How many speak their significant others Language?

[Cixelsyd 1]

Feeling too lazy to quote:

I totally agree that Rosetta Stone doesn't teach you the alphabet or grammar. I learned the alphabet before trying the software. As for the grammar... god knows how you can learn that aside from a personal tutor or something. Hell, I could never even learn English grammar from books.

On a side note, I found it helped to translate a word or two via the net when I didn't understand a word while using Rosetta Stone. If you don't get the word in the first couple tries of looking at the picture, you're not going to get it. Just translate and memorize at that point. Cause like Mox said, our brains are different than when we were kids.

Again, I think it's good for learning some vocab and maybe some basic phrases (even if they're a little wrong sometimes). Something is better than nothing. But that's my opinion.

[childress_london 3]

I half agree with Mox about it though. There is no way it is worth the money they are asking for. I don't think it can hurt though; it's good to have a couple different sources of learning.

Well, my problem isn't that it's not a live person or anything. My problem is that it's downright wrong sometimes. In the other thread I used the example that it taught you to say "ya yest rees" (sorry, too tired to break out the Cyrillic) for "I eat rice." Which is just wrong. And there were other mistakes too. But the problem is that you don't know any better, so you just learn these mistakes. In that regard it actually has negative value, so even your free copy is costing you.

I also don't think the whole "learn a new language like you learned your first language" works. You learned to speak English as a child because your brain was much different than it is now. You were completely immersed in it, and your brain was geared to doing nothing but soaking information in. Your brain doesn't work that way now, and the Rosetta approach to showing you a picture and making you guess what the word or sentence means is just making a difficult language even harder. But as I said, this is secondary to the problem of actual errors in the course.

But you are right in that it's good to have several sources of learning. Just make those sources anything but RS.

I totally agree with you. Rosetta Stone is a waste. Try learning a language from scratch where you don't even know the alphabet with one of those things. They do nothing to teach you the alphabet, like you are supposed to pick it up, just like they expect you to pick up the grammar. For me, Rosetta Stone is nothing but a frustrating experience.

Yes that was with Farsi. I found myself many times rushing to my dictionary too because I couldn't figure out what the h*** they were trying to say. I think Pimsleur's is not too bad though. It's only audio (no reading), but they teach it in a way that's easier to pick up. Even then, they still expect you to pick up on the grammar rather than teaching it to you. Now that I'm in this class, everything on the CDs that was confusing is now becoming clear. :-P I think it was a good premise that children learn language like this (by picking up on things) so why can't we, but a baby's brain and an adult's brain are two different things. lol

[bobb 0]

I started learning beginning between 2004 and 2005. Dropped out of pursuing meeting a FSU woman and last fall begin studying from several sources again.

At a different forum I came across the following website:

Click here!

I have found this an excellent site to visit as I progress. I feel one of the good features is combination of seeing written russian, transliteration, and audio. It is geared for beginners as it mentions on this link. My only complaint is for their sound of Й. Instead of the actual sound the audio is: ee krAtkayeh.

I would make one suggestion if you do visit this site and wish to explore. Especially if you have any basic understanding. At the bottom of the home page there is a button - Let's Begin. This will take you to the Lesson Menu Page. If you just stay with the available options from the Table of Contents you will be missing out on some other valuable options. From this page click on the Site Map button, below TOC, and bookmark This page! Or you may have trouble remembering how to return there.

If you scroll down you can have the next best thing to a live tutor: Huliganov

An example:

There is something for everyone in his videos. Here is a description of his series of videos:

The next installment of Viktor Huliganov's acclaimed Russian alphabet course. After this lesson your knowledge of Russian letters increases from 17 of the 33 to 22 of them. With these it is now possible to write and read just about every other word in Cyrillic.

As ever, there is a joke and a song after the lesson. You don't get that at University.

All lessons are from 10 to 20 minutes long.

I discovered Huliganov Here!. This is an excellent 'beginning' Russian topic at this forum.

[slim 1,514]

kharoshaya jenshina is better. devushka means little girl, jenshina (the "j" is more of a "zh" sound) means woman.

It may be better if you're talking to a female that's 40+ years old, but if you're talking to a younger woman, she might get kind of upset that she's a "woman" and not a "girl."

"Who you calling old?"

Plus, there's a whole familiarity thing with Russians. If you know someone well, it's expected that you'll use a dimunitive form of address with them to show your closeness. Especially between men and "girls."

[eekee 182]

kharoshaya jenshina is better. devushka means little girl, jenshina (the "j" is more of a "zh" sound) means woman.

It may be better if you're talking to a female that's 40+ years old, but if you're talking to a younger woman, she might get kind of upset that she's a "woman" and not a "girl."

"Who you calling old?"

Plus, there's a whole familiarity thing with Russians. If you know someone well, it's expected that you'll use a dimunitive form of address with them to show your closeness. Especially between men and "girls."

Ha I am DEFINITELY "devushka." Devushka is the form of address for anyone female whose name you don't know who is under 50, more or less. Same deal with "molodoy chelovek" for men. There is only one context where I have ever been called "zhenschina," and that is to mean "girlfriend."

DevOCHka is little girl. DevUSHka is not insulting at all. No one is ever addressed like, "Izvinite, zhenschina..." But "Izvinite, devushka..."? All the time.

Edited April 12, 2009 by eekee

[amberdima 6]

I started learning beginning between 2004 and 2005. Dropped out of pursuing meeting a FSU woman and last fall begin studying from several sources again.

