Most of you would agree that the Russian language is certainly not the easiest language to learn. It was not the easiest for me either. However, it was certainly the most beautiful language, and it opened a whole lot of horizons in my life.
Most importantly, it helped me to completely change my approach to language learning—I applied science to it, I explored how the human memory works, and I avoided obstacles like boredom and procrastination.
This book is a complete comprehensive guide that will take you step by step on how to learn Russian with effective techniques and free Internet resources. The techniques engage all of your senses and stimulate your memory. They aim to make your learning experience better, more effective, and, ultimately, more fun.
The list of Internet resources and educational material is handpicked through a ton of resources that are available out there. Here, you will not get bombarded with an infinite list of resources that promise to teach you Russian. You can do that yourself with a simple Google search. Instead, you will only find a limited list of online resources that work and are straightforward for self-learning.
Most importantly, the approach of this book is holistic. Most of the techniques are universal and can be applied not only to Russian but also to any other language or subject. Learning Russian should be much more than just learning a language. This book will teach you how learning Russian can change the way you learn in general. It will reveal the secrets of effective memorization, make you love making mistakes, and turn you into a more social and adventurous language learner. I want to reveal a better YOU through the process of learning Russian.
My Presentation at the University of Oxford
I was invited to give a talk on how to learn Russian at the University of Oxford.
To get an idea of what you will learn in the book, please watch my presentation below.
The Methods that Will Keep You Up to Beat
The key to learning a language is to keep motivation high. This is even more essential with a language like Russian. An entirely new alphabet, the pain of the grammar cases, letters with strange pronunciation, and many other obstacles could make even the more enthusiastic of us give up. Fortunately, there is a way to overcome all these obstacles with the below methods and tools:
• How to learn Russian through films with an optimal setup on your computer including English and Russian subtitles.
• How to use the power of associations to link everything in your head and never forget.
• How to use Google Translate and Wiktionary to break a word down into its roots.
• How to use mind maps to link concepts together and stimulate your memory recall.
• How to effectively learn vocabulary using the two-column technique, visualization, Cal Newport’s active recall technique, gestures, and body movements.
• How to practice Russian while walking on the street (exactly as the kids learn a language).
• How to tackle the most difficult part of the Russian language (grammar cases) using a backward learning approach, patterns and grammar sacks.
• Links to free online resources like films, cartoons, subtitle files, and all you need to learn Russian on your own at no cost.
• How to combine learning Russian with something else you want to learn and keep your motivation high.
• How to reduce your “affective filter” when learning a language, be less sensitive, take more risks, communicate more, and become fluent faster.
What Professors Have Said About “Learn Russian Diversified”.
Angelos’ love for the Russian language is contagious! His learning methods are innovative and useful not only for Russian but for any language.
Our students in the Oxford University Language Centre are delighted with Angelos’ resources. It’s always a pleasure to attend his workshops in which he talks not only about language learning but also his experiences in Russian and Russian speaking countries.
This is an unusual book written by a romantic because it’s full of useful tips for “explorers” (as opposed to learners) of any foreign language. This book was written with so much warmth and enthusiasm. A guide to learning needs to be informative and show specific ways in which to learn vocabulary, grammar, pronunciation, writing etc, all within the culture of the target language. Angelos achieves this with amazing precision and brevity, and he makes it entertaining too. To anyone who is studying a foreign language, especially Russian I say this: Stop! Read this! It’ll only take you a short while, and it might well change how you think about your work.