Easy Russian for English Speakers Vol. 1 & 2: Learn to Speak and Understand Russian; From everyday essentials to Chekhov, Pushkin, Gagarin and Shakespeare
These two Audio Training CDs are really great. Audio language courses can be formulaic, highly artificial and dull to work through, but these have flair and real interest. Producer Max Bollinger was born and grew up in Russia and he speaks the Russian on the CDs at a native speaker’s pace – that is fast to a learner’s ears! But he then goes back and explains each phrase and the listener becomes accustomed to the real-life speed of spoken Russian.
There are no chunks of grammar which would merely confuse (although essential concepts are explained as they arise), but there is a very useful and clear section on voiced and unvoiced consonants which are crucial to spoken Russian. But what gives this course its particular flavour and interest is the inclusion of brief extracts - from Gagarin praising the beauty of our planet; Hamlet’s ‘to be or not to be speech’ in translation; lines from a Chekhov story and the Russian Flying Dragon. These make the listener enter both the world of real, not text-book, Russian and the Russian mind. Additionally, much of the material on the CDs is downloadable, clear and attractive, in Cyrillic and English for closer study.
Topics are real-life and relevant – such as basic dating, business meetings ordering food and drink. The expressions and vocabulary given are all coherent and interlinked so that they make sense and are far more easily remembered than discreet items. For example, by giving a base verb and adding various prefixes, Bollinger illustrates how meanings are extended and changed. The English language doesn’t work in the same way and this really helps in the understanding of the Russian language, a language which is daunting to English speakers. I liked the section of the Russian soul – dysha – which illustrates how the deep-seated importance to Russians of the concept of the soul permeates even their language, so that for example, if you’re unwell or unhappy you can say literally ‘My soul is unwell’.
Rachel Redford (UK)
Rachel Redford has been an audiobook reviewer for many years, writing for national UK newspapers and journals. During her career in public examinations, she has written twelve English Language course books for Oxford University Press, including two complete courses for age 11-16. Rachel speaks Russian and has trekked extensively in Russia and Siberia, including the remote regions of Kamchatka, Tuva and the Altai Mountains.
These audio lessons jumped right into learning the language and moved briskly. I also enjoyed the structure of the lessons and their thematic organization. Unlike other audio language learning tapes the tracks were engaging - my attention was kept and I felt like I was actually absorbing Russian. Overall, this audio training is excellent for those who need to learn Russian fast, or may only need to learn enough for a specific situation.
Kara Schimmelfing (USA)
Super. Often one is demotivated by legions of grammar to wade through before you get to saying 'hello', in some language guides. On the other hand this audio guide is going straight for useful phrases to get you by; to increase your motivation and to give you a taste of the language itself.
Stephen Dunne (Australia)
Great CD. Easy to pick up on Russian words pronunciation and also a little bit about Russian culture and the background behind certain phrases. Really interesting and informative.
Sara Georgieff (Canada)
Max Bollinger, a native Russian speaker has composed an excellent guide to learning basic Russian for your next trip. Everything from greetings to dating a Russian beauty. Like other language software it works by repeating the words then using them. However unlike other language programs that slow down the words so you can hear each syllable, Easy Russian for English Speakers keeps everything “live”. As an audio book you are able to transfer the tracks to a media player and learn on the go.
Jodie Clements (Canada) |
