How to Not Give Up Learning Russian


Posted on December 6th, 2012

Learning RussianLearning a new language can be a very tedious task. It involves a lot of hard work, patience, motivation and self-control. This is why at times, when we are overwhelmed by all of the new words and grammar rules that we need to memorize, we feel like giving up. Learning Russian can seem especially tricky because it uses Cyrillic alphabet and its grammar rules may seem a little more complicated comparing to English.

So, is it ever possible to learn to speak Russian? The answer is yes, of course, it is. Yes, you will need to make effort and yes, you will need some patience. Today I would like to share five steps with you that helped me to overcome the “I’m giving up” feeling while learning English. Here they are:

Stay Motivated

Let me ask you, what do you think makes you to get up, get dressed, make yourself a cap of steaming coffee before you head to work in the morning? Motivation. You are motivated to go to work. Whether it is because you love your job, or trying to work your way up for a promotion, or whether it is your salary. The bottom line is, you are motivated to come to work every day. Motivation is a strong force, when it comes to achieving something. This is why being motivated will help you to improve your Russian.

Think about things that motivate you:
• Is it a new job?
• A trip to Russia?
• A new friend whom you would like to impress with your knowledge?

Visualizing yourself speaking Russian to your new friend or traveling from city to city in Russia will keep you motivated while learning Russian.

Make Russian Friends

This is something that will definitely keep you motivated, plus you will notice tremendous changes right away. Making new friends, going out with them and interacting outside of the classroom helped me improve my English language speaking skills, practice English grammar and learn and slang word or two.
Whether you are chatting to someone online, or in person, speak Russian. Do not be shy. Any healthy thinking person will appreciate and encourage your efforts!

Take Breaks

I think we often underestimate the power of breaks. Breaks are important while learning, a small snack break while doing your homework or a weekend break from studying all week. Just be careful and don’t get carried away, otherwise you get so comfortable during your break that it will be difficult to get back to your studies… Been there before..

Take One Step at a Time

It is very easy to get overwhelmed by all of the tasks you need to complete: to memorize 20 new words and expressions, read and learn new grammar rules, learn how to count from 1 to 100… however, it will be easier if you take little steps every time. For example, today you will only learn 5 new words, and tomorrow you will read about the verbs in Russian, and then you will practice pronunciation of the new words on Sunday. Make your life easier by dividing your homework into smaller portions, it will be less overwhelming for you this way.

Make it Fun

This is one of the most important steps that will help you to enjoy the process. It is easy to have fun while learning nowadays. There are so many online resources that are offering help in learning Russian, just type in “learn Russian” on Google you will find plenty. You can also practice Russian on social media sites such as Facebook, Twitter or Pinterest. If you are into online games – you can find plenty Russian word games online, as well as videos and so much more! Just find things that you enjoy most of all and this will help you to not only learn Russian language, but also to better understand its culture and people. Plus you will always learn so much more by having fun in Russian then by memorizing your Russian textbook!

Have loads and loads of fun learning Russian! :)
Viktoria.

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