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Foreign Languages · Russian

Russian Foundations: From the Training Hall to Daily Life

Beginner Russian: writing and speaking

Level
Beginner
Estimated study
About 16 hours
Lessons
24 lessons in 4 modules
Format
Online, self-paced

Monthly: $0 today with a card, then $34 on day 8 unless you cancel before then. After the trial, 30 days' notice applies. Active on-campus students have academy access included. Check your existing student account before buying another subscription.

About this course

Learn beginner Russian through the Cyrillic alphabet, spelling, listening and conversation. Four modules alternate writing and speaking lessons: letter tracing, independent and paper handwriting, complete sentences, polite requests and speech recordings. Begin with useful training-hall language, then communicate in daily life using a standard Russian pronunciation model.

Course outline

Module 1: First Cyrillic letters and greetings

6 lessons · 4 h

Learn the letters that look familiar and the ones that mislead, greet an instructor, follow cues and count.

  1. Cyrillic begins: А, К, М, О and Т40 min
  2. Greet your instructor and training partner40 min
  3. False friends: В, Н, Р, С, У and Х40 min
  4. Understand polite training cues40 min
  5. Б, Г, Д, Е, Ё and Ж: sounds and spelling40 min
  6. Count repetitions and name right and left40 min

Module 2: More letters, help and introductions

6 lessons · 4 h

Learn ё, й and the hissing letters, ask for help or a rest, and introduce yourself.

  1. З, И, Й, Л, П and Ф: vowels and glides40 min
  2. Ask for help, rest and a clearer explanation40 min
  3. Ц, Ч, Ш and Щ: four distinct consonants40 min
  4. Introduce yourself and your training40 min
  5. Ы, Э, Ю and Я: vowels and soft consonants40 min
  6. Ты, вы and meeting a new person40 min

Module 3: Soft signs, stress and address

6 lessons · 4 h

Write ь and ъ, hear stress and reduced vowels, and choose ты or вы.

  1. Complete the alphabet: Ь and Ъ40 min
  2. States, locations and going somewhere40 min
  3. Stress and vowel reduction in real words40 min
  4. Water, food and polite requests40 min
  5. From print capitals to lowercase words40 min
  6. Time and a class schedule40 min

Module 4: Gender, cases and daily life

6 lessons · 4 h

Use мой, моя and моё, в школу and в школе, and handle food, time, directions, prices and plans.

  1. Gender, number and the work of noun endings40 min
  2. Directions and finding everyday places40 min
  3. Write a complete dojo statement and request40 min
  4. Shopping prices, daily habits and preferences40 min
  5. Independent paper writing: question and answer40 min
  6. A social exchange and the next training plan40 min
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