Russian is the largest native language in Europe and the most geographically widespread language in Eurasia. It is the most widely spoken of the Slavic languages, with over 258 million total speakers worldwide. Russian is the seventh-most spoken language in the world by a number of native speakers and the eighth-most spoken language in the world by a total number of speakers. The language is one of the six official languages of the United Nations. Russian is also the second-most widespread language on the Internet, after English.

– Set your goals. Think about what your main reason for learning Russian is. Maybe you are a student in some Slavic studies department? Maybe you are in love with a Russian person? Maybe you are an intrepid adventurer who wants to travel to Russia? From the very beginning you should understand WHY you’ve decided to learn this language. It will help you when something difficult appears on your way (and believe me, there will be a lot of tricky things in learning Russian).

 

– Set your Russian learning schedule. How much time should you dedicate to studying? Of course as much as possible! But even 5 minutes per day is better than nothing. We are all busy, and it’s so difficult to find time for foreign language learning. But try to make learning Russian a part of your daily routine: listen to podcasts, keep a diary, read interesting stories… ENJOY learning Russian!

 

– Prepare a nice “language learning kit“: notebooks, pocket journals, beautiful pens in different colors. Anything that will give you an additional inspiration to learn Russian.

1) Master the Russian Alphabet

If you want to know how to learn Russian, the alphabet is the best place to start. The Russian alphabet is easy to learn because it’s very phonetic. Russians use the “Cyrillic” alphabet, named after the Greek monk, St. Cyril.

The alphabet consists of 33 letters, and it may seem unfamiliar at first. However, it has many similarities to the English alphabet. Some of the letters look and sound exactly like their English counterparts: A, B, D, K, L, M, O, and T.

 

2) Learn Common Russian Words First

Every language has words that are more commonly used than others, so it’s helpful to learn these first as they’ll come in handy during daily conversation. Start by learning the words listed below.

• Здравствуйте (Hello)
• Привет (Hi)
• Доброе утро (Good morning)
• До свидания (Goodbye)
• Как Вы живёте? (How are you?)
• Было приятно познакомиться с Вами (Nice to meet you)
• Спасибо (Thank you)

 

3) Find Cognates in Russian

When wondering how to learn Russian quickly, one of the first steps you should take is to find words that have the same meanings in both Russian and English. 

There are many words in Russian that sound just like their English counterparts. Start with the examples below.

• Телефон (telephone)
• Компьютер (computer)
• Такси (taxi)
• Аэропорт (airport)
• Лампа (lamp)
• Технология (technology)
• Температура (temperature)

 

4) Learn online

You can learn Russian from the comfort of your own home using a variety of websites, apps, or other methods. It also has a number of advantages over studying it at an institute. You save a significant amount of money and time. Learning Russian can be costly and time-consuming, but you can learn it for free or for a very low cost if you learn it online.

•  Multibhashi– Multibhashi is one of the best language learning online platform which provides basic necessities to learn the foreign language such as Russian in a particular period of time.
• Coursera- Another excellent online course to participate in. They offer classes in the form of pre-recorded lessons, allowing you to learn for free and gain access to all of their resources. However, if you want a certificate of completion at the end of your course, you will have to pay a small fee.
• Duolingo- They offer structured-like lessons in which you can learn Russian by engaging and entertaining topics to read. This is a free 100% way of learning Russian. They adapt to a learner’s learning style so that the learners get efficient results.

 

5) Take Advantage of Flexible Sentences

Word order in Russian sentences is very flexible and different from the firm, “subject-verb-object” structure that English speakers are used to. For example, in Russian there are several ways to express the statement, “I live in Miami.”

• Я живу в Маями. (I live in Miami)
• В Маями я живу. (In Miami I live)
• Живу в Маями. (Live in Miami) – You can skip the pronoun altogether!

 

6) Learn From a Russian Teacher

Private lessons from an experienced Russian teacher are the best way to learn Russian – whether you take in-person or online lessons. A professional, native speaker can provide a structured learning plan that is tailored to your individual needs and goals.

They can lead you through tricky concepts like grammar rules, and give you feedback on your accent and pronunciation.

7) Read Children’s Books

Children’s books are an excellent way to build your grammar and comprehension skills. You might feel silly at first reading a book for children but keep at it, as this will help lay the foundation for mastering Russian.

If you’re not quite ready to start reading in Russian yet, try listening to audiobooks or use dual-language books that show the English and Russian translations side by side. “The Little Prince” (Маленький Принц) by Antoine de Saint Exupery is a great dual language book to start with. 

 

8) Practice Speaking & Writing

The best way to learn Russian quickly is to use every opportunity to speak it. Become more confident and comfortable in your speaking skills by memorizing Russian idioms, common sayings, and practicing short dialogues daily.

When communicating with native speakers, be brave and ask them to correct your mistakes. Need someone to practice with? Find a language partner near you, or online, with sites like Meetup and My Language Exchange.

Lastly, don’t forget to work on your writing skills. Writing is secondary in learning a foreign language but absolutely necessary.

Keep a vocabulary journal and find a pen pal to write to. Don’t be afraid to step outside of your comfort zone and put all the skills you’re learning into practice!

Now that you can answer the question, “How to learn the Russian Language at home?” you’re ready to dive deeper into your studies. Everyone is capable of mastering a foreign language, but these tips and tricks will help you learn more efficiently.

 

There is so much to do and see in Russia. Speaking the native language will help you fully experience all that Russia has to offer, and meet all sorts of fascinating people along the way. With the right tutor, you can achieve your full linguistic potential as fast as possible. 

 

Start your Russian language journey today!