At a different forum I came across the following website:

Click here!

I have found this an excellent site to visit as I progress. I feel one of the good features is combination of seeing written russian, transliteration, and audio. It is geared for beginners as it mentions on this link. My only complaint is for their sound of Й. Instead of the actual sound the audio is: ee krAtkayeh.

I would make one suggestion if you do visit this site and wish to explore. Especially if you have any basic understanding. At the bottom of the home page there is a button - Let's Begin. This will take you to the Lesson Menu Page. If you just stay with the available options from the Table of Contents you will be missing out on some other valuable options. From this page click on the Site Map button, below TOC, and bookmark This page! Or you may have trouble remembering how to return there.

If you scroll down you can have the next best thing to a live tutor: Huliganov

An example:

There is something for everyone in his videos. Here is a description of his series of videos:

The next installment of Viktor Huliganov's acclaimed Russian alphabet course. After this lesson your knowledge of Russian letters increases from 17 of the 33 to 22 of them. With these it is now possible to write and read just about every other word in Cyrillic.

As ever, there is a joke and a song after the lesson. You don't get that at University.

All lessons are from 10 to 20 minutes long.

I discovered Huliganov Here!. This is an excellent 'beginning' Russian topic at this forum.

thanks for the links....what fun!

[bobb 0]

It's interesting to see certain traits are worldwide.

On the site I mention earlier, in lesson 6 personal pronoun I, they show you how to say I'm ready (to go out) for both a male and female. Yet, they only show how to say I'm almost ready for a female!

[slim 1,514]

Ha I am DEFINITELY "devushka." Devushka is the form of address for anyone female whose name you don't know who is under 50, more or less. Same deal with "molodoy chelovek" for men. There is only one context where I have ever been called "zhenschina," and that is to mean "girlfriend."

DevOCHka is little girl. DevUSHka is not insulting at all. No one is ever addressed like, "Izvinite, zhenschina..." But "Izvinite, devushka..."? All the time.

I made that mistake once in a foreign language and was QUICKLY! corrected. Since then, it's "girl" for any woman unless she's clearly a grandmother, then it's "grandmother" instead of "girl." (... and that's usually only in Korean language. Russian women, like Americans, tend to like being called "girls" as long as they're still alive!)

It's interesting to see certain traits are worldwide.

On the site I mention earlier, in lesson 6 personal pronoun I, they show you how to say I'm ready (to go out) for both a male and female. Yet, they only show how to say I'm almost ready for a female!

Now that's spot-on!

[Brad and Vika 129]

kharoshaya jenshina is better. devushka means little girl, jenshina (the "j" is more of a "zh" sound) means woman.

It may be better if you're talking to a female that's 40+ years old, but if you're talking to a younger woman, she might get kind of upset that she's a "woman" and not a "girl."

"Who you calling old?"

Plus, there's a whole familiarity thing with Russians. If you know someone well, it's expected that you'll use a dimunitive form of address with them to show your closeness. Especially between men and "girls."

Ha I am DEFINITELY "devushka." Devushka is the form of address for anyone female whose name you don't know who is under 50, more or less. Same deal with "molodoy chelovek" for men. There is only one context where I have ever been called "zhenschina," and that is to mean "girlfriend."

DevOCHka is little girl. DevUSHka is not insulting at all. No one is ever addressed like, "Izvinite, zhenschina..." But "Izvinite, devushka..."? All the time.

That's a good point - and I hear it all the time. Trouble is, to my untrained ear, it is tough to distinguish at times the different sounds. I pronounce girl "devichka", or something like that, and miss "devooshka". Does that sound right?

[mox 298]

That's a good point - and I hear it all the time. Trouble is, to my untrained ear, it is tough to distinguish at times the different sounds. I pronounce girl "devichka", or something like that, and miss "devooshka". Does that sound right?

Same here. I think it's close enough for Amerikan yazik.

[Brad and Vika 129]

That's a good point - and I hear it all the time. Trouble is, to my untrained ear, it is tough to distinguish at times the different sounds. I pronounce girl "devichka", or something like that, and miss "devooshka". Does that sound right?

Same here. I think it's close enough for Amerikan yazik.

Coolness, I always rely on the slack cut to foreigners. And also surprised that Americans don't give our guests and immigrants the same credit for making the attempt.

[slim 1,514]

Coolness, I always rely on the slack cut to foreigners. And also surprised that Americans don't give our guests and immigrants the same credit for making the attempt.

Why should we? "They're in America, they should speak American, gotdammit." There is that huuuuuuuge double standard out there and, luckily for us, foreigners are nice enough to accomodate us most of the time.

I've found the best way to smooth over your accent (in any language, even American) is to have a couple of adult beverages. You really will speak better and the person you're speaking with will understand you better too. (Provided they've had a couple as well!) Beer, helping white guys dance, and Americans speak, since 1856!

[b_fowler 0]

I can honestly say that the Russian friends that I have that live here in the United States, I have given slack to, as they have to me for not speaking Russian very well!! The same can be said for my fiancee's family in Russia, they have given me slack also, so helping and understanding that they won't speak fluent english overnight I think is important to remember!!

[Brad and Vika 129]

I'm with Slim. My Russian improves exponentially with each ounce of vodka I consume. Nasdarovye means good conversation - right?

[mox 298]

"Good health," actually. But have a couple more shots and nobody will care.