Verblix Press - Russian Short Stories for Beginners: Learn Russian Vocabulary and Phrases with Stories (A1/A2)

Russian Short Stories for Beginners

Learn Russian Vocabulary and Phrases with Stories (A1/A2)

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Russian Short Stories for Beginners Learn Russian Vocabulary and Phrases with Stories (A1/A2)

Introduction

C ongratulations for downloading Russian Short Stories for Beginners Learn Russian Vocabulary and Phrases with Stories (A1/A2)!

Are you currently learning Russian? Do you want to broaden your horizon by becoming acquainted with the language of Tolstoy, Dostoyevsky and other famous writers? If your answer to either one of these questions is yes, then this book is perfect for you.

Discovering the Russian language through short stories

As a beginner, you may have noticed how little learning material is available for Russian. Often, people give up on discovering this beautiful language, just because they feel there are not enough resources available to help them. The short stories contained in this book will help you start your learning process the right way.

At the end of each story, you will find a brief summary in Russian and a glossary containing challenging words. There are also multiple choice questions, which will help you verify how well you have understood the text.

This book is the perfect resource for adults who are interested in learning Russian, whether for pleasure, work or study.

The door to a new culture

There may be different reasons why you have chosen to learn Russian. If you want to travel to Russian-speaking countries, learning the language is always a good idea, as the locals rarely speak foreign languages. Moreover, they will enthusiastically welcome anyone who makes an effort to communicate in Russian.

Business transactions are usually more successful when one speaks Russian, even if just at a beginner level. You will find the Russian businessmen to be more trusting of those who know the language, especially since they will be able to interact directly with you and not have to use an interpreter. Last, but not least, you might want to learn Russian to study in one of the Russian-speaking countries, and broaden your horizons.

Where is Russian spoken?

Russia is not the only country where you can use your language skills! It is one of the six official languages of the United Nations, and is the official language of Belarus, Kyrgyzstan, and Kazakhstan. In countries such as Moldova, Ukraine, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, and Azerbaijan, it is widely spoken and understood. Russian is also considered in some countries as an international language for tourists to use, if they do not speak the local language. An impressive number of people in Israel also speak it as a mother tongue.

People from countries such as Poland, Slovakia, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, the Czech Republic, and Germany might have a good understanding of the language. Worldwide, there are 167 million native speakers of Russian and another 110 million people who use this language to communicate.

Is Russian a difficult language to learn for an English native speaker?

The answer is probably yes but if it were simple, there would not be the excitement of a challenge and the satisfaction once conquered!

Learning Russian takes practice, as the grammar is challenging, and the case system can be difficult to grasp. The word-endings often alter to accord with function, gender and number.

Give yourself time to become comfortable with the unique alphabet and pronunciation of Russian. And do not be discouraged, as this language is still easier than many others, such as Chinese or Korean. Use the learning material from this book to discover the language as it is complex yet beautiful.

Similarity with other languages

In terms of rhetoric and grammar, Russian has many similarities with other Slavic languages such as Bulgarian and Ukrainian. Its vocabulary, for the most part, is similar to the Polish, Serbian and Croatian languages. So, if you have knowledge of any of these languages (or any Slavic language, for that matter) then you will find it much easier to conquer Russian, too.

How to Learn a Foreign Language Fast

I f you want to learn a foreign language fast, its important that you put equal effort in developing the four skills of language learning. Developing these skills will help you develop your comprehension, and at the same time, set you up to become an effective communicator. Think about how you learned your first language. Usually, its the listening skills that develop first, then speaking, then reading and writing. Heres a brief description of the 4 capabilities, or the LSRW skills.

Listening the first skill that we learn in our native language. Known as a passive or receptive skill, listening involves receiving language through our ears, and allowing the brain to make sense of what was said. While listening is said to be the mother of all language skills, not many people put enough effort into developing their listening skills.

The best way to practice is to familiarize yourself with as much native sources of language as you can. Watch Russian movies (with or without the subs) and listen to Russian podcasts and audiobooks. Try listening purely for the different sounds first before you start looking for the context of the material youre listening to.

Speaking the second skill that we learn in our native language. Speaking is an active or productive skill that involves using our vocal tract to produce language that our brain has interpreted. Speaking is often the number one weakness for anyone acquiring a second language as it is common for us to start learning a language through reading.

One way to improve your speaking skill is to read text out loud. Practice reading along with a recording at first, then reread the text on your own, but this time, pay attention to the pronunciation and the inflections on the sentences.