the image that you provided (above and below). The inside cover includes the subtitle "Textbook of the Russian Language for English-Speaking People" which suggests a link to the recordings. However, as it was published in 1945, it is doubtful that the recordings were based on this edition and, in any event, the order in which the pronunciation exercises are presented is not nearly as good a match as that of the "Russian Elementary Course, I and II" course, which seems to have been the genesis of the latter.

My own attempts at finding the correct, perfect, match have been thwarted by at least three factors: (a) Nina Potapova published several different courses of which several different editions exist, (b) the online booksellers have done a very poor job of identifying the different courses and editions; that is, their listings are riddled with errors, and (c) it is quite possible that a perfect match simply does not exist; that is, as I commented above, the recordings may have been only "inspired by" her "Russian Elementary Course, I and II" course. The latter was published in 1959 which, from the point of view of recording technology, makes it a more logical fit than any of the previous editions.

Do they include answer keys?

Yes, a much-appreciated feature by independent learners!

EDITED:
Tinkering.

IMAGE: Russian (two volumes), published 1945
The inside cover includes the subtitle "Textbook of the Russian Language for English-Speaking People"

[dgc1970]

It appears The University of Exeter was a dead end. This is the email I received from them this morning:

"Apologies, but when we re-structured a few years ago we destroyed all these tapes as they had not been used for many years and the quality had degraded considerably.

We have nothing to replace them, so I am not able to offer you any sort of alternative."