Best Podcast for Learning Russian

Learning Russian can be easier than you think. In fact, if you use three modern language learning techniques in particular, it can seem almost effortless. In this article, I'll be sharing what we feel is the best Russian podcast—the only one which uses these three techniques to teach beginners this beautiful, mysterious language.

If you've been struggling to learn Russian, you might think it's because of all the complex grammar rules, that your memory isn't what it used to be, or that you're just not good at foreign languages. Don't believe any of that. You've simply been held back by old, inefficient teaching methods. Your success in Russian will come from using a course, teacher, podcast, or program which employs modern language learning techniques. Ones like Contextual Learning, Pattern Recognition, and Super-Literal Translation.

1. Contextual Learning: So You Easily Remember New Russian Vocabulary

Contextual Learning is the method of learning a foreign word by encountering it in the context of an English sentence. Take the Russian word 'voda' (pronounced 'vuh-DAH'). Here it is in context: Evian is the most popular brand of bottled voda. H₂O is the chemical formula for voda.

So what's voda?... Yep, you got it right. How do I know you got it right? I know because of the way the contextual senteces were setup. I didn't just use context, but I used Forced Context. Had I just said, “I like drinking bottled voda.” That could be a variety of bottled drinks. But by using “Evian”, and “bottled” together your brain arrived at the correct meaning. Then to back it up further, I used the sentence “H₂O is the chemical formula for voda.” Since H₂O is not the chemical formula for anything other than voda, between the first and second examples, your brain not only arrives at the meaning, but also has filed it in your memory along side the other words and concepts for voda that you already know.

Your brain loves to learn new words this way, and the Russian Made Easy podcast uses Contextual Learning to great effect. Unfortunately, no one else seems to be teaching this way. Instead, they simply tell you the meaning outright. This forces you to memorize the information, and this is why you may feel that it's difficult to remember new Russian words.

2. Pattern Recognition: So You Naturally Understand Russian Grammar

Learning from context isn't the only superior technique the Russian Made Easy podcast uses. Another one is Pattern Recognition. You probably think Russian grammar is difficult. Of course it can be, but it doesn't have to be. Grammar, at its most fundamental level, is simply the pattern of how words change in a language and how they fit together. As with learning from context, your brain would much rather spot the pattern on its own, instead of being forced to memorize some abstract rule (which is how grammar is otherwise taught.) To give an example is beyond the scope of this brief article, but I will say this: If you've been frustrated by Russian's case system I assure you it's because some teacher or website or book is forcing you to memorize declension charts instead of simply presenting you examples of the main pattern. This is another technique Russian Made Easy employs so effectively. Here's a video called Russian Grammar Made Easy Through Patterns.

3. S.L.T: The Key To Speed And Efficiency When Learning Russian

Finally, you need to know the Super-Literal Translation (SLT) of everything you learn. And again, Russian Made Easy explains the SLT of every word and phrase. Take the classic example: In English we say, "My name is John." In Russian, they phrase it, "Minya zavoot John." If a course leaves it at that (as virtually all do), you walk away figuring that "minya" = "my" (it doesn't!) and "zavoot" = "name" (it doesn't!). In reality, what Russians are literally saying is, "Me they-call John." If a course doesn't clearly explain the SLT of everything you learn, it will lead to misunderstanding, mistakes, confusion and frustration. Here's a video called Start Thinking in Russian with S.L.T.

Contextual Learning, Pattern Recognition, and Super-Literal Translations. These are just three of the modern techniques which the Russian Made Easy podcast uses to get you speaking Russian from Day One. Plus it's fun, it's fast and it's free. And that's why it's the best learn Russian podcast. Check out Russian Made Easy: Russian Podcast for Beginners here.

